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This week was a highlight for our long journey, pushing Vanguard towards seaworthy. As the fog of chaos clears, the smaller or more subtle but no less important issues coalesce and find themselves on the to-do list. Assisting our progress were two excellent commissioning engineers from Praxis Automation; long days, but oh, what a difference. So, what was the net effect? Tank Gauges - when "Full", means "FULL!" Tank gauges. Range Anxiety is a term associated with Electric Vehicles in the USA, where distances between cities can be huge. A similar reaction has been our experience with tank gauges, an entire pain as they have proved unreliable, often inaccessible, and poorly fitted. However, companies do not survive by making unreliable transducers, so there must be another issue. A concerted effort to improve electrical connections and replace two broken transducers, then refit the remaining ones correctly, did improve matters but was insufficient to remove that anxiety. We then discovered that an "empty" tank results in a failure signal that causes reversion to the last known level, often a full one if we have been transferring fuel. We also found an incompatibility between a 3-wire transducer and a 2-wire I/O board, resulting in an earth fault indication we could not remove. The workaround was to fit opto-isolators between the transducer and I/O boards and to reset "stuck" transducer signals by flipping their fuse. We now have working tank gauges after 12 months of struggle. Now, to check the calibrations! Throttle controls and Dynamic Positioning (DP-0) Throttle controls have been worked on previously to reduce an ahead/astern delay. We have also worked on our drive lines to improve alignment and the installation overall sufficient to guarantee ongoing reliability. With this improved reliability, we took that further and commissioned the DP (Dynamic Positioning) system. This is a commercial-grade system fitted to offshore oil vessels. Similar to the Dockmates of the world, the major difference is the method of operation, setting position, speed, and rotation parameters as the governing factors and allowing power to be adjusted to meet those. So, for example, if we wish to alter the heading at, say, 100 degrees/minute, the thruster will provide from 1 through 15kW depending on the current and wind acting on the hull form. We set this for electric and diesel propulsion options. Vanguard docks like a long keel single screw yacht; it's tempting to use springs to bring her in from time to time. I'll write more details later, but we can now move (slowly) sideways against the dock stand on-station and rotate in circles or travel forward much more slowly than we could on a single diesel engine while idle. A great achievement without a stern thruster! The system is remarkable because it got a lot easier on the stress levels. Power Batteries and Fast Charging Now charging at a remarkable 45kW! We have experienced issues with our large power batteries since their first commissioning. The major problem was internal discharge due to a single cell remaining at a voltage much lower than the average. Testing the electric drives allowed draining the batteries and forcing multiple charge cycles, 5%-100%. This was sufficient to bring the errant cell to average voltage, allowing the normal balancing circuits to do their intended job. During this work, we also increased the charge rate from our generators from 25 to 45kW while monitoring machinery and coolant temperatures. 80 amps at 600VDC is a lot of power and is unusual for a yacht system. Again, I'm pleased to say the system and skin-cooled glycol tank performed flawlessly. Charging is now beastly fast, much to the pleasure of my energy-hungry and silence-loving wife, Sebrina. Pinhole in a weld causes an annoying slow leak Now for a long-running battle. A single pinhole in an awkwardly positioned weld on one skeg has resulted in a continuous, very slow leak up past the ballast infill and into the engine room. A few liters a day, enough to make things look wet, and salt skimmed with the added joy of fish smell. We dug out the ballast and tried three times to seal it in the water but to no avail. It's not a structural issue but a blasted air inclusion. So this time, we hauled her out of the water, dried everything, cleaned everything, crack tested, drilled out the inclusion, and refilled it firstly with Devcon aluminum metal repair, then slow set epoxy fill internally, then replaced the ballast then backfilled the skeg with 2 gallons of slow set epoxy. It did get a little warm at that stage, so we kept an eye on it as it cured. Now we have dry bilges at last. Job done! An assault on alarms finally results in silence Our last foray this week was to rationalize, rename, suspend, and otherwise reduce the daily proliferation of alarms. Many were advisory and undeserving of the word "FAILURE" in their title. Some were irrelevant or relevant but removable with proper equipment calibration. The really scary one was the intermittent failure of one (but not both) ethernet ports, effectively warning the system had lost its redundancy. One cause was overheating from poor ventilation, and we solved that last year; the second was found by Praxis to be a loose power supply screw terminal buried in the back of the cabinet, sight unseen. Exactly the same error we have found multiple times elsewhere. Seeing a blank alarm screen at the beginning of each watch is a thing of sheer beauty to my seagoing eyes. We now have such a thing repeatedly. Alarms are often triggered en mass and flipped between Alarm and Normal. Eventually traced to an obscured and poor power supply connection. Wrap up Our time now in Fort Lauderdale is near its end. Vanguard sits rocking on her moorings; she is a very different proposition from her first splash in the Antalya Free Zone, shockingly unfinished and abandoned. Like most men, I am adrift without a cause or a fight for focus. Over the last year, it has been a memorable experience working with the various technicians in Turkey, Spain, and most recently, the USA, plus teams that flew in from the UK, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, and Ukraine. Their skill, willingness, trust, and basic humanity have been a real joy to experience. Now we plan to head NORTH as the spring returns. Lastly, I'd like to express my personal thanks to Praxis Automation , which stood by its promises, and our Captain, Valeriy Kydalov , for his friendship and support even in our darker moments. My Ukranian friend, yacht captain and calm chap under pressure, Valeriy Kydalov.

