With a bit of offshore experience under your belt, and the right yacht, preparing for and executing ocean crossings becomes routine. You will get to the point where you will decide to go on Monday, spend the next couple days provisioning, and be gone by Thursday. But the first time you head for the horizon, there’s going to be some trepidation. It happens with everyone.

The video that follows was shot aboard the FPB 64 Iron Lady by Pete Rossin during unforecast gale conditions on the way from New Zealand to Tonga. When you watch the video and listen to Pete’s comments, keep in mind that this is Pete and Deb’s first ocean crossing.

Note: for those of you with slower web connections, you can view smaller-res versions of the video on our smugmug page.

We are pleased to report that on this rainy morning in the Southern Hemisphere, Circa have given birth to a Tiger. Given the auspicious beginning, rain and on-schedule launching being good luck, we await with keen interest the reports to come from this newest of FPB 64s.

Her owners, being vastly experienced in the driving of heavy metal, shall quickly begin to put miles under her keel in the best FPB tradition.

We have an amazing array of rendering tools with which to simulate the real world. This weekend the task at hand (other than keeping an eye on the flora and fauna) is experimenting with night lighting, and it can get confusing at times.

One can place individual lights, aim them, change their color temperature and wattage, and then assign these to individual layers to be turned on and off, or adjusted during rendering.

There are separate controls for sun, its altitude and azimuth, the sky, clouds, and whether these external sources are used to light the interior through windows and if so by how much.

When the render  is completed you can play with it in Lightroom or Photoshop.

Of course this takes some processing power. Our rendering computer has 32 cores, 32 gb of RAM, and it takes between four and eight hours for it to complete one of these images.

The interior shots are more complex in that to the preceding you have to add lens focal length, and precise camera and target positioning.

This is a wonderful tool for us and our clients. But caution is advised in its application. As with drag and VPP programs, one needs to tailor the final decisions to the real world. The computer can help t o illustrate alternatives, but the human still has to evaluate the data, and in the case of aesthetic decisions, make the jump from what something reads like in a small image to how it will look and feel full size.

We are often asked why we picked Southern Arizona as a base of operations when landbound. There are many reasons, and right now Mother Nature is showing one of them, just how alluring spring can be in the Sonoran desert. Surprisingly, there are a number of other circumavigators in the area (perhaps there should be a Southwestern USA circumnavigator association). All of the photos that follow were either taken on our property, or very close thereto.

To begin with, you cannot help but love the winged visitors. In the morning and evening, when they sing for joy or perhaps their mate, the air is alive with music.

Every few days a new species of cactus, here a saguaro, issue forth their particular color of flowers.

If you have water available, a stream of thankful visitors will be your reward. They are wary, and you must guard your movement lest their drink be disturbed, but a stealthy rise of the camera will result in a gift to take back to the boat.

We are in our fourth year of enjoying the love-making of this pair of sparrow hawks. The male often brings tasty morsels to his fair damsel. After which a bit of X-rated behavior may take place. Their nest is in a nearby sagauro cactus, and one day, if we are late enough getting back to Wind Horse, perhaps even this year, we shall see the result of their endeavors.

News flash. Caught this parent on the way to the nest with a morsel.

Perhaps the time has arrived and hungry progeny require sustenance?

Although a loving couple, Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow Hawk do not take kindly to interlopers. They will attack and drive off much larger raptors. Poachers–this hawk has a small bird in its port talon–are not tolerated.

Red-tailed hawks only fly over at altitude, lest they attract the ire of the much smaller sparrow hawks.

One exception to the territorial imperative is this resident raven. An enormous creature–its wing span must be close to six feet/1.8meters–it is an evil-tempered vociferous citizen who fights on high with overflying red tails, and vultures. An uneasy peace exists between it and the sparrow hawks.

This year has actually been somewhat of a disappointment in terms of wildflowers. Excellent rainfall during late autumn had us hopeful (typical being a couple of inches/25-50mm). But a dry winter–just an inch/25mm (about a third of normal)- has reduced the spring bloom.

