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Where to buy yacht equipment? We have been on a spending spree in a concerted effort to secure all the components we need to progress Vanguard to completion. In the way of progress are the lingering effects of a global pandemic, a most unfortunate war in Europe, and the usual crisis when buying expensive equipment from other countries, sight unseen. So, without too much fanfare, here is the good, bad, and ugly. Let us start with the good guys of the business. The companies tend to have a long-standing reputation in the marine world. Sales are their niche, their comfort zone. They live or die by it. Included in this category are: Yacht Equipment Whale pumps for the bilges, grey and black water systems Wills Ridley - steering gear EscoPower and Twin Disc though the same sales and technical support agent in Turkey, Navantech. Great to deal with for gearboxes and hybrid drives. Bosch but also other appliances. Delta T, supplied ventilation fans and fire dampers. Furuno & ICom, again through their Turkish agent, OMS Marine DMS Magnusmaster - stabilizers (the Dutch are pretty used to export) Victron and Battery supplier MG Systems Maxwell and indeed all the rigging and handling suppliers Bruntons for the self-tailing propellers and shafting (needed a few prompts, but they got there) Hebbeke Shipyard - tender, very organized so far, at least. Shox - Helm Chairs - easy, straightforward communication, and bang on time. Grundfos pumps - all arrived on time. Vetus - just like Whale, delivered as promised. Webasto HVAC - the whole system was in their supply scope and is now ready for installation. GEMS and Maretron for sensors and data gates. Maus for fire extinguishers, Hella for Nav lights, and Kallenberg horns, all delivered as promised. So, where and how to buy yacht equipment? Who is struggling a bit? - we define this as taking the order, then delaying delivery. We hear many reasons, and sometimes delivery improves with some negotiation. Funny that, planning .... planning .... planning. John Deere - we needed to find an alternative option before the European supplier finally agreed they could meet our deadlines and ship the product after 12 months notice! Rather than hating on other suppliers where we still hold out hope, let us stop here with the single supplier who has saved their reputation after some negotiation. Now to the final category. The none performers. I'm a little peeved about this one. Firefly - the Indian carbon battery supplier that took over production from Caterpillar in Illinois. It is out of business; word on the street is production problems killed them. Luckily this happened before we placed orders so we could shift philosophy to LiPO from MG Systems. An Italian manufacturer of solar panels, Fly Solartech. They took the order and payment in April, then ghosted us over the summer. I suspect they are no longer in business, so we are seeking an alternative Italian source. We will kiss goodbye to some $6000 in this fiasco. It happens. Any extended ramble is probably incomplete without some round-up to finalize. Let us ask what protections are available to the aspiring owner/builder? As an incomplete list: Turkish Yards provide ownership of the hull and all attached fittings from the day of construction. The yacht always remains the owner's property. Many credit cards (certainly AMEX) provide cash returns in case of a dispute. This facility is time limited and not infallible, but we have used it in the past. Some web payment systems (think Alibaba or Paypal) provide purchase insurance, which has its uses. For the colossal stuff, there is LoC (Letter of Credit) and similar though these are both awkward and expensive to set up. Then finally, there is a personal pain threshold; we just reached that in our case. Chris Leigh-Jones Read also: Flag State Yacht Registration, USA or UK? Read also: Yacht Internet & Communication: Starlink In-Motion Communication Read also: Docking Assistance for a Large Yacht

I spent an hour yesterday writing another equipment blog, then it dawned on me that it may be becoming a little monotonous, so I decided to change it up a little. So in that light, what do we have coming up in the next few months? Explorer Yacht Vanguard Launch Calendar: March March sees a continuation of the build. The saloon design is now contracted; the remaining design element is the central helm station, which is currently in play. The carbon fiber tender crane is on order, and the tender itself has started construction at Hebbeke Shipyard in the Netherlands, with cut plates arriving last week. All-access holes are cut for the 6.5kW solar panel installation. We designed panels with wire connections on the underside for a clean finish, but this needs care during the installation. A pantograph door opening also exists for the helm station, Port side. Read also: Designing an Explorer Yacht Helm Vanguard Launch: April April, we will again make our way to Antalya to inspect progress and discuss what work needs completion before our scheduled Vanguard launch date of May (?). The big news is that Magnus Day from Eyos Expeditions will accompany us for the trip. Eyos are the premier adventure planning and execution company for the yachting industry, specializing in high latitudes are remote locations sailing routes. Read also: Outfitting for Arctic Yachting Adventure They have graciously agreed to review the fit-out during Vanguard's final months and assist in voyage planning and provision of the specialized crew as needed. Magnus has extensive experience sailing in higher latitudes, experience gained mostly on small vessels sub 50m. It is probably true that we can all eventually master any skill set before us, but it's also true that time limits those skills we eventually master. Given the voyages we envisage, my wife and I are in that category and are very reassured to have such additional assistance. I have replicated a Resume for Magnus and Eyos at this blog's base. April will also see the final mechanical installations and hull painting; we will report on that later in the month. Read also: Aluminium, Fiberglass, Steel or Wooden Hulls Read also: XPM 78 - Designing the First Hull Explorer Yacht Vanguard Launch Date: May So far, at least, May is scheduled for the Vanguard launch date. That does not mean Vanguard will be ready, as we have an additional 30-45 days of sea trials and adjustments before we finally cut the cord. We will also use that time for crew familiarisation, especially for my family. We will engage the services of Halcyon Yacht Deliveries, who have agreed to provide two crew for the initial voyage from Antalya to Southampton, UK. Before venturing, we anticipate docking at Berthon International in Lymington for an engine oil change and general maintenance. Where "onwards" will depend upon the date. Essentially, there are two choices: north about the USA via Iceland or South about via the Canaries in a similar route undertaken by hull No 1 Mobius operated by Wayne and Christine. Photo acknowledgement Halcyon Yacht Deliveries. Our launch day is approaching, bringing the realization that the build process will be over, and it will be time to have some fun. The build has been fascinating and required reaching beyond our comfort zone; at least, that will not change! Chris Leigh-Jones Eyos Expeditions Our hard-won knowledge is gained through decades of exploring the world's most remote cruising areas. The contacts we have made along the way are an asset to any vessel setting off into the wilderness. EYOS designs once-in-a-lifetime experiences. We represent a worldwide network of travel and marine specialists with experience and expertise that leaves virtually none of the globe unknown. Photo Backnlowdgement EYOS Expeditions, North West Passage. Magnus Day Magnus Day has been working and traveling on boats from 40-185ft in the Arctic and Antarctic every year since 2005. He is best known for his long-term involvement with Skip Novak's Pelagic Expeditions. He now runs High Latitudes, a company consulting yacht owners and captains on vessel choice, modification, refit, permitting, crewing, and logistics for both polar regions. Magnus provides Ice Pilotage skills sailing superyachts through EYOS and owns the expedition yacht Baltazar, which is available for exciting projects worldwide.

