Having grown up in Southern California, with a sailing and surfing background, riding the waves a natural part of being in or on the water. Our sailing and FPB designs have reflected this from the beginning. Recently we were surprised to learn that some of our owners are afraid of what is actually. one of the best things you can do with our yachts. Read the rest »
Wicked FPB 97
Following is a series of posts detailing the design and construction process of the Wicked FPB 97.
FPB 97 Video: Iceberg Put Through Paces off North Carolina
FPB 97 Iceberg has been up in North Carolina, where Cory McMahon and his Triton Marine team have been fine-tuning the Wicked 97’s steering and stabilizer systems. Steve has been there as well working on FPB 78-1 Cochise, and joined in on the fun. Read the rest »
Life In A Post-FPB World
“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
~ William A. Foster
This is a difficult post for Linda and me to write. But events in the past few weeks together with the urging of many of our friends and clients (often one and the same) have forced the issue, starting with the William Foster quote above sent to us by one of our owners.
Interior Design and FPB: Thoughts From Designer Denise LaVey
We’ve worked with many interior designers over the years, but Denise is the first who truly understands what the FPB concept is all about. We think her work for us aboard FPB 78-1 Cochise speaks for itself…
Read the rest »
FPB 97 and FPB 64 Drone Video
Great aerial drone footage of FPB 97 and FPB 64 anchored together in New Zealand.
FPB in the Press: Soundings Feature Now Live Online
There is a double feature now live in print and online at Soundings Magazine… Read the rest »
FPB in the Press: Soundings Magazine
Soundings Magazine has an extensive feature on FPB in their March 2017 issue. They’ve also put together a nice video on the FPB designs for their website… Read the rest »
FPB 97 Video: Running Off Before A Gale
The following video shows FPB 97 Iceberg running off before a gale off the coast in New Zealand.
Why FPB? The Concept Explained…
We’ve been chasing the holy grail of the perfect cruising yacht for 40 years. The Deerfoot, Sundeer and Beowulf series are considered the premiere sailing yachts on which to circumnavigate. The FPB fleet is judged by the most experienced owners and journalists to be the best ocean-crossing motor yachts today. To find out why, read on:
Wicked FPB 97 Ups Her Smooth Water Record: A Few Thoughts On Props, Froude Numbers, And What Is Coming Soon
Iceberg has just tried out her new propellers, this time without “interceptor” strips, and she has pushed her smooth water maximum speed to 15.0672 knots, Read the rest »
FPB 97 – Code Name “Wicked”
Slicing through the barriers of what can and cannot be done with a large yacht, the Wicked FPB 97 redefines the cruising paradigm.
FPB 97-1 A Few Details
We have been limited in sharing details of the FPB 97-1. In this post we will give you a quick overview of a few of the more interesting design and construction aspects. Read the rest »
The Wicked One Revealed – The FPB 97 Shows Her Stuff
A fresh breeze, smooth 12.5 to 13 knots, perfect light, and world class photographer Ivor Wilkins. Not much more you could ask for.
Wave Piercing – The Secret To Ocean Crossing Comfort and Speed
We learned a long time ago that the key to happy cruising is a smooth ride uphill. Careful weather routing and a good turn of speed reduces your exposure, but those inevitable rough upwind passages are what people remember Read the rest »
Mega Drone Photos, FPB 97 Details, And Other News From Recent Trip To New Zealand
We have just returned from New Zealand and there is lots to share about the FPB world. We’ll start with an iPhone app for photography during additional trials aboard FPB 97-1. Read the rest »
FPB 97 Performance Prediction Contest: And The Winner Is…
With the publishing of the first batch of performance data from FPB 97-1 it is time to declare a winner in the prediction contest. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 Performance Data
We have just finished a first look at the FPB 97-1 sea trials and two passages worth of data. What can be done on board this 110-foot 100 ton yacht, with just 600 HP Read the rest »
FPB 97 and the FPB Concept: What The Establishment Thinks
What would you assume is the ocean-crossing yacht of choice for the editor of a preeminent megayacht magazine who’s seen it all? Read Stewart Campbell’s editor’s letter in the April 2015 edition of Boat International to find out. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 Iceberg: A Day Of Tests – Posted By Sarah
Tuesday morning finds us wending our way out to open water on Iceberg. A battery of tests are in store: everything from engine load and fuel burn, to optimizing stabilizer settings, checking roll periods, loading alternators, and pretty much anything you can think of in between. Read the rest »
FPB 97 Iceberg: Surfing Off Before A Wicked New Zealand Gale
Come aboard FPB 97-1 Iceberg for a quick ride from Waiheke Island to Whangarei. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 Drone Photos (and video)- What You Really Need under The Tree
Being very 21st century in all things to do with serious cruising, we have a demo of a pair of ultimate cruising tools.