A bit of local lore. Stay well clear of gila monsters. They can move very quickly if provoked, or think you a potential meal, and once they bite they do not let go. Unless you flip them onto their back on the ground, in which case, so we are advised, they shall relinquish their grasp. We have yet to verify this dictum. And lest you be thinking of moving to this harsh land, keep in mind that this fellow’s poisonous chomp is a love tap compared to the many rattlesnakes and scorpions just waiting for an errant human to pass by (a neighbor was bitten by a rattler last spring). And then there are the swarms of killer bees.

We have recently acquired a remarkable new camera body, the Canon 5D Mark lll. It has the ability to remain locked onto fast and erratically moving targets unlike any camera previously available.

The 5d3 processor is capable of producing images in almost total darkness, and works with a wide range of light. The image above is not a composite, and there are no external light sources, other than a small chunk of moon and the stars. We cannot wait to get this piece of gear onto Wind Horse. 

Speaking of which, with the FPB 97 preliminary design phase almost completed, we will be heading back to our test bed in the near future. We had given thought to returning to Greenland, but with the Wicked project starting up in New Zealand this plan has to be put on hold. So it will be localized testing this season, which, after all, is not that bad a fate.

As lovely as the wildflowers may be, they cannot begin to compete with the cactus blooms.

Of which this, observed last week, at 0400, has to be the most wondrous. Those flowers bloom for a few hours, the bats come by to pollinate, and then they are gone. Which goes to show what you are missing when you sleep in.

Speaking of procreation and pollination, the bees be a buzzing. Busy with the cactus blooms. This is one of our agave cacti.

And a favorite citizen, the resident roadrunner. He has just had a drink, one for the road so to speak, and is off to find a nice snake or lizard for lunch (now that would be a photo).

Most of the activity at our watering hole (that we witness) takes place just before dawn and at dusk. Nocturnal visitors we have aplenty, but at present we do not have a good photographic record thereof (we need to get a motion sensing trigger).

We’ll close with this shot from a week ago, taken on a nearby hill. The biggest moon of the year was a bust locally. There was an inversion layer sitting over us and the atmosphere is not clear enough for good detail. Still, given the prominence hereabouts to the study of celestial orbs (the University of Arizona being not just the home of the Wildcats of basketball fame, but also one of the top planetary exploration labs and telescope makers), we thought a moonshot was an appropriate ending.

What does the moon look like when it’s clear in our little valley?

This is taken at ground level, looking east from our neighborhood. The detail from ground level gives a hint of the normal atmospheric clarity. Which may explain the many telescopes on the four nearby mountain ranges.

And now a challenge. Can anyone identify the creature caught here? We have some ideas, but nothing firm, yet.

In case you are wordering about the progeny, we’ll  leave you with this from  late this afternoon. More details as they become available.

For a hi-def slide show with many more images click here. These will play full screen by pressing the  letter F (for return to normal size with the escape key),  or you can use the full screen symbol bottom right corner..

As designers and builders, we think of our yachts as progeny and our clients as family. As such, we take great pleasure in the exploits of the former and the growth of the latter into accomplished voyagers. It is one of the main ingredients that keeps us coming back for more. Pete and Deb Rossin’s recently completed circumnavigation of New Zealand, including Stewart Island deep in the roaring forties, is a wonderful example of this.

A large part of Pete and Deb’s trip was in waters considered to be among the most hostile in the world. During the early part of their cruise they encountered an un-forecast force nine gale, 40 plus knots of wind gusting well into the 50s, with opposing current steepening the seas–at night of course.

Many cruisers would have opted for a milder environment after an experience like that. But Pete and Deb chose to continue.

As they were relative neophytes to the pleasures of high latitude cruising, we asked Pete what gave them the resolve to continue on. Pete’s comments and photos follow.

I have been thinking a bit about your query as to what inspires confidence while cruising. It starts with the desire to go (and a spouse that wants to go too). So many guys I know buy a boat, the wife hates it, it sits at the dock and then goes up for sale.

While not trying to get into a circular argument, once you (both) have made the decision to go, it then reduces to how much confidence you have in the equipment upon which your ass depends.  Mother nature is unpredictable and even the most cautious seaman is going to get caught in some bad stuff. If you have fundamental confidence in the boat and its capabilities, you will be inclined to go places. If you don’t, you won’t, and then will stay tied to the dock. In the latter case, my wife very quickly detects when I am uneasy about things. If I am uneasy, she is downright scared. Go back to the first sentence about selling the boat.

