Search

X
Close
Menu
Menu

Performance Study of Daggerboards Versus Keels

by

Performance Study of Daggerboards Versus Keels

By: Phillip Berman, published with editor’s permission from Boating NZ and Blue Water Sailing

In my forty-five year career in the catamaran industry there’s been a relentless debate on the virtues and vices of daggerboards versus fixed keels. This debate has, however, mostly been waged without “hard numbers” from which to compare performance differences. As we have had requests at Balance Catamarans for both keels and daggerboards, Anton Du Toit (my design partner) and I felt we should conduct a study, the results of which follow.

When we first set out to design and construct the Balance 526 we were aiming for cruising couples who wanted more performance and quality than they could find in mass production cats, but also more interior space, payload capacity and ease of use and maintenance than consumers focusing primarily on speed. Our intent was to find the balance – not to create the “lightest and fastest 52” in the world, or the “largest 52,” but a catamaran that could sail swiftly on all points of sail, carry significant levels of payload, yet still be gracious to live on. We also wanted her to be pleasing to the eye.

Our focus at Balance brings us an interesting range of buyers, some of whom are more focused on strength, space, safety and comfort rather than all out speed (cruiser types), others who are more speed focused, less value oriented, and prepared to give up comfort, ease of operation and payload capacity to go a bit faster (racer types). The later sorts of buyers are mostly what I affectionately call “spreadsheet guys.” (Full disclosure: I am not a spreadsheet guy. I am far more focused on how a boat lives, how tough she is, what she can carry, and how simple she is to sail and maintain without a professional crew.)

As we have gone along a few of our customers have asked if we would create the 526 with performance keels rather than daggerboards. They felt that the advantages of keels trumped the performance advantages of boards. We were happy to comply, so Anton set about to design high performance keels for the 526. (Note: On our 451, we only offer her with dual daggerboards and two shallow permanent fixed minikeels. On all other Balance designs it remains customer choice which configuration they wish to have.)

What we were not prepared to do was tell 526 buyers how much faster or slower the two different configurations would be. We felt it best to heed Lord Bryon’s advice to evade “kant and hyperbole” (the language of the day at boat shows!) so we hired the Wolfson Unit for Marine Technology and Industrial Aerodynamics at the University of Southampton to conduct comparative studies of the two configurations on identical 526 models. When you are comparing identical products with just two different variables it seemed a worthwhile study to undertake and share with our customers. It also becomes, to some extent, a  worthwhile study for anyone considering a new or used catamaran purchase who is curious how the two different configurations impact performance.

While Anton and I believe these studies can be used by consumers to compare the relative performance differences between boards and keels, it is important to note that the 526 is a very light, narrowhulled epoxy performance cat and the keels we install are considerably finer, deeper and more carefullyshaped than those found on mass production designs. Additionally, we conducted the study with the daggerboards in the fully down position on all points of sail to reduce the studies complexity. The daggerboarded 526 would be marginally faster than the study indicates off- the-wind with boards raised due to a further reduction of wetted surface.

The disparity between keels and boards on a mass-production cat compared to a Balance or any other performance cat would be exaggerated considerably compared to the study that follows. I would note that we erred on the side of caution in setting our lightship weight for this study at 12.5 kg. We have carefully lode cell weighed our 5th boat and the actual lightship weight is 12,215 kg, or 26,930 pounds for the keeled 526 and 12,261 kg, or 27,030 pounds for the daggerboarded 526. Our lightship weight could be lower for customers prepared to put their boats on a diet, or sacrifice quality in several areas, but we have found that they want as much cabinetry as possible, folding tables, glass salon windows, Corian counter tops, and high-end flooring inside and out, etc. Spreadsheet guys miss the mark on this subject constantly in my experience. They also wrongly compare boats based on length, rather than the interior volume of the hulls and bridge – what I call the sum total of fiberglass parts. Regardless, the polars closely mimic the high performance our yachts have proven in real life cruising, fully laden, so this gives us great confidence in the studies accuracy.

Performance, of course, is not the be all and end all, so it is important to examine the advantages and disadvantages of boards versus keels beyond speed. They are as follows:

Advantages to Keels:

  1. No moving parts. One less thing to operate or break.
  2. If you ground the boat you hit the keels and they are easily repaired and at a low cost generally.
  3. You can chock the boat more easily on the hard and it is easier to beach in some circumstances.
  4. They cost less to fabricate.
  5. You get more room amidships for additional cabinetry.
  6. The keels add a bit of buoyancy. On a 526 about 1,600 pounds as our keels are large and mostly hollow inside.
  7. Daggerboards are typically a bit heavier. On the 526 each board and trunk weigh about 50 pounds more.
  8. Poorly designed boards and trunks can allow the boards to rattle when they are not under load. Keels do not rattle.