FPB 97-1: First Sea Trial Video
Here is a very short video of FPB 97-1 on her third day of sea trials. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 Sea Trials – Kicking Up The Revs
FPB 97-1 is working its way up the engine load chart. We shot some video last week aboard, from which this transom shot is extracted. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 Sea Trials Day 2: A Wicked Wake
You are looking at what drives the FPB team, what our client (and we) have been waiting to see after 2.5 years of intense effort. A lovely clean flow release off the stern with minimal magnitude indicating a highly efficient cruising machine (this at 13.1 knots GPS averaged in two directions). A wicked wake indeed. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 Sea Trials Day 1
It is a perfect day for the first sea trial with FPB 97-1. Read the rest »
FPB 97 Performance – What Is Your Guess?
We will shortly begin a wicked set of sea trials with FPB 97-1. Along with the usual wringing out of the boat before handover, one of the objectives is to gather a data set with which to refine our velocity prediction algorithms. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 Trials: Inclined Towards Safety
We thought a few photos of a stability check on the Wicked FPB 97-1 might be of interest. In case you want to do this yourself some day you will see it really isn’t that difficult.
FPB 97-1 Floating Free
FPB 97-1 Iceberg is floating free. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 The Moment of Truth
The moment of truth is at hand. Read the rest »
FPB 97 – The Emergence
In the pre-dawn light, illusory figures attend the Wicked One, for it is known that this is the day.
FPB Construction Progress Update: August1, 2014
It is the first day of August and time for an update, starting with three shots of the FPB 97-1 forepeak, looking here from inside the chain locker and aft. Read the rest »
FPB 78 – The Strongest Cruising Yacht Hull Ever Built? And Other FPB Progress Photos
Bottom plate this thick is heavy, very difficult to fabricate, and costly in the extreme. It is two times or more the Loyds Special Service rule requirements. Does it make sense?
FPB Construction Update
Words don’t work here. The photo is capable of speaking for itself.
FPB Progress In Spite of the America’s Cup
A quick update on FPB progress in New Zealand, where the Circa team have been hard at work in spite of the America’s Cup excitement..
Progress On All Fronts In New Zealand – And Getting Comfortable in the Wicked Great Room
Although the furniture represents a small part of the total weight of the boat, we want it to be as light as practical, as you see here with the carcass for the FPB 97 great room settee. Read the rest »
FPB Update – Coming Together Quickly
This week we bring you an update on FPB 97-1 and FPB 64s eight, nine and ten. Starting with 97-1 where metal work is rapidly coming to an end.
Wicked FPB 97 Tops Out
This is a wickedly cool series of photos, one which has given us a decided buzz.
Let There Be Light, Skegging, & Other Wicked Subjects
A prison ship? No, just a few bars on the hull window inserts to make sure this FPB 97 stays wickedly fair.
Wicked Weld Testing: Using X-Ray Images To Verify Welds On The FPB 97
A standard part of every hull construction sequence is a series of X-Ray checks, the location of which is dictated by the owner’s surveyor. Circa have just completed this process on FPB 97-1 and we thought this QC check process might be of interest.
Report From New Zealand: 10th FPB 64 Begins – FPB 97 Masts Are Up
Here is a sight guaranteed to please… FPB 64-10 has begun its journey (right) while FPB 97-1 has its mast structure well under way.
