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Thank you for sharing in our journey of building and sailing a Fusion Catamaran! We are so excited to be able to chronicle our adventure for family, boat and land friends, and supporters, from the initial decision to our cruising life "down island". Please post your comments, questions, and cautionary tales-we love to hear from you!







Saturday, November 9, 2013

Sails & Power


In all the years we’ve gone to boat shows, dreaming, shopping, learning, negotiating, we’ve never been to the Annapolis Boat Show.  It always falls on that Columbus Day weekend timeframe, the same weekend of my husband’s birthday, my son’s anniversary, and somehow there are always ten different places to be or one hundred things to do. Even though it’s a smaller show than either Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, it's kind of a quintessential sailboat show we’ve always wanted to attend, and this year we finally had the opportunity. 
 
In Baltimore to attend a two-day Long Distance Cruising seminar given by Jimmy Cornell, we found ourselves with an empty day before it began.  So, despite the rain, and windy weather, we went to walk the tents and piers in Annapolis.  But an odd thing happened: we found we actually had very little to look at, since one way or another, most of our major decisions have already been made. So instead we said hello to all the vendors with whom we have orders pending, and went to poke through all the boats, reassuring ourselves our boat would look better than any of them! 
 
In this blog post, we want to share some of the decisions we’ve made in two important areas: power and sail management, and our reasons why.  The takeaway for the reader, however, should not be that these are the only decisions, or even the right decisions for any sailor and vessel besides us and ours; the decision process of weighing pros and cons, of listening and researching, of how we arrived at our choices is what is most important.

Power and power management - Our assumption going into our boat build has been that we did not want to “camp aboard”, we want a comfortable live aboard boat, within restrictions inherent to a boat, of course.  This philosophy requires quite a bit of power to support, coming from batteries, generator, and solar panels.  Figuring out the mix and magnitude of these components was a job we took to the professionals.  Menno Ligterink and Rick Kerman of Mastervolt agreed to consult with us on the overall design, keeping in mind our desires balanced with as small an ecological footprint as possible.  First, we put together a grid of all the components of the boat that required power, and then paired that with models of our daily usage patterns.  This allowed us to determine the type of power generation systems which would best suit our needs. 
 
After looking at all available technologies, we decided that the “green”, “cutting edge” diesel generator + electric engine system that we’d tried to design, scaled to a 40-foot boat, was not realistic and not able to be finely tuned enough to be viable. This took us over a year of research and discussion to determine and finally discard, but reality is what it is.  So, we will have a “traditional” AC generator + a two-engine arrangement (Kohler generator + Yanmar diesel engines), but we did decide to use lithium ion battery technology in our power management design rather than traditional AGM (lead acid) batteries; a controversial move on our part.
 

 
 
Battery Decision points:

·        There are significant weight savings with lithium batteries (1000 lbs. lead acid vs. 250 lbs. lithium), which is very important to maintaining the light and lean aspect of XYZZY as a performance sail cat.

·        Another main advantage of lithium batteries are their ability to accept a heavier charge; the charging cycle is much faster and more forgiving than those of AGM (lead acid). Lithium batteries can accept a lot of amperage all at once, allowing a shorter recharge time, whereas AGM batteries accept a bulk charge to only about 80-90% of their capacity, and then have to be trickle charged over a long period to top off the balance.  That requires additional generator time (think additional fuel), especially if supplemental solar power isn't available at the time you need it (i.e. it’s cloudy, nighttime, etc.).  Most sailing cruisers don't run their engines and generator for long periods during the typical day, and so risk degrading/shortening the life of their AGM batteries by never charging them to full capacity.

·        On the other side of the charging spectrum, lead acid batteries should only be run down to about 40% of their total amperage, whereas lithium can be run down to 20% without causing battery degradation.  Granted, the recharging technology is more complicated for lithium, but that tends to be built in to the battery management monitor, and is actually easier than AGM for the "end user" to manage.  

·        Costs for lithium technology are still relatively high, as the technology is still very new, but lithium batteries (theoretically) last three times longer, so even though they're expensive, the cost of amp hours over time is actually less than traditional technology. 