The following article was written by my friend, John Johnson (yacht-buoy.com) John is ex RN and RNLI so has seen his fair share of rough seas and demanding locations. Fro many great video on this specific genre have a look at John's You Tube channel HERE. As a life-long fan of explorer and expedition yachts, it has been great to see this genre of vessel become so popular recently. Since the end of the restrictions on global movements that came in the wake of the pandemic, boat owners - both new and old - have realised that there is no point spending lots of money on a boat that will only take you 200 nautical miles in calm weather conditions. So it is not surprising that explorer yachts and expedition yachts have become so popular, as reflected in the fact that shipyards which specialise in producing these highly capable boats are seeing a tidal wave of orders meaning that many clients with dreams of disappearing off into the distance on their new motor yacht are having to wait a long time for their dream vessel to materialise. But what makes a motor yacht an explorer yacht? Here are a few of my own 'essentials' when it comes to what helps to define an explorer yacht. Well, one of the first things an explorer yacht needs to have, is the ability to travel long distances. So the range is essential. Most yacht enthusiasts do not consider a vessel to be 'long range' unless it can cover over 3,000 nautical miles on a single tank(s) of fuel. At the very least, an 'explorer yacht' should be able to cross a major ocean with fuel to spare. Another important factor when deciding if a motor yacht can be called an 'explorer yacht' is the ability to operate in weather conditions and sea states which would keep most other vessels tied up alongside. If a boat is rated anything other than CE Category 'A', better still, UK MCA Category (0) it cannot really be classed as an 'explorer yacht' as it is unsuited for unrestricted worldwide travel. A true explorer yacht should also be able to operate autonomously with a significant amount of redundancy built into its systems. To achieve this, many are more akin to commercial designs than the typical pleasure cruiser. Every major system has built in redundancy for when hope is a distant option. But on a more aesthetic note, and in my humble opinion, an explorer yacht should have the lines of a build created for serious cruising. For me, an explorer yacht should never have reverse-raked windows, pools, excessive sun beds or the typical bling of the Côte d'Azur. But that is just a personal preference............ "Form follows function when it comes to the unforgiving seas of this world." John Johnson - aka - Yacht-Buoy!

The following article resulted from a long conversation with Dennis Harjamaa of Artnautica Design . Dennis is the creator of the LRC and XPM range of explorer yachts. Rugged and capable vessels sized from 58, 65, 78, and 85 feet LOA with displacements to 70,000 kg dry. This story is about the birth of Mobius, the first hull in the XPM-78 series. Over to Dennis: " I thought I might share thoughts on how the Mobius hull design came to be. You may be aware that when the owners first got in touch, they talked about a much shorter boat, a 65" foot or 20m hull. At this time, she was going to be a twin-engine boat with a developable shape like the LRC58, but with one extra chine, so the max available width of the alloy plate was sufficiently broad to span the beam of all panels. The design goal was to match or exceed the capabilities of the FPB65. The look they were after was "lean and mean" to scare away pirates. Early on, I lost the battle regarding fitting a flybridge, haha! "Developable plates" means a hull form created by curves in a single dimension. Plates can be cut from flat stock and formed around the frames at the yard without recourse to more sophisticated machinery such as presses or rolling wheels. A book worth of emails was written by all parties as design ideas spiraled round and round (ref Mobiusworld ). The choice to go with a single-engine setup was made once the thought of fitting a Gardner with its legendary reliability came along, if memory serves. At about the same time, we moved away from a chine hull to a round bilge and started adding waterline length. Allow any designer the freedom, and the waterline will grow. After a few rounds of power and speed calculations, the decision was made to "go the whole hog" and make the hull 24m long. So it is not too much of a stretch to state that Mobius is really a "20m boat" with a "24m hull". Mobius has a single-cylinder engine setup with a Gardner Diesel engine and CPP Propeller. Imagine our amusement when the FPB70 was introduced. The similarities with what we had were obvious. The design for Mobius was well and truly fixed by that time; the goal shaped the design. An initial proposal of a 75-foot hull with two engines. Yacht Hull Types: My clients decided on the interior layout early in the process. The extra length was given to the forepeak but mainly to the engine room and workshop. Great discipline, I must say, or perhaps for Wayne, it was all positive gains, with room for more toys in the workshop. Single Yacht Hull vs Yacht with Twin Hulls Comparison of XPM-78 design with a single engine (left) and twin-engine setup. Notice the increased beam in the twin-engine setup, mainly to provide additional buoyancy for the extra weight involved. Yacht Hull Design - 3D Hull Structural Grid Model I did an initial 3D model of the structural grid for a first stab at the structural weight for the weight estimate. Now came the fun part, the final shaping of the hull, once the variables were tightened enough to be pretty confident of the design displacement, fuel, water tank volumes, positions, etc. This was when I checked the proposed interior layout fit within the structural envelope. Since we were looking at a relatively low-powered single engine, I tried minimizing drag from wave-making and wetted surfaces. I worked hard to maintain the shaft angle as close to the horizontal as possible, sculpting the protective skeg with a low-drag foil profile and blending the tunnel into the lines as smoothly as possible. No hard edges for the water to go around here. Read also: Fuel and Water Tank Capacities An interesting thing to point out is that the propeller tunnel depth has to be drawn so that only one propeller blade tip is close to the tunnel/hull bottom intersection at a time. Otherwise, some impossible-to-fix harmonic noise can happen. Another exciting feature of prop tunnels is that the average tip clearance between hull and propeller can be reduced from the customarily accepted 15-20% to as little as 10-12% of the propeller diameter without noise becoming a problem. I learned this when LRC58 Hull #2 BROADSWORD chose to go with a 90hp engine rather than the 75hp of my KOTI. KOTI has a 650mm dia propeller which the guys at WEST-MEKAN wanted to increase to 700mm to absorb the extra power. If anything, Broadsword's propeller is quieter than mine. Arguably the smaller the gap, the better the propeller's efficiency. Good stuff! I also wanted to keep the boat's profile as low as possible to minimize the added wind resistance. I gave the hull a narrow entry and balanced lines for easy steering, good tracking in a seaway, and gentle pitching. Checking the position of the vertical center of gravity against the rolling characteristics was done after each change to try to achieve a gentle rolling motion. With powerboats, there is a delicate balance between the initial stiffness and speed of the roll. Stiff is safe but potentially snappy and uncomfortable. So you choose to roll fast but not far or slow and deep. The decision was made to err on caution and go stiffer rather than softer. A rigid boat can be made smoother by lifting the center of gravity; lowering the CG is much more difficult. A softer hull shape is easier on the stabilizer system to work against, so a smaller set of fins/rotors can be used. Here the need for extra large freshwater tanks becomes obvious. There is little water onboard at the start of the passage. As fuel is used, water is made to compensate for the loss in displacement and the rolling characteristics. Tanks forward and aft allow for some trim control, weight aft in following seas, and forward when punching into it. At this stage, I hired the services of Peter Lawson , a structural engineer here in Auckland. I used to work for Roger Hill, mostly known for his excellent catamarans. Roger would often hire Peter to crunch the numbers on structures, so I knew he was top-notch and had a practical touch with loads of boatbuilding knowledge. We devised the structural layout with Wayne's input, which I turned into a super accurate 3D model and ultimately flattened 2D cutting files. " Read also: Aluminum, Fiberglass, Steal or Wooden Hulls? Mobius levant at the dock in Antalya for sea trials in early 2022. The complete history of this build can be found on MobiusWorld, accessible HERE . The owners, Wayne and Christine, are currently ( October 2022 ) in the Mediterranean, enjoying the fruits of a great build and hull precisely made to reflect their combined experience of a lifetime at sea. Dennis Harjamaa - Yacht Designer, Artnautica NZ Read also: Aluminum, Fiberglass, Steal or Wooden Hulls?