Our world seems to change by the day; a new industry has arisen during our build of Vanguard. The advent of AI as an evolution of traditional search engine use. We have a lot of data gathered during our build, what, where, when, and how others did it. So it was time to play a little, and this is how we used an AI Chatbot to help. A specialized Chatbot for explorer yachts — because nothing says "smooth sailing" quite like talking to a robot! P.S. This blog was started on Grok 3 (Xai), progressed on Claude (Anthropic), and was completed using Grammarly ( Chat GPT ). Salvation for a semi-literate sailor. Special thanks to John Johnson (Yachtbuoy) for access to extensive yacht video transcripts for AI training. What Is a Chatbot? A Chatbot is an AI application that engages in human-like conversations. Think of it as a virtual first mate who never gets seasick, doesn't drink all your beer, and instantly responds to inquiries about boats and maintenance—all without human intervention. Unlike static FAQs, chatbots provide dynamic, personalized responses based on your questions. How It Was Created We used natural language processing technology, allowing it to understand human interaction from both written and visual sources. Language with nuances and occasionally colorful sailor vocabulary. The training process involved feeding the system targeted Explorer Yacht-related materials—forcing it to binge-read more boating content than a cabin full of "Yachting Monthly." We then refined this knowledge base as questions arrived by adding alternative meanings, categories, or flagging unanswered with additional training. Hopefully, it wouldn't tell someone to patch a hull breach with duct tape, but that remains a possibility. How this AI Develops It learns and improves over time—becoming the marine equivalent of that friend who started as a landlubber but now won't stop talking about jibing techniques. As users interact with the system, it analyzes these conversations to identify patterns and information gaps. With each interaction, it should become more adept at providing comprehensive answers, gradually transforming into that knowledgeable dock neighbor who always has a useful solution (without unsolicited advice about your docking technique). Well, at least that's the theory. So here are some example questions and answers from our testing, printed exactly as they landed. I'd give it about 80% accuracy, with some answers either failing or missing the point. It did well with information it had been trained on (e.g., the Operations Manual for Vanguard). It also provided further reading and source links, which was a plus. It did less well when requested to perform with more functionality typically associated with a larger AI Model - such as preparing a comparative performance table. It also identified some incorrect older data ( like a range of 7000 miles when it is in reality 2500/3000 at an acceptable speed ). We can intervene here to retrain it based on real-world experience with performance and range data. One feature of these Chatbots is that they can be continually trained and learn from the questions asked. So, ask away and have a play with the system! Once we have user data to analyse, I'll report and see how it improves. We are returning to Vanguard tomorrow and will host a week-long visit from Praxis Automation to complete the commissioning of our control systems and iron out some evident bugs. More on that next Saturday before we start our run up the US East Coast to points further north. Until then, have a good weekend. Chris Leigh-Jones

A rather long time ago I was on a bulk carrier loading coal in Newport News Virginia USA. Some way off lay an enormous passenger liner sitting idle. The SS United States. Even then, one of the last bastions of a passed era. Fast forward over 40 years and we meet again, of Delray Beach Fort Lauderdale. Video thanks to SeaTow and my friend Capt Brianna Kerrigan of Yacht Management (South Florida) . Under tow on her way to Louisiana to become a dive reef. Enough said for this Blog, never see the likes again I wager. SS United States under tow off Delray Beach, FL, 1952-2025. As a personal story my family have a connection with the era of large liners. Our maternal Great Grandfather, Capt Robert Baker. One of his commands was RMS Mauritania of the Cunard Line (1907-1935). I wonder when the world stopped being sepia? Chris Leigh-Jones

I will start this message with a Broker’s advice, “If you truly want to go sailing, don’t leave it too late.”   Here we are, 2 years later and probably 18 months or more from seeing our boat afloat.  So if your hair is grey and your teeth, well, not all yours, then maybe it’s time to get on with it and stop dreaming.  I only get to play if my family, primarily my wife, gets to play too and play happily. Sebrina is claustrophobic, basically ruling out monohull yachts.  She likes space, so we looked at Cats, took some out on charter, went to the shows, did a few deliveries.  You do more motoring than envisioned if the destination is the end goal.   I’m also in my 60’s, and there is an age limit to jumping around; our thoughts turned to motorboats. As a child, I watched Gilligan’s Island on our black and white TV in the UK.  A lot of the product design philosophy in the USA reflects that “down east” style.  There is also a tendency to add volume. For me, if you want a cottage then buy a cottage. It is great fun sailing around the islands on a breezy day, but the sea is not always like that and certainly not picky when it changes.  I wanted something rather more seaworthy. So we went looking again, converted fishing boats, trawler yachts, certainly getting warmer though there were murmurings from my Sebrina, function follows form would be her mantra.  We went traveling to look at a few likely hulls, Covid notwithstanding its still possible.  My luck was to get her on some pure eye candy but of dubious stability.  And then, on the same trip, we visited a less-than-pretty utilitarian design of impeccable stability. So the stage was set! Form follows function.  I like the philosophy pioneered by Dashew and the FPB series. The Circa Marine yard no longer builds these hulls, but it has created a genre that others have started supply.  We went for a hull form that was stable but with a duration that could be softened.  A hull with miserly fuel consumption and superb range.  Economical to build, to own, to run. One where we could specify ourselves rather than adopt another’s dream.  Superbly safe and capable of venturing to far-flung and rarely visited coast. A yacht that was a fishing boat on the outside and Aladin’s cave on the inside.   Explorere Yacht XPM78-02 Vanguard And so was born our venture with Vanguard .  78 foot, 60 ton aluminum-hulled Explorer Yacht, specifically designed for personal use to sail very long distances, short-handed, and incorporate a lifetime of lessons on and around boats.   Vanguard is our boat, built to answer our personal needs; this is the tale of her creation.