·        Lastly, many people raise legitimate safety concerns about lithium technology, referring back to some of the recent disasters with the technology at Boeing.  Of course, this made us pause in our tracks and research! It turns out that there are several different chemistries that can be used to produce energy, and what the Boeing folks used was based on cobalt, which is very volatile and unstable.  The manufacturer we've chosen (Mastervolt) is using the least volatile and safest chemistry available at this time.  Also, remember that the basic idea of any battery is energy being stored and contained; they can all explode under certain conditions or if poorly maintained, regardless of whether they're lithium or lead acid.  So, given the mix of plusses and minuses, we have decided that our battery bank will be comprised of lithium ion batteries.
 
Air Conditioning:

Yes, we will have air conditioning!  I know this may seem heretical to many sailing purists, but I sweat buckets at the slightest provocation already, and have to be able to enjoy our times in tropical climes!  We designed the AC for the boat to be three zones, and three corresponding AC units, so we will at least have some granular control over the usage, and won’t be cooling unused areas while they’re not in use.  A small 9K BTU unit will address the master cabin, a 16K BTU unit is for the starboard hull (guest cabins), and an 18K BTU unit is for the master head and main salon area.  After doing extensive review, and visiting their manufacturing facility in person, we will be using AC systems by Flagship Marine.
Solar Panels:

Part of the total electrical input design embraces solar power as well as battery power. 
We will have a total of 1KW of solar power, which will be laid out along the top of the cabin and coach roof.  

Most traditional solar panel choices tend to be fairly heavy (40-60 lbs. per panel) which would have added 250-300 lbs. to the boat. After checking out all the options, we purchased Solbian panels, which are fairly new technology, can be walked on (gently), and best of all, only weigh about 3.5 lbs. each. Our total installation of 12 panels will add only 40 lbs.!

 


Sails and Sail Management - Our sails and rigging are being provided by Mack Sails, while much of the deck hardware will be the “Black Magic” line, purchased through Harken.  Colin Mack, Travis Blain, and Neil Harvey have all personally visited our Sarasota build several times already to work together with the builder to determine the layout and dimensions needed.  We really feel very lucky to be building XYZZY in South Florida, within easy reach of so many quality experts, and as much as we have depended on the Internet for our research, there have been quite a few times when we felt it was important to be able to pay a visit to the vendor’s facility, and see the process.  We chose Mack Sails for a number of reasons, but our key decision points were that they were responsive to our needs and questions, they had experience with the in-boom furling (see below), and they could provide the entire package: mast, boom, sails, and all rigging.  We spoke to many companies who did only one part or another out of all four, but because the sails and rigging are such an integral part of a boat’s performance, we decided we wanted the entire package from a single responsible vendor who can tweak the performance as a single system.

 


 Main Sail Storage:

There are really three ways to deal with mainsail storage and reefing on a cruising boat.  By far and away the most popular method is to use a “stack pack”, sort of a cloth cradle that attaches to the boom into which the main sail folds, and then which zippers closed.  We’ve seen this design on every cruising charter we’ve been on.  However, off shore cruising means that it is important the mainsail be able to be reefed as needed to deal with high winds, with at least three reefing points.  Each reef point has various lines associated with it, which invariably get caught while trying to raise and lower the sail as needed.  In addition battens (the stiff, horizontal inserts that give the main sail its shape) tend to get stuck in the lazy jack lines that support the stack pack, which means more intervention required to adjust the main sail. On most charters, it takes two people to raise/lower/adjust the main sail: one to work the winch and the other to go on the cabin roof to babysit or untangle all the battens and lines.  This would not be a workable longterm arrangement, and we feel strongly that sail adjustments should be able to be made by one person, from the safety of the cockpit.

The next most popular solution for mainsail management is in-mast furling, which means that the mainsail rolls up inside the mast (on the vertical) as it is let out and taken in.  Since the sail actually rolls up inside of the mast, there is no need for stack packs or lazy jack lines, and the sail can easily be managed from the cockpit, by just one person.  But there are definite disadvantages to this solution as well. Because of the furling mechanism, the sail shape tends to not be optimal, which contributes to poor performance.  But more importantly, it can be a safety hazard; it works well when it works, but if the furling mechanism fails, you may easily be stuck with too much sail up, or having to manually take down the sail altogether. Also, the sail that will work with in-mast furling is very expensive.

