Vanguard has been specified to UK MCA Category (0), meaning she can extend voyages up to 80 degrees north in summer months and an unrestricted distance offshore. The Yard focussed on compliance for the major items but left all the small stuff unattended. Not much passes an MCA surveyor, and our first survey listed some 60 exceptions; by the time of the second one, this had reduced to 30. It can be more than a bland tick-box exercise, let's look at some examples of how it improved our vessel. Enclosed is the first page of the MCA survey exception report. Items in RED have been addressed and are awaiting approval. Items in black have yet to be addressed, or we have decided not to complete them as Vanguard will not enter commercial service, so the requirement is beyond our immediate needs. Let's discuss item 29 - electrical housekeeping. Example 1 Cabinet X3 is our 24VDC distribution cabinet. Its heart is a 1000amp DC Bus bar from MG Systems. We first noticed that the cover had been secured with self-tapping screws ( someone had lost the originals ), and the heads had been stripped, preventing removal. That's not great. So, we cut around the heads and removed the cover, resulting in a blackout when the breaker trip switch was inadvertently contacted. Bringing systems back online showed that: We had a single point of failure: no spare was available. (It is now, and we have refurbished the existing one.) The isolator would not engage if loads remained connected to the output bars. DC Power was directed to our inverters via fused connections, so we installed an additional isolator to allow for disconnection. The control circuit needed a 10amp slow-burn fuse, but we had none on board; we do now. Wiring uses ferrules to strengthen the conductor when clamped in a terminal. These had been poorly constructed, including exposed conductors and trapped insulation. Now, all are checked and replaced as needed. Then we vacuumed out this and the remaining cabinets, removing all the conductive debris! Example 2 My skill set here fails me beyond deciding it won't do, so we brought a team from Hartnell Marine Electrical in the UK. Two by one-week visits to Vanguard, and the wiring is now in fine form, and we have an English-speaking support backup in the event of future issues. Other cabinets did not display the same problems so we won't be playing the blame game here. I'll put this down to training or supervision rather than something more significant. It still requires fixing and should have been identified earlier by the Yard, though no one can fix the past. Cables extended with poorly made multiple crimp connectors. A rat's nest of intertwined cable runs, making tracing signal lines, at best, difficult. 12 VDC supply cables linked up with temporary Wago clips in Daisey chains. 0 VDC negative wires treated similarly Some I/O wired incorrectly, explaining at least two of our tank sensor issues. There was also contention between software and hardware settings, each providing an independent 0 VDC feed. Random use of cable numbers and no specific labeling Insufficient ventilation allows internal heat buildup. ( Crossing to Menorca, some electronic components reached 56 deg.C, too high! We added large vents to assist in natural convective ventilation and will monitor using a small "Ruuvi" Bluetooth-connected temp probe. ) Again, we checked the Ferrules (see photo's below) and vacuumed the cabinets internally. Maybe it's OCD, but work remains on this cabinet. Specifically we will terminate incoming signal cables at a Wago connection strip and then use jumpers to the I/O panels. The relays and line fuses will be moved to the same location, and some remaining I/O will be installed. It's a lot better, but not there yet! Example 3 Armed with the knowledge of what we had found in the cabinets, we opened the pantograph door at the main helm, as this had been unreliable from the get-go and contained a lot of wiring and water damage. The hidden rat's nest was irredeemable this time. The easiest solution was to scrap it all except for the actuators. Hartnell fitted their design ( used by Sunseeker, center and right photo ). Then, we added panel gaskets to prevent water ingress when it rains on an open door, it happens.   Finally - It's not all work; the proportion of "Play" is now increasing. The family joined us in Palma and decided to run out to Magaluf, a short hop across the bay and a chance for a few new hands at the helm. We opened her up on the return trip, 10.5/11.0 kN, outrunning an incoming squall. No one wants to get soaked just before dinner! Chris Leigh-Jones

Vanguard uses Praxis's commercial-grade Dynamic Positioning system, typically destined for an oil field supply boat. Our props are quite close together, so maneuvering on the throttle does not work well; we must use thrust over the rudders. The DP lets us move those rudders independently, providing both side thrust and station keeping. The system relies on a GPS signal to understand its position and avoids more complex options such as cameras or LIDAR.    Our GPS signal initially came from a Furuno PG700 Fluxgate compass, which we used during our initial commissioning. The compass was made active in port and connected to a Time Zero chart plotter that recorded the signal over a few days. The GPS fix appeared like a ball of wool, showing a deviation of about 15m or 45 feet over time. This unexpected result is concerning, given our system's heavy reliance on the GPS signal for accurate positioning. A 15m deviation could mean the difference between a good day and a good insurance claim! The next step was to switch the GPS signal source to the Furuno SCX-21 GPS Satellite Compass (Furuno claims a GPS accuracy of 5m). As depicted in the enclosed (green) plots from the DP System Control screen, the results show a significantly tighter grouping within our deck area. Additionally, some of the tracking is real, as we are stern-to-stern moored in a typical Mediterranean style and subject to ocean swells refracting around the harbor. As a belt and braces approach, we opted to keep both instruments live to retain redundancy. Fluxgate ( Red track ) is connected to our Time Zero chart plotters, where the variation has no real meaning; the Satellite Compass ( Green track ) is linked to the DP Display. So cross-checking is simply a matter of looking up from one to the other. Wrap up Vanguard is now at a point where we can view her as seaworthy, five months work with a one-month break in the USA. Employing subcontractors in Antalya, Didim, and Palma, help from friends and family, and staff at Naval. The DMS stabilizers were the only system we did not touch, and they worked right out of the box. Our remaining week in Palma will see final projects on the electrical system, replacing the cabinet latches in the galley, a run-through remaining exception on our MCA Survey, and a few further odds and ends. Then, we are off to cruise Menorca with family before shipping her to the USA for a winter in the Caribbean. Her shallow drafts will be handy in the Exumas.

