Boat in build pics (Squadron 78)

[jfm]

I guess you gave some thought to the anchoring system. Were you given the option of a 2-anchor set up? Did you specifically choose the Delta and did you upgrade the anchor/chain size over standard?
General question. I guess Fairline have learnt a hell of a lot from working with you to design and build this boat. What do you think they've learnt and will they be able to transfer some of that knowledge to their standard production boats?

Thanks Mike. No, there was no option to have 2 anchors. In theory it could be done at the mould stage by putting another slot below the main anchor but i didn't want it badly enough to go to the trouble. In truth, in 10 years fo boating, I've never felt the need for a 2nd anchor though if one were ready-engineered and offered as an option (as it is on MYAG's sunseeker Y80) I'd tick the box. The main anchor is upgraded to 50kg (normal is 40kg, which I think is a bit light) and 12mm chain, all in s/s so I'd better not lose it. also I will be carrying a second anchor and chain as spare- a 25kg Delta. There is enough room in the locker for this

I dunno that fairline have learnt a load, really. I happen to have a list of things that i find very useful, like the internal stairs, so I was insistent the boat needed those. I have these requirements becuase I've used boats extensively for friends/family crusing and for client/guest entertaining, and I have been a guest on many nice yachts, so I have an idea what (I think) works. Whether Fairline's future customers think the same as me will be up to them, but at least i've added a few ideas that Fairline can offer to their future customers. But with all these mods the engineering and construction credits go to Fairline, not me. All I've said is things like "can you make that bulkhead behind the master cabin bed striaght not curved", and I've sent them drawings/sketches etc to communicate ideas, but I have a day job and they're the guys who have designed and built it, and when you get up close you'll see they have done a lovely job. The stabilsers are a joint effort I suppose: Fairline would like to try them and did all the engineering and installation, and my role is that I said I'm happy I'm happy to be a test boat; we're both waiting to see how they perform but we're quietly confident

There are two exceptions where i did all the design etc. First is the upstairs dash: it takes a pretty intense customer to ask for a whole dashboard re-work and get a mould tooling firm to make the thing: the mould tooling for that dash and other things I had to buy were north of £20grand, gweep. But i think it's needed as the original wasn't good enough imho and I care about this zone a lot being an owner/driver. And second is the aft deck furniture: imho no Sq78 has ever had appropriate aft deck furniture so I have designed new stuff and again commissioned GRP tooling etc. Wait till you see it at LIBS; it's being made as i type . But these exceptions are small items in the grand scheme and as i say Fairline have done a wonderful job in displaying a "can do" approach to the mods, and actually making the thing, and have suggested many good mods themselves. So it has all been a very nice collaborative project to work on

 

[jfm]

Jesus christ jfm!!! She is absolutely stunning inside!!

Thanks again for all the pics.

Al.

Thanks everybody for the kind words. I am really pleased with the (nearly) finished boat and with the fantastic job the whole Fairline team has done. I'll post a few more pics (and maybe some at sea) before it gets to LIBS, then maybe be able to show some of you the details at LIBS

 

[mjf]

jfm - I see there are no posh covers on the beds.

Did you spec this 'cos over the w/e i was chatting to a chap who has a Princess in build and he says he always removes these as once the beds are made up they are never used and collect dust and / or take up space. Princess then use the credit elsewhere.

I would have never have thought of that - certainly I never have used mine; although does look nice with bed and curtains matching etc.

 

[Hurricane]

Was going to post a comment on the stairs but others have said it all.
The end result looks much better than I thought it would be.
And as well all know essential for "owner drivers"
Just can’t understand why the market doesn’t demand them.

Definitely going to try and get to LIBS to see her and perhaps finally meet you.

Mike

 

[jfm]

jfm - I see there are no posh covers on the beds.

Did you spec this 'cos over the w/e i was chatting to a chap who has a Princess in build and he says he always removes these as once the beds are made up they are never used and collect dust and / or take up space. Princess then use the credit elsewhere.

I would have never have thought of that - certainly I never have used mine; although does look nice with bed and curtains matching etc.