By Jeff Leigh-Jones Halcyon Yachts Deliveries Yacht deliveries for me are fulfilling, but they are also hard graft. Getting to a stage of joyful reflection requires rising to the many difficulties sailing brings. I’d like the opinion of others on the most basic challenges, but personally, I think they can be whittled down to two: Sleep, and Company. Sleep on a Yacht Days 1-3 I find are always the hardest, sleep-wise. Our circadian rhythms are knocked right out of whack doing watches, and the heavy soporific pull into unconsciousness never tugs harder than the cacophony of clangs and lurches on my alertness. ‘You have to be tired to sleep on a yacht’ one seasick crew once said to me, simply and quite defeatedly. It’s tiring indeed, at first and after 3 days we cease to function properly. My most trialled sleep positions are either sausage-like - wedged into a crevice behind a lee cloth with bags or cushions, and a pair of shoes to support my lolling head. Or, ballerina-like - face down, one knee pulled up high and arms spread, bent at the elbow for maximum stability against the roll. An hour or two’s sleep a night is pretty standard initially. How are we compensating for this on Vanguard? Read also: Communication Options for Your Explorer Yacht Read also: Vanguard - What's in a Name? At Jeff's request we have fitted substantial aluminum "D Rings" into the aft shelter and flybridge roof. Slinging hammocks is now possible for those unable to "bunk it" yet still needing sleep - sausage-like. We have also fitted DMS Magnusmaster folding stabiliser's that will take the majority of roll out of perception at least at speeds over 3 knots. There is a slight energy penalty for this though at 240VAC 6 amps, it's not significant given the installed power capacity. Company on a Yacht Secondly, company is half the reason we put ourselves to the test all the time! Who are these people I’m sailing with? Who am I relying on, eating with, hot bunking with? What makes them tick? Will we get along? There are these boundaries to see through, and boundaries in myself I must lower in order to gel. Usually, similar paths in life or ambitions led us to be together on a yacht, and so there’s plenty to talk about. But time at sea has a knack of opening up the bowls of one's quieter thoughts. Interestingly, and vitally, I find it is here we become a team. No amount of sunny days compensate for the bleak reality of an indifferent crew. How are we compensating for this on Vanguard? Read also: Build Vanguard They say 3 is a crowd, though its a welcome one when sailing short handed. We will initially sail Vanguard with a trial crew of 5 including the family and 2 crew members. Once trials are over we will reduce to 4 then our stable 3 with everyone more relaxed knowing their roles and responsibilities. Our youngest son, Rhys will be homeschooled throughout. Anyone with sailing experience and a scientific or artistic speciality wishing to join us for short durations would be most welcome! Once our drowsy brain cells are firing again and the crew are tight as a monkey's fist, we can hit all other challenges sharply, creatively and together. It is so rewarding when a company becomes a team but you have to go through the mill to get there. Jeff Leigh-Jones - Halcyon Yacht Deliveries Or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/halcyonyachtsltd/ P.S. I remember on my first trip to sea in 1977, at anchor off Montevideo waiting to enter the River Plate to load grain. Liverpool crew with an old Bosun name of George. Tough as nails was George as I later found out. Anyhow, I asked if he had been there before, "yes son, 1938" I did say he was old. Do you have any tips for me, yep, seasickness, Pernot and Banana, kind of works. Keep the banana down and you live on it for a day or two, throw up and it just tastes of aniseed, much better than the alternative. It works by the way. Chris Leigh-Jones (Jeff's Dad)

No one likes rolling. It can be bilious without a sail to steady you, but it’s potentially worse at anchor. That is especially true when the swell aligns with the vessel’s natural roll frequency, thus providing an amplifying effect. So just what options are there to reduce this rolling? Let us remove the commerciality here and speak to the various yacht stabilizers technologies available. Yacht Stabilizers: Passive roll mitigation. In this class, you have “Flopper Stoppers”, Bilge Keels, and Anti-roll Tanks. Flopper Stoppers are the arms that spread out like derricks on either side of the vessel. Attached to those arms are paravanes held in position under the water surface. As the hull tries to roll, the paravane on the side rising will meet resistance from the water. It results in a resisting moment and limits the rolling. About as cheap as it gets but won’t work well in large waves or at higher speeds. Bilge keels have a similar though lesser effect acting to resist rotational motion. Roll tanks do not suit small vessels with limited room aboard. Flopper Stopper on a Trawler Active Fin Yacht Stabilizer Then on to fin yacht stabilizers, typically electrically or hydraulically operated and act as it says on the box. They are fins, pointing the leading edge upwards, creates a downward acting force lifting the side and V/V. They have been around for a long time now, with early designs balanced, i.e., a similar area in front and behind the fin, similarly to a balanced rudder. Two drawbacks are a vulnerability to impact damage, coral, logs, quayside. They also need fluid motion to work, so they are ineffective at zero speed. A more modern version has an offset driveshaft, so it is more like a flap than a fin. These produce rolling forces on the hull at low speed (a bit like a kicking flipper), aptly named Zero Speed fins. Some larger stabilizers are of the folding type retracting in to pockets in the hull. What is a stabilizer on Yacht - Magnus Effect Then we have a newer type of stabilizer based on the Magnus effect. Essentially a cylinder spinning in a laminar flow will produce a force perpendicular to that flow. So we can replace a fin with a rotating cylinder to generate an upward or downward roll moment. At anchor, we can use the same device, but it must sweep back and forth as there is no laminar fluid flow unless anchored in a river or tidal stream. However, one advantage is that they are typically more effective at lower hull speeds, and they can be folded away to lie in line with the hull, thus minimizing potential damage. Again you can fit hydraulic or electrically actuated versions. Sea Keeper Gyro Yacht Stabilizer Lastly, the final active stabilizing system is the gyroscope. These systems rely on gyroscopic forces acting to counter a change in motion. They are high mass, high inertia machines that are mechanically linked to the hull, so as the hull rolls, they produce a force to counter that roll. A range of sizes are available, and they will work at all speeds from zero to 25 knots and above. They do, however, take up internal space and need relatively significant power to maintain operation. Whatever type of stabilizer fitted, you should consider the effects of impact. Some fin stabilizers shear off, needing a replacement fin but not the actuator or damaging the hull. Some Magnus stabilizers work similarly, while gyroscopic stabilizers are internal to the hull. Read also: XPM-85: a 52 t, Explorer Yacht Machine - The Hull Read also: Designing an Explorer Yacht Helm What do we fit Vanguard? DMS Magnusmaster. Self-folding Zero Speed Magnus effect stabilizers. The stabilizers fit into the hull side via cofferdams sighted in the aft cabin. When folded, the stabilizer is shielded from impact by the hull. A NMEA 2000 data feed links to the Praxis MIMIC display for control and alarm functions. Operation is 230VAC. Magnus Effect Yacht Stabilizer (Folds parallel to yacht hull when not in use.) We also fitted all bunks aligned Fore/Aft, so in the event, nothing is working, we can at least use leeboards for a night’s sleep.