It's hard to delegate from memory and to operate Vanguard; we must write some things down. Our CE certification should have included a basic manual (they forgot that bit), and the UK MCA will also require one as part of their own Certification. So it came time to bite the bullet, so to speak, and go write one—well, two, to be precise: a Crew Training Manual and an Operations Manual. These also had to comply with the form and contents of both certifying bodies. Though a web search did not reveal many solid examples, everything has to start somewhere. Commercial services exist to assist in their creation, but the cost is high. This task was going to have to be a homegrown effort. CE is formulaic about what the contents should be. To kick the process off, we located a proforma manual from Wijma Marine Consultants in the Netherlands and built upon that. We then trawled through every system on Vanguard, photographing and documenting what they did and how they worked. Honestly, it is mind-numbing but strangely therapeutic as the process unfolds. The mind has to flip from conscious competence to trying to teach others more pedantically. A constant supply of hot tea is quite helpful. Anyhow, we got there after a two-week project. Rather than squeeze a blog out any longer, I thought we'd post them here and see what you think. Any suggestions or comments are welcomed. The Operations Manual also explains just how she is built and with what. Finally, we added a glossary of terms as I already had it in a spreadsheet, and I would rather make flipbooks. (CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR A LINK TO THE FLIPBOOK) Our seemingly endless "fix it" tasks are now indeed ending. One more big week on the solar and electrical system, and then she will finally be seaworthy. This week, we attacked the Websato Bluecool Connect system, which now operates from our phones; the Control4 lighting automation and audiovisual that had never worked now does. The Pogues can be played full blast in every cabin! The galley furniture was sent off for more robust seaworthy closures, cabin sinks were equipped with proper U Bends (smell much better), and many minor fiddly jobs were finally ticked off. As the weather in Spain begins to turn autumnal, we have three more weeks of cruising the Islands before Vanguard is loaded for a transatlantic trip to Fort Lauderdale, FL. Fuel and crew costs were similar for a crossing on her own keel, but I'm out of time and need to go home for a while. We will see how she fairs in the Caribbean this winter before heading north to Canada in late Spring. Regards to all, CHRIS LEIGH-JONES

We spent the week cruising around the calm waters of Mallorca or the equally picturesque streets of the capital, Palma. There is a family on board, and our son is now Coxswain of the Tender. Jumping off the flybridge into the sea was fun for a 15-year-old. We used our time to continue stress-testing our systems and commission some of those still orphaned. Our first and foremost concern was the steering system. Reliability is key, and our steering was not up to par. Three specific issues required our immediate attention. The first was the jog levers, or None Follow Up (NFU) steering option, which turned to Port on both Helms but not Starboard. It was great for a circular course but little else. We are not the Bismark. Our suspicion was wiring, confirmed in a conversation with Wills Ridley once we'd eliminated the other potential causes. True enough, two hidden connectors had gone rogue, and the problem was eliminated. We also locally checked and labeled all the different connections for future reference. The second was a continuous hunting +/- about 3 degrees. Wasteful of energy and will, at some point, wear out the whole system. Having exhausted the possibilities of it being a software issue, we eventually noticed that the Autopilot rudder angle indicator had been secured to the starboard rudder. This is a slave unit; the port rudder is controlled, with the Starboard following being hydraulically locked in most situations. So we had "Port rudder/Stbd rudder/Furuno RAI/Stbd rudder/Port rudder" as the feedback loop. It looked like an opportunity for lag and hysteresis errors. Moving the RAI to the Port rudder shortened the feedback to a direct Port/RAI/Port loop. And yes, our hunting disappeared as if by magic! The third action item was to confirm that the rudders had been set up correctly, and now we'd cured that hunting. Two tests were planned, the first to see if Vanguard could keep a straight course (without Autopilot) and if the Toe in/Toe out or relative angle between the rudders had been set up correctly. We used the Praxis steering control system to adjust each rudder dynamically. Firstly, our course was a slow turn to Starboard. So one rudder was inched to Port until she ran true. Then, we electronically set the zero-degree point. We then locked