We will constrain this blog to a type of hull that is long and narrow, high L/B ratio, or however you wish to describe the parameter.  I typically say it’s a yacht with the keel cut off; that seems to work for the visuals.  Sailing yachts need to minimize hull resistance to be useful; motor yachts typically just fit more significant engines or develop a semi-planing design. Not so these high L/B designs but more on that later.    I’ll focus here on Yards that build or intend to develop series production rather than the odd one-off.  If you want to own an example of the FPB, most successful range built to date well you will not be able to buy a new one. You will though be able to find a number of good used examples and the best place to start is with Sue Grant at Berthon International who represents the design (Sue Grant Sue.Grant@Berthon.co.uk ). Here is a video of their largest example currently for sale. Launching their new 24M design at Circa Marine in NZ. Credit Circamarine.co.nz The motherload of production centers for these yachts has been Circa Marine in New Zealand circamarine.co.nz .  I believe they built all the FPB designs and are now building to their own design, being a 24m Explorer.   So if in that part of the world, then have a look at a firm that knows their business intimately. You will also find Dickey Boats  (https://www.dickeyboats.com/) building an LRC58, 58-foot yacht to Artnautica Yacht Design (www.artnautica.com ) which is seen as refreshingly practical and clean. The LRC58 is customized to the owner’s requirements, one, two, or three cabins, additional insulation, one or two engines, different cabin layouts… LRC58-01 Koti was built by the designer Dennis Harjamaa himself Europe has been less productive, but some exist.   Dutch yards like Steeler, Van Nunen, or Aluboot have made multiple long thin hulls that fall into this category, though typically with higher installed power than most. Today Aluboot has built one single-engine LRC58-03, Britt, currently for sale ( https://artnautica.eu/ ). And the second twin-engine LRC58-05 Aldania was launched in April 2021. Credit Arksen.com Arksen 85 hull being turned. More latterly, Isle of White Shipyards has begun production of the Arksen 85 for its designer, Arksen ( www.arksen.com ). The first 85 hull is now well into production (May 2021). Currently, 3 boat sizes have been announced at 65/75/85 feet. They are bidding to hold top spot in the clever Explorer Motor Yacht world; they may well get there.  XPM78-001 Mobius shortly after launching. Credit Mobius.world On the borders of Europe lies Turkey, with a plethora of yards.  We are working with Naval Yachts with their XPB 78, also designed by Artnautica .  Vanguard will be hull No 2 in their production, hull No 1 being Mobius launched Q1 2021 (see blog Mobius.world ).  The US has its own slant on this, though, as, with the Dutch yards, they tend to use higher powers.  Check out Metal Shark, metalsharkboats.com    Oh my, what big boys toys with those “50 Cal” on the foredeck!  Finally – I’ve left this one for last it’s not really a fit, but I love the site.   Made in Finland, honestly the coolest boats I’ve seen and refreshingly different.  Axopar – https://www.axopar.fi

Last week, we spoke about "less is more" in that particular example, removing an overabundance of shims used to align the drivelines on Vanguard. The nature of such work demands close attention, which can often reveal the onset of other, more subtle problems. So here is that story: White is the John Deer diesel and mechanical clutch; grey is the Esco Power hybrid PHT drive and coupling, and green is the Praxis E-motor. Our hybrid E-Motor drives consist of three hefty assets: a 30kW E-Motor from Praxis Automation that doubles as a motor and generator, a coupling, and, thirdly, a step-up gearbox (PHT) from Esco Power. After fixing a few initial hiccups, these robust components performed well, and charging at 30kW is a blessing in quiet anchorages. Vanguard's design boasts impressive redundancy for its mission, which can create a false sense of security— a repeated mistake adds no security. Out-of-spec machining of the splines created a sloppy fit, allowing for relative movement and accelerated high wear rates. While realigning the drives, we discovered a surprising backlash in the port engine Hybrid drive coupling. Since the drive is bidirectional, we shouldn't have seen any backlash. With a stroke of luck, we had time for a strip-down, which led us to share our findings with Naval Yachts and Esco Power. Esco Power responded promptly and worked with us to find a solution. Naval Yachts installed the unit; however, they immediately opted for the blame game, which was unsurprising, given previous experiences. Hope springs eternal, or so they say! ( We subsequently stripped the Stbd drive to find similar but less extensive damage attributable to the same reasons .) So, what went wrong? Well, three issues stood out: A cold chisel is used to tighten a nylon retaining nut instead of the correct tool. It does more damage than good and destroys the nut. The "rust" color on the splines is a typical sign of fretting wear. The coupling was not retaining well, and it moved Forward on the splines, rubbing against the e-motor casing at high speed. 