I had a long conversation last week with our shipyard, Naval Yachts. It reminded me of so many conversations over the years with clients of our construction business. To have a productive negotiation, it is important to understand the mental model of the other party. This is compounded by crossing cultures and linguistic frontiers such that confusion can spring from a world of good intent. First an Analogy - Build a Yacht or a House Let me first explain by example. A client wants to build a house but is concerned about the total cost. A significant investment for them and not one where there is likely much practice. The first question we hear is, "What is your build price per Ft^2 or M^2 ?" I understand the reasoning, but it's the wrong question to ask as the answer is inevitable, "Do you have a plan in mind, and can you share imagery of your expectation?". A kitchen can be $10K, 20K; we have installed kitchens at $200K in the past (madness!) . So the lesson from this is to define "value" and only then look at "cost." The same applies to building or otherwise aquiring your dream yacht. Just what is it that you are seeking? The next trap is expectation: "We want a home to retire to but want family around, so it must be at least five bedrooms." That's ok as far as it goes, but then the matter of "cost" arises again as it's directly proportional to area. Are they all arriving at once? Can rooms have double uses? Do you have the budget to build and maintain; the list goes on but did you notice no one has calculated the cost yet? If the conversation remains good-natured, we then progress to another trap. "We want a custom home but have no land yet, and we would like it finished for next summer"; a process of managing expectations. Three months to buy land, nine months to plan and entitle, and 18 months to build. No fear of asking other builders to alter reality; this is real unless you buy existing and remodel. That is always our advice for anyone in their 70s, or they risk a good chunk of life expectancy worrying about an ongoing project they cannot (yet) enjoy. Designing a Yacht - Questions to ask Moving on now to matters afloat. Here are a few questions to ask. Motorboat, sailboat, monohull, catamaran. I'm 62, and we are building a motoryacht. I want to be sailing into my dotage. Crewed or uncrewed. Family of 3 for now plus guests, then we will avoid a crew and concentrate on short-handing. That limits size to 70/80 feet realistically, and then only if we design for it. Existing vessel?- indeed, that will be the quickest route to get afloat, but you inherit someone else's dreams and tastes. Refit is an expensive possibility. Building new - what type of yard? A more subtle one and probably worth an explanation below. Understanding how to acquire your yacht, what is the business model? Go to a reputable Broker such as Berthon (who represent the FPB design), Van Der Vliet, or many others, and they will have their portfolio of vessels for sale plus the ability to expose others. The route for the resale market and the right broker will steer you around time, budget, and capability limits. They may also advise on the refit and run costs ongoing. Go to a production yard, a Ferretti, Sunseeker, or Flemming, and pick from a standard list of well-engineered options. These are production yards with some ability to customize. Go to a custom yard, and you get just that. A yard such as Hebbeke, Aluboot, Circa Marine, or Naval Yachts. They will take the naval architecture plans and customize every nut and bolt internally to what you want. But here is the leap of faith. You can start with an estimated budget, but it is impossible to be exact until the design's final specification is confirmed. This is a parallel to our previous business of high-end custom homes. You pick your life partner with your fingers crossed but cannot specify the kids and their shoe sizes. Well, not at this point, at least. Designing a Yacht: Summary At one end of this spectrum, you will know the value you are getting and the final cost near day 1. With a custom build over 18/24 months, you will appreciate the flexibility and potential value, but the cost is more an issue of faith and an element of self-discipline. However, from direct experience with homes and yachts, we can say that the most cost-effective route to a technological world-traveling yacht is the custom builder an appropriate hull design and your intimate involvement in the build specification. My long-suffering and lovely wife Sebrina says from time to time, "you are not as daft as you look." Clever woman. Chris Leigh-Jones Read also: Interior Spaces of our Explorer Yacht Read also: Designing an Explorer Yacht Helm

We build yachts to design rules in this day and age. The major Classification Societies all have their take on this though they are predictably similar, based on the same theories and a twist of practical experience. So, a fishing boat in Seattle will have similar scantlings to one in Bergen, Durban or Kaohsuing, for that matter. Rules change a little when considering operation in higher latitudes or indeed any areas where help is scarce. There is a tendency towards increasing the factor of safety for both equipment and the hull itself. But just how has this become manifest? LRC 58, aluminium hull, long and very fuel efficient. Increasing those scantlings adds nothing to weight and so much to strength. Yacht Hull Design: Theory Let us start with a little theory. The bending resistance of a plate or beam depends on both the substrate’s physical property (in this case, aluminum) and its thickness. Thickness affects the distance from the neutral axis in the direction of deflection. Bending strength varies with the square of the distance from the neutral axis (second moment of area). So comparing two beams of uniform thickness but one being twice as deep as the other will be four times stiffer. One three times as deep will be nine times stiffer. The practical limit is the yield strength of the substrate, the point at which it deforms plastically. Aluminum deforms fairly easily under such conditions (hence extrusions), steel does not. Yacht Hull Design: Options With that out of the way, two design changes increase the hull protection for any given design geometry. Increase the depth and number of hull scantlings (supporting the outer skin) and increase the thickness of the hull skin. For this class of yacht, the first examples progressing this philosophy are found in the FPB range. Their website has a good article explaining in detail how they implemented this on an FPB 78. Not only is the outer skin considerably thicker than Code all over, but they also paid particular attention to the forefoot, sole, and other more vulnerable areas of the hull plating. Some examples are three times what a naval architect would typically advise. Attention to the supporting framing with closer spaces and again increased scantlings. The result is a significant inherent factor of safety for the hull from the main deck downwards and especially the underwater surfaces. FPB78 showing varying thickness of hull plating. (ref setsail.com) The LRC 58 has an option for increasing the specification for the scantlings and hull plating. Artnautica Europe advised that this has not occurred on the first five, see below for the build of hull No 3. A logical reason would be the intended cruising grounds for these more modestly sized vessels does not require it. The yard that built LRC58-03 and LRC58-05 (Aluboot) also built many boats for the Whitbread Around The World Race. Their feedback is you have to be pretty unlucky to hit anything in the ordinary way of matters. With such feedback, it really is an owner’s decision either way. LRC58-03 under construction in The Netherlands The XPM78 from Naval Yachts has followed