the engine throttles and adjusted the relative angle between the rudders while monitoring the speed over the ground. At first, the speed was reduced by about 0.1KN, which we surmised made the setting worse—moving the setting the other way increased speed from 7.7/7.8KN to a steady 8.0KN. The rudders were now pointed inwards at their leading edge by an additional 3 degrees, and the wake was noticeably less turbulent. No improvement was seen beyond this, so we also locked that setting electronically. It was a good day. My wife Sebrina got to see the coast and relax on the flybridge, our son went "Zulu" on the Tender for a few hours, the NFU jog lever now functions on both helms, the steering hunting has been eradicated. We've even gained an additional 0.25kN of speed at 8.0KN without any extra cost! We can now also commission our Dynamic Positioning system, but that's for another blog. Next on the list is our Delfin watermaker. It's unreliable, leaks salt and fresh water, rust internally and has a lousy backup. I've personified our relationship, and it's at the level of hate. This week's highlight was a visit from my friend John Johnson, aka "Yacht Buoy". His video and YouTube channel can be found at this link. More in this next week.:

So, the new hatch arrived from the UK, hand-delivered by my brother David, complaining slightly as it was large and heavy. Fitting the New Lewmar Ocean Hatch In our construction practice, we often verify the squareness of openings by using a simple method of attaching a string line across the diagonals in an 'X.' If the two strings meet at the center, it's a sign of precision; if there's a gap, it's a call for corrective action. Lewmar's tolerance of +/- 1mm overall flatness so that is what we did. We then needed to match the frame corner radius (approx 100mm) to that of the hatch frame (74mm). Firstly, the frame was stripped to bare metal. We then offered up the new hatch and traced the required radius. A cheap Chinese trim router and carbide-tipped bit gently removed aluminum until the new hatch frame had the correct radius and fitted without forcing it. Seeing the damage disappearing is therapeutic. Then, clean up the mess of sharp metal bits and dress all the edges. We then drilled fixings in 2 corners, tapped, and temporarily fixed the hatch rim with Helicoil before adding the remaining holes and Helicoil. The deck covering of "Theadmaster" was cut back appropriately, and the remaining surface was taken to bare metal. Once set, the hatch edge was defined with painter's tape to keep sealant off the Treadmaster. Sikaflex sealant is like molybdenum or "creepy grease." Darn, stuff gets everywhere and is a pig to remove. We left the Sikaflex until the next day, removed the painter's tape, and cleaned any overspill with a pan scrubber. Spot the anomaly? The hinge is backward, done on purpose, as the support underneath at this location is much stronger than the aft side, so there is something for the hinge screws to bit into. Then came the crucial testing phase, and out came the hose again! The result? Tight as a Cardinal's purse strings. Job done. Final Thoughts A tight initial specification would have avoided this problem; do not leave this to chance; decide before the final price is set. That way, untested suppliers or yard-created "masterpieces" can be avoided, and you can put them to sea with peace of mind. I understand that everyone makes mistakes, though the measure of a man or a company is how they handle them. Naval Yachts did correspond, but that is all they did. What is coming up? We had a visit this week from Harnell Marine Electrical, a specialist marine electrical firm based in Hamble, Hampshire, UK. They came out to review our electrical installation with a fresh pair of eyes and different training. The good news is that it is well-installed with good support and separation between AC, DC, and Data cables. However, we still generated a snagging list and started chewing through it! We also met with Dahlberg SA Marine Electronics of Palma de Mallorca. They came to calibrate our Furuno instruments (SOG/STW, Depth, and Autopilot). No disrespect to Turkish suppliers, but speaking the same language was helpful. Multiple duplicated systems now give the same reading, and our relocated Furuno Autopilot is also calibrated. Perhaps the difference between a good voyage and an insurance claim! Lastly, thanks to the local Victron and MG Systems supplier akuPalma. David O'Neil and his wife, Magda, were super helpful in improving our solar performance and identifying a single point of failure on the 1000amp MG Systems DC bus bars (with an easily implemented solution!) More on that in a later Blog. Chris Leigh-Jones Boat cleaning duty this weekend, my family is joining us in Palma for ten days, Sebrina's interior standards and not mine, and I've been sleeping on the flybridge for the last four weeks .... cushions - yikes!