Gimme time to dress the beds mjf!
Fairline have stopped supplying those useless covers because like you and me, no-one actually uses them. The Sq78 comes with bedlinens by Heirlooms, and they are normal bottom sheets and duvets so you can actually use them. Heirlooms are making me three sets in fabrics that they haven't used before and have sourced specially from Italy. The fabrics are on long lead times and jam-side-downly the nicest fabrics wont be ready till Feb, so the one set that will be made in time for the boat show is (imho) the dullest of the three sets, but it will still look ok. They're certainly the most expensive sheets I've ever bought in my life :-/

The whole of the insides will look better when it's "dressed": what you see in the ipics is meant to be the calm background of light/dark wood and brown fabrics/leathers, but it will be jazzed up with bright cushions fabrics and flowers by the time it gets to LIBS.

 

[jfm]

Was going to post a comment on the stairs but others have said it all.
The end result looks much better than I thought it would be.
And as well all know essential for "owner drivers"
Just can’t understand why the market doesn’t demand them.

Definitely going to try and get to LIBS to see her and perhaps finally meet you.

Mike

Thanks hurric. Yes, hope to meet you too. Wait till you actually walk up the stairs - they're fantastic, and feel much more secure than the photos suggest.

 

[petem]

Stunning JFM, may be the best boat ever to come out of the yard?

Only two minor criticisms, and these are very picky and may be erroneous....

1) The downstairs helm position still looks like you have to lean forward to touch the wheel. I guess this is OK as you're on autopilot most of the time?
2) The bath looks very compromised to me (looks like screens on each side of it). Do people really use bath's on boats or it a status thing (over x metres - must have bath)?

Pete

 

[jfm]

Stunning JFM, may be the best boat ever to come out of the yard?

Only two minor criticisms, and these are very picky and may be erroneous....

1) The downstairs helm position still looks like you have to lean forward to touch the wheel. I guess this is OK as you're on autopilot most of the time?
2) The bath looks very compromised to me (looks like screens on each side of it). Do people really use bath's on boats or it a status thing (over x metres - must have bath)?

Pete

Pete
Yup, it is generally thought by FL folks to be the best boat to have come out of their yard. No doubt someone will surpass that soon, but that's progress eh?

1. I don't agree. The wheel is hardly used and should be more distant than in a car. You'll find loads of boats made like this. Below is Leopard 23 which is an example I just happen to have uploaded in my album on your site. In fact, my seats can be slid forward (and the wheel moved up/down) if you do want to get more car-like than that pic

2. The bath is fine. Step in it at LIBS and you'll see what I mean. Loads of room each side, as it is not jammed into the "corridor" between the two bulkheads too tightly. It's intended to be used (and I don't think it adds any status as most people wouldn't even know it's there!)

 

[MYAG]

Looking fantastic JFM, from the first few interior pics, I have to say this is probably the best looking Fairline I have come across, they should have you on their design team. I am not a lover of internal stairs as I always thought they took up unnecessary room (I never charter) but from these pics your clever layout seems to work well.

Thanks Mike. No, there was no option to have 2 anchors. In theory it could be done at the mould stage by putting another slot below the main anchor but i didn't want it badly enough to go to the trouble. In truth, in 10 years fo boating, I've never felt the need for a 2nd anchor though if one were ready-engineered and offered as an option (as it is on MYAG's sunseeker Y80) I'd tick the box. The main anchor is upgraded to 50kg (normal is 40kg, which I think is a bit light) and 12mm chain, all in s/s so I'd better not lose it. also I will be carrying a second anchor and chain as spare- a 25kg Delta. There is enough room in the locker for this

Were you restricted somehow in the size of anchor? Even upping the anchor to 50kgs seems a bit light to me, I would have said 60-70kgs was more suited, how much chain do you have?

The stabilsers are a joint effort I suppose: Fairline would like to try them and did all the engineering and installation, and my role is that I said I'm happy I'm happy to be a test boat; we're both waiting to see how they perform but we're quietly confident

I am sure they will perform just fine, the spec is very good. I couldn't tell from the pic but are the actuator/ram assy's in watertight compartments under the bathroom cabinet? If not, is there room to accomodate this?

Look forward to having a nose on the finished article...........

 

[Seahope]

Thanks everybody for the kind words. I am really pleased with the (nearly) finished boat and with the fantastic job the whole Fairline team has done. I'll post a few more pics (and maybe some at sea) before it gets to LIBS, then maybe be able to show some of you the details at LIBS

Like many others can't wait to see her on the water.

