Here we go again, an update on the boat-building chaos that has temporarily become our lives.
Nigh Vision Camera
My vision at night is affected by age, and any chance I get to improve, I'll take it.
By chance, we were offered a Mil-Spec night vision security camera, marinized, new but at a fraction of the price of a more commonly seen FLIR. On paper, it's equivalent to the FLIR 500 series from Teledyne. They are impressive instruments, including low light and IR Night vision, 4x digital magnification in IR, 40 times optical mag of visible light signal, stabilization, and an illumination laser in the IR spectrum. Ours has target tracking ability; though, unlike the FLIR, it is not linked with the radar (too much brain ache for that one). Probably our best advice is not to illuminate a warship! More on how this performs in a later Blog.
Helm and Stabilisers
The main helm station is now 85% complete, with the final large tasks being mounting the electric and emergency hydraulic helms.
We will use the same wheel for both and swap it over in a crisis (practiced beforehand). From midships to starboard, it contains everything needed for the immediacy of navigation, Radar, ECS, and comms ... To port are the engineering functions such as MIMIC diagrams, stabilizers, and shore power controls. The helm is also fitted with a full (DP[O]) dynamic positioning system from Praxis Automation, functionally the same as used on anchor handling vessels and the like. Marriage protection is taken to the limits again; more on how that performs in a later Blog.
Underwater and Anchoring
Underwater surfaces are now completed, including anything previously shrouded by the shipyard chocks. The hull is coated in Intersleek 1100, and the running gear is in Propspeed. Both work pretty well on Mobius XPM78-001, so why change it?
While on the subject of underwater, our chain, 350 feet of G40 13mm galvanized. The length has been identified with oil paint. To quote directly from Eyos "We now paint a 2m colored band every 20m in the following order: 20m = Red, 40m = Yellow, 60m = Blue, 80m = White, 100m = Green, the supposed British Admiralty acronym being "Rub Your B**ls With Grease." paint a 1m white band at the 10m marks between the colored bands and paint the last 5m fluorescent orange to warn that chain is coming to an end". We decided not to fit an anchor swivel as it's another potential point of failure. The bitter end is nylon, long enough to come out of the chain locker so we can get at it when needed.
Instrument Mast
Our instrument mast is now completed, including the usual suspects, radar, lights, AIS, GPS, Reflector, Sat Communications plus a cell booster, and shipwide WIFI aerials. We made some effort around future accessibility for the various attachments and cables. these are now all acessible via removable plates sealed to teh undersides of each arm.
Starlink and Furuno SatCom were moved to the front of the flybridge roof, away from potential interference.
Chris Leigh-Jones
Food for thought
It became fractious with the yard this week, an issue that has been growing for a while. It happens on construction projects also; the end is always a slog, and there is always a tendency to cut corners and do the easy jobs rather than the important ones. The future is in sight, and we need to recognize that and have remained friends so far. The next lucky client will have a far easier time of the whole process with everything that has already been specified and understood. Explorer yachts are more like building a warship than a cruiser; it's just not easy. To that extent, Aluboot, Circa Marine, and, in my case, Naval Yachts deserve some tolerance and understanding.
Lastly - drones in Turkey!
Our son, Rhys excitidly flying his newly arrived drone across the beach in Antalya .......... and 5 minutes later a Turkish police man arrived. Be careful - "Midnight Express"