Advantages to Daggerboards:

  1. Boarded cats point higher and side-slip less as the study shows. I have noted that on keeled production cats you can “stick them up into the wind” but they tend to crab horribly when pinched, as such that you must crack off considerably to reduce leeway and sustain momentum. On most of the sea trials I conduct on production cats we “close reach” to windward on sea trials. This is less the case on deep, finely shaped performance catamaran keels.
  2. The draft on most keeled catamarans is deeper than the draft on daggerboarded cats. Our 526 keeled version draws about 12 inches more than the daggerboarded version. On daggerboarded cats the rudder tip usually represents her deepest draft. It is important to note that some cats carry very stubby keels to sustain shallower draft, but the shallower the keel the less well she performs when sailing close to the wind. This is important to keep in mind if you are comparing performance on fixed keeled production cats.
  3. Off the wind with the boards raised to 1/4 there is less drag and the boat steers and sails faster and more playfully.
  4. The daggerboarded cat is a bit faster and makes less leeway on nearly all points of sail as the study shows in the majority of wind conditions.
  5. An equally efficient set of keels have much more wetted surface than daggerboards, almost 4 times more. This is the case on our 526 keels.
  6. Daggerboards set properly can assist in preventing a cat from a “tripping capsize” in very high winds with large breaking cross seas. Both boards can be fully raised, or only the leeward board raised, so the boat can side-slip easily.
  7.  Daggerboarded cats tend to have a bit higher resale value due to the fact that so few are produced in mass production. A buyer that wants boards will only focus on catamarans that have them.

Shifting our focus now to the performance data generated by Wolfson Unit. Their analysis returned the predicted boat speed and leeway angle for the Balance 526 with a keel design and daggerboard design for all combinations of true wind speed from 4 to 25 knots and true wind angles from 40 to 180 degrees. We can begin comparing these two configurations by directly comparing the speed and leeway at major points of sail, specifically beating, close, beam and broad reaching.

While beating the two designs are predicted to perform as follows:
To summarize the upwind comparison, the daggerboard design is, on average, expected to sail 1.5 knots faster and 1.75 degrees higher. While close reaching the daggerboard design has less of an advantage than when beating, as can be seen from Table 2:

While close reaching the daggerboard design is expected to sail 0.5 knots faster and 0.75 degrees higher.

As the true wind angle approaches 90° for a beam reach, the keel and daggerboards become more closely matched.

In the beam reaching comparison the daggerboard design will sail slightly higher with a leeway advantage of about 0.25 degrees but it’s speed advantage in 5 knots TWS of 0.3 knots will fade to a 0.5 knot deficit in 16 knots TWS. At this point of sail the two designs are considered to have equal performance as the differences in leeway and boat speed are negligible.

Finally, while broad reaching the following speeds and leeway’s are expected.

In summary, when broad reaching the daggerboard design regains a slight advantage, as it maintains an additional 0.5 knots of boat speed. Leeway differences are again negligible.

Considering the above analyses, it can be seen that the daggerboard design will typically not only outperform the keel design but also out point it, make less leeway close to the wind, therefore giving the daggerboard design a substantial advantage when racing, or for performance focused sailors.

This data gives a fair comparison of the two designs at specific true wind speeds and angles but in order to fully understand the performance trends and enable better predictions between them, one must consider the entire range of wind conditions and all points of sail. This is best done with the use of speed and leeway deltas, where the differences between the two designs are calculated and analyzed.

The following two figures display the average speed and average leeway deltas. The calculation process to determine the deltas is chosen such that a positive value for the delta indicates an advantage for the daggerboard design, and a negative value favors the keel design. For example, a speed delta of +2 knots and a leeway delta of -1 degrees means that the daggerboard design is 2 knots faster than the keel design under the same conditions but would sail 1 degree lower than the keel design.

Considering Figures 1 and 2, the three TWS ranges used are from 4 to 7 Knots, 8 to 12 Knots and 14 to 25 Knots and will be referred to as light, medium, and strong wind conditions respectively. By analyzing the Average Speed Deltas shown in Figure 1 below and taking a beam reach (90 degrees TWA) as the point of sail under investigation, we can determine that in light winds the daggerboard design will perform better than the keel design as the blue line (4 to 7 knot TWS range) indicates a positive delta of 0.4 knots at 90 degree TWA. We can therefore expect the daggerboard design to outperform the keel design by about 0.4 knots under these conditions.

Counter to this, while still on a beam reach but when moving from a low wind condition to a high wind condition, the keel design begins to perform better. This is now taken from the green line (14 to 25 knot TWS range) and gives a -0.6 knot reading. Therefore the daggerboard design is now expected to be about 0.6 knots slower than the keel design under the new, higher TWS conditions.

Figure 2 is used in the same manner as Figure 1 but shows the leeway angle of each design rather than boat speed. Focusing again on a beam reaching condition, the leeway deltas indicate that the daggerboard will always out point the keel design as all three lines (TWS from 4 to 25 knots) indicate. positive values of 0.3, 0.35, and 0.1 degrees at 90 degrees TWA. Overall, Figure 2 shows that the daggerboard design has a significant gain in leeway over the keel design at all wind speeds and angles. This reaches a maximum when beating (TWA ±40-45 degrees) of 2 degrees, and declines to zero when running (TWA ±180 degrees).