FPB 97-1 Plated Up
FPB 97-1 is well along now, with the main framing and plating of the hull almost complete.
FPB 97 – Plating Progress
Circa is at the stage where visual progress will accelerate, and it will become easier to get a sense of scale for the Wicked FPB 97. Bottom plating is in place and topside plating has begun. Read the rest »
Let The Plating Begin
It is that time when the real fun begins, the execution of which separates men from boys, and where the wheeling is now in earnest.
Wicked Stabilizer Bosses and Other Details
The FPB 97 has enormous stabilizer mechanisms, sized for support when aground and hitting things, the loads for which are far more than hydrostatic loads. The over strength mechanism, however, is of no value, and in fact can damage the boat, if it is not properly reinforced. Read the rest »
A Wicked Belting – Or What To Use When You Want To Rub Someone The Wrong Way
We have learned over the years how to rub the world the wrong way and get away with it. This manifests itself in many ways. In the case of the Wicked FPB 97
Wicked Scale – Or, The Old And The New
Even after all the hours spent working with the Wicked FPB 97 to date, we were not prepared for the scale impact when viewing 97-1 in person. Helping us adjust to this new sense Read the rest »
FPB Update: 97-1 Progress
One takeaway from this latest trip to New Zealand was the overall pace and quality of progress that Circa Marine is managing with the FPB 97 program. Read the rest »
Wicked Progress In Whangarei
Some of the team are visiting FPB 97-1 in New Zealand this week and are sending back some great photos Read the rest »
Wicked Update – A Bow For All Seas
We’ve been at this a long time, seen more yachts under construction than we can remember.. Read the rest »
A Wicked FPB 97 Exterior Update
We’ve been so busy on the details end of FPB 97-1 – a project like this has a tendency to take all your bandwidth – Read the rest »
A Wickedly Cool FPB 97 Great Room
We thought it was time to devote some computing energy towards showing you the latest on the Wicked FPB 97 Great Room.
Wicked FPB 97-1: Starting To Feel The Scale
You are looking at the business end of what will become an enormously strong bow structure on FPB 97-1. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 And FPB 64-9 Framing Starts, FPB 64-6 Almost Ready To Launch, And Other Exciting Details
The Circa team is hard at work on the initial stages of FPB 97-1 fabrication, and we are starting to receive some photos of the process.
FPB 97-1 Aluminum Plate Shipment Arrives – Plate Cutting Begins Soon
A milestone in the FPB 97 program – the first shipment of aluminum plate has arrived from the distributors where it has been in storage.
Testing The Underwater Exhaust In Various States Of Trim In Preparation For The FPB 97: Motion Impact
One of the most difficult design aspects to get right is an underwater exhaust. Powerboat builders and designers have been wrestling with these issues for years, and nobody–let us repeat that, nobody–has a pat answer. With conventional motor yachts, there is so much horsepower involved in propulsion that exhaust noise is a major issue. Add in engine rooms that are almost always near the center of the vessel, and the need for–and difficulty with–an underwater exhaust multiplies.
In our case the options are easier. We have very small power requirements, so noise and vibration are minimal. The engine room is all the way aft, so the noise is isolated from the living quarters. The aft location coupled with small engines and big rudders makes it possible to place an underwater exhaust, if indeed it is warranted, behind the prop(s) and rudder(s). This eliminates the inefficiencies that occur when you are injecting exhaust, and the related turbulence, ahead of the propulsion/steering foils.
In the case of the FPB 97, we have a scale model in Wind Horse with which to experiment, which is what we’ve been doing of late. We have set her up with extra payload, so that hull immersion forward and aft is closer to the FPB 97. In the case of the underwater exhausts, this affects the imersion of the exhausts, and how they sound during various sea states.
At the same time, this gives us data on the behavior of the canoe body in unusual (for Wind Horse) load conditions. There are some factors we’ve been studying that point us in a certain direction, and we are testing to see how these work. Changing the trim, moving fuel/water forward or aft to immerse or raise the stern, allows us to get an idea of how the FPB 97 might react.