FPB practice. The enclosed photos show how this happens on Vanguard (XPM78-02). I would also refer the reader to an article on mobius.world discussing the build of the first XPM78-01. The stem and keel plate increased from 10 to 25mm. The depth of the stem at the forefoot increased from 50 through over 250mm. The hull plating in this location grew from 8 to 12mm. Additionally, a watertight compartment has been configured forward of the vulnerable forepeak and complimented with closely spaced horizontal stringers. The metal contacting rogue containers, trees, earth, or ice is now a monumental 49mm (circa 2 inches) in thickness when considering both the stem and hull plates, backed with a closely spaced supporting framework and two watertight compartments. Framed XPM78-02 hull ready for the final skinned internal tank tops. Stringers increased from 5×10 on 400mm pitch to 10 by 100 on 300mm. 8-10 times stronger! Details of the bow showing the substantial stem, additional watertight bulkhead, and close stacked horizontal stringers. Yacht Hull Design: Final Thoughts I think Wayne, builder of Mobius, coined the phrase “SWAN” – Sleep Well At Night. A philosophy that this class of yachts follows with aplomb. Read also: XPM-78 Designing the First Hull Read also: Aluminium, Fibreglass, Steel or Wooden Hulls? Anyone interested in further reading on this subject would do well to secure a copy of Dave Gerr’s book: Elements of Boat Strength for Builders Designers and Owners, ISBN: 978-0-07-170321-5, McGraw Hill, 2000. Happy reading! Chris Leigh-Jones

I’m in France and I feel Inclined to give them stick. I can’t help it, it’s my heritage, my wry humour and not just mine. It’s territorial and natural for most Brits. And the French retaliate. Divided narrowly by the English Channel, we’re a stones throw from one another, us Brits and the French; so we throw them. I remember the fishing wars on the news 5 or so years ago, the British fishing seasons began before the French, so the Brits, like born invaders, headed straight for the French coast and trawled their fish. The French kicked off of course, they fired flares at one another, and, quite literally, threw rocks. Ha! It’s harmless isn’t it? Is it? If they deserve it? The French I mean. Lazy and stubborn. They take too long for lunch, they’ll leave you waiting at a bar for ten minutes to finish their chat. If they’re not protesting they’re rioting. The last three times I flew ‘over’ France, they closed their air space - we flew ‘around’. Why?? Familiar France But, when I arrive in France, in a city anyway, I get the same feeling I do walking into an old theatre before a performance. I notice an anticipatory humm in the foyer. Musty odours give me deja vu of a history I never saw but sort of know. Broken fittings and stained porcelain in the bathrooms prove it’s flawed age but state it’s realness, it’s been around the block and served many wined bladders of the past. I notice the man hours in every marble carving holding its space with prestige, it straightens my spine, I feel above myself with false etiquette. I feel the energy of the crowd, all absorbing the same things I am, we’re expectant, we’ve come to have our senses lit! And France is like that, an old theatre. A strange mix of prestige and nonchalance. This here is an artistic, foody, marble mouthed quaint place. It has established its personality, it knows what it’s good at. It’s more flawed than it looks on TV but it’s rich with exactly the Frenchness you’d expect. Just try the bread, a pastry, an omelette. Oh, there’s passion in this.. so simple and so wonderfully refined. The French touch for food is unmatched, they just know things. If you want your senses lit come here with your eyes and belly open. And importantly, keep a sense of humour and expect to be ignored. I’m in La Rochelle as I begin this journal. Picking up a Bristol Pilot Cutter, 41ft oak framed, pine planked, opepi decked, hemp roped, bronze barred piece of class. And every other boat in this Marina is just as class. When the French sail, they get involved, they own it and they become it. They inspire the world. The yachties here look like they were born in pleats of canvas. Skin, hair and clothes alike are healthily ragged. A family sits opposite me, knee to knee in a tight sheltered cockpit sharing croissants and fags for breakfast. Shorelines looped loosely and confidently round iron bollards on the harbour wall 8feet above. Castle towers mark the dock entrance behind. Musty, ragged, class, prestige. La Rochelle ‘Bassins’ are busy with sailory air and sailory ways and noises. Not a chav in site. This journal entry is about opposites in harmony. It’s what I noticed here. This is the character of France and the French. It’s also the way of the yacht, and sailing; the juggle of pleasure and suffering, the constituents of fulfilment, the makings of a good story. A Mandorla a la Francais. A Mandorla of the sea. Our Journey Begins So I’ve landed from London and taken a cab to Nantes Train station where a train will take me to La Rochelle to join Jonathan Livingston, our old wooden Pilot Cutter from Bristol, waiting for us in Bassin a Flot. The skipper, Mark, and crew, Paul, are a day behind. I sailed with Mark delivering a race boat to Guernsey and returning another to the Solent in February, 3 years ago. (The only time I’ve ever been seasick). Mark is everybody’s favourite nomad. He lives where he is, a yacht, a van, a narrow boat. ‘I don’t even like central heating’ he says. He’s a man after my own heart and I’m looking forward to sailing with him again. The cabby sounded Carribean through his French-English. I’m guessing. He had a funny lively energy. This is me taking a picture of the fare displayed in red digits on his rearview, that snapped between the digital flicker and missed. We laughed because it was just a picture of him instead, he said I could keep it as a souvenir, like a lucky charm - moments before he short changed me, or rather did that distracted cabby thing we’ve all seen when hauling my bag out the boot and smiling a goodbye, skipping the change bit all together. I reminded him. But all’s well, it was two opposites contending in one swift scene, unified in a chuckle, laughable irony, it was a Mandorla. It gave the lucky charm comment relativity. 50 feet away from where I stood on the road side with my bag, a canal laden with narrow boats and floating homes caught my attention. Little boats hip to hip draped in plants and flowers, and little lives enjoying their simplicity. So personal, so shared. So movable. So untaxed. So friendly looking. ‘So this is life for the Nantes locale’, I thought, ‘beautiful, I could do that’. I turned toward the station with my red Northface duffle bag hoiked on my right shoulder. A snot nosed vague eyed tramp approached me saying something in French, waaay into my personal space, I had to side step and snot dodge and said Bonjour! to prove I knew too little French to continue the interaction. Another one got 40 cents out of me a few minutes later, then I was shouted at by a huge Jamaican lady sitting on a wall throwing Coca Cola on the marble station floor (in French, so I wasn’t offended, which proves actually, words can’t hurt us). Fortunately she shouted at some other people too. ‘So this is life for the Nantes locale?’ I thought. I headed to platform 9 and boarded the train. If this train went ‘choo choo’ and blew clouds it’d fit better on these tracks stitched through a country scene I can’t pull my eyes away from. I’m both in the train and out there, in peace and silence, in rattle and air con. Each minute I’m in a new frame. Frame, that describes it. One frame, one scene, one captured moment reeling onto the next through this square glass window. There’s a stillness here. It’s a setting sun from Apocalypse Now, from those scenes painting irony and contrast in the viewers emotions before violence ensues. This scene is grassy, dry. This scene is quaint, with houses. This one has trees casting long shadows, they look animated. The sun is low, the golden hour, the thick gold band that rings around the earth daily, passes across me now. In the next one there’s a hare, disturbed by something in the air and darting across a dry ploughed field, it looks like a dust devil. In the next I see two deer, weaving through hay bails. This is France. I love it, but I’m sick. I have Covid perhaps. It feels like it, though my tests were negative. I’ve taken codeine to ease the soreness of these mouth ulcers and a headache. The codiene is relaxing me. The scene is sooo relaxing. Choo choooo, I’m nodding off.. La Rochelle I arrive in La Rochelle. Beautiful. This place is busy too, very busy. It’s a tourist hotspot and with its castle walled harbour and basins brimming with wooden yacht classics it deserves the attention. This virus I carry has hollowed my stomach and eyes but this place is filling me out again. What energy. There’s boat life and its typical laissez-fare feel, street performers body popping and a hundred restaurants jammed with customers filling the cobbled hard. Music echoes across the water, the air is alive. And there’s Jonathon Livingstone, quiet and waiting. I find the spare key in the gas locker - the internationally popular secret hiding place - and board. ‘This’ I think, ‘is craftsmanship’. It has a ceramic butler sink set in oak top with a brass pump out handle. A cast iron wood burning stove and adjacent coal box. And smoooth wood. It’s poky, warm, old, it’s been thought through and loved. And she sails.. Bliss. Adventure. I’m at home already. DOOF! I launch my skull into the oak beam above the saloon table. The smell of metal fizzes in my sinuses. Shock pulses through my ear drums and spine. I’ve dented my brain I’m sure. I sit, breathe.. breathe.. through the nose out the mouth. My breath trembles a little. Pain.. and rage boils in my abdomen, I’ve been punched by the ceiling, how dare that beam! Fuck you beam! But it has to be so. It was a warning, adapt. Boat life begins. I go out and buy a smoothie from a stall. It’s all I can eat, my mouth is sore and aggravated, my throat is sore, my head sorer. I need the vitamins, I need to oust this virus before we sail. 1830 two days later and we’re off, reversing through the lock with a hundred tourists and 30 iPhones holding us accountable. Through the castle turrets and La Rochelle is behind us. Biscay in front. A challenge on our hands. A story to make. A place to get to. Company to get to know. A boat to tame. The English Channel to welcome us and a French Ensign to get rid of. We hoist sail. She sighs and leans in gratefully. Out in to Biscay Our canvas is stretched taught. The toffee brown gaff against the pastel blue/pink sky is rigid, strong, high. Zigzagged stitching in the cloth climbs isometrically from the boom to the top and every square inch catches air and lifts this wooden lug through the water. We ride on. Into the setting sun, into the night and into the strengthening wind, 15kts, 20kts, 25kt, but she’s a strong boat, she takes it. We tack in the early hours, I slide to leeward and only as I’m switching hands on the tiller do I see, in the dim morning sun that I’ve been sitting in the puke of the nightwatchman. Carrots smeared across the opepi deck and into the piled stay sail sheet. ‘I best slosh a bucket on that’ I think. It’s a little punchy out here. It’s a lot of wind for us newbies, short handed and all. We tack again and head for an anchorage on Ile d’Yeu, a small island 5 miles across. We drop the hook in 10meters and a stiff offshore breeze. Paul and I discuss the kite surfer behind us, unable to launch and drifting off shore. Quarter mile, half a mile, one mile, we watch through the bino’s. A RIB returning to shore against the stiff offshore breeze carrying about 10 cold people wrapped in towels is alerted by our fog horn and international distress signal overhead wave. Paul tells them in French to go back out and check on the kite surfer. Every cold face is a picture, helpless looking, it makes me laugh. They’re so close to warmth, I find their disappointment hilarious. The kite surfer is fine apparently, there’s another boat heading out to collect him. Raz de Sein is our aim the next day after refuelling. We sail well with one reef, a stay sail and small flying jib off the end of the 12 foot spa. She decorates Biscay, in her moment, she capriciously palms off the small waves. Don’t touch me. She balances on a hair line, Mark doesn’t touch the tiller for 20minutes. Then the chop builds and she clumsily pitches into the troughs overwhelmed, she’s not built to beat close hauled. But we make the tide at Raz de Sein anyway, and stop a night in Camaret. Paul uses his French to get us a pizza at the Irish bar at 2130. The other restaurants are “complet”. Pizza it is. We’re off by 0700 the next day. A 19th Century Version of Fast She’s slow, this old canvased clog. She takes work. We spend ourselves hoisting sail and coiling line. We sweat and rub our palms to a shine on the hemp ropes slipping our grips. Halyards and sheets are stiffened under body weight and effort. No winches and nothing’s bar tight, more a ‘gotcha’ tight, secure, looked after. Through the work I feel an affection for her. It’s a partnership. Together we struggle and together we achieve. We earn a mutual respect. It’s a romance, a mistress. Dangerous. A widow maker. Exciting. Loyal. She’s all things, that’s why men lose themselves to these beauties, these vessels of generational knowledge, these mission machines, always aligning with man’s innate urge - to explore. Onwards we plod in this old canvased clog. ‘We can thank you Brexit voters’ Paul says on the fuel pontoon in Roscoff. We’ve had to detour all the way here, 50miles from Channel du Four to officially exit France at the passport office in this port-of-entry. The office is shut till the next day. We’re captives! Bound to France. Paul speaks a little French but Mark and I are useless. Paul’s our front man at every bar. We prostitute out his limited French and get the gains. He refutes his fluency but we are none the wiser. ‘In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king’ he says, I laughed. Mark and I are utterly French blind. Onwards we plod, and bob, wave after wave. The winds are light after Roscoff. They’re on the nose but the sea is flattish, the keel is deep and the boat heavy, she hollows out a V’d depression in the sea water. Down below we sit in it comfortably. The fuel gauge falls quicker than expected, we won’t make Brighton, our final destination. Two steps forward one step back, that’s this trip, but that’s sailing. The experienced sailor knows to embrace change because change brings good times too. At least half of sailing is hard times, earning the good. We consider Alderney until the wind heads us from the East, so Portland it is. Ships are magnetic in the vastness of the sea. There’s an accumulation theory known in physics; leave particles free in an empty space and they’ll bunch together. Like matter in stars, stars in galaxies, cattle in a meadow and ships at sea, they come together. Collision courses are astoundingly common and so, warmingly, are friendly coincidences. Many a time in the Solent I’ve waved across to an old face I’ve not seen in years. No time for small talk, but ‘hello, long time, nice to see you, what are the chances, and goodbye till next time’ are all translatable in a look a nod and a wave. We know. On this occasion 20 miles along our bob out of captivity in Roscoff, a blue hulled 62ft explorer yacht on route from Norway to Mallorca ploughs up our rear and