The last method, which we've chosen, is in-boom furling.  This method really only requires one halyard and one furling line to operate, it has the possibility of infinite reefing points, and the sail can easily be manually dropped completely if the mechanism fails.  These systems have not been popular in the past, but recent improvements have made them much more reliable.  We are installing a Schaefer boom with in-boom furling.



Mast Selection:

 Our mast will be a Selden aluminum mast, approximate. 52' high, putting us about 60-62 feet off the water, to allow passage along the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). There are many bridges along the ICW, and some are as low as 65 feet from the water, and travelling the ICW is a definite on our cruising list.  We thought briefly about a carbon fiber mast, because they weigh quite a bit less, but given our bad experience with carbon fiber (see "What We Did on Our Summer Vacation" in September 2012) as well as the cruiser belief that carbon fiber masts are the first ones to be hit by lightning in an anchorage, we decided to stay with aluminum!

Headsails:

The original design of the Fusion called for a self-tacking jib which travels along a track at the front of the boat, in front of the mast, but the builder's experience to date has been that the sail was too small for light air (there’s a LOT of light air in the Caribbean), so we opted for a 130% genoa instead, which will also be roller furled.  As wind strength increases, up to about 30% of it can be furled to create a smaller sail area.  If the wind increases even further, that sail can be furled completely and we can raise a Yankee or Solent jib in its place, which reduces the available sail area to about 60%.  For very light air, we will have a Code Zero spinnaker on the bow sprit in front of the forestay to fly, hopefully with some amazing graphics!  Code Zero sails are the very colorful, balloon-like sails that you often see when a sailboat is heading downwind.  

 
 At this point, these four sails will comprise our inventory.  We are still debating whether a storm jib is necessary, given that the Yankee may give us a small enough area. (A storm jib is a very tiny headsail flown in very heavy wind, just to maintain stability, but not to power the vessel at all.)  Again, we want to be sure that all sail and line handling can be managed from the cockpit by one individual, a safety mantra we've heard repeatedly from cruisers in every class we've taken. If the weather's bad or you need to change sails while the other person is sleeping, being able to stay in the cockpit is most desirable.

And of course we can’t have a sail discussion without involving winches; the leveraging mechanisms that allow a sailor to raise and lower the sails without undo strain.  Similar to a pulley system, a winch gives you a multiple force mechanical advantage over the weight of the sails.  Winches can be manual (insert a handle and turn) or electric (push a button).  Even though many purists eschew electric winches, we are both over 50 years old and know our limitations; we will have two electric winches on the helm station, and two manual winches in the stern (which will have the option to convert later to electric) for the Code Zero.

 


 In the last couple of months, the work on XYZZY has transitioned from the outside    to the inside, and cupboards, shelving, and cabinets are beginning to take shape.  Talk has (finally!) turned from engines and batteries to wood paneling, Corian colors, cushion choices, and window styles.  Here are some of our pictures from September and October, as the interior is sanded and readied for gel coat and wood veneer, and we prepare for a November visit! 

Crossbeam, Seagull Striker, and Catwalk installed and waiting for tarps

 
Interior fiberglass gets sanded smooth to be ready for veneer and gel coat
 
 
 


Monday, September 2, 2013

Decisions, Decisions

By the time we returned to visit XYZZY in early August, the last kit piece (the nosecones) was being fitted, and work was proceeding apace on the customizations and interior.  She really looks like a boat now!

Nosecones are the Last Major Kit Pieces
 
Most of the next phase of work on the exterior will consist of fairing the seams smooth, glassing (fiber glassing) joints, and then gel-coating to make everything disappear!  That means long, patient hours of grinding and sanding while fiberglass dust settles everywhere.  (Each time we step aboard, I begin itching within minutes, even though I'm very careful to not touch much of anything-I really don't know how the workers can stand it!) 