1. Construction supervision. Naval Yachts (or their subcontractor) used a cold chisel instead of the specified tool to tighten a retaining lock ring. As a result, it wasn't fully locked in, allowing axial movement and leading to some lovely metal-on-metal fretting at the drive end. 2. Machining mishaps. The splined connection to the E-Motor was noisy and didn't meet the specified standards per drawing DIN 8420. It was tight initially, but everything loosened up when under load, which is always a great way to keep things interesting. 3. A classic case of 'close enough.' A design flaw meant that the E-Motor end of the coupling could move forward but not back, relying on the E-Motor casing to keep it in check. That genius design idea resulted in scoring, heat buildup, and a nice little vibration show. Most problems have multiple solutions, so work with what you have. We first consulted Esco Power about the issues, and their technical support agreed with our assessment. We also spoke to the shipyard in Fort Lauderdale, Yacht Management of South Florida, for local machine shops, ultimately landing on Tropic Machine and Fabrication. We kept Naval Yachts in the loop, but they immediately played their predictable blame card— a lesson slow learned . Implementing a repair. Starting at the PHT drive, the output is taken by a connecting flange driven via a splined output shaft. The backlash was minimal (Esco Power had machined both components). We added molybdenum disulfide anti-fretting paste to the splines before reassembly. Additionally, we procured new Nylock retaining nuts and torqued them to specification with the help of a newly made dedicated assembly tool. Top Row - Naval Yachts assembly using a cold chisel on the nyloc nut, damage to nut, red coloration on splines from fretting damage. Bottom Row - new nut and purpose-made assembly tool. Clean tight assembly with no backlash. Welding the hefty shaft retaining washer to the splined E-Motor coupling will prevent axial movement of this component. Previously, all damaged surfaces had been dressed and trued to the axial dimension. The coupling was reassembled onto the E-Motor shaft using Loctite 660. This was not a preferred choice but was necessitated by the level of wear on the splines. An alternative was to re-machine those splines, entailing approximately a 4-6 weeks delay. We used a small washer to ensure clearance from the motor casing, then torqued the M10, Class 12.9 Allen screw to 95NM before letting the Loctite set up overnight. E-Motor end coupling, before Top, after Bottom. We had about 0.3mm play and used Loctite 660 as a semi-permanent securing compound to prevent backlash and ongoing fretting. Rebuilt and realigned drives. This will be tested next week before replacing the running guards. Loctite 660 is designed to retain worn splines and keyways on shaft lines. It is a permanent solution but can be removed by heating to>240 deg.C. Once set up, a we confirmed concentricity before the Loctite could cure fully. The e-Motor was replaced. Next we realigned the E Motor to the PHT drive, this necessitated lifting the E-motor support cradle to remove shims as the alignment has initially be set wrongly, ( no surprise there ). We will test the completed assemblies next week when the exhaust modifications are also completed. If this does not work as intended, Plan B is to replace the coupler assembly with a flanged rubber industrial motor drive coupler. 30kW at between 1000 and 3200 RPM is quite a low torque requirement, so it should be an easy swap out that we can complete in Charleston, SC. A shout-out here for the engineering assistance provided by Zach, Ceaser, and the team at Tropic Machine and Fabrication. 72 hour turnaround! web site: www.tropicmachine.com Now, does Naval Yachts (Antalya) stand behind their work after only 300 hours of operation? I typically avoid negative comments, preferring to focus on outcomes and the journey. However, one observation about Naval Yachts is well overdue. Dincer Dinc, Technical Director and co-owner is steering this process. Over eleven months since the chaotic delivery of an incomplete build and through a detailed rebuild at our own expense, we come to realize that Naval Yachts " Guarantee Policy " is a marketing stunt; it will not be honored and has zero value. On a brighter note, Vanguard has now been approved independently by UK MCA as seaworthy - Category (2) at our own effort and expense, despite this behavior from Naval Yachts. When the remaining repairs are completed, we will ride the Gulf Stream north to Charleston (against a northerly wind, if there is one, letting the seas stack up). That should be a worthy test of the upgrades. Caveat Emptor, folks! Lastly, this morning I woke up early, 5. 30 am as usual; this was the view that greeted me from my cabin. You have to love Fort Lauderdale.