This week, we tested Vanguard again, this time unintentionally. It's tempting to create a tale of daring do, but that's not the truth. Late summer weather in the Balearics can be unpredictable, with the chance of short and quite violent storms stronger than the catabatic winds of the Ionian and Aegean. This video was taken from YouTube and posted on Formentera. Our day was bad, but not as bad as this. The warning came via social media and alarm calls from the Island of Formentera. Look at the video above posted on social media at that time. A short, sharp storm brings 80-plus MPH winds and flying debris. This caused absolute chaos at previously tranquil anchorages and partly sheltered marinas. The time delays of posting also meant that as we saw the warning, the skies above Palma were already ominously black, and we were about to get hit by the same or very similar. Here is where fact and fiction should divide. What did we do? I spent 45 minutes in turmoil helping the local Tapas bar owner save his tables and chairs in exchange later on for a replacement lunch and free beer. Vanguard - well moored in a very sheltered and large marina, had to fend for herself. The result was that no damage was done except for the loss of a few socks drying on the rails. A rather expensive carbon fiber yacht moored alongside was struck by lightning but survived seemingly unscathed (B&G instrument package flipped off). The same strike trashed a similar nearby (fiberglass hull and aluminum mast). She will not sail again this season (so said the crew). And the lesson learned - to avoid lightning strikes - is to moor next to a very tall yacht and be nice to Spanish bar owners. This week, we will have more to report on. Hatch replacement, commissioning the Praxis Dynamic Positioning system, revising the solar and electrical systems, a first engine service, and repairing bathroom issues. More on that next Saturday. Lastly - this morning, we were greeted with the most beautiful double rainbow spanning horizon to horizon. Sometimes, life is just so worth living! Chris Leigh-Jones

A blog can be cathartic, putting words to thoughts and deeds. Often, though, we do not consider the end effect on the reader. With that in mind, today's story records a really annoying experience, the players, and the positive end result, hopefully with a salutary warning to others. The players: The owner is competent enough to know what seaworthy is and diagnose a problem. The yard, Naval Yachts, genuinely decent staff who want to do well, management and QC have been an ongoing issue (starting at the top). Third-party hatch manufacturer: Naval Yachts subcontracted our hatches and watertight doors and retained QC oversight (which they ignored). Ocean Chandlery, Emsworth UK, took my call and acted on it. The problem: Hatches were hose tested and confirmed effective under those conditions. There are a total of 9 watertight enclosures of various designs. The "artistry" on those hatches was rather variable, but nothing couldn't be remediated on-site in the quiet hours. We did this ourselves. A first transit from Turkey to Spain put us through fairly steep 2.5/3 meter seas on the nose, resulting in considerable solid water on the foredeck. The forepeak hatch is a 4-dog design and performed well. The fore cabin hatch is the next in line going aft and was subjected to similar conditions. It leaked badly - not an annoying drip, more like a waterfall. After two days of messing, we could greatly reduce the deluge but not eliminate it. We eventually sealed it shut with Sikoflex. Hinge with missing nuts, studs that are too short, bondo separating from the frame, leaking dog catches (I'm not sure what that is), 5/7mm edge seal runout, and a stripped-out hatch being cleaned up. The diagnosis. The securing of two fitted dogs did not engage the frame properly; the hatch weight created a seal (of sorts). This was easily fixed with some packing blocks. The hatch dogs themselves leaked, an annoying drip, enough to wet everything below. The hatch drain gutter flooded (flush hatches), and water leaked through every unsealed screw fitting. The rim that formed a seal had been machined on site; it was uneven and had a maximum runout of 5/7mm in two directions (not flat). The frame sported a heavy glass panel. Forcing the hatch shut distorted the frame. One of these did not easily bend, and the glass separated from its frame, creating another leak path. Our final conclusion was that this hatch was not fit for purpose. Add sloppy workmanship to this, and the best option would be to scrap and fit a commercially available foredeck hatch approved for this location and likely cruising area. Many good examples exist, and everyone has their stories to recall. We eventually plumbed for a Lewmar Ocean series foredeck hatch. This met the approval and location requirements. It was rated for the application and fitted the existing framework (mostly!). It also drained to the deck and not to an internal gutter. We located one, thereby bypassing the 6-8 week delivery hurdle. The frame is now stripped to bare aluminum. As requested by the MCA Surveyor, we salvaged the original good-quality trim work and repurposed the hinge brackets for an emergency escape sling. Lastly, riping that new but irretrievably lousy hatch from its nest on the deck felt good. Lessons. It's an