October/November 2023, Issue No. 205 — Table of Contents
On the cover: The 111′ (33.8m) Geist is the largest boat built to date at Spirit Yachts (Ipswich, U.K.). Her wood/composite hull, with some steel structural grid and frames visible here, is a testament to the strength and stiffness possible with Spirit’s choice of largely renewable and recyclable materials. The finished 59-ton yacht is powered by a 200-hp Torqeedo electric motor. Story on page 38. Photograph by Mike Bowden/Courtesy Spirit Yachts.
FEATURES
NIGEL CALDER
Complex battery management. Page 20.
20 If You Look Hard Enough into the Setting Sun
by Nigel Calder
Cyril Silberman’s Sobe Sunset is a boatload of innovation and automation in search of a market.
COURTESY SPIRIT YACHTS
Geist’s curvaceous interior. Page 38.
38 In the Spirit of . . .
by Nic Compton
The British builder of retro-styled wood/composite boats helped develop a market for modern classics and served by appointment to HM (fictitious) Secret Service along the way.
BLUE WORLD TECHNOLOGIES
Making methanol fuel cells. Page 52.
52 Methanol’s Narrow Lane
by Dieter Loibner
The alternative fuel could replace dirty bunker fuel in powering global shipping, but its potential to curtail carbon emissions from smaller commercial and recreational vessels is less promising.
JAY PARIS
Cross-lead block design. Page 64.
64 Cross-Lead Blocks
by Jay Paris
A naval architect’s cure for directionally challenged running rigging.
STEVE D’ANTONIO
Mounting life rafts. Page 68.
68 Avoiding a Raft of Errors
by Steve D’Antonio
Installing a life raft is straightforward but easy to get wrong—with dire results.
DIETER LOIBNER
Electric pod drive for a classic. Page 78.
78 Pod Drive for a Prawner
by Stanford Siver
Racing a 120-year-old cutter to Alaska with wind and muscle power inspired the installation of an electrical pod drive.
ABYC
Standards and technical Information. Page 88.
88 Supplement 63 Essentials
by Brian Goodwin
A guide to important changes in the American Boat & Yacht Council’s latest Standards and Technical Information Reports.
DUDLEY DIX
A schooner for adventure. Page 92.
92 Fast Eddy
by Dudley Dix
Designing an aluminum commercial expedition boat for sailing and rowing.
DEPARTMENTS
6 Letters, Etc.
Readers comment on the stiffness of Nitronic stanchions, and we update our technical editor’s response about fixed firefighting systems.
10 Rovings
compiled by Dieter Loibner
Manufacturing custom nets for sailing, fishing, and high-altitude stunts; 12V air-conditioning; an 80-kWh option for Torqeedo’s Deep Blue; risk mitigation seminars; and a farewell to Buddy Melges Jr.
100 Task Sheet: Laser Sighting for Hauling and Blocking
by James P. Moores
Using lasers to ensure that boats retain their shape on the hard.
112 Parting Shot
by Richard Strauss
The CEO of a major marine deck manufacturer calls for boat builders and buyers to embrace alternatives to old-growth teak.