MV Hector, Blue Funnel Line (Ocean Fleets), spent four months on the coast of South America; heaven for a 17-year-old. The subject today is "Less can be more." It was my first trip to sea, MV Hector, 200 odd miles up the Rio Plata into Rosario - Argentina. The Chief Engineer was retiring; we called him Skypsie, but I can't remember his given name. He pulled my naive self aside on the deck, " Son ," he said, " sometimes less is more; remember that. " the sentiment was always valued.   Pan forward near on 50 years. Before departing Turkey, we realigned the engines and hybrid drives and wrote about the subject in this blog linked below. The alignment seemed accurate, but now, with 2500 miles under our keel, I wanted it checked with a fresh pair of eyes. The engine and hybrid drive mounts sported an unexplainable amount of shims, from cut metal sheets to convenient washers. I should have spotted this earlier but was distracted by more pressing issues; there is no time like now . I'm not a fan of stacked shims; it reminds me of an accident waiting to happen, recalling C/E Skypsie's words. "S on - less can be more ." It's time for the application of a little thought. The engines and hybrid drive are a 4-point mount. The aft end drives through a Twin Disc gearbox and Bruntons Sigmadrive CV joint, allowing for up to 3 degrees of misalignment between the gearbox and the prop shaft. We used a laser to confirm that both engines were axially out by about 1-1.5 degrees, high at the forward end, and aligned at the aft end. This misalignment was resolved without issue by the Bruntons Sigmadrive but could be improved. So, we removed shims from the mounts, causing the forward end of the engines to drop slightly.   The engine mounts are now cleaned of unnecessary shims, double-nutted, and the excess thread removed. "Walking stick ends" made handy grease cups to act as protectors. Next, we attacked the braces we added between the hybrid drive and E-Motor mounts. As described in a previous blog, these prevented the E-Motor mount from acting as a hinge joint. By elongating the aft mounting holes on each brace, we could remove the four shim packs, locating the forward end of this bracket on each of the two drive trains. We also painted it properly before reassembly and replaced inaccessible through-bolts on the guard plates with simple captive nuts and machine screws. These are seemingly unavailable in Turkey.    Braces are now hard-mounted against the PHT drive. Elongating the mounting holes on the corresponding motor support location made this possible. The added adjustment allowed these plates to fall flush, as shown. The net result of this work was a stack of assorted unwanted Turkish shims, more robust drive lines, and less prone to random disassembly at inconvenient times. Shims went in the trash can, and it now looks rather easier on the eye. I hope Skpsie's Ghost is pleased with this work now that I am the age he was then. This is the totality of what we removed. It was quite the haul over two drivelines. The alignment was not far off, but the implementation was pretty poor. Not now, though! Skipsie - Chief Engineer, UK Merchant Navy 1977 - " Son - less can be more. " Our Yard for this work is Yacht Management in New River Marina, Fort Lauderdale, South Florida ( https://www.myyachtmanagement.com ). Super people, very helpful with excellent subcontractor support. A shout-out to Kyle Henry - Boat Mechanic, for his willing assistance and keen eye. T Chris Leigh-Jones

Sit in any good marina, and you will see many beautiful, expensive, and delicate modern hulls maneuvering with ease. Widely spaced twin props with bow and stern thrusters and added integration, and it's as if they are on rails. Catermerans are the epitome of this; they turn at their own length. Anyone who has docked an old, large, long-keel yacht knows a different world where docking takes more planning and often more lines. ( pun intentional) . You have tide and windage, way, prop walk, a single prop, and a single rudder. Docking Vanguard stern-too, in the Med, has fallen into the second category. Props too close for much torque, the bow thruster is inexplicably ineffective, and there is no stern thruster. A test of seamanship is not a bad lesson to learn, but it is also not great for stress levels. A kick ahead with rudders over will turn her from zero speed, but not a kick astern. She will steer both ways above 3kN but not astern below that. We steer Astern by using a P or S prop kick ahead, but it is not enough to take the Astern way off her if you are gentle. We eventually got the hang of it all, but it must be choreographed and is not for the faint-hearted. Last week's blog covered this annoyingly ineffective 15kW Sidepower bow thruster. Two problems became apparent. The first was the port tunnel prop. It had been replaced in the Med incorrectly and was free-spinning ( spigot behind the prop boss was incorrectly aligned ). That's an easy fix, and it made the difference between basically useless and " some thrust, but don't rely on it ". We did that before discharge from the transporter. Then we discussed the protective grills that are occluding the tunnel area and causing turbulence. Today, a diver removed those, plus a quick cleanup around the area. A brief before-and-after test is enclosed below—full Stbd, then full Port against slack mooring lines. The results were clear: 19 counts with the grills were reduced to 13 without the grills. A noticeable increase in thrust accompanied this reduction in the count. Though not obvious on the video, it's enough to heel her over against taut bowlines. It's safe to say that after 9 months at sea, we've successfully resolved our bow thruster problem. It now operates as intended making good use of the 15kW available to turn her bow with ease. Bow Thruster P/S test after removing Grids Bow Thruster test before removing Grids. Chris Leigh-Jones Note to "Kitt" - enclosed above as promised. - Chris