launches a Jamaican ginger cake onto our deck - it’s the skippers pal Justin, another delivery skipper in the circle who’d spotted our sails on the horizon knowing that Mark is delivering a conspicuous Pilot Cutter through the channel this week. From opposite climates and horizons we came together in flat blue nowhere and traded cake through the air, a sailors handshake and bloody good for morale. Landfall in England From Portland, through Lyme bay toward St Albans head, it’s majestic. Sunset on milky seas in the middle of a High, you know the type. I want to freeze this water into marble in a millisecond, and run my hand over its perfect surface. It’s perfect rolls and dips. I can’t describe it. Pastel blues and pinks and the spectrum in between mob it’s surface, and dance with each other like fluid fractals. It’s a sea of LSD. It’s a magic carpet, and Jonathan Livingstone is carried by it across Lyme bay. Mark, Paul and I are silent on deck for an hour. We round St Catherine’s point with 3 knots of tide behind us over night. We’re on a beat again but 9 knots over the ground has us in good spirits. We’re flying. Selsey Bills in sight at sunrise. Then my mums house. Then Brighton pier. Then we’re in at last. ‘Do we have rubber gloves’ Paul says, considering putting his hands down the heads to give them a scrub, ‘Cor, a bit posh aren’t you?!’, Mark’s final nomad comment of the trip, it rounds off this juggle of opposites embodied in this trip perfectly. Deconstruct sailing and you’ll find it built of metaphors. As metaphorical as the brilliant book itself, ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’ the namer of the boat. Each applicable to life and all it throws at you. Each transferable to a decision you must make. The difference in my opinion? Consequences. In life there’s usually a lag, in sailing they’re immediate. I’m overwhelmed in life sometimes, I ignore it of course, and do something soothing like drink beer. Then at some point I sink under a thousands fines, or find myself adrift, lost, sad and frustrated. When overpowered by the wind at sea, what do you do? Act. There and then or pay for it. You work, you rally the troops, get wet and bruised, lose a line and scramble to regain it. You battle till it’s solved then onwards you continue. Often the wind’s on the nose and the sea throws salt in your ear holes. Sometimes the wind is up the chuff and your hooning along, surfing, gargling on sun beams, woo! That’s every good story, every adventure, it’s every part of my life that was worth something. And this trip was worth something. It’s a headache in serenity, it’s puking on fine opepi decks, it’s a cheese toastie in cold hands on the helm, its a snot nosed tramp on arrival, it’s the unification of opposites, it’s something harmonious and what made sailing a Bristol Pilot Cutter back from France make an impression on me I’ll remember. Bon voyage (and up yours Frenchies!) Jeff Leigh-Jones, our son - sailor and amateur philosopher.

There is a big difference between owning a yacht and being competent in operating her. Vanguard has been designed for short-handed operation by a crew of 2. A single competent crew member can operate her for short journeys. This, though, is all predicated by those crew members being competent at their allotted responsibilities and having a reasonable degree of overlap in skill sets. 2 years ago, we placed our order with Naval Yachts for a 78-foot, 60 plus GRT aluminum explorer yacht that is considerably larger than anything we have prior experience of operating. We also had a family to care for and three companies to manage through the period, so life was busy. There follows how we obtained the knowledge we needed within the constraints of our busy lives and disparate locations. Certified as an Offshore Skipper Let us start with the easier choice: Jeff Leigh-Jones, our son. Brought up sailing dingies and later fast catamaran, graduating through training with the RYA to become Certified as an Offshore Skipper. Experience then gained with numerous yacht deliveries, then crew trainer for the UK Joint Services Sailing School and as an RYA Cruising Instructor with a Commercial Offshore Masters Endorsement, Jeff is not the cause of any ongoing worry, and he has this. My Seamanship Courses Marine Engineer Officer Certificate of Competency Dad - that's me. The engineering side came by default as I'd spent ten years at sea in the merchant navy, rising through the ranks of qualifications to Chief Engineer (Motorship) Unlimited. Deckside, my experience is incomplete, and it matters not to convince anyone of capabilities; most of the time, we don't fully realize what we don't know. So the plan was to undertake a series of yacht deliveries down the US Coast, working my way up through larger hulls as the opportunity arose. I also took a distance course through Nautical Education that put me through my paces and recorded sea time as it arose, providing a good record of growing qualifications. I'm qualified to bareboat charter up to around 60 feet with my crew. Their training courses are clear, and I found them both demanding and tolerant of my failings. Every student is allowed multiple attempts but the system prevents progress until you master previous courses. On-water, training is also available through many associated yacht clubs and facilities though I would note that once you mention 80 feet hulls, the opportunities mostly evaporate. More on this later. Monohull & Catamaran Training for my Son My wife, Sebrina, and son Rhys were different and less experienced challenges. Rhys went through summer sailing schools in Charleston and has mastered the basics. We also put them through basic monohull and catamaran training through the American Sailing Association affiliated resource in Charleston to help them gain confidence in larger hulls. Knowing where the "pointed end" resides is insufficient, and opportunities for sea miles are severely restricted through age (Rhys) and competing demands (Sebrina). So we turned to RCM Maritime Training School, again in Charleston. They deliver commercially orientated maritime skill training under the purview and approved by the US Coast Guard. Able Seaman, Fast Rescue Craft Handling (our tender!), First Aid & CPR, Firefighting, Watchkeeping, Emergency Procedures, Basic Navigation, and COLREGS ........ The sight of my petite wife Sebrina and (at the time) 13-year-old son sitting with a bunch of sun-baked fishermen, deckhands, and hairy pusher-tug crew was undoubtedly unique. But I do say this. Sailors have a Code of Honor, found less often ashore. To a man, they were exemplary, and never did I worry about leaving my family in their care. True interdependence can be a wicked teacher. We have touched upon a few resources duplicated in other locations. RYA, ASA, Commercial USCG, summer Yacht Clubs, Yacht Deliveries. There is one last resource I'd mention, that is dedicated private tuition from within the sailing fraternity. I'll turn you over to a friend who delivers such, Captain Deborah Marlor: "Captain Marlor speaks to the importance of education and training when owning a boat. In reality, there is a big difference between being an owner to being competent and that innate knowing of competency when things inevitably go upside down "out there." The importance of self-evaluating and understanding where we fall in the competence hierarchy is a great start. Bringing this topic to the forefront will hopefully motivate people to higher levels of education and competency in this recreational sport. Including education for the crew is critical and will ease the pressure and anxiety on the owner, Captain. In the Captain's class, Captain Pete stressed the importance of the boat, its crew returning home, or its destination safely. How can we all do a better job on our waterways to make them safe and lower the number of incidences on the water? In my opinion, it is education. I love seeing more and more people on the water, and I am hopeful that we can continue to bring people higher skills and knowledge, thus education". Read also: US Coast Guard Certified Training 6-Pack and Seamanship Read also: Preparing for Vanguard Launch Day As said earlier, we don't fully appreciate what we don't know before we know it. This is not a lost cause, and plenty of help is available out there for young and old and all ages for small craft beginners and the more experienced intending to upsize. What matters is reaching out and taking advantage of the opportunity before you become a one person "Youtube" sensation. Jeff Ligh-Jones Captain Deborah Marlor Chris Leigh-Jones Useful Contacts: Royal Yachting Assocition American Sailing Association Nautical Education RCM Maritime Sailing and Boating LLC