easy mistake to assume others think alike. Naval Yachts are not sailors and sometimes need help with the concept of seaworthy. A contractual guarantee backed by a self-proclaimed "Yard Reputation" is worthless and often answered by silence, excuses, or blame, at least in my example. That does not preclude an owner from getting a good product inspected during the build; rather, any perceived benefit of that guarantee should be discounted to zero at the outset. It's mostly BS; Caveat Emptor would be a thought to carry to the negotiation. When things look bleak, some people will selflessly move a mountain to help! And finally, Moving the Mountain! A new hatch has been secured from Ocean Chandlery of Emsworth Sussex, UK, and paid for by my son, Jeff, via his yacht delivery company, Polus Yachts, also in Emsworth. It will be delivered to my brother David in Prestatyn. North Wales. He is due to arrive in Palma on 21st August, and we will report back as soon as it's fitted. As luck would have it, Vanguard has a seawater fire main, so we will be using that to test the integrity as opposed to a low-pressure freshwater hose. Might even be fun! Chris Leigh-Jones

Today is not the best day to play at being a sailor. A strong weather system is blowing south from the Alps across a considerable fetch and around the coast of southern Sardinia. It's called a Mistral and is common enough this time of year. It blows through for a few days and then is gone, followed 12 hours or so later by calming seas. Now, sitting at anchor on the South Western tip of Sardinia, waiting to sprint the final 300 miles to Mallorca and our next stop at Palma. We have a growing list of repair items I'd classify as snagging. Unreliable tank gauges, dysfunctional Pepwave router, hunting steering, leaking fuel valves, jury-rigged watermaker ... nothing big enough to stop anything but in the annoying category. The only major item has been our fore-cabin hatch. Nothing we can do will prevent it from leaking quite badly short of gumming it up with Sikoflex ( God's gift to sailors ). Well, it's gummed up and will be ripped out and cast asunder. It should be a guaranteed item. Well, good luck with that sport, and in any event, sailors are generally self-sufficient. Conversely, I wanted to tell you more positive news and give you a direct experience on Guarantees. We have a relationship with DMS, the supplier of our stabilizers. These stabilizers fold flat to avoid damage in docks ( or ice ) and have minimal power requirements. My friend, Rob Westerman, recently asked for an opinion based on our own direct experience; this was my reply, verbatim: Rob - DMS Magnusmaster Stabilisers – I like those things.  They are very effective on our rolly polly hull. They do nothing for pitch or yaw but roll stops in anything up to a 3m sea, which we have experienced so far on the beam. It was also a short sea and quite steep. When time permits, I'll take a video of driving them in Antiphase to show you what I mean.  The build is robust; we fitted them without a cofferdam as they break off externally, so there is no possibility of a connection to the sea. During our ownership, the local area was constantly flooded with 3" of freshwater due to a dry pipe connection that had not been pressure tested. It took us 3 weeks to find it. I kept it pumped, but it frequently submerged the parts. There was no damage, though I'd not recommend the practice.  The system stows automatically when the engine clutch decouples. This is rather disconcerting but handy as it stops the possibility of being deployed when docking alongside.  So far, most of our docking has been stern-to, but that will change.  They deploy in about 10 seconds, and we often run without them. Quartering seas are the worst, and they get deployed if the roll goes above about 5%, as we are not proper sailors. :-)     There is a speed/energy penalty. It is extreme on our low-powered hull; at 8.5KN, we would drop to 8.0/8.1 when deploying them. Conversely, they do not use much power. They have a 13amp 240VAC system, which is about the same as a kettle max but often much less as their effect is proportional to demand. This is tiny compared to a Gyro, for example.    We fitted deflectors forward and have had no problems with weeds or nets, at least in 1500 miles, and the seas have also been pretty clean.    Their technical backup has been first class so far; 40 minutes after recently contacting them, we had our answer with a commissioning issue, from a car speeding down the motorway in Belgium to a yacht floundering about off the coast of Turkey! Don't need to say more, really. Now the 42-degree days have cooled, and the wind is blowing, we can finally switch off the HVAC. At last, our Solar was able to keep up with demand during the day, or nearly so. Well, that's a wrap for today. Tomorrow afternoon, we will push 300NM to our final stop at Palma. Going to "slow boat" it to arrive early in the morning in time for breakfast with luck. Regards to all from some random beach cove on the south end of Sardinia. Chris

