Another week has passed, and now we are closer to completion, even if it sometimes feels like two steps forward and one backward. So, what changed this week? Plumbing, electrical, and commissioning, and we welcomed Mark Worthington, our delivery skipper, to begin preparing for sea.    System Plumbing It's Sunday in the Free Zone, a great time to get some interrupted work done. A few $$ in cash also has its uses and our plumbing team are working hard though no doubt missing their families. Replumbing is going well. Engine room bilge spaces are now clear of most obstructions (and clea ..read more

The last few weeks have been ridiculously busy as we target leaving Antalya at the end of April.  We have been in the USA since November on personal business and in this period our Yard has completed most unfinished items.  On return we began our inspection. With some there was no issue though progress was rather slow, with others we had problems. Below is that story written as an example of what can happen and our solution. A Rogue Plumbing Contractor Causes Havoc The engine room is rather a tight space, a function of the narrow beam and need for duplication. Within all the various ..read more

Recently, we discussed the vibration issues discovered during initial sea trials on our explorer Yacht, Vanguard. In that Blog, we also briefly mentioned Brunton's propellers and their help mitigating these issues. Now, it's time to dive deeper into how Brunton's knowledge contributed to a resolution. Why did we select Bruntons Propellers? No matter how much attention to the theory, reality wants to bite at the most inopportune moments. We sought very efficient propulsion across a wide speed range. Efficient at 3 or 4 knots with an electric drive and at 12 to 14 knots for both diesels at full ..read more

Blogging has been slow these few weeks, primarily as we have had some troubling results from sea trials. We wanted to better understand before committing to writing. The problem became apparent at sea trials and was associated with severe drive line vibrations at idle speed and high power, ahead. I can only repeat some earlier thoughts for anyone messing around with mechanical things - BEFORE WORK, READ THE INSTALLATION MANUAL. (See enclosed link ,HERE, Construction tip No 10). Not every report should say the garden is rosy; this is one such moment.  Vibration at Idle Speed Let us start ..read more

A quiet week right now as we are in the UK visiting family. In the meantime, though, my friend John Johnson, aka "Yacht Bouy" of Youtube fame, has written a blog for you all. Over to you, John: My Top Ten Explorer Yacht Features And Why! John Johnson Welcome to the fascinating world of explorer yachts, where luxury and function meet robustness, and adventure knows no bounds. Often seen cutting through the harshest seas with elegance and poise, explorer yachts embody a unique blend of strength, technology, and comfort. This post will explore the top ten features that set these majestic vessels ..read more

A rattle bag of reporting today as we wrap up the week. The big story has been insurance within the Yard for sea trials and the first year of voyaging. There has also been progress with commissioning systems. Finally, as we are temporarily in the USA, I decided to make the young boys in my family a model boat to glean their early interest.  As we age, smarts are generally replaced by native cunning! Locating Marine Insurance Proves Problematic Firstly, we start with the sometimes sticky subject of insurance. It is tempting to rely on cognoscenti dissonance when building a yacht in the bel ..read more

Naval Yachts' Vanguard boat impresses in sea trials, exceeding estimated cruise speed and showcasing her wave-piercing design. A promising choice for boat enthusiasts and potential buyers. We have spent the last 6 weeks visiting friends and family; Naval Yachts have had a free run at completing Vanguard. This week, they crossed a significant milestone and began initial sea trials. A three-hour run after a long day but sufficient time to demonstrate a future promise. This is how it went.  Initial sea trial results Sea state - calm Wind - light Load condition - Arrival but without permanen ..read more

Our project Vanguard is near completion; holiday greetings for 2024! Some journeys are long, their continuations seemingly interminable, yet it is like these things that an end is inevitable. We are now at this point with Vanguard; Naval Yachts have moved to a higher gear, and we can see, smell, and almost taste the end of this project. It was a good end to a difficult year, and we look forward to the promise of 2024. We'd also like to wish our subscribers and readers a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year for 2024. I apologize for the delay in this update; Christmas got in the way! So ..read more

This year I'm 63, how did that happen? If I look back at 47 years in the shipping business, memorable moments have been when an old salt passed some snippet of hard earned knowledge. As others have tried innumerable times before, this is such an attempt. Maybe random format, unstructured or slightly jaded but hopefully useful. Have at it Folks! Design Owning a yacht is a significant investment in time and $$. Building one is doubly so. The fastest way afloat is to buy or refit an existing hull and only go down the build route if you cannot find what you need by any other means. Because of th ..read more

Vanguard is slowly coming alive at the dock in Antalya. Each day brings its minor successes, beginning to coalesce around a bigger story. We are away for a while now, seeing family and setting our businesses on course for the coming year. In the meantime, what has been happening with our build over the last week? Engineers from Praxis Automation attended Vanguard to begin activating our hybrid drives and DC power battery. Quite a nest of Ethernet and signal cables to first verify. Starting with the control and instrumentation systems, they powered up all 5 MFD displays so we could see how they ..read more