And in case you didn't know, "fair" is a term that is used whenever a boat is built. When material is bent or curved or cut, or a line drawn, a boatbuilder must be concerned about fairness. A "fair curve" or line is one that is as smooth as it can be as it follows the path it must take around the hull of a boat. A fair line is free of extraneous bumps or hollows, and an unfair line needs to be smoothed out. There's seldom any curve that must be more fair than the "sheer" of a boat. (The sheer is the break in the hull of any boat that runs from bow to stern and separates the side of the hull from the deck-so much jargon!)

We've also discussed quite a few customizations for our boat, and now that the major assembly is complete, it's time to work on those.  One of the biggest changes we are making is to extend the coach roof back towards the targa bar (arch) at the stern of the boat.  We are constantly amazed by the number of boats we see with little or no sun protection for the cockpit, and we know from charter experience that the cockpit is really the biggest room in the "house", so it needs to be dry and comfortable!  Below you can see how first a wooden structure is built to support the extension.  Next, melamine sheets are cut to form the extension, and then lastly fiberglass is applied both on top and underneath, to make the extension appear as if it is part of the original roofline.  Sparing no details, our builder carefully flared the sides to follow the flow of the existing roof, and even moved the upward curling lip at the back of the original roof to the back edge of the extension, to really complete the aesthetic!  I'm convinced he's really an artist as well as a shipwright!

Tim prepares the underlying temporary wooden structure


Finished Support Structure
 
                                    
Melamine Roof Extension

Another customization in the cockpit will be the helm station.  The original Fusion design calls for the helm station to be on the port (left) side of the cockpit, and for the driver to sit on a seat looking through a window in front of him through the interior of the cabin and then out through the front windows of the salon!  Alternatively, he could stand up and poke his head above the coach roof to see above the cabin, open to the elements. 

Usual Fusion Helm Station Arrangement

When we first looked at the two Fusions already built, this was the aspect we disliked the most.  It seemed very uncomfortable, not to mention unsafe; in addition we wanted the space in front of the wheel for the electronic displays for the navigation systems, and not a window. We discussed many ideas of how to improve this design; what we came up with will be a covered, raised helm station, so that when the driver is seated, he will be able to look out over the coach roof, and be protected from the sun and rain.  The beginnings of this design are seen below; the window cutout is filled in and the helm floor is raised up:

 
 

Additionally, lots of work is happening inside the salon and hulls, to turn the empty shell into our living quarters.  On the port (remember, left!) side we will have a full owner's cabin with a spacious (for a boat) head (bathroom) in the aft (rear), and extended bedroom area from there forwards.  The construction of a desk/storage/closet area in the middle of the hull, between the head and the bed will be an area to hang clothes, store books or clothes, and get ready for the day. 


Midships "Living Room"
Owner's side Head

In the starboard (right) side of the boat, we will have two cabins and a second (smaller) bathroom, for guests.  The aft cabin will also house a washer/dryer (in the spot where the bucket is below) and function as a storage/office/tool room, unless we have another guest (grandson?) for the third bedroom. 

Third Cabin/Office/Laundry Room
Guest Bedroom Suite
Guest Head
The main cabin, or salon is also taking shape as we plan for the dinette/seating area, dual refrigerator/freezer units, and kitchen layout, but the major work here will probably wait until most of the work in the hulls is done, as it is a great place for staging.  To be able to work inside, they've even installed a temporary door and a window air conditioner!  A main feature of our salon will be a custom table, designed to raise and lower, with storage in the base for our laptops and chargers. We are having this designed by Release Marine of Savannah, GA, who design amazing tables of all types of wood.  We went to them with an idea of a comfortable work/entertainment space, and a table that would adapt easily to both requirements, and after several meetings, we have settled on a design that is truly one-of-a-kind.  We will be making a trip later in the fall to see how it is coming along.

