{"id":18374,"date":"2011-10-16T16:47:48","date_gmt":"2011-10-16T21:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/?p=18374"},"modified":"2015-06-03T13:10:17","modified_gmt":"2015-06-03T18:10:17","slug":"the-engine-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/the-engine-room\/","title":{"rendered":"The Engine Room"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The engine room is located in the aft 15 feet (4.6m) of the boat. Aft engine rooms offer many advantages.<\/p>\n

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The biggest of which is noise isolation. The engine, genset, hydraulics, diesel heater, and water maker are located as far away from the interior as is possible, with two sets of bulkheads between the salon (three for the forward cabin) and these sources of noise.<\/p>\n

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The second advantage is space. You have full<\/em> headroom and the full<\/em> width of the hull at the aft end with no fuel tanks (other than a small day tank) to detract from your machinery space.<\/p>\n

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A key requirement is easy access to the genset, and port side of the main propulsion engine. These are the areas which require maintenance, and both are totally out in the open.<\/p>\n

Engine Choice <\/strong><\/p>\n

After exhaustive analysis we have given the FPB 64 a single engine configuration (compared to the FPB 83’s twins). The reason for this is simple – efficiency. The FPB 64 has a slightly different combination of hydrostatic properties which allows this approach (the FPB 83’s characteristics dictated the use twin engines).<\/p>\n

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By going to a single engine installation we maintain close to the FPB 83’s interior noise levels, have comparable range at a cruising speed of 9.5 to 10 knots (compared to the FPB 83 at 10.5 to 11 knots), and what has proven to be comparable or better maneuverability (and this is without using the standard bow thruster of the FPB 64).<\/p>\n

There are further advantages and has better protection from debris and lines over the side. If you are going into cruising areas with ice, the centered single prop is preferable to a pair that are further outboard.<\/p>\n

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We’ve always thought the engine room should be as attractive as the rest of the interior and the engineering team at Circa have done a wonderful job with the aesthetics. You know immediately upon entering the engine room that this is a special place.<\/p>\n

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It is filled with special details, like these functional and aesthetic alternator belt shields.<\/p>\n

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Something as mundane as bilge pump and water maker exhausts are treated as works of modern art.<\/p>\n

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How about this CNC machined tiller, carved from a solid block of aluminum. Strong and beautiful.<\/p>\n

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There is excellent access to all systems. The water maker filters and control are to the right and fuel system left in the photo above. Note the large workbench and vice.<\/p>\n

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A double set of tool drawers is standard.<\/p>\n

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As is an extensive tool kit which only begins to fit in these six drawers..<\/p>\n

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We’ll close with this thought. For us. owning an engine room like this gives a wonderful sense of pride and confidence. Nobody else knows it is there (unless you show it to them), yet you know that there are few, if any, yachts of any size or price that have the equal.<\/p>\n

Maneuverability in Tight Quarters<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sea trials have shown is that even without a bow thruster – and there is one in the forepeak – the space required to rotate the smaller FPB 64 with single engine is no more than the longer FPB 83 with twins (that 19 feet\/5.8m difference in length is a big advantage). The combination of the huge rudder, 42 degree rudder deflection, and hull shape gives the 64 an amazing turning radius.<\/p>\n

There are other factors at work in our favor as well. The fact that the FPB 64 has an enormously strong rub rail (the aluminum extrusion is 5\/16″\/8mm thick on its outboard face) designed to lay against pilings, opens up a variety of maneuvering options. So too does the electric winch and use of a “breast line” for pulling the boat into the dock. The fairlead forward of the anchor gives a perfect angle for springing the boat off pilings or a dock cleat. Between these factors, and the basic capability of the big rudder with close fitting prop, a thruster is rarely going to be required. For more details on maneuvering see Using a Bow Spring<\/a>, Piling Pivot<\/a>, and Maneuvering and Motion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Still, there is a thruster fitted in the forepeak for the odd occasion when you need that last tap to push the bow onto or off of the dock. But we think you will find the same thing we have, that if the boat is correctly designed, the thruster is rarely, if ever, going to be used.<\/p>\n

Drive Line<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the FPB 64 we are using a ZF 280 V-drive. The engine is a John Deere 6068TFM, delivering 236HP at 2400 RPM under their M3 rating. It is available with power settings between 182 and 300 HP, by changing the computer coding. This diesel is smooth running and robust. Torque maxes out at 1600 RPM, perfectly matching our needs at 9.0 knots and allowing a substantial additional power capacity when fighting head seas at cruising RPM.<\/p>\n

This 236 HP engine has enough “grunt” to push the FPB 64 eleven knots at 90,000 pound\/40,800 kg displacement (full load), which was demonstrated during initial sea trials.<\/p>\n

John Deere tells us there are hundreds of thousands of these engines built yearly in plants around the world. They are used for gensets, in tractors and other farm machinery, in trucks, and in various industrial installations. The mechanics we talk to say this is an extremely reliable piece of iron. We used four cylinder versions of this engine in the FPB 83 and have been very pleased with them.<\/p>\n

Spares<\/strong><\/p>\n

Still, this is the<\/em> engine. So, the FPB 64 comes with a complete set of spares. A partial list includes:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n