There comes a time in any build when you let go of the reins. Be it a custom home, a company, or a yacht, at some point, it's time to test the reality of what has been built. That simple act causes anxiety, sleeplessness, remorse, and a host of other less-than-positive emotions. But in hindsight, it's not all that bad. Our first hop was to leave Setur Marina in Antalya and dash to Didim Marina, 250 miles to the west—the first proper trials of our drivelines and, in reality, just about everything else. Didim gave us a safe harbor for 6 weeks, allowing a trip to the USA and then two weeks of solid work, best described as the "Fix It" variety. We were also able to commission the John Deers engines fully, our Wills Rudley Steering, and most importantly, an untested Furuno autopilot. Our crew arived a week before departure, three seasoned sailors, one Ukranian Captain (Valeriy) one Russian (Vasilii) one Brit (Ban). Along with myself we will deliver to Palma for final works and whatever corrections are needed. Leaving Didim, we wound our way through the Greek Islands, heading for Athens and the Corinth Canal. The weather was fine, with a 20-025knot wind and rising swell on the starboard beam. In the lee of each Island and the mainland, we had the peace to play with systems, switch off stabilizers, run one or two engines, and generally get a true feel for Vanguard. After Athens, we passed through the Corinth Canal, 20 years since my last visit. Transit was not the cheapest activity we had witnessed recently at Euro660, but the sight was quite memorable. The inland sea between Corinth and the Ionian past Kafellinia was also pretty calm and easy sailing. 8-8.2KN, one engine, no stabilizers, 50% fluids or thereabouts. The Ionian passage from Kefallinia to Messina was a different experience altogether. A sharp 25KN north wind and considerable fetch had generated some short steep swells, 2-3.5M, often cresting. We shipped a lot of green water over the bow, but it did not slam. The forepeak hatch is sealed well, but the flush cabin hatch is not so despite our best efforts and will need to be replaced. 12 hours of this on our starboard bow and we turned south, abandoning thoughts of Messina and instead heading around southern Scility in more sheltered waters. Vanguard was comfortable in the swell on the beam or aft quarter but did tend to throw us around rather with steep seas of the forward quarter on the bow. She also tended to round up in the short swell when on the stern, a situation that did not repeat later the next day when we experienced much longer gentle swells, and she added 1-1.5KN surfing. We need to think about the steering control a little, perhaps. Rounding the eastern point of Sicily, we headed west again through the Malta Channel towards Di Ragusa. This channel gets quite busy, and inshore, there is a swarm of fishing boats often with AIS switched off. Our track at night followed these fishing boats in an attempt to avoid their nets. Not to be, early dawn, we heard a sharp bang from the starboard shaft. Presumably, the Brunton's rope cutters are doing their work. We finally tied up, we donned a mask and flippers to inspect the props, no signs of damage (sorry to whomever about your fishing line). At Di Ragusa, we took the opportunity to bunker some 5000l. I've been suffering from severe range anxiety stemming from tank gauges that need attention before they earn our trust. In Palma we will also probably fit a mechanical flowmeter for the day tank fill as a backstop. We also now know for certain the pumping limit in each tank and can reset the gauge zeros. By our estimation we have used 4700l of diesel in 7 months and dead on 1000 miles of operation. High if calculated by a simple division 4.7l/NM, but that also includes charging batteries when not on shore power, running HVAC (5kW), and sea trials including a reasonable distance at high load on 2 engines. Vanguard's sweet spot appears to be one engine with 90% load, giving 8/8.2kN in calm seas. For planning purposes, we will estimate 3.5l/NM and see how that shakes out once we have better figures to work on. 20% fuel on arrival was also tested; she rolled a little more easily, but that was as easily calmed by the very effective DMS stabilizers. So, after a shower ashore, washing dried on the rails, all sea salt washed off, pizza, and some super Sicilian wine to follow, we grabbed a good night's sleep before setting off for Sardinia, about 300 miles further West. Chris Leigh-Jones

We spent a long day today in 41-degree bright Mediterranean sunshine rearranging our solar arrays. Let me start here with a statement earned from direct experience: Any marketing guru who waxes lyrical about the advantages of Solar and self-sufficiency should retire ( that's the mild version ). Given modern living habits, you can only expect Solar to be a partial power provider. So, how did we become aware of this? Niaieve me installed a 6kW solar array; by most standards, that is huge. Reviewing the performance showed we generated 1.0kW for 6 hours a day or thereabouts. There was a lot of messing around later, and it's 1.4kW, but it still needs to be more. Vanguard can use 5kWh all day unless we look at more economical operating options. So, investigate the shading of the solar panels; it is the biggest target but also one of many. Two things happen. We realize that "unshaded" panels have been linked with commonly "shaded panels." This renders both useless. Secondly, two smaller arrays often do not attain the "firing" voltage for the MPPT controllers (25Voc). That also renders them useless; they may look impressive but need help