With respect to the average boat speed deltas, Figure 1 shows that the daggerboard maintains a higher boat speed when sailing in light and medium winds (red and blue lines in Figure 1). In stronger conditions (green line) the daggerboards yield better boat speed when beating but the keel surpasses this between TWA of 60 to 145 degrees. Keeping in mind that the study was conducted with the daggerboards fully down at all times, in reality, the daggerboards will be raised in the 60 to 145 TWA range. As such the study slightly underestimates the speed of the daggerboard design over this TWA range.

Overall the daggerboard outperforms the keel in both boat speed and leeway in the vast majority of sailing conditions and is thus considered to be the better design choice if achieving ultimate performance is the key criteria. It should be noted that this study is specific to the Balance 526, but corresponding trends can be expected in performance cats of similar size and design.

In the end, and it is a point I cannot stress enough to any boat purchaser, all boats are sets of compromises and trade-offs, and so too with features – helm designs, sheeting systems, rig layouts, bimini designs, bed designs and locations, baths, engine placement, etc. Because I have been deeply involved in brokerage catamaran sales much of my life I recognize there is no one right or wrong boat, certainly no perfect boat, only a boat that happens to be a better fit for a particular sailor and his or her budget, cruising agenda and specific aesthetic proclivities.

At least now we can say that if someone wants a 526 with keels, here is how she will perform compared to a boarded version. It is then up to the buyer to decide which configuration is the most appealing to them. I will say that, based on the five 526 we have sailing today, with over 60,000 miles of sailing behind them, those owners with keels seem quite happy, just as those with boards.

Alright spreadsheet guys, here’s your numbers to mess with!

Phil Berman is a former Hobie Cat World Champion and the owner of The Multihull Company, a global catamaran yacht brokerage firm. He is also the owner of Balance Catamarans, a boutique brand of high-end performance voyaging catamarans. He can be reached at phil@multihullcompany.com.

About Phillip Berman

Phillip Berman is the president of The Multihull Company and a lifetime catamaran sailor and racer. He grew up racing Hobie Cats in California in the late 1960’s and published his first book on catamaran racing at the age of seventeen. Other Articles by Phillip Berman Include:

Read More

What is a Cracked Bulkhead?

by

What is a Cracked Bulkhead?

By: Andrew Holland

One potential issue that may arise in a survey is called a cracked bulkhead. When this happens there is some confusion as to what this means for buyers and sellers alike, so our clients often ask this featured “Question of the Week.”

A bulkhead is a layer inserted into the hulls of a catamaran in order to prevent the hulls from cracking or compressing and are added after the hulls are molded to increase stability. Regardless of the material or build quality, all hulls are subjected to the forces of water working against them.

Waves and water under sail apply pressure to the hulls that may eventually cause cracking and require a bulkhead to be repaired so if the topic arises in survey, pay attention to the details a surveyor has to say. This is often a costly repair job because the veneer of the hulls must be removed, the bulkheads need to be re-laminated, and sometimes the ends of the hulls have to be re-banded.

However, a cracked bulkhead does not mean that the boat’s condition is too disastrous to sail or defines the boat as having a structural problem. It only means that over time this particular bulkhead has been under enough stress to be in need of repair, and that is cause for a conversation post-survey.

Have a question you want answered by our expert brokers? Drop an email to info@multihullcompany.com today!

About Andrew Holland

Andrew Holland is the Sales and Marketing Manager of The Multihull Company and an avid catamaran enthusiast. After joining TMC in 2007 he began working closely with TMC President, Phillip Berman, learning the many facets of the catamaran industry. Having overseen the sale of over 800 catamarans around the world. He is able to take the most complex transaction and make it a breeze! Articles by Andrew Holland include:

Read More

Testimonials

Andrew Holland came up with exactly what I wanted. He reported honestly and professionally he never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. Thank you Andrew, you were totally professional, but also I know that if and when we meet up, it will be like a friend finally meeting. You are always welcome on Aseka!
Beverly
Voyage/Maxim 38

Things went as smoothly as possible. Andrew did a great job managing me!!! Probably the most difficult part of the broker’s job. As you are aware, I have used your professional relationships exclusively and couldn’t be happier with the service of finance, documentation and delivery company so far.
Victor
Fountaine Pajot Lipari 41

Read More Testimonials

What Size Generator Suits my A/C Needs?

by

What Size Generator Suits my A/C Needs?

By: Andrew Holland

It’s not unfamiliar for anyone working in the yachting industry to run into the question of what generator size is required on a particular boat. An answer will depend on a few variables, such as the boat’s size, where the boat will be spending most of its time, and whether there will be access to shore power. However, the most telling question a sailor can ask is how often air conditioning is needed.

In our client’s experiences, they often over-power their boats—meaning they will equip their boat with a generator more powerful than is actually required. This results in a more costly and unnecessary expense for an owner. But how can one determine which size is right?

The first question we ask clients is how many evenings per year they think they will need to run a generator for air conditioning while they are at anchor. The answer is often when clients are stuck in windless marinas where there isn’t the necessary airflow into the boat to cool it down that one resorts to turn the A/C on, not just anchoring in a place known to be hot and humid.

However, while dockside you’ll have the ability to plug your boat into shore power, so you will not be dependent on your generator. To bring your boat to a frigid chill, you may need as much as 15 amps of power, all depending on how large your boat is.