Main Salon
Custom Table Design by Release Marine

Topside, we are starting to plan for the layout of the deck hardware (winches, cleats, blocks), rigging, and placement of solar panels.  This exercise has caused no end of drawing, planning, scratching of heads, and phone conferences with manufacturers, to make sure everything will fit and we will still have room to walk!  We discovered that, if we wanted our solar panels in time, we had to place an order by the end of August or pay costly air shipping from Italy, so Dennis and Rian have been busily exchanging thoughts:

A Bare Deck to be Covered in Panels and Deck Hardware - like an empty canvas!


A "Rough" Drawing

We've also begun to make some of the myriad purchase of "stuff" needed for the boat.  One of the first purchases were our anchors, both primary and secondary, pictured here:

Our Anchors! There will be no dragging on this boat!
And then lastly, it has begun to be time to start sorting out our land-based life and see what's going to kids, what's going to storage, what's coming along (not much), and what needs to be sold.  These are sometimes very difficult decisions, and every item seems to be the center of a 20-minute discussion: "remember when we got this?  remember who helped us pick this out?  this belonged to so-and-so..." it's much harder than I'd thought it would be.

One possession that was a no-brainer was to sell our "little" boat, Kanaloa.  We'd stored her away at the beginning of this hurricane season; with all the traveling, we didn't want to be worried about having to fly back and move her, and with the very busy fall schedule preparing for XYZZY, we didn't anticipate having much time to sail her.  So we listed her on WildJibe, thinking we'd at least start the process, and in three days, we had a buyer!  She is going to a wonderfully exciting new life in St. Thomas, to be a day charter boat in the US Virgin Islands!  We hope we get to see her in action one day soon.




So, as we move into autumn, we are packing, moving, working, and dreaming our way towards our winter/spring launch date.  Stay tuned!

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Milestones

Milestones
These days our lives have been marked and measured by a series of milestones in our family:  our oldest son's first novel finally hit the bookstands after a two-year publishing effort, our good friends' son was married, our first grandchild, Joshua Jan Jansma, arrived on April 24th, a second book contract was successfully negotiated for the writer-son, and a college graduation and relocation for our game-designer-son!  So many exciting events have come to fruition after many hard years and months of work (and labor!) on everyone's part! 

Joshua Jan Jansma
Born April 24, 2013
3:43 AM
Unchangeable Spots of Leopards
by Kristopher Jan Jansma
Published March 28, 2013



The Three Musketeers: Kris, Ryan, and Andrew
Ryan & Dontie's Wedding
March 23, 2013
Peobody, MA
Jonathan Jan Jansma
Graduated University of Advancing technology
BA in Game Design
May 17th, 2013
Phoenix, AZ
 
And in the excited happenings and travels from one place to another for celebrations, two other small but very important calendar events also passed: the one year anniversay of our two containers' arrival at SRQ Yacht Center (April 18th), and the one year date of our remaining lease here in Coconut Grove (Feb. 14th)!  Both of these dates sort of sailed by in a blur, but when we scratched our heads and said to each other, "Do you realize that this time next year we'll be... <on the boat, living on the boat, going up the ICW on the boat, going to the Bahamas on the boat> ?"    In reality, we'll probably still be at a slip at Marina Jack's in Sarasota, but it's fun to dream, and we should be well on our way!

So here is a photo montage of where we're at currently.  When we finally land in one place long enough to craft a more philosophical blog entry, we will, but I know you all want to see what's been happening!

FEBRUARY 22, 2013
This visit mostly entailed approving the bed molds and placement of various hull-side components that were necessary to have installed before the sides and top decks could be permanently attached.  Neil Harvey from Harken visited and helped us to brainstorm options for the deck hardware and eventual rigging setup. Colin Mack from Mack Sails also came by to work on the planned sail inventory and rigging layout.


Bumfuzzle Visits and Approves Progress
 
Our Kit # and Manufacturing Stamp will disappear
after cockpit seats are glassed over.

Island Beds are completed from Molds

In preparation for the port hull side to be fitted.
 