All your pictures have been fabulous and it has been lovely to see the build in such detail. Usually at this time of year I'm looking forward to skiing, but this year I'm already looking forward to next season's boating, as I bet you are

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Thanks Mike. No, there was no option to have 2 anchors. In theory it could be done at the mould stage by putting another slot below the main anchor but i didn't want it badly enough to go to the trouble. In truth, in 10 years fo boating, I've never felt the need for a 2nd anchor though if one were ready-engineered and offered as an option (as it is on MYAG's sunseeker Y80) I'd tick the box. The main anchor is upgraded to 50kg (normal is 40kg, which I think is a bit light) and 12mm chain, all in s/s so I'd better not lose it. also I will be carrying a second anchor and chain as spare- a 25kg Delta. There is enough room in the locker for this

Agree with you on that. I have given this some thought myself and I really dont see the advantage of 2 anchors, especially when they are handled by the same windlass. Perhaps there may be some benefit from having 2 anchors in terms of reducing swing at anchor but I'm not sure. We once chartered a boat in the Carib with 2 anchors and were told by the charter co to use them but it was a right PITA to deal with 2 anchors especially when the wind turned the boat around which it often did at night. Personally, I prefer the idea of one big f*** off anchor with heavier chain and an oversized windlass

 

[mjf]

They're certainly the most expensive sheets I've ever bought in my life :-/

Cor I can just see the MB&Y Headline " Boatowner JFM announces the cost of a good sheeeet"

 

[MapisM]

here is the engine room door for MapisM

Wow, if that isn't a proper PR job of answering questions, I don't know what else is...!
Weird door indeed, though. Does the center handle on the crew area side close all the three handles on the e/r side? Because if not, it would be necessary to close the door from the e/r and get out from the escape hatch, I suppose - which is not very convenient.

Another question, is it normal that the s/s fender profile doesn't follow the hull up completely, to the bow and also astern? I know it wouldn't be of much use in those areas, but (possibly) nicer?

Oh, and re. the Italian fabrics, were they sourced by Fiorete by chance? If so, it doesn't get any better and you'll surely won't regret the cost.

Really stunning vessel anyhow, congrats!
I bet we'll see her in official FL brochures and videos in the near future?

 

[MapisM]

I couldn't tell from the pic but are the actuator/ram assy's in watertight compartments under the bathroom cabinet?

I bet they aren't. I see your point and agree that it would be a very nice feature, but making real watertight compartments is no trivial job.
By heart, I can only remember one pleasure boat which survived a water ingress from a stab shaft, and it's a steel trawler built like a battleship (double hull, ice rated, self-righting, etc.).
Otoh, even a Nordhavn sank for the same reason, for instance.
That said, with a proper watertight compartments arrangement throughout he hull, it's possible to keep the boat floating - provided of course that doors are kept closed while cruising.
I'd be curious to hear from jfm if that was considered in the boat design, but probably not. That would require a fully watertight bulkhead/door also between the master cabin and the forward section of the boat.

 

[MapisM]

Agree with you on that. I have given this some thought myself and I really dont see the advantage of 2 anchors, especially when they are handled by the same windlass.

I also used to agree with that, till I experienced the following.
Mooring in one of those Croatian bays where you must bring stern lines ashore, and planning to stay there for a few days.
I decided to give the two anchors setup a try, more for curiosity than anything else (never used both at the same time before).
Deployed them at a distance of 20m or so between them, with 40m chain each. Stern lines ashore as usual.
Boat steady as a rock, but so were all others around, with little to no wind.
The following morning we had a sudden bora blowing, not too bad - 25kts or so - but with occasional 40+ kts gusts.
Within less than one hour, all other boats had to leave the bay, because they were swinging very badly. An AZ 46 moored near us went away in such a hurry that they left the stern lines.
Our boat was also swinging a bit, maybe 1 or 2m, but was still secure enough to afford those conditions for the whole morning, and in the afternoon when the wind calmed down we could enjoy a swim in a sort of private bay, all alone.
On top of that, redundancy has also a value.
Btw, I don't get your point re.one windlass handling both anchor. That's the setup I've got, and it can handle pretty much anything with the only exception of releasing the chain on one anchor and recover it on the other one at the same time, which I can't imagine when could make sense.
Though a double windlass makes the whole ground tackle even more redundant, of course.