Confidence in the boat is a start but not an end. More then most things in life, transiting oceans is a lifelong learning experience. Even in the best of boats, you need to be a crew member, mechanic, repairman, the electric company, the water authority, the sewer authority, the HVAC man, the plumber, the weatherman, the navigator, the computer expert, pilot, the chef, and yes – even the maid. Most of that comes over time and with study – lots of it if you are a prudent mariner. The best boats have good operations manuals, system documentation, spare parts and good access to everything. None of that helps unless you are prepared to read, learn and do.

Even if you are diligent, there will be bad experiences. Ours was on a reef in Fiji – our confidence was dented but the boat, being as tough as she is, was not. It takes time to recover from those kind of mistakes. It is far easier when you come away knowing just how good a boat you have. Go back to the part about learning experiences.

Finally, it is a matter of time and familiarity. That cracking noise that happens every morning at 3 a.m., the sound of the Kabola when it fires, the inverters, the water pumps, engine, hydraulics, and toilets and all the other system noises, the alarms and their tone – which device was it? – the sound of the wind in the rigging and the wind strength based on that, the smell of the engine room, and all the other sights, sounds, smells, pressures and temperatures that are part of the heart and soul of the boat. They tell you when things are right and warn when things are wrong. Familiarity, which simply takes time, makes all of this important and makes life aboard less stressful as you become one with the boat.

As time and confidence increase, the desire to travel further and see more of what this wonderful planet has to offer also increases. In the end, it is not about a particular destination, it is about the desire to go and see and have the confidence that you (and your loved ones) are safe in the going.

The FPB64 is that boat.

Post Script: As this is being written Iron Lady is back at Circa Marine in Whangerie awaiting her get home engine system to be fitted, and the Rossin’s are home on the East Coast of the US. After two weeks of land life both Pete and Deb are ready a new dose of cruising.

You can follow the Pete and Deb’s adventures on their website by clicking here.

For more info on the FPBs, contact Todd Rickard, ToddR@setsail.com.

It has been a very long day, with a previously short evening, and after three multi-hour Skype calls to different parts of the world, your correspondent is in need of a pick-me-up. There’s the cold Izze soda awaiting in the corporate lounge, and probably some cheese and crackers. But after a day like this what energizes the soul even more is a bit of Wicked sex.

We have been privileged to cross oceans with some of the most alluring of vixens. Sensuous, powerful rides that set your blood pounding at the hint of what awaited in a few moments  as the curl of a wave approached, then charged to the bottom only to pull up at the last instant, so as to be ready to power up and go again.

But none of those shapely lasses had this type of figure.

None of them held the promise of the secret pleasures hidden in these sinuous lines. Imagine: halfway from Bay of Islands, New Zealand, to Fiji, the wind has gone southeast blowing 20 to 25, gusting 30. Seas are 8 to 15 feet (2.4 to 4.5 meters). With the engines ticking over at 1800 RPM, they are barely heard, speed is 12 knots steady until the stern starts to lift, and then the rush begins. Think about what it will feel like as this Wicked FPB accelerates to 15, 17, even 19 knots on the moderate waves. At some point, you are never sure when, the perfect wave, the one that has the correct shape and angle, catches her just right, and you hurtle down the face, the GPS quickly climbing into the low 20s. All the while the autopilot hardly blinks, the drinks, cheese, and crackers remain aloof. Now that, is a thrill.

Fantasy you say. We invite you to watch video of the Wicked’s antecedents with a bit of sea and some breeze behind, and then scale what you see up a little.

Time to go back to work.

We’ve been hard at work fine-tuning FPB 97-1 for her very experienced owner. His goal is a highly efficient cruising platform, one which is easy to maintain, and has the highest degree of reliability. There is an instinctive understanding of the difference between the theoretical ideal and the everyday practical. The results so far, of this collaborative effort towards the perfect family cruising yacht, may surprise some observers.

To begin with, this is a yacht that will primarily cruise without professional crew aboard. This makes most operations single-handed in nature. In this regard, the FPB 97 is not that different from the FPB 64 or the FPB 83. Once away from a crowded harbor, offshore, at anchor in a lovely lagoon or off a spectacular glacier, the work load is similar.