We are a ways from finalizing things…there are still some configurations to test, but we are zeroing in on a decision.
In the meantime, we’ve made a short video, taken going uphill against a 4-to-7 ft (1.2/2.1 m) sea.
FPB 97 – Working Through Great Room Options
We’ve been working through layout options in the great room, fine tuning the original design, and creating something new and exciting for FPB 97-1. There is an interesting contrast between two concepts.
FPB 97-1 Night Lighting
We have an amazing array of rendering tools with which to simulate the real world. This weekend the task at hand (other than keeping an eye on the flora and fauna) is experimenting with night lighting, and it can get confusing at times.
Wicked Sex With The FPB 97
It has been a very long day, with a previously short evening, and after three multi-hour Skype calls to different parts of the world, your correspondent is in need of a pick-me-up. There’s the cold Izze soda awaiting in the corporate lounge, and probably some cheese and crackers. But after a day like this what energizes the soul even more is a bit of Wicked sex.
Fine Tuning the First FPB 97
We’ve been hard at work fine-tuning FPB 97-1 for her very experienced owner. His goal is a highly efficient cruising platform, one which is easy to maintain, and has the highest degree of reliability. There is an instinctive understanding of the difference between the theoretical ideal and the everyday practical. The results so far, of this collaborative effort towards the perfect family cruising yacht, may surprise some observers.
Wicked FPB 97 – Finalizing the Exterior Proportions
There are numerous structural considerations impacting what can and cannot be done with the exterior shape of a design like the FPB 97. The structural requirements of the window mullions, for example, have an enormous impact on the interior and exterior appearance. So too, the connection of the mullions to the roof structure above and coamings below. The deck framing, sole, and roof support systems are other areas that control aesthetic fate. On the other hand, you cannot start the structural engineering, until you have a pretty good idea of the design. But how do you figure out the design if you don’t know the structural requirements? This is like one of those notes that pops up in a spreadsheet program when you’re building formulae that says “circular reference”.
Our approach to this conundrum is based on the WAG principle.
FPB 97 Stabilizer Position Logic
One of the more difficult design issues is positioning the stabilizer fins. The considerations are as follows:
Wicked FPB 97 Tank Volumes
The FPB 97 has a wicked amount of fuel and water capacity, so much so that only in special circumstances would the full amounts of either ever be carried. The weight and position of these liquids obviously have a substantial impact on fore and aft trim and stability. We are dealing with close to 37,000 liters/9,800US gallons of capacity (after deducting for structure, separating coffer dams, and stabilizer coffers).
FPB 97 Hull Shape Released for Building
Big news in the FPB world. FPB 97-1 is underway, and the folks at Circa are hard at work, getting ready for the day when they start to cut metal. On our end, we are ever so pleased to have released hull shape 975-80-C for building. The process that brings us to this point is long, painstaking, and involves a mix of scientific analysis and black art (also known as gut instinct born of experience). As we tend towards obsessive about such topics, perhaps a few comments might be in order.
FPB 97 Engine Room and Systems Annex
Now we get to the fun stuff, or as we say on Wind Horse, “the play room.” If you are concerned with safety, ambiance, cost, and frustration, it starts and stops right here. Get the systems and drive line right and your cruising life will be most pleasurable. Get it wrong, well, that is why so many boats sit in marinas and boat yards, and why dreams often turn sour.
A Wicked Jib (Crane)
A small but important design detail has to do with getting heavy items on/off the boat. This sequence shows a demountable jib crane, comprised of two aluminum pipes. The first series shows use with the forepeak.
FPB 97 Interior – Thursday Is The Day
The interior decks of the FPB 97 offer many opportunities and a few challenges. There is an enormous amount of volume, which is wonderful to have at anchor, and we want to preserve the sense of openness that comes with that space. But this is a seagoing vessel. There are certain requirements that relate thereto: handholds, furniture that secures one’s body, working areas that are functional in less-than-benign conditions. It is the latter which allows you to enjoyably voyage to those wonderful cruising destinations.