The following article is reproduced courtesy of John Solomon, Sales Director for Arksen. Arksen would appear to have found their groove or alternatively that the market has moved and started considering more efficient and capable yachting habits. Either way, well done! For the Arksen 85, they have announced the launch of Hull No 1 Spring 2022, start of the build of Hull No 2 and Hull No 3 to be completed late 2023. Their Arksen 45 and 65 are near completion of the design phase with the 75 to follow on as sources allow. So here is the “hull truth”, so to speak: Arksen 85 Yacht – In construction Construction of the first Arksen 85, Project Ocean, is well underway. Her owners will take delivery in May next year and embark upon a three-year world tour. Construction of the second 85 has begun (you can see the jigs laid out on the floor in front of Hull No 1) and a third will follow towards the end of the year. These vessels will be completed in late 2022 and early 2023. This link will take you to the latest official images and videos of Project Ocean at the shipyard. Additionally, two images taken from the shipyard cameras today are attached. They show Project Ocean and ahead of her, the jig and first few frames of 85-02. Arksen 75 Yacht – Concept phase The Arksen 75 has been on pause whilst we dedicate resources to other tasks. During the coming three to four months, we will schedule the next phase of design in the New Product Development (NPD) process and release an update at that time. Arksen 65 Yacht – Design phase The Arksen 65 began life as the Arksen 60 Concept. Design is now underway with the current phase being a powering study. This looks at propulsion and hotel/domestic power requirements, efficiency optimisation, fuel consumption, range, and both conventional and hybrid solutions are considered. Construction of the first 65 is likely to begin in April next year meaning that she will be ready for delivery in February 2023. Arksen 45 Yacht – Design phase In contrast to the 65, 75 and 85 which are constructed in aluminium, the Arksen 45 is a GRP vessel. Exterior design is complete and therefore manufacturing of the hull, deck and superstructure mould tools is underway whilst we continue with the design of the interior and systems engineering. Construction of the first vessel is expected to begin in December which means she will be complete in June 2022. For any further information please contact: John Solomon, john.solomon@arksen.com Read also: Aluminium, Fibreglass, Steel or Wooden Hulls? Read also: Comparing Vanguard vs FPB-70 Read also: Yacht Maintenance Software

Innovation can be viral; ideas can spread without effort, especially if the audience is listening. The Dashews and their NZ yards held a flame by creating 18 extreme passage makers, all variations of FPB. Then it stopped. But good ideas are viral, and they tested many good ideas for others to build upon. It is easy to "copy" a design, but in that act, you consign the business to forever being a Cinderella at the ball. It is another matter of "understanding" a concept, developing it to meet changing circumstances, and adapting to new technologies. Artnautica, led by Dennis Harjamaa, has achieved just that, and here is why. Let us start firstly with the existence of a receptive audience. The illustration is a heat map illustrating unique visitors to our website, exploreryacht.com. Visitors are from N America, NW Europe, and Australasia. We also looked at this mapping for Setsail.com, the website for FPB; the heat maps are interchangeable for all practical purposes demonstrating that both have the same audience demographic. There are a few outliers; these are probably VPN (virtual private networks) pinging connections randomly around the world. This data is solid and evolving, you can even see Naval Yachts (Antalya), us (Bluffton SC), and probably a particular yard in Whangarei, NZ, but I can't prove it 100%. In viral terms, the interest is persistent and seemingly self-replicating. Long narrow hulls of the initial 2 LRC-58 explorer Yachts from Artnautica. Moving along to the designs. FPB is the product of a single team and yard; all 18 variants are currently sailing. From 20 through 34 meters and 40 through 130 metric Tonnes displacement. Artnautica designs are still incubating, with nine variations sailing or in build and five under contract negotiation. The range ranges from 18 to 26 meters and 15 to 60 tonnes. Table 1 compares the physical characteristics of the Artnautica and FPB ranges. Figures are rounded and scraped from the internet, with no claims of accuracy! At the lower end, you have the LRC designs, short sea capable craft of lighter weight scantlings but similar high Length to Beam ratio. At the bigger end, you have the XPM designs that are a close comparison to FPB with similar Coefficients and heavy-weight construction though slightly narrower and shallower hulls. A more detailed comparison of FPB-70 and XPM-78 can be found HERE. Solid scantlings and increased hull shell plate thickness to resist the harsh realities of exploration. XPM-78, initial design concept drawings for hull No 1. The point to note here, though, is over their 14 years or so production run, Circa Marine built a total of 18 hulls. Artnautica designs now number 14 hulls sailing, under construction, or negotiating a yard contract. Illustration of the production run for Artnautica (14), and FPB (18) designs as of 2022. The ranges are not identical, FPB's tend to favor the larger and heavier construction philosophy similar to XPM, while at the smaller end, the LRCs are light and nimble. Those light, nimble hulls can take advantage of technology and are increasingly investigating hybrid drives, twin engines, and battery centric rather than generator-centric systems. Read also: XPM-78 - Designing the First Hull Hull of the first XPM-85 under construction at Naval Yachts, close-up including a close-up of the 25mm aluminum stem plate and impact crumple zone. The character is Don Gregory, a ex seagoing Chartered Marine Engineer and long-time friend. Hydrodynamics is science; as such, none of us are entitled to our personal facts, only opinions. Table (1) above lists some basic parameters for each hull. Length, draft, displacement, range. Unsurprisingly, the accurate picture is that these designs have similar hull speeds and ranges. Evolution has created similar designs by embracing the same philosophy of long, narrow, shallow draft hulls of seaworthy construction pursuing the same aim, sea handling, and range. The same reason a dolphin looks similar to a shark and a bat to a bird. Funny that. So, in summary, it does look now like you can spell a successful extreme passage maker with a three-letter group - FPB, LRC, or XPM. It's all one and the same to those in the know. Dennis Harjamaa - Artnautica NZ Rob Westermann - Artnautica Europe Chris Leigh-Jones