We have been accused in the past of being obsessive about our ground tackle systems, to which we contentedly plead guilty.
This 350 pound Manson anchor is huge, but we feel it is in scale with the mission for which the FPB 78 is intended.
Winched home in its chock for the first time, it looks just right to us. The ideal size to have us feeling all snug and cozy whilst a storm whistles outside when we are anchored in some lovely, remote cruising idyll.
Equally important, equanimity aboard is a function of the fridge/freezer system. Its efficiency directly impacts generator run time and general ambiance. We have tried to rationalize conventional home-style systems. You could equip a dozen or more custom homes for what this system costs. But the very best household systems take multiples of the power our custom fridges consume, are relatively noisy, and exhaust significant heat into the interior space.
The three Danfoss 24VDC fridge/freezer compressors above, help us retain our cool. Those fans are air-cooled condensers for use when we are hauled out, or if there is a cooling pump failure.
We are looking here inside the great room settee, port forward end, at two of the five heating units in the great room. These are each rated at 14,000 BTUs, which is overkill. The excess capacity means the fans can be run on low voltage, slowing them down, and significantly reducing noise.
One of the advantages of working in aluminum is the ability to reinforce and connect furniture with strong but light welded frames. This allows design freedom, in this case with the cantilevered nav desk in the great room. The lockers below the desk tops will soon be festooned with electronics black boxes.
A small sample of electronics infrastructure above, mostly related to the stabilizer system, in the portside systems room on the lower deck.
We are not big TV watchers, but we do like to view photos on a large 4K screen. The 60” Samsung will rear its ugly head from inside this cabinet when we are at anchor. And at sea we can view it in its housed position when the bifold doors are opened.
All of the preceding requires a fair quantity of electric energy. We expect most of this to come from the ten 340 watt solar panels, of which six are shown above now installed. John Henrichs has been tracking his solar experience, aboard FPB 64-5 Tiger. John estimates that based on what they have been logging, “Bottom line based on our daily averages in real life, here is what I think you might expect to see:
- Best day of cruising season should be 775 amp/hr
- Average daily amp/hrs should run around 450
- The worst day should be around 250.”
These amp hours are for a 24 volt system.
We will close the door on this report with a photo of the now completed watertight door into the workshop from the swim step.
Changed our minds about that. We’ll finish with a reminder that beauty is more than skin deep, or maybe you can’t judge a book by its cover. Here, FPB 78-2 is having her 1.5”/37 mm topside insulation (EPDM) applied. This material is key to quiet, cool/warm (your choice) cruising. You will never know it is there, but the results make the significant weight and cost a bargain.
Posted by Steve Dashew (October 5, 2015)
October 5th, 2015 at 5:38 pm
Steve —
Curious if there was a reason behind the shift from Rocna to Manson anchors?
As always, great work!
Les
October 9th, 2015 at 4:20 am
Hi Les:
For a while Rocna anchors were made in China which made us nervous quality wise. Also, we like the sharper pount of the Manson fluke. However, we have no real world experience with the Manson, so time will tell which we like better.
October 6th, 2015 at 12:02 am
Thanks for another set of great pictures. Where will the battery bank sit?
October 9th, 2015 at 4:21 am
Hi Dustin:
The battery bank sits in a sump under the sole in the lower deck hallway.
October 6th, 2015 at 1:45 pm
Steve,
I am in complete agreement with your ground tackle philosophy but, based solely on the first 3 photos, have you given thought to enlarging the pulpit a bit. I see an anchor tip that will rest against the stem bar and a righting hoop that can get smashed into the lower fairlead edge. Could get ugly on an uphill run, not to mention the banging against the stem bar that could resonate quite a ways aft.
I guess time will tell.
Stay well, stay safe.
Best,
Jono
October 9th, 2015 at 4:25 am
Hi Jono:
The design of the bow roller and and the side supports is such that the anchor is winched home against the underside of the verticals before it comes into contact with the fairlead or stembar. That, and the three meter/ten foot, distance off the water will take care of anchor rattling.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:10 am
What is the capacity of the Freezer/Refrigerator system?
It is amazing seeing something this complex hand made with such craftsmanship.
October 9th, 2015 at 4:25 am
Hi Shannon:
The freezer is about ten cubic feet and the fridge 18.5 cubic feet.
October 7th, 2015 at 12:36 pm
Hi Steve,
Looking fantastic! Really enjoying the updates.
I noticed that the tip of the anchor appears to extend past the bow, causing the anchor to not sit straight. Is this by design? or is the anchor longer than anticipated? Just curiose.
Thanks for keeping us in the loop on progress.
Steve C.
October 9th, 2015 at 4:29 am
Hello Steve:
The anchor is offset slightly to starboard, which is related to the anchor winch, which is in turn positioned so that the spurling pipe is centered over the chain bin below. The chain bin is offset to allow us to walk past it. The anchor is exactly the size that was in the 3D file that Manson gave to us. All of which is a long winded manner of saying, it is designed this way from the start.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:26 pm
Looks great Steve, What is rest of ground tackle ? what size windlass ?
October 9th, 2015 at 4:31 am
Hi Paul:
The windlass is a Maxwell V4000. Chain is 1/2″ schedule 4.
October 12th, 2015 at 6:23 pm
Hi Steve: I’m not entirely clear about the difference between schedule and grades, but I think you used grade 70 in the past? If that’s right, why the change?
October 13th, 2015 at 9:52 pm
Correct, Carl:
In this case we are spending our weight budget for chain on a heavier, shorter length, to reduce required sqigning room. Couple with the anchor we are using in most conditions 1.5/2.0 to one will be sufficient scope. The 12mm chain has sufficient strength for the job at hand.
October 14th, 2015 at 1:13 am
Hi Steve: Thank you for the explanation. Any change in the total length of the chain (I think you previously went with 400 feet)?
October 16th, 2015 at 4:46 am
Carl, the chain is 100m/325′. We carried 250′ on Wind Horse.