to do something. We then spent several days mapping the movement of shadows across the panels. While it's not an exact science, given Vanguard's stationary position, it's a good starting point in a world of infinite possibilities. Our goal was to group panels that behave similarly. Those that shaded in the morning were linked, as were those that shaded at noon and in the afternoon when the sun was on the other side. We made sure to avoid connecting a 'good' panel with a 'suspect' one, so to speak. I'd refer to the plan below. It is color-coded, so the linked panels are similar in color. We must link two in series, as the Victron MPPT charge controllers have a starting voltage of 25Voc, and a single 160W panel has a Voc of 19.5 (too low to fire the MPPT). So, two are linked in series, and the series arrays are connected in parallel. Some smaller panels get a different treatment, but that's an unnecessary complication for this story. After all this, we woke up to another scorcher of a day in the eastern Mediterranean. Fully charged house batteries kill the solar charge current, so we turned off the shore power and started draining them with our air-cooling loads. You can see this as the blue line in the graph below. We checked the MPPT and confirmed all panel groups reached the firing voltage of >25 Voc. Shadows were still playing havoc as the sun rose in the sky and began its celestial circle. Vanguard is moored as effectively stationary. You can see that as the Voc collapses, the panels become shaded. Two groups are shown below. The Left is affected by shadow mid-day, and the right is mainly unshaded. At first, there did not appear to be much of a difference, but as the day wore on, it became apparent we had improved performance by around 20%. Not bad for shifting some wires. From the nearest equivalent day of 8.8kWh total to today's 10.45kWh (I added 250W for the late start in killing the shore power). There was no increase in panel efficiency; the maximum still hovered around 1.2/1.4kW, but we did see an increase in the duration of this production with a steeper rise and fall at the end of the day. Our next exercise is to try to lift the efficiency. My suspicion is we have something in there that is self-limiting. I'm still trying to figure out what, but don't confuse me with someone who knows much about solar. That work will have to wait until we get to Palma. Due to depart Turkey on Wednesday 25th. Regards to all. Chris

When we commissioned Vanguard, one request was that she be built and surveyed to UK MCA Category (0). So, what was driving this request, and how did it unfold in reality? The driver was simply concerned that: We are commissioning a build 7000 miles from "home" with limited oversight. Buying into a design at the time was unproven as the first model was still in the yard. Safety for our family, given the places we wanted to explore Born of a knowledge of how fundamentally easy it is to be certified to CE Category (A) no matter what the design failures! Now, I'll wager most of our readers are not particularly shy retiring types, but we all know that hollow feeling in our stomachs. Whereas we can't avoid fear, we can diminish it, and MCA Category (0) was one way we achieved this end by building to the standard of a well founded, seawoirthy, workboat. This set of standards originated in the UK. They are commercial standards from vessels not otherwise covered by Class. The under 24m, red-headed stepchildren of the big boat industry. Fishing boats, ferries, work boats, and anything with a commercial application that carries paid crew or passengers. It protects those third parties from danger by overseeing the design and outfitting to a good minimum standard. So when the owner of FPB-78, Iron Lady, wanted to operate paid adventure cruises in Antarctica and elsewhere, she became the one FPB to be certified to this standard. UK MCA Category (0), MGN 280 Vanguard is designed within the Marine Guidance Note UK MGN 280 guidelines. It underscores a comprehensive list, from stability to the use of plastic fittings in engine rooms, from communications to safety equipment to first aid kits. The build is then surveyed, including tests, sea trials, and certification. This rigorous process is then repeated annually, ensuring standards are maintained. RINA Small Workboat Guidelines So, what do we want to achieve? We wanted to build to a good standard, but as we will not use Vanguard for commercial purposes, we do not necessarily want to feel the costs of keeping to that standard where it need not apply. So "built to" or "easily brought to" is our goal. Let me give you an example. One item specified in some detail is the First Aid equipment. The appropriate kit rolls in at some GBP12.000 plus upkeep. Drugs, Defibrillators, Oxygen Generators, stretchers ..... We have a good first aid kit already on board, US Coast Guard approved. So, there is no point in changing that; we will accept not gaining certification with a caveat that we will be certified if we replace our kits with one meeting MGN 280. Another example would be SOLAS-approved life rafts requiring yearly inspection and weighing a ton (80kg!) instead of Wheel Marked 6-man life rafts of a lesser but still excellent standard, much lighter and with a longer inspection period. We are going for a pragmatic approach to achieving