Owner's side head cross-section viewed from outside

Neil Harvey from Harken and Dennis discuss
initial layout of deck hardware and rigging options

View of cockpit before back seating
component is installed



On the foredeck with Rian and Colin Mack (not pictured)
Discussing deck hardware and rigging layout

APRIL 11, 2013
It had been almost 7 weeks since our last visit, and we snuck in a glimpse before heading North again for Joshua's due date, since we knew it would then be weeks before we'd be back again.  During this visit, we approved all major interior component placement, and then watched as the hull and top deck pieces were fitted into place.  This officially marked the transition from "kit" to "boat" as, except for the two nose cones, all kit pieces were finally in place.  There was a bit of tension as the gantry crane lazily swung the large pieces into place. Once resting in place, we discovered that the main bulkhead (think structural support), which runs horizontally amidships from the hull on one side through the salon to the hull on the other side, was too short! There was a noticeable gap between the bulkhead and the top decks and hulls!  This bulkhead had been fitted and irrevocably glassed in months before, during the initial construction of the kit, as per the recommendations of Fusion's Andrew Pounder.

In hindsight, and certainly for the next kit build that Mondo undertakes, this should not have been permanently installed until the tops and hulls were fitted.  Clearly this is a defect in the manufacturing process that we will bring to the attention of the company, and perhaps we were too trusting when we moved so quickly ahead at that time.

At this point, that gap will be filled, and then glassed to be sure the structural integrity of the bulkhead is maintained.  Nothing unsurmountable, but the biggest "oops" yet! Good thing we have a careful builder who practices fitting before glassing.


The last time we will see her cross section

Approving and measuring settee for salon
in prep for final design of salon table

Approving sugar scoop and ladder hatch design
Here comes the port side hull
 
And now the port side top deck moves into place


The ladies supervise

Fitting port side hull

Examining the fit to the foredeck and top deck

Looking out the "window" from the salon,
 hull on, top deck off
MAY 30, 2013
Again almost seven weeks since our last trip, and on this visit, all major pieces have been permanently glassed in.  No more climbing up a ladder into the side of the open hull!  A beautiful set of stairs to the port-side sugar scoop is in place,  and going in is like climbing aboard a real boat!  Our goal of having the boat closed up for the approaching hurrican season had been met, and the last blue tarp can be discarded! We were able to measure the overall length of XYZZY (37' 11", not the advertised 40' in the Fusion 40 name, exactly) and the draft (4', also not the advertised 32" from the marketing materials, which we figured out is for a kit with daggerboards rather than mini-keels).

The interior shelving, closets, cabinets and are being constructed, and much of the discussion on this visit centered around what the layout of closets, drawers, and cabinets would be.  As we agreed on locations for hanging lockers (think clothes closets), drawers vs. cabinets with open shelves, etc. I could finally visualize myself stowing items into their places, getting ready for a passage. 

We also spent some time looking at countertop colors, holding them up against the sample of finished bamboo Rian had prepared for us, trying to anticipate what will make our home look bright and open.

And then the magic words: "It's time to start buying STUFF!"  Really!?  Officially moving into Phase II, we can actually stop window-shopping catalogs and boat show booths, and buy things!  Now THIS is what I was waiting for!  Time to start planning what we can use from our current home, what we need to sell or donate, and what needs to be purchased.  Realistically, the next seven months isn't as long as it sounds to get all that accomplished.



XYZZY with all top and hull pieces attached
It's a BOAT!!


Where we were on May 3rd, 2012
Now, that's progress!!
  
Josh's room!
Starboard aft cabin
Will also be a workroom and laundry room

View of starboard hull from front guest cabin

Owner's side head and sink cabinet

Debi finally gets to sit on the foredeck
Boys discuss anchor locker uses

Perfect spot for...?

 
Stairs to get in from sugar scoop!
 
 
Darker than we thought
countertop shades to pick
Why do I always pick the class "D" price category? :(
 
In our next installment, we'll discuss some of the systems and purchase choices we've made, and the reasons why.  Until then we'll be busy helping both sons relocate and avoiding hurricanes.



I never used to miss the chance to climb up on his knee
And listen to the many tales of life upon the sea!
We'd go sailing back on barquentines, we'd talk of things he did.
Tomorrow's just a day away for the Captain and the Kid.
                                                                    ~Jimmy Buffett
Welcome, Josh!