The best piece of advice we can give to those in the market to buy a boat is to get sufficient air conditioning to completely chill the boat dockside and get a smaller generator to run one or two of the air conditioning units for the rare days that are uncontrollably hot or humid at anchor.

Have a question you want answered by our expert brokers? Drop an email to info@multihullcompany.com today!

About Andrew Holland

Andrew Holland is the Sales and Marketing Manager of The Multihull Company and an avid catamaran enthusiast. After joining TMC in 2007 he began working closely with TMC President, Phillip Berman, learning the many facets of the catamaran industry. Having overseen the sale of over 800 catamarans around the world. He is able to take the most complex transaction and make it a breeze! Articles by Andrew Holland include:

Read More

Testimonials

Andrew Holland came up with exactly what I wanted. He reported honestly and professionally he never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. Thank you Andrew, you were totally professional, but also I know that if and when we meet up, it will be like a friend finally meeting. You are always welcome on Aseka!
Beverly
Voyage/Maxim 38

Things went as smoothly as possible. Andrew did a great job managing me!!! Probably the most difficult part of the broker’s job. As you are aware, I have used your professional relationships exclusively and couldn’t be happier with the service of finance, documentation and delivery company so far.
Victor
Fountaine Pajot Lipari 41

Read More Testimonials

How Should I Flag my Boat?

by

How Should I Flag my Boat?

By: Andrew Holland

Once you have a boat under contract, one of the first questions that you will ask yourself, and one that we most often get here at The Multihull Company is “How should I flag my boat?”

The answer to this question will depend on an assortment of factors in your transaction. Items such as the flag the boat is currently flying, the boats location at closing, nationality of the purchaser, and cruising plans going forward play a vitally important role in determining what flagging option will be best for you.

As an example, if you are a European citizen who is buying a boat in the US, there are advantages for you in keeping the boat under an EU flag if you did not have plans to move the boat back to the EU as you will have the option of clearing the boat out of the US after closing, and then coming back into the US and obtaining a Cruising Permit to cruise the boat without having to pay US Duty and Import tax. You will need to understand though that if you fly an EU flag and then enter into EU waters that you will then immediately be liable for paying the EU VAT on the boat.

Contrarily, if you are a US Citizen who is buying a boat in the EU, there are advantages to US flagging the boat as you will be able to obtain a Cruising permit to cruise in EU Waters for up to 18 months without having to pay the EU VAT on the boat. However, you will need to understand that if you fly a US flag and plan to bring the boat back into US Waters eventually, that you will immediately be liable for paying the US Duty on the boat upon entry.

In short, there is no one clear and best answer for what will be the best flagging option for you upon the completion of your purchase. The best way to answer this question would be to consult with an expert on the details of your particular purchase transaction, discuss your cruising plans going forward so that they can properly advise you on your options.

Have any Questions?

If you’re left wondering more specifics related to the flagging of your boat, contact us in the form below. We’re happy to give an expert opinion in this often complicated situation.

Also feel free to ask us a question and we may feature it as a Question of the Week!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About Andrew Holland

Andrew Holland is the Sales and Marketing Manager of The Multihull Company and an avid catamaran enthusiast. After joining TMC in 2007 he began working closely with TMC President, Phillip Berman, learning the many facets of the catamaran industry. Having overseen the sale of over 800 catamarans around the world. He is able to take the most complex transaction and make it a breeze! Articles by Andrew Holland include:

Read More

Testimonials

Andrew Holland came up with exactly what I wanted. He reported honestly and professionally he never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. Thank you Andrew, you were totally professional, but also I know that if and when we meet up, it will be like a friend finally meeting. You are always welcome on Aseka!
Beverly
Voyage/Maxim 38

Things went as smoothly as possible. Andrew did a great job managing me!!! Probably the most difficult part of the broker’s job. As you are aware, I have used your professional relationships exclusively and couldn’t be happier with the service of finance, documentation and delivery company so far.
Victor
Fountaine Pajot Lipari 41

Read More Testimonials

What is an Offshore Closing?

by

What is an Offshore Closing?

By: Andrew Holland

Occasionally we handle transactions where either a buyer or seller require a closing to occur outside of the area where the boat is currently lying. This is what we call an “offshore closing”.

Why would one require an offshore closing?

The main reason that either party would request an offshore closing most often directly coincides with potential taxation or duty ramifications on the sale of the boat in it’s given location. To avoid these potential costs, the buyer and seller may agree to perform a legal offshore closing on the sale of the boat.

An offshore closing can be defined as when a boat is sailed into international waters on the agreed day of closing – the required distance offshore for closing will depend on the boats location – and finalization of the closing documents is done directly on the boat once you are in international waters. Photos are taken of the GPS coordinates and signing of the required documents, along with a photos of the signer with a copy of the days newspaper to provide photographic evidence of the time and location of the finalization of the closing documents.

Offshore closings are most often seen in states like Florida, California and in various countries in Europe.

While an offshore closing does require logistical consideration that can potentially complicate the closing process, it does present potentially advantageous legal methods to avoid tax and duty on the purchase or sale of a vessel depending on the details of the transaction.