our safe, reliable, and stable build, but not trying to be perfect. So what's the reality of this? Our first survey was for stability. A UK MCA-appointed surveyor witnessed an inclining test. Those results are in for assessment, verbally, I'm told we are good to go. The second was a two-day preliminary survey conducted by the same UK MCA Surveyor. The checklist was detailed, though some items needed to be relevant (rigging, for example, sailboat stuff). That generated an exception list split into: must do, should do I want to think about! The result was a much shorter interim report with a detailed list of what needs fixing. In our example, there was nothing major but a long list of items to trip us up if they needed to be fixed. That independent oversight is so informative. The surveyor is not our enemy, but neither is he to be messed with. I quite like that world. So what was the result? We had some 57 non-compliance items reported (see survey exception report above). Of those, 52 were easily fixed within four weeks. Five remain and will be accepted as non-compliant. As a result, Vanguard will not gain the full MCA Category (0) certification. However, she was surveyed and built to this standard and has a very clear and identified number of non-compliant items. These none compliances are easily rectified for commercial operation. This places Vanguard in a select group of sub-24 M yachts that have achieved such a standard, aligning with our initial goal. We accomplished what we set out to do without incurring the additional expense and complications of full compliance. How might this train of thought affect a new build? Turkish builders are very good at some tasks but must improve at others. Believe me on this point. That does not mean going elsewhere, but it does mean that a prospective owner should take steps to mitigate the downside. MCA Cat (0) Using a class society that inspects during the build, such as RINA Drafting the Contract to link stage payments to inspection, QC and Project management with director-level signoff. The upshot is a good new build for less than the resale cost of a much older but very similar hull. One of the many commendable features of those FPB designs is that they maintain their value like no other. Follow this link: FPB 70 for sale. It is an excellent and proven hull with specifications almost identical to XPM-78. FPB 70 for sale in California Chris Leigh-Jones

As we embark on this sea trial, we do so with a vessel that is now seaworthy and backed by good MCA Cat (0) survey results. Despite the summer season's lack of marina space, we have decided to conduct a sea trial. At the same time, underway, a move we believe will prove beneficial as it avoids some more nasty weather heading to Antalya. Our first trip, a 33-hour run, will take us 260 NM from Antalya, west along the Turkish coast, to Didim (Bodrum). Steaming through the night, we will remain close to the coast, ensuring help is readily available if needed. A callout here for Akan Dumrul our owner rep. He really pulled out the stops to make this happen in a quick time line. What are the headlines so far 1730 RPM, 60% load available at this speed, two engines, 10.4kN Speed Through Water. OK, for starters. Estimated fuel consumption around 2l/NM (from JD performance curves, 2x15l/h*60%/10.4kN - see Note below) 2' slight sea state, quartering on the bow. Stabilizers housed, HVAC off, batteries full. Fluids in heavy "Departure" condition. 90% fuel, 70% water. Drives and transmission well within operating temp limits. The sea is warm @ 24deg.C, and the weather is hot 40deg.C Note—the Praxis Automation engine display the load vs. the maximum load available at that RPM. It does not show the percentage of maximum load per se. The reasoning is that with a hybrid, it's useful to know what capacity remains for charging the batteries or driving two props on one engine. (We took the power curve fuel consumption from JD performance data and applied 60% to get a first-order fuel consumption estimation.) Caveat - Instruments not yet trusted, SOG on GPS 9.4kN. Fuel consumption must be calculated over a longer period based on actual volumetric measurements. What do we need to complete? Engines still need final commissioning; we will restrict maximum revs to 1800 until that happens. Furuno Autopilot needs commissioning. It's OK for a short run, but we need that for longer trips. There is a troubling fresh water leak behind the aft cabin shower. We now know exactly where it is and plan to fix it. The worst that will happen is an occasional bilge alarm, so it's not a safety issue. A couple of watertight hatches still leak and will need attention. I need to get the cushions cleaned before Sebrina sees them (oops). We will stay a few weeks in Didim to finish the outstanding tasks, then have the final MCA Survey having (hopefully) addressed any previously identified issues (more on that in the next Blog). Chris Leigh-Jones P.S. One of the two FPB70s is for sale in Calfornia. The FPB70 and XPM 78 are similar in terms of size and potential performance. As the Brokerage has included some performance data, I'll also write about it in the next Blog. Lastly - I think we just saw our first storm, tied up tightly to the quayside of Setur Marina in Antalya. My son, Jeff, runs Polus Yacht deliveries, his hat went walkabouts!