Have you ever regarded something and heard a little voice say, "It looks okay but is just wrong"? Our bow thruster is a 15kW unit from Sidepower. It's almost twice the size of the one on our sister yacht, Mobius, but it's ineffective for some reason. Bow Thruster Grids When we took over the completion of Vanguard in Antalya in April, the delivery Captain commented that the bow thruster was not big enough. I did not get along with this chap, so I ignored his comments; perhaps my bad. Later this year, Valeriy, our present Captain (and much more likable), delivered the same opinion. The power consumption was about 15kW as we measured the current draw, so what was the issue? Then, as Vanguard became reliable, I had time on the helm, freed of "fixit" duty, and experienced firsthand how miserable this unit was.    As luck would have it, we are visiting family in the Ozark mountains of northern Arkansas for Christmas. Not much is going on, so it's time for some reflection. I studied a video taken of a failed bow thruster blade. Naval Yachts, our builder, had fitted a well-made grid for the bow thruster. This should prevent damage from floating debris. In our yard in Fort Lauderdale, there are many large yachts on the hard. None have grids fitted. Hmm? We used a spreadsheet to calculate the flow restriction presented by this grid, approximating 10mm aluminum for the flat bars. The total flow restriction was 25% of the full 250mm tunnel. Plus, the flow over both screens creates unwanted, energy-sapping turbulence. Being slightly inebriated, Christmas and all, I asked Chat GPT for the cumulate effect of two orifices in the flow stream. Each one reduces the flow area by 25%. This was the answer: "When two orifices (or flow restrictions) are placed in series, each reducing the flow area by 25%, the cumulative effect is not simply additive; it depends on how the flow behavior (e.g., velocity, pressure drop) changes across both restrictions. Here's the step-by-step explanation: Effective Area After Both Orifices : Let the original area be AA. After the first orifice: A1=0.75×AA1​=0.75×A. After the second orifice: A2=0.75×A1=0.75×0.75×A=0.5625×A The effective area after both orifices is 56.25% of the original area. Impact on Flow : Flow restriction depends on the velocity and pressure drop, governed by the  continuity equation  and  Bernoulli's principle . Approximate Flow Restriction: For incompressible flow, the cumulative reduction in flow rate will be proportional to the decrease in the effective area, resulting in ∼43.75% less flow capacity than the unrestricted condition (plus turbulence). For a detailed analysis, factors like Reynolds number and turbulence at each restriction must be considered." So, having now returned to our yard in Fort Lauderdale, we have requested a diver to remove these guards (it's been snowing just up the coast, not aself-completee job in a pair of shorts!) Hopefully, we will be able to report back in the next blog Other Fix-It jobs. We were also able to complete two more small tasks on our first day back. The Isotemp water heater was damaged when a pipe union failed on the watermaker just above this unit. The system was repaired, but we could never replace the plastic cover. Eventually, we found one in the UK using a Google Image search. It took 10 minutes to fit and now looks as good as new. Similarly, the Airmar depth transducer on our tender lost a fight with the tender chocks some time back. It's a nice little unit, and we "Jury-Rigged" it until a better fix came around. Rytech Marine made a super strong Stainless Steel replacement bracket for this transducer, and we brought one out for that purpose. Now, it's all ship-shape again and much less damage-prone. We have two weeks in Fort Lauderdale before venturing to the Bahamas and Abaco Islands, where we will meet up with family in Hope Town, Marsh Harbour, or similar places rapidly warming as the season begins. Hope Town Abaco - thanks to Bahama Air Tours Time in FL will be spent on final commissioning for the Praxis equipment, repairing some wear and tear from previous ventures, and improving what we still see as sub-par, though that list is now much reduced. 2025 should be a good year, and we are continuing a conversation with Eyos Expeditions (my long-time friend Magnus Day) about the Western Coast of Greenland. Western Greenland - with a twist - acknowledgment to Wilderness Travel Nothing is decided yet, but it's on the radar of possibilities. Time and tide wait for none of us in this life. Happy New Year to all. Chris

A previous blog spoke to some of our incremental changes that improved Vanguard's through-water performance. Specifically: Stowing the Varifold propeller fully to prevent windmilling. Aligning the rudders in the flow stream Docking the stabilizers when not needed Reducing parasitic electrical loads en route. Whereas each change made a marginal difference, the effects were cumulative. They proved worthwhile, gaining 1KN for free or about a 12% improvement. Bubbles are seen coming from the overboard water drain. The chrome rim is the exhaust outlet. Both are forward of the propeller and hull partial tunnels. The Stbd engine is lightly loaded at 30kW, 1800 RPM. Having landed in Florida, we needed to recharge the drained power batteries. Ordinarily, we would do this at sea when underway. However, when tied to the dock, we loaded the starboard engine on this occasion. The total power demand was about 30kW at 1800RPM during the charging cycle, which is 25% of the full engine load. Examining the exhaust outlet revealed a considerable amount of gas escaping via the muffler water drain instead of the larger gas outlet. So, even at this relatively light load, exhaust gas is entrained in the water flow around the hull and forward of the propellers. As the propellers are in partial tunnels, once/if this gas gets pushed towards these tunnels, it must pass over the propellers before exiting at the stern. I'm no naval architect, but regardless, this does not sound like a smart idea. The hunt was on. We already know the Halyard wet exhaust mufflers are oversized for the application. Ordinarily, this would be harmless, but it does mean that the drain is considerably larger than the seawater cooling inlet. A 90mm drain hose and 50mm water inlet hose mean. The factor of over 3 differences in cross-sectional area. We also know that the overboard standpipes allowed exhaust gas to pass up the hatch drains before fitting no-return valves. So gas was in these standpipes under low but positive pressure. We surmise the muffler drains fully and runs dry, allowing exhaust gas to exit from the exhaust and water drains.   