The procedure and requirements for an offshore closing will depend on the boats current location and where she intends to re-enter the country after the closing, so if you intend to proceed with an offshore closing it is important to consult with professionals to discuss the legal requirements that must be followed.

For questions, feel free to contact the Multihull Company offices at 215-508-2704.

About Andrew Holland

Andrew Holland is the Sales and Marketing Manager of The Multihull Company and is an avid catamaran enthusiast. He began working at The Multihull Company in 2007 after graduating from Temple University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Marketing. After joining the The Multihull Company team in 2007 as the Web and Marketing Manager, Andrew began working closely with TMC President and catamaran expert, Phillip Berman, where he quickly learned the many facets of the catamaran industry and soon took over the role of Sales Manager at TMC. Now, after being aboard and sailing nearly all of the major productions cats along the Eastern coastline and Caribbean, Andrew has taken that expertise to work with TMC clients, whether they are buying or selling a catamaran. Andrew has overseen the sale of over 800 catamarans around the world and is able to take the most complex transaction and make it a breeze! Articles by Andrew Holland include:

Read More

Testimonials

Andrew Holland came up with exactly what I wanted. He reported honestly and professionally he never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. Thank you Andrew, you were totally professional, but also I know that if and when we meet up, it will be like a friend finally meeting. You are always welcome on Aseka!
Beverly Cory
Voyage/Maxim 38

Things went as smoothly as possible. Andrew did a great job managing me!!! Probably the most difficult part of the broker’s job. As you are aware, I have used your professional relationships exclusively and couldn’t be happier with the service of finance, documentation and delivery company so far.
Victor Plavner
Fountaine Pajot Lipari 41

Read More Testimonials

Can I Avoid Paying the Duty on my Boat?

by

Can I Avoid Paying the Duty on my Boat?

By: Andrew Holland

It is a common theme for our clients to ask us how they can legally avoid paying US Duty and Import tax on their boat when they are entering US Waters. So, is there a way for you as a boat owner to legally avoid paying US Duty when entering the US?

The simple answer to the question is yes, you can avoid paying duty on a vessel when sailing into the US. However, this does not necessarily mean that it would be beneficial, or financially prudent to do so. So, how can you legally avoid paying Duty on a vessel?

Pros and Cons of Foreign Flagging

The only way to legally avoid paying US Duty on a boat when first clearing into the US is by foreign flagging the vessel. Whether through a Virgin Island Corporation, Jamaican corporation, Cayman Corporation, or many others, a boat owner may choose to create a corporation and foreign flag the boat under this corporation. The downside of this approach of course is the cost to set up the corporation and any annual maintenance fees that may be due on the corporation. Depending on the type of corporation being set up the costs can vary, but can exceed several thousand dollars.

Foreign flagging the vessel will enable a boat owner to enter into the US under what’s known as a Cruising Permit which allows foreign flagged boats to cruise in US Waters for a period of up to 12 months, before being required to clear out of US Waters. It is important to note however that a foreign flagged vessel lying in US Waters that is in the US on a cruising permit cannot be sold to a US Resident while in US Waters without paying US Duty. This is often why you will see the “Not For Sale in US Waters to a US Resident” tag on certain vessels. (Read more about this here)

The trade-off of foreign flagging your vessel will be determined by the value of your vessel, and your plans moving forward with the boat. If it’s your plan to cruise up and down the eastern seaboard on a boat with a value of $200,000 with plans to eventually sell her in the US at the end of your cruise, the tradeoff of paying a few thousand dollars to set up a corporation and having to clear out of the US every 12 months is likely not worth it to save the cost of paying US Duty that would amount to approximately $4,500. (Read more about the cost of US Duty here)

However, if you have a larger yacht or mega-yacht, only plan to occasionally cruise in US Waters, and eventually sell her offshore, the benefits of foreign flagging your vessel which enables you to obtain a cruising permit during your time in US Waters may be worthwhile.

About Andrew Holland

Andrew Holland is the Sales and Marketing Manager of The Multihull Company and is an avid catamaran enthusiast. He began working at The Multihull Company in 2007 after graduating from Temple University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Marketing. After joining the The Multihull Company team in 2007 as the Web and Marketing Manager, Andrew began working closely with TMC President and catamaran expert, Phillip Berman, where he quickly learned the many facets of the catamaran industry and soon took over the role of Sales Manager at TMC. Now, after being aboard and sailing nearly all of the major productions cats along the Eastern coastline and Caribbean, Andrew has taken that expertise to work with TMC clients, whether they are buying or selling a catamaran. Andrew has overseen the sale of over 800 catamarans around the world and is able to take the most complex transaction and make it a breeze! Articles by Andrew Holland include:

Read More

Testimonials

Andrew Holland came up with exactly what I wanted. He reported honestly and professionally he never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. Thank you Andrew, you were totally professional, but also I know that if and when we meet up, it will be like a friend finally meeting. You are always welcome on Aseka!
Beverly Cory
Voyage/Maxim 38

Things went as smoothly as possible. Andrew did a great job managing me!!! Probably the most difficult part of the broker’s job. As you are aware, I have used your professional relationships exclusively and couldn’t be happier with the service of finance, documentation and delivery company so far.
Victor Plavner
Fountaine Pajot Lipari 41

Read More Testimonials

The Five Steps to Getting a Good Deal on a Used Catamaran

by

The Five Steps to Getting a Good Deal on a Used Catamaran

By: Andrew Holland

As the Sales Manager at The Multihull Company I have seen a significant shift in the brokerage market with the proliferation of MLS searches, blogs and forums that have made the catamaran world more interconnected than ever. While some of these blogs or forums have good information, the knowledge it takes to make a sound purchasing decision still rests with the experienced hand.