With one exception. That is the surface area to be cleaned. There is simply more of it. Some items, like the windows, are actually going to be more easily maintained. The engine room will take a little, but not significantly more, time. Items like the cabin soles, on the other hand, are directly proportional to area, and here the FPB 97 will take more effort. Which leads us to the photo above. You will no doubt have noticed the sole in the great room. FPB 97-1 will not have timber soles. Rather, she will be fitted with a handsome, light-colored floor covering that provides sound attenuation and non-skid, with a fraction of the maintenance otherwise required.

The Matrix Deck is another example of the less-is-more philosophy. Present plans have the aft area open without built-in furniture, but with provision for bolting down furniture or exercise equipment in the future, when more is known as to the best use for this area. Our bet is that it remains open with lightweight furniture brought up from the forepeak when required. The bare teak furniture will look good, and eliminates painted or varnished surfaces.

Here is an interesting detail, one that will become standard: a gate in the observation platform to use when getting off and on when berthed at high commercial docks, or when rafted with bigger vessels. There will be a lightweight plank to accompany the gate.

Sound farfetched?

We can think of a number of times over the years where this would have been very handy,

including Quortatoq in Southern Greenland.

We are now on the seventh iteration of the swim/boarding platform. Getting this area just right is critical to cruising enjoyment. You need easy access in and out of dinghies, while swimming, retrieving someone who has inadvertently gone into the water, using paddleboards, kayaks, kite surfing, etc.

The platform needs to be low enough for ease of use, but not so low your feet get wet in a choppy anchorage.

The topsides have been extended to provide security for stored gear and t0 reduce wetting in rough anchorages.

The edge will provide a convenient hand hold when coming alongside with the dinghy.

Likewise, the swim ladder has been through many versions, of which this may (or may not) be the final. It has good ergonomics, is easily launched, and is robust enough to take a lot  of abuse.

We are still working on the “porch” area under the Matrix Deck.

There is a locker under the stairs to starboard with a sink, and the table has a folding leaf, with a high/low slide mechanism. This has to serve many purposes, including dining al fresco, being used in the low position when lounging, and as a sorting point when loading groceries onboard. The back of the settee has drawers and shelves, there is bulk storage in the seats, and there is a day head to port.

We’ll close with this height-of-eye test rendering. If you are 1.95m/6’4″ tall, you are going to be concerned with the view under the headliner. In this image the camera is set 1780mm/70″ off the sole, the height of eye for someone this tall. The anchorage is Wakaya Island, in Fiji. It will be lovely when we can dispense with the simulations and show you the real thing.

For more information, contact Tood Rickard, ToddR@setsail.com.

Time being in exceedingly short supply at present, we are going to post a batch of photos of FPB 64-5 through 7, without the usual commentary. The assumption is that you'd rather see the photos than wait for the schedule to free up. We'll start with FPB 64-5, the launch date of which draws ever so close.

This last photo for FPB 64-5 is a customized version of Circa's dink that will be carried aboard.

Now we are  into FPB 64-6.

And finally, FPB 64-7.

 This last image (below) is significant in a different context.

Circa is extending the building shed, in preparation for the start of metal fabrication on FPB 97-1. Now that will be an interesting set of photos.

We’ve had the dubious honor of being asked to leave our shared internet server. Turns out we were “hogging” something like 95% of the bandwidth. As a result, we now have a dedicated server and a series of other “tweaks”, which Google Analytics tells us has cut the download times in half for SetSail visitors. So, we thought we’d try a test and increase the size of the art in a post and get your feedback.

(We’ve now heard from visitors around the world in a very positive context. If you are having problems, or the speed is too slow, please drops us a line as we’d like to know the bad with the good. Also, we’d be grateful for feedback from Ipad and other compact devise users.)

For this test we’ve selected a few of the FPB 97 renderings. These images are all 1000 pixels wide, which by internet standards is considered over-sized.

We would not use these huge images on all  posts, just those that we thought really required the extra size to convey the message.

So, what do you think? Worth the wait?

We’ll add a couple of “normal” (for us) sized images for comparison purposes.