FPB Cruising As A Couple – How Big Can You Go and What Are The Tradeoffs
When we first started seriously thinking about going cruising, the accepted wisdom held that a couple could, at best, handle a 38-footer. A unique opportunity came our way to purchase a beautifully maintained and almost new 50-footer, and even though she seemed almost too big, we quickly adapted to Intermezzo’s size, and were happy to have the comfort of a larger yacht. Over the years we went from 50, to 62, to 68, and then 78-footers, all easier to handle for us as a couple than the previous yacht. Wind Horse, at 83 feet, is much easier for the two of us to cruise on than any of our sailing yachts. We think that will be the case with the new FPB 97.
As we have matured (hate that concept!) the idea of taking crew has been discussed more than once. Since this subject is up for its annual review, we thought it might be an interesting exercise to share the crew vs. no crew reasoning. Although we will discuss this in the context of a FPB 97, the logic applies to smaller yachts as well.
FPB 97 – The Foundation Part ll
Where you intend to cruise, and the ambient weather with which the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) have to deal, is the starting point for the systems analysis and their integration into the rest of the design. The space these take for installation has an impact on structure and interior design, and the power needed to operate them dictates the requirements of both AC and DC electrical systems. Sitting in a lovely anchorage in the Bahamas, or French Polynesia, has totally opposite requirements in this regard versus exploring Tierra del Fuego or visiting Antarctica.
Antenna Allowances For The Modern Yacht – A Wicked Conundrum
Growing up navigating by sextant and lead line taught us to appreciate modern electronics. We love radar, GPS, SONAR, and AIS. We are attached to free wifi, and data via cell service. What we don’t like is a hodge podge of antennae strewn here and there. So the farm – as in antenna farm – is on the design priority list during the concept phase, to make sure there is an orderly way to install them all.
FPB 97 – The Foundation On Which Successful Cruising Is Built: Part One
When it comes to creating a successful yacht for long distance voyaging, you have to start with the fundamentals, and build from there. Get the foundation right, and everything else falls into place. Get it wrong, and regardless of how cool the boat looks, or how much you like the interior, the real world experience is guaranteed to be less than optimal.
We’ve disclosed the exterior of this Wicked new FPB early because it is fundamental to how the boat functions in a holistic systems engineering context. Likewise the Matrix deck, which is also fundamental. Now come the details about what makes possible the cruising dream to which we all aspire.
FPB 97 – Designed For Reality
“Having a boat that can deal with whatever might happen—no matter what—provides a mental comfort level that defines their view of happy sailing.”
–Bill Parlatore, Editor, Passagemaker Magazine
Designing, specifying, and building a modern cruising yacht demands clear goals about what the yacht is intended to do. In the FPB Series, as with all our yachts, the first priority is going places (read: crossing oceans) in maximum comfort and safety, quickly, with the ability to operate for long periods away from civilization. Toss in optimization for short-handed passage-making–cruising as a couple should the owners so desire–and you have the ability to go where and when you want, without concern for crew requirements, servicing errant systems, or the schedules of yacht transport companies.
FPB 97 – The Wicked One Revealed
“The 83ft-long (25m) wave-piercer…could easily be mistaken for the spawn of the Royal Navy with its unpainted battleship grey, all-aluminum body. But that day, in those conditions, it was the only boat that I would have wanted to climb aboard to face the English Channel.”
–Motor Boat & Yachting
The sun has set, the chimes have struck, we dally no longer. The FPB 97, the Wicked One, stands revealed.
Fanning The Wicked Flames
Fanning Atoll is one of those magical places rarely visited by cruising yachts. The lagoon is beautiful, the islanders friendly, and if you happen to be transiting the Pacific to the north during hurricane season, it is the perfect place to wait until you have a clear run up to Hawaii.
The Deck Yet To Be Named Layout Is Officially Finished
In celebration of a final layout for the deck yet to be named, we offer the rendering above with a challenge.