Let me explain what it really means to combine the best of what the internet provides – listings – and the best of what seasoned brokers can provide – experience. First, there are the steps taken to narrow the list of boats that suit potential buyers, and then the knowledge to really recognize a “good deal”, and when to walk away. Everyone wants to get a great deal on a used boat, but not everyone has the knowledge base to recognize one.

While I am writing this as if I was working as buyer’s agent for a customer, the following tips should help those of you who wish to go it alone. If you fall into that category, you can thank me later! But, be advised, a truly good broker generally saves their buyers lots of time and money. Let me show you how.

Step One: Determining Your Budget and Voyaging Agenda

The first thing you must ask yourself is how much you want to spend. When determining this figure, it’s important to establish expectations on the condition of the vessel, how much more that you may need to invest into the boat after the purchase on necessary repairs, and also taxes and/or duties that may be due. All of these potential costs should be factored into the total budget for the vessel. If you are working with a broker, be forthright about your budget and your after purchase expectations as it will assist him or her to narrow the options.

If you are the type of buyer who wants to go world voyaging you will be shopping for a very different catamaran than the buyer who is looking to day sail around the Bahamas. And while the world voyaging catamaran may also suit cruising the Bahamas, it may not be the best catamaran for that agenda. It’s important to keep this in mind as you are reading up on all of the latest and greatest owner blogs, forums and sales literature to determine if a model may be a good fit, or if you should rule it out. In the end, almost any boat can sail around the world – at issue is whether it is the ideal boat for you to do so.

Owner blogs and forums can be full of confirmation bias, so be mindful of this. While they may love the boat they purchased they may not have had a chance to experience the pros and cons of many other boats that may have also suited their cruising agenda. In fact, we often find that most people do not make the right choice on their first boat if they are shopping alone – and this has mainly to do with them not yet figuring out what sort of cruiser they will be.

Step Two: Time to Look at Boats

Once you have established your budget it’s time to go on your preferred yacht search site and start to educate yourself on which catamaran models fall within your budget. At the onset of your search you will want to keep your parameters as broad as possible and take note of everything within your budget – from performance cruisers to comfort catamarans – you will want to take a look at everything that falls in your range. Why? Because when you first begin searches you may not have the knowledge base to understand the subtleties of the marketplace such as why two of same model catamarans of a similar vintage vary in price point so substantially. As your knowledge base grows, you will learn about the market impacts of vessel history, layout, condition, equipment and location all of which and more impact the market valuations of particular boats. Look at the pictures of the options that fall in your budget, share them with your partner in this adventure and together list which ones seem the most appealing.

Once you have a preliminary list of catamarans that you believe would be of interest to you take the time to go and see them in person. If you are going to be sailing with a partner, be sure they come along. This is always a mutual decision and factors that are important to one may not be to the other. In the used catamaran market, there is no true “one stop shop” – this makes the shopping a lot more difficult and labor intensive than you might realize.

One of the biggest benefits of working with an experienced buyer broker is the ability to rule out boats that may be on your shortlist before traveling to see them. Factors that you might not have been thinking of – whether there is enough headroom, for instance – can be dealt with quickly by a broker.

If you do travel to see boats, start by looking at all of the options that are nearby. Then expand out as required to see the various models you need to see. This will take some travel and a lot of showings arranged by your broker. But, after some time, it does help bring clarity as to the type of boat you want.

Fort Lauderdale, FL is probably the best place in North America to see the most used cats quickly followed by Annapolis, MD. In Europe, head to the South Coast of France or La Rochelle. And in Australia, try Sydney or Mooloolaba. You may have to do a lot of driving and flying to really see all the designs you need to see first hand. If you are working with a buyers broker on your purchase, you will want to be in close contact with your agent and have them arrange a suitable itinerary of showings that suit your travel schedule. For the self shopper, you are going to have to call several different listing agents to see all of the boats you need to see and arrange a suitable time to see the boats on your list. This can be a lot of work and very inefficient as it means that if you want to see 5 boats in Fort Lauderdale on the same day, you may have to contact 5 different agents and arrange individual meeting times rather than drive around with one agent who organized all of the showings for you.

Step Three: Establishing Value

After you have done some online shopping and travelling to see boats first hand and established the type of model catamaran you are looking for, it’s time to isolate your search and determine values on particular options of this model.