Halyard exhaust muffler. The water drain is the lower, large-diameter pipe leading to the aluminum standpipe overboard. A conversation with Halyard technical support confirmed that this should not be happening. ( They responded almost immediately, so credit to their service. ) Their proposed solution was twofold. Firstly, restrict the drain water flow to >1.0 times the inlet flow area but not so much that water exits from the exhaust outlet. This would increase the water dwell time within the muffler and allow for more effective degassing.   Secondly, connect the top of the overboard standpipe with the outlet of the exhaust elbow to allow the standpipe to clear any gas buildup. A small-diameter exhaust hose would be sufficient for this purpose. Our next journey begins at the end of January. In the meantime, the shipyard in Fort Lauderdale will arrange for contractors to make these adjustments, and time will tell us the end result. Mistakes happen, and in this world, little is perfect, especially the first time around. Our role is to have eyes that see, recognize what's happening, and improve on the facts. I'll report back in a later blog. Wishing our followers a Merry Christmas and a productive New Year wherever you may be. Chris

Another blog from my friend John Johnson, aka Youtuber "Yachtbuoy." This time, he compares a design approach from two boats he is familiar with and that have similar purposes, though, to be fair, they are of different sizes. The beautiful Arksen 85 and Vanguard, XPM-78. https://yacht-buoy.com The Arksen 85 and Vanguard XPM-78 stand out as leaders in their class when exploring the realm of high-performance explorer yachts. To be clear, these yachts are different in size, which should be remembered in the comparison. The two hulls provide features that highlight the principles of good design while offering value at two price points. Designed in isolation, they are a real example of convergent thinking with great similarity. Their navigation systems exemplify thoughtful design and innovative engineering, catering to the demanding needs of modern seafarers. The table enclosed discusses the equipment specifications of the two hulls that are split over several functions. Shared Excellence in Navigation Systems Helm station of the XPM 78. Mainly a mixture of Praxis and Furuno commercial spec equipment. The installed equipment focuses on high-end Furuno equipment for GPS, Radar, AIS, Compass, and autopilot with compatible Airmar for other functions. Vanguard has duplicated the X-Band radar; consideration was given to an S-Band for better performance in the rain, but this was negated by the superb performance of the new X-Band solid-state Dopler Units from Furuno. Both yachts have large Multifunctional Displays (MFD) for the Helm and flybridge navigation stations. Each MFD array is also split between navigation running Time Zero Professional and engineering functions such as MIMIC displays to control the vessel and systems. Each MFD array also has multifunction capability, providing for full redundancy. The main helms of the larger Arksen 85 inc a navigation station. Image credit "Pasagemaker" Both yachts have LED navigation lights that are compliant with COLREGS (IRPCS) and have pre-set light configurations. Horn functions are treated similarly, either through the MIMIC or dedicated panels. Another shared feature is using the latest Furuno radar and GPS systems. The Arksen 85 and Vanguard rely on these industry-leading technologies to provide precise data, reinforcing their commitment to reliability. Such commonalities reflect the brands' focus on equipping their vessels with the best navigation tools, ensuring their owners' peace of mind. Arksen 85 Vanguard Navigation Lights  LED Nav Lights to requirements of IRPCS. yes yes A dedicated control panel for the navigation lights is fitted. yes yes Installed Equipment      Furuno DRS6A-NXT open array radar antenna  1 2 Furuno GP330B GPS antenna  1 1 Furuno SC33 GPS compass  1 1 Furuno PG700 Solid state rate gyroscope fluxgate compass  1 1 Airmar DST810 Depth/Speed/Temperature transducer  1 1 Airmar 520-5PSD depth transducer at stern  1 1 Furuno FA-50 Class B AIS transponder  Class B Class  A 24” HD Touchscreens for navigation system use  2 3 24” HD Touchscreen for systems control and monitoring  1 2 Furuno NP711C Autopilot control head  1 2 Magnetic compass 1 N/A Dedicated navigation computer running Maxsea TimeZero  option 2 W/Wide charts  option yes Optionally, the navigation system can be upgraded with Additional radar option N/A Gyrocompass option N/A WASSP/Furuno (Sonar) option DFF3B Class A AIS, option 1 Furuno WX220 Weather Station option 1 Visible and IR wavelength gyro stabilised camera option 1 Communication systems  VHF/DSC 2xFuruno 4800 2xICOM 510 Furuno FS-1575 MF/HF  1 N/A Furuno Furuno Felcom 19 1 1 Sat C terminal  1 1 Starlink option 1 Furuno NX300 Navtex at chart table  1 1 Sailor 4300 Iridium Certus  1 1 Yellowbrick YB3i tracker  1 1 Pepwave MAX BR1 MK2 4G router Onboard Wi-Fi network 1 1 Differentiated Equipment, Tailored for Performance Despite the shared core functionalities, there are specific differences. Arksen 85 data was extracted from a sales brochure so that one could expect options at additional cost. Vanguard is owner-specified and includes some excellent navigation additions, specifically a Mil-Spec Infra-Red and visible light camera, Furuno DFF multibeam sonar, and TZ Worldwide chart package. These are expensive but useful additonals already included. Class A AIS gives greater visibility to third parties, but outside of that, maybe not so much quantifiable advantage (it's also a fag to set up). Communication