Dashew`s latest yacht the incredible FPB97

Actually both have familiar characteristics, both have plum bows, both have little or no flare, both will have a wet ride. The Wally’s performance wouldn’t be that bad, good really (22deg deadrise), they even used Ferrari’s wind tunnel for aerodynamic tests. Looks like Dashew will catch plenty of wind in the superstructure and flying bridge... large flat surfaces.

Far

Sorry 84far, I am just not buying into the 'designer" sales pitch.

It seems to me as though this boat already has a designer and they have chosen a minimalist approach that many people (albeit not all) can appreciate, so just let it be. Not every floating object has to take on the appearance of a multi-layered wedding cake or have window angles so slanted they are totally useless.

Oh, then just add a designer (or a stylist) and your sales/market share increase??? Yeah, OK, and that's the ticket to unlimited boat building success for all of us. They already have a niche market and it is enjoyable for many to see them not only create and develop this market (much like Nordhaven and others have) but to watch the evolutionary process that is well underway. There are not too many 80'+ passagemakers that can easily be handled by a couple and leave a lesser carbon footprint than these vessels.

Good design is many things to many of us, but I have found that good design needs to match the mission of the vessel and "feel" right. It is impossible to get this feel untill you have been aboard the vessel. Tom Fexas once said that he could tell if a boat was designed well after washing it - feel it, touch it, watch how the water runs off the surfaces, notice where the "dead ends' are, even better wax the entire vessel and you will immediately understand that particular design. Design is more than lines on a paper, it is "tactile". Having been aboard an earlier Dashew, it appears to me as if they have the "feel' done right, interior and exterior.

They want their boats to look like working boats, they feel it adds safety. They were once mistaken for a Navy vessel by the Mexican Navy, would a Somali pirate take his chances with a ship like that?

Challenge accepted!

Sorry, I think you miss understood me, I’m not saying turn it into a Sea Ray, or Princess (keep in mind these brands and the alike would sold how many boats compared to Dashew). I’m saying the vessel could keep its hydrodynamics, but improvements could be made above the waterline to not only have a little more appeal for the eye, but improve the handling of the vessel as well - CB,VB, moments, etc.

Yachts (sailing yachts) have some pretty big flaws when it comes to sea keeping (where the Dashew hull came from), efficient though. Hey, every boat is a compromise.

And Paragraph two (the one with the tone), you know that statement is wrong, and usually designers, more so the interior’s, get paid the big bucks.

Anyways, I haven't read the full article, have they got a delivery date set yet...?

Far

I think we will just have to agree to disagree on this one. Keep in mind that small builders like Dashew who have carved out a unique niche in the industry are highly focused on their customer requirements. My point is that they have a product that appears to be well on the way to success, without the entourage of designers and sylists you advocate, and the boats are certainly evolving from their company's leadership point of view. Congrats to them for making a go at it in not only during these tough times, but over the previous years they have been in business.

I have no horse in this race, just a fan of a fresh and unique perspective that seems to hit the target.

Designers and stylists certainly have a well earned place in our industry, but while some customers may view a project and question how much more (or different) can be designed into the given envelope, in this case the focused approach feels right in my mind

Having not had the chance to venture out on this vessel, I can't begin to guess what if any needed improvements are required. As far as the hull form, I am sure that they have evolved the shape and centers of gravity based on the many miles traveled since the first design and this is certainly a common design practice in our industry as any other. Seakeeping is not well defined in our industry, usually requiring many miles underway to prove a design in practice. There is no such thing as a dry ride in 10' - 15' seas and 25+ knots of wind for any vessel.........

I love this latest (and longest) version of Dashew's FPB. I've no idea how much it costs to build (so far as I'm concerned Dashew and FPB are designers or a concept - all builds are sub-contracted out, most recently to NZ builders).

I love the general style of the superstructure, the espoused survivability at sea - (almost like having all the inherent abilities of an English channel RNLI rescue craft built-into the yacht) and the overall attention to details of interior design and accommodations etc. which only "experienced long-range cruisers" could appreciate.

Having said all that, I'd wish for a longer aft-deck so at to accommodate a pair of 9-10m RIBs. I imagine that Dashew (and builders) might accommodate such a request, as a longer waterline length etc. would only improve average cruising speeds and economy.

Dashew's FPBs are not destined at the same clientele who order their yachts through FEADSHIP or similar German or Italian shipyards. Believing that their own yacht is somehow a "one-off" masterpiece, when in reality, it is just a semi-custom yacht at best (engineering etc. being standardised) with just the exterior superstructure styling and the interior arrangements and decoration being really "customised".

Having said all that, we should be reminded that there are very important differences between prospective clients of Dashew and say FEADSHIP or similar German or Italian shipyards' products. I've yet to see any detailed general arrangements of the most recent Dasew FPB. Hopefully, it will incorporate suitable accomodations for a permanent crew of Captain /engineer + stewardess / deck-crew or similar, not destined for charter...?!

