The first cut! After many thousands of design and engineering hours, construction is underway with FPB 78-1.
We are six weeks behind schedule with this start, the result of our taking extra time to refine the design. And while we, and subsequent owners, are in a hurry to get this boat in the water, we know from experience it is better to solve problems and fine-tune the overall design before construction has begun. The end product will be better, and more efficient to build.
This giant cutting table works from cad files with nested parts marked with assembly lines, and required cut outs already in place. Tolerances are much tighter than can be achieved with conventional layout and cutting – we are talking a millimeter of fudge factor. Tight tolerances give us a hull and deck more fair than the norm with aluminum yachts.
It won’t be long before we start to see the frame being assembled.
Posted by Steve Dashew (October 1, 2013)
October 1st, 2013 at 4:03 pm
Congratulations!! This will be one incredible boat. I am the kinda girl that likes to design & build my own stuff. I have never done anything anywhere close to this scale but I do understand the process,pride & benefits of a well done custom project. I have done desert race cars/trailers/campers. The most complex mechanical thing I have designed & built is a front suspension so I am in complete awe at the thought of what goes into a hull design that is efficient,seaworthy & comfortable all at the same time. Not to mention the structure behind it. I have noticed every single corner is radiused,every force is carried over & no detail is overlooked. You are building a survival pod to explore the world in comfort & that is the ultimate. It doesn’t get any better than that. I am truly excited for you two & I look forward to watching the build. I am truly impressed with what you have achieved & wish you all the best.
October 1st, 2013 at 10:39 pm
Thanks Shannon. This is very much a team effort with Kelly, Todd, Mark, Michael and Ryan on this end and a host of others in New Zealand. By the time the first FPB 78 hits the water there will have been spent in excess of 10,000 man hours on the design, engineering, and working drawings.