Let’s say, for purposes of this exercise, you have narrowed your model to the Lagoon 420 Owners Version, and it is down to four specific boats that are currently listed for sale, all of which are in a different locations. One of them is “cruising in the Bahamas,” another is in Grenada, another in Tortola, and one of them is in Fort Lauderdale. For the self shopper, things can become quite difficult and time consuming at this juncture so buckle up. You will need to call four separate agents who are listing these particular boats and start asking questions. You will want to understand the condition of the vessel and hope the broker you are talking to is honest, has seen the boat, and can give you an accurate description of the boat. That broker, however, will not know you, has not shown you boats to see how you react to various levels of condition, so they will not be able to calibrate your expectations with his or her experience. Consider that their rating of a 6 out of a 10 may be your 4. We see so often at our company that some buyers apply condition expectations that may never be found in their budget for the models they desire. A good broker is going to be able to learn the buyer well enough to be able to focus them on what is possible, not the impossible.

I find, myself, when working with buyers that a calibration on condition expectations is vital to the success of any transaction. This to me is the largest challenge for self shoppers – getting educated on what sort of boat, in what sort of condition, falls within their budget. I often see self shoppers reject boats they should have accepted and finally – exhausted – accept a boat they shouldn’t. It takes so much time and market education to gain the confidence to know a good deal from a bad one, and often by the time they finally are educated to buy with confidence the market dynamics have changed due to currency fluctuations or supply.

The one thing I stress over and over is that every boat has a value in a given market, in whatever condition it’s in. Consider these past two months that Multihull Company Agent Carl Olivier in Tortola has been charged with the task of selling hurricane Irma salvage boats for an insurance company. Even rigless and upside down these boats have a value. It is simply a matter of determining what that fair market value is in the current market.

The determination of what is fair market value can be especially difficult for the self shopper as values can be directly tied to previously sold boat prices, which are not made available publicly. Further, even if these figures are obtained from a professional yacht broker, they may not include the necessary clarifications on the reported comp – whether the reported sold figure was a hard used ex-charter boat with little gear, a privately captained charter boat in average shape, or a pristinely cared for and privately owned vessel of a pilot or engineer who maintained meticulous logs of every piece of work they have done on the boat. The danger of course is that you train your eye on the cheapest one that ever sold, without a willingness to accept the fact that the boat was a very hard- ridden charter cat in need of some significant refits. For the buyer working with an experienced yacht broker these figures should be provided to you by your agent, with clarifications on the condition of the vessel and equipment on boat, the sold date, currency in which the vessel was sold and the value of that currency at the time of sale. The catamaran market is driven mainly by the Euro, not the dollar, so the exchange rate between these two currencies has a significant impact on the overall market.

Step Four: Making Offers

Let’s get back to our example, the Lagoon 420. Let’s say after phone calls and research you have determined that the option in Grenada is the best one to pursue. It sure looks good on paper. Should you hire a surveyor to go over and do a visual report? Fly down to see it yourself?

For a boat of significant interest, with that first condition vetting, my advice is always to make an offer pending survey and sea trial on the boat prior to any long travel to view or inspect her because you always want to establish the seller’s best price before flying any distance. While the boat may be a super 8 out of 10 in condition, that seller may want 60K more for his boat than the seller who has the same model in Tortola that is only marginally less clean, or a bit less equipped. Would you rather get a 7 out of 10 for 60K less? Most of our buyers would. That’s why we always feel it vital to establish the sellers bottom line on any yacht before investing time in flying to see her, let alone to survey her.

For the self shopper, in order to make an offer, you will need to call up the listing agent and ask them to put together an offer sheet for you to sign and send to the seller. Note: Please do not think that a simple email offer to a broker is going to get the seller excited to enter into serious negotiations with you. If you are going to go on a fishing expedition, you at least need to the bait the hook by showing the seller you are serious. That requires a written offer and a refundable deposit placed in the brokers escrow account.  It is of course imperative that you read in full any signed offers you may submit and be sure of the legitimacy and good standing of any yacht broker for which you may send in a deposit. Outside of the U.S., most brokers are neither licensed or bonded or support dedicated escrow accounts. If you are a buyer working with a buyers broker you can send in your deposit to your agent and ask them to hold it on your behalf for the purpose of submitting offers. Your broker will then draft up contracts for you to submit to sellers or seller’s agents on any of the yachts that appeal to you.

At this point in our example, you have submitted an offer, have a deposit in escrow, and then after some back and forth have established the seller’s lowest price. That price may or may not be a super deal, so then you will have a choice to make. Prior to finalization of the agreement, it may be worthwhile to go back and review secondary options that maybe didn’t have some things you wanted, but may have a more motivated seller. For the self shopper, you will have to have your deposit sent back, send that deposit on to the secondary options listing agent, and then submit a new offer sheet.

Some buyers have to go through this process many times before they really learn what the market value is or is not. Just as many sellers have to be chastened by time to accept the true value of their yacht, many buyers have to be chastened by rejected offers to finally learn what a good deal is or isn’t.

Step Five – Post Survey Negotiations

After you have narrowed your list, found the right option and negotiated the best price, it comes time to find yourself a good surveyor. This is a very big decision. The danger is that you choose a surveyor who really doesn’t know the market well or a particular brand of boat. Or who just isn’t any good!

Remember, surveyors are paid to find problems, so they do. And this is where I often see sales fall apart. The surveyor’s role is not to tell a buyer if he has a good deal or not, but to objectively survey a boat and find her faults. And often, after a survey, the buyer asks for credits or repairs that a seller is not willing to make, and frankly shouldn’t, given the price he may be selling the boat for. The seller is not required to make repairs or to lower the price based on the survey results.