You want a yacht that you can operate worldwide / manage by yourself for private use - go Dashew. Or you can afford all the (discutable support) that buying / managing a yacht with similar capabilities from established suppliers and use for commercial charters, well, get used to employing a permanent crew of 5-7 and everything else that implicates before buying that 49.9m CRN Ancona from 1999 going cheap.

Have Two "Beauty Contests"


The correct expression is, "à chacun son goût" -- "to each his own (taste)" -- in this instance: "to each his own Purpose and Goals".

I'm totally-aligned with the Dashews' goal for their boats -- generated from their over-250,000 miles of ocean-passaging experience ....

SetSail Blog Archive Why FPB?

"Our goal was simple: we wanted to enjoy our life, with the freedom to go where we wanted when we wanted (within the bounds of good seamanship), without concern for systems issues that might restrict our travels. We should add that our tolerance for recurring maintenance problems was very low.

Priorities were then, and remain today, the following:
• Speed, because it is the single most-important factor in reducing weather risks, thereby improving passaging-comfort and, ultimately, safety. Plus, going fast is fun.
• Heavy-weather capability, so that we did not have the nagging tick of worry about what might happen if we were caught in something really bad.
• Structural safety-factors to deal not only with the sea, but also the occasional operator-error – read: grounding – and allow us to continue with our cruise without heading for the nearest boatyard.
• Efficient but simple systems that would let us operate far from outside-assistance, with the comfort that would keep all members of the crew content.

Thirty-four years and more than sixty ocean-going yachts later, those goals are still the same. This is why our systems, structures, and appearance, are so different from the norm. All our decisions, on everything from fiddle-rail height, handholds, and furniture placement, to dinghy storage and launching, are made on a basis of what works best for ocean-crossing in adverse conditions and using the yacht in distant locations.

This is why we have integral tanks forming a double-bottom, why our structures are so 'overbuilt', why there are so few below-the-waterline plumbing connections, and why we still build our own fridge systems and engineer for long periods at anchor without running the genset.

It is why we’ve had at least two watertight-bulkheads in every yacht we’ve ever done, and why keel-structures are engineered to four times the ABS rule, and rudder-shafts twice the rule. And it is why we fit twin autopilots as standard.

This is also the reason we would not consider heading offshore on a powerboat unless it had the stability to recover from a capsize."

and she will also feature the ability to right herself if capsized."

My comment: The only ocean-going cruisers i've found with that "self-righting"-capability are the Dashew FPBs.

SetSail Blog Archive Evaluating Stability and Capsize Risks For Yachts

"Next, we will investigate the FPB 64 stability curve. The curve which follows is from our preliminary studies.

(see the chart in this location at the web-page immediately-above)

There are several unique things about this stability curve:
• Righting-moment climbs in a straight line and peaks at 60 degrees.
• The righting-force then remains almost the same until 90 degrees. This means the boat has maximum recovery-force working at a point where normal yachts – power and sail – have long since lost most or all of their righting-moment.
• Although the FPB 64 specifications call for 130 degrees, this shows ultimate stability remains positive until 150 degrees.
• There is virtually no stability below the line, indicating little wave-energy is required to right the boat in a full-capsize."

(from Steve, in the Comments-section on that-page)

"The key point in the video, however, is the breaking crest that seemingly comes from 'nowhere'. For those folks who think they can ride out all situations heading into the waves, this should be a wake-up call. There are more of these sneaker-waves than one would think and you need to be able to deal with them, as well as those on the bow."


My opinion: Have two "beauty contests" -- one for the cruisers with the stability to recover from a capsize -- and one for the cruisers without.

Well, I for one like the Dashew designs. They are extremely functional and efficient. They do lack the usual bling of yachts but if I were planning on world crusing the FPB design would be my first choice. Hell if I had 2.5 mil, I would put in an order for the FPB 64. I have been following these designs since I saw Windhorse in PM and after spending 22 years in the Navy and 14 Atlantic crossings there is no other "boat" I would try it in.

Fpb97

Why does a cruising couple need 97 feet?

Nobody is an island unto themself; but on an extended cruise, space reduces the use of the one finger salute, instead of normal conversation.

I would turn that around, it's a 97ft boat that a cruising couple could sail on their own if they wished to do so.

I believe the essence of this thread pretty well understands the purpose built Dashew vessels. I have been a follower of the FPB design since inception. Currently we are looking at Nordhavns, so thought a trip to the FPB build site was in order.

A few weeks ago my wife and I visited the FPB build facility in Whangerai NZ. Several FPB 64s were under construction. I'd be hard pressed to imagine a more dedicated and capable group of managers and workmen. Build quality and attention to detail was top notch. As a metallurgical engineer, I can attest to the integrity of metal layup, rolling, cuts, welds and thought given to potential corrosion issues. The mechanical installations and utility runs are done assuming some servicing and maintenance will be required in the future, a novel thought for all too many builders.

An added bonus to the trip - in Auckland we were able to watch the work entailed with a pit stop for the Volvo Ocean series sailing race, purpose built boats also. It all kind of ties together, it depends on your wallet, interests and desired level of involvement.