This is a topic that has seen some significant advances since these hulls were specified. Specifically, Vanguard now uses Starlink for communications, making the Irridium Sailor system basically redundant. UK MCA Category (0) MGN 280 will require both HF and Satellite communications systems, so in this respect, the Arksen specification has an advantage as Vanguard has opted to class under Category (2). The Both hulls probably have an underspecified Pepwave BR1 internet router; the larger model will provide additional ports for exterior communications and online third-party equipment tech support. A hard wire to the Starlink system is also useful for improving data speed. Both vessels are equipped with WIFI boosters to provide access throughout the hulls. Value-Driven Design: Vanguard's Competitive Edge While both yachts showcase outstanding design and innovation, Vanguard offers a unique balance of features and build cost. She is a smaller hull with a nearly identical navigation package and some very useful additional toys. This thoughtful balancing of performance and cost makes the Vanguard an attractive option for budget-conscious explorers. It provides nearly equivalent functionality without compromising essential features, proving that quality design does not necessarily necessitate a price tag. Conclusion The Arksen 85 and Vanguard are benchmarks of excellent long-range explorer yacht design, combining safety, performance, and technology. However, Vanguard's ability to deliver comparable navigation tools at a reduced cost under the direction of her experienced owner illustrates the power of shrewd engineering choices. Whether you prioritize uncompromising luxury or pragmatic value, these explorer yachts showcase what modern marine innovation can offer. John Johnson - aka "Yachtbuoy". Enclosed 2 video showing the individual vessels covered by John in previous months.

The Meddietteranian is now far behind us. Landing in Port Everglades, we make it to the US East Coast and ruck up at our Yacht Management Services Boatyard and Marina for a few months in storage and exploring the locality before heading to the Caribbean in early Spring. Her journey to the USA took her first to MV Nordic Kylie, which Peters and May transported. Costs were comparable to shipping on her own keel when fuel, crew, and wear were taken into account plus, I had a stern instruction to return home with an ever-growing list of what is locally termed as "Honey Doos." Marriage is a give and take, after all.    Export and Import to the USA The process is new to us, so "forced learning" was the phrase of the day. We completed our exit documentation in Spain before loading a " Levante de Reexpedicion. " We also informed our insurance company, which temporarily suspended the hull insurance as a separate cargo policy covers her. We have been using Garrison Rudisall, a marine insurance agent in Charleston, SC, and have found his service first-rate thus far. Next was to complete the import documentation; as the cargo was break bulk, we had some leeway to do this in transit rather than before departure. US Customs process is the Bill of Lading ( Peters and May needed a non-US address for the shipper ) and Yacht Tourist Entry, which is good through 31/3/2025 and ( obtained through Compass Logistics and Marine ). The next job is a foreign flag vessel Cruising Visa so that we can avoid customs clearance at each port we visit. It should be good for 6 months to a year, and we will go directly to Customs to issue this. "Fixing Stuff" The discharge process took me back to my days at sea nearly 40 years ago. Nordic Kylie is a small break bulk carrier with a UK and Phillipino crew. Vanguard was secured to the main deck and the first lift-off. I have a TWIC card as part of the US Coast Guard license, so my son and I could access the vessel early, some 3 hours before offloading was completed. Being out of the water was a great chance to complete maintenance to seawater suction filters and the bow thruster. Suction filters are four times oversized for the application, so we could afford to ignore them when sitting at the marina in Mallorca. When removed, they were well fouled, not with debris but with marine organisms, especially small muscles. Now that they were all dried out, they were easy to clean up. The bow thruster never performed correctly after a diver replaced a damaged impeller in Greece. It was not seated properly on the drive spigot and became loose as the impeller slipped. Rather, I was glad nothing fell off; again, it was a simple fix. We also had the chance to remove fouling from the Intersleek in the thruster tunnel. We also inspected all anodes, revealing they should be good for another year to 18 months. The propeller anodes were the most corroded. Hull antifouling was covered in a thin, dry layer of biofouling, though this easily came off with a finger brush. So far, Intersleek Antifoul is in good condition underneath, with no signs of breakdown or thinning. We were careful to vacuum up the debris from our cleaning exercise and dispose of it ashore. US authorities can be upset about invasive species, so it is best to play nice. Our son Rhys took ownership of the fenders P&S, flaked mooring lines, and a wandering balloon fender in preparation for "issues" in the narrower turns. Entering the Everglades Given the uncertainty around the bow thruster, we booked a tug for assistance. SeaTow stood by during discharge and led us through quite the labyrinth of canals on a 90-minute journey to our berth. For anyone entering the Everglades, I'd recommend their assistance for an initial introduction. Many bridges (7 for us), innumerable shallow switchbacks, and every type of yacht and skill set will greet you, plus alcohol in the afternoons. They were professional throughout; even when retrieving the ICOM VHF, we inconveniently dumped it in the water when docking ( they float; we tested it!) . A final comment One last poignant passing comment from the Tow Captain," We towed another yacht like this a few years back, a "bit" bigger - ICEBERG," Ha! Chris Leigh-Jones