On a side note, I see MYAG point re.the anchor size on jfm boat. My 2x50kg anchors are probably over the top for the boat size, but I'd definitely want something a tad bigger on a 78' with a single hook.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I also used to agree with that, till I experienced the following.
Mooring in one of those Croatian bays where you must bring stern lines ashore, and planning to stay there for a few days.
I decided to give the two anchors setup a try, more for curiosity than anything else (never used both at the same time before).
Deployed them at a distance of 20m or so between them, with 40m chain each. Stern lines ashore as usual.
Boat steady as a rock, but so were all others around, with little to no wind.
The following morning we had a sudden bora blowing, not too bad - 25kts or so - but with occasional 40+ kts gusts.
Within less than one hour, all other boats had to leave the bay, because they were swinging very badly. An AZ 46 moored near us went away in such a hurry that they left the stern lines.
Our boat was also swinging a bit, maybe 1 or 2m, but was still secure enough to afford those conditions for the whole morning, and in the afternoon when the wind calmed down we could enjoy a swim in a sort of private bay, all alone.
On top of that, redundancy has also a value.
Btw, I don't get your point re.one windlass handling both anchor. That's the setup I've got, and it can handle pretty much anything with the only exception of releasing the chain on one anchor and recover it on the other one at the same time, which I can't imagine when could make sense.
Though a double windlass makes the whole ground tackle even more redundant, of course.

On a side note, I see MYAG point re.the anchor size on jfm boat. My 2x50kg anchors are probably over the top for the boat size, but I'd definitely want something a tad bigger on a 78' with a single hook.

Yes I can see that in a typical Croatian stern-to mooring, 2 anchors would be an advantage but I would have thought that 2 widely spread stern lines would also reduce swinging as well. My point ref the 2 anchors being handled by the one winch was that if the winch breaks down, or it gets fouled, both anchors are useless so I think the ultimate set up would be 2 anchors with 2 separate winches
Yup, I wasn't going to say it because jfm has clearly thought about it but I think too that a 50kg anchor is a bit light for a 78 footer that is going to be used for extensive cruising although the Lewmar catalogue says a 50kg should be suitable for a 70-80ft boat. Shame on Fairline for speccing a 40kg Delta as standard because the catalogue says thats suitable for a 60-70ft boat but Fairline are not the only builder who skimps on anchor sizes

 

[coliholic]

Well sorry jfm but I'm going to disagree with everyone here. Seeing these final build pics has turned me right off and I reckon it's an awful boat.

Therefore I suggest you flog it off cheap and have a good look round at LIBS and order something new for 2011 and of course post a whole new "boat in build" thread"

Tee hee.

Actually like everyone else I'm stunned at the spec, design, engineering and build and congrats to you and the Fairline team.

And the only thing I think is missing is a nice pot of tea over that white carpet.

 

[MYAG]

I bet they aren't. I see your point and agree that it would be a very nice feature, but making real watertight compartments is no trivial job.............

It does not need an elaborate watertight bulkhead/door to achieve this. They do need to be put in during the first stages of build really though. If Fairline have not done so on the first boat (which is understandable) they should definately consider going forward. One of the probs with stabs is that they are quite vulnerable to damage from debris etc. It doesnt take much of an impact to send the shaft back through the hull at +25kts and you might not even realise until too late, unlike a p bracket/rudder where you would pretty much know instantly.

Watertight compartment shown.

 

[MYAG]

....... My point ref the 2 anchors being handled by the one winch was that if the winch breaks down, or it gets fouled, both anchors are useless so I think the ultimate set up would be 2 anchors with 2 separate winches

Yup, I wasn't going to say it because jfm has clearly thought about it but I think too that a 50kg anchor is a bit light for a 78 footer that is going to be used for extensive cruising although the Lewmar catalogue says a 50kg should be suitable for a 70-80ft boat. Shame on Fairline for speccing a 40kg Delta as standard because the catalogue says thats suitable for a 60-70ft boat but Fairline are not the only builder who skimps on anchor sizes

Totally agree with this, you can never have a big enough pick imho and two is always better than one. I know this is quite a simplistic view but on boats like JFM's with much more than average weight and windage for its length, the selection tables go out of the window. I have an 80kg/160m as the main anchor for a similar length boat.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Totally agree with this, you can never have a big enough pick imho and two is always better than one. I know this is quite a simplistic view but on boats like JFM's with much more than average weight and windage for its length, the selection tables go out of the window. I have an 80kg/160m as the main anchor for a similar length boat.

Nice set up. Are both anchors 80kg?