There are so many photos to share from our recent trip to New Zealand that we’ll do update #22 as a series of which this the first (to be followed over the next few days by further updates and posts under the FPB 64 Series Notes category).

While it is difficult to ascertain the quality of most of of Circa’s work on the FPB 64s from construction photos, the engine room being nearly completed gives us a hint of what is to come throughout the boat. These photos do not begin to give what you really feel – but short of a visit to New Zealand they will have to suffice.

As mentioned elsewhere, it is difficult in the extreme to have a functional and aesthetic engine room. There are so many hoses, pipes, wires, and pieces of gear that a beautiful result takes patience, dedication, a lot of effort, and the willingness to do things over – sometimes three or four times. Most builders do not even try. They simply hide the messy looking stuff. The problem with this approach is that it also hides the problems. We have always preferred to expose everything, where we can clean and keep an eye on all of it.

The lead photo (above) is taken from the aft starboard corner, looking diagonally across the engine room towards the forward port corner.

Consider this and the photos which follow in the context of how this engine room will look when the floorboards are covered with the same material as the galley soles, permanent lighting is installed and work lights and their wires are removed, and the Owners have strategically places lovely artwork on the bulkheads. The end result

will be stunning. You may think that art in the engine room is an oxymoron, but we can assure you that when the bulkhead outboard of the engine and forward are covered with photos the affect will be lovely.

This shot (above) looks straight forward. The genset is in the right lower corner, the engine is centered, and the day tank is to port.

Switching now to the view from the engine room door taken from the forward starboard corner. The framework to port provides handholds and a brace against which you can lean.

The camera is now just in front of the workbench. The blue hose on the engine is part of the air intake system.

We are now at the aft end of the engine, the middle of the engine room. The Kabola diesel boiler is in the right corner of the photo.

Moving to the starboard side now and looking into the aft port corner. The gray box on the day tank with the four switches is the fuel transfer and polishing control.

This photo is from aft center looking to port. The Kabola exhaust (as yet unlagged) is prominent on the right and the steering system shelf is left (aft).

The aft port corner is busy. There is a 40 gallon (150 liter) sewage tank, the port side autopilot drive system (blue) and a variety of pump exhausts with which to deal.

Another view of the same area. The black pump centered is one of two which drain the engine sump. The custom built exhaust manifolds about which we have spoken in the past are center left in the photo.

Looking now into the aft starboard corner. The genset is centered, engine exhaust is top, and the shiny stainless domestic water heater is visible against the hull.

Same area, now with the camera moved aft.

A quick detail of the engine exhaust about which we will speak in detail in a later blog.

The belt guard for the aft end of the engine is shown here.

And finally one of the few details in the boat which need changing. We are looking down at the salt water intake strainers and distribution manifold. They are fine. The floorboards, however, need to be narrowed just a bit – that is what the green tape shows – to improve visual and physical access to the packing gland and shaft coupling (the floorboards and their support framework are easily removed for major projects).

We’ll update daily this week with lots more data so check back frequently. And for a slide show of all the images in larger format click here .