My own advice is to focus on the big stuff, the real stuff, the consequential issues that may turn up after a survey. In most survey reports there are 2 or 3 significant things that might cost a bit of money to correct, while the other 28 items are minor stuff that one could tick off with a few days of work. Pick the big battles, not the little ones. The standard level that should be expected at a survey, and whether adjustments may be necessary also largely depends on the price that the boat is under contract for and whether a premium is being paid, or if buyer is obtaining a boat for below fair market value.

Buyer Brokerage or Self Shopper- Which one is right for you?

In yacht sales there is an enormous difference between a yacht broker and a salesman. A yacht broker is selling his or her expertise and is compensated by the seller for working with and for you as the buyer upon the sale. A salesman is someone who is really only interested in selling you what he or she has listed for sale. In our industry that means a listing he or she might have, or a new boat they can flip you on to, as opposed to presenting you with the better option even if it is listed by a competitor. A good buyer broker sets aside what might be their best immediate financial gain to serve your best interests, is deeply knowledgeable about all of the catamaran options in your budget, and is prepared to take the time to understand you and your needs to help you find the best boat.

As I said to start, the internet brings the world of boat sales to your door. But it does not help you understand what to do with all those choices once you open the door. That is what a great broker does, they will help you sort things out so they work for you.

A truly successful broker will have sold a lot of boats and will often have a wide range of very good listings that might in fact be the best boat for you, but it is vital that you know that he or she is going to focus on your needs, not his or hers, and help you make the right decision as if they were helping a family member.

About Andrew Holland

Andrew Holland is the Sales and Marketing Manager of The Multihull Company and is an avid catamaran enthusiast. He began working at The Multihull Company in 2007 after graduating from Temple University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Marketing. After joining the The Multihull Company team in 2007 as the Web and Marketing Manager, Andrew began working closely with TMC President and catamaran expert, Phillip Berman, where he quickly learned the many facets of the catamaran industry and soon took over the role of Sales Manager at TMC. Now, after being aboard and sailing nearly all of the major productions cats along the Eastern coastline and Caribbean, Andrew has taken that expertise to work with TMC clients, whether they are buying or selling a catamaran. Andrew has overseen the sale of over 800 catamarans around the world and is able to take the most complex transaction and make it a breeze! Articles by Andrew Holland include:

Read More

Testimonials

Andrew Holland came up with exactly what I wanted. He reported honestly and professionally he never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. Thank you Andrew, you were totally professional, but also I know that if and when we meet up, it will be like a friend finally meeting. You are always welcome on Aseka!
Beverly Cory
Voyage/Maxim 38

Things went as smoothly as possible. Andrew did a great job managing me!!! Probably the most difficult part of the broker’s job. As you are aware, I have used your professional relationships exclusively and couldn’t be happier with the service of finance, documentation and delivery company so far.
Victor Plavner
Fountaine Pajot Lipari 41

Read More Testimonials

How Do I Import and Pay Duty on a Boat?

by

How Do I Import and Pay Duty on a Boat?

By: Andrew Holland

When a US Flagged Vessel first makes her arrival into US Waters she is required to make what is known as a formal entry and pay US Duty and Import Tax due on the boat. When planning your formal entry into the US to pay duty, here are the steps that you will want to follow.

Notify Customs and Customs Agent of Your Arrival

First, you will need to contact US Customs and notify of them of your arrival and make them aware that you plan to make a formal entry into the US and pay Duty, or Import the vessel into the US . Once you notify Customs, you’ll then want to engage the services of a US Customs Agent who will purchase what is known as a TIB, or Temporary Import Bond, which covers your boat during the importation process.

Valuing Your Boat

The next step you will need to take is to place a value on the boat to determine the nominal figure at which the duty will be calculated. To do this, you will need to provide your customs agent with what is known as a “Pro-Forma Invoice”, value survey, or purchase agreement which provides the customs agent with an exact number to determine the tax due.

The Pro-Forma Invoice can be provided to your customs agent by a Licensed Yacht and Ship Broker or a Professional Surveyor.

Paying Duty

Once a value has been placed on the vessel, the customs agent can calculate the exact cost of Duty that will be due and provide the owner of the boat with an invoice and instructions on how to make payment to complete the importation of the vessel.

The items needed to import a yacht into the US as of April, 2018 are as follows.

  1. Bill of sale or Registration to show ownership
  2. A completed Pro-Forma invoice by a Licensed Yacht and Ship Broker or Professional Surveyor, A Value survey, or Executed Purchase and Sale Agreement to determine value at which duty will be assessed .
  3. EPA certification for the engines in the yacht.

EPA Certification required info:

  1. Make
  2. Model
  3. Model year
  4. Serial #’s
  5. Month and year of manufacture
  6. EPA engine family name
  7. Month/Day/Year ear of certification of engines.

The costs involved with an import on the vessel are as follows.

  1. Duty 1.5% X the value
  2. Merchandise processing tax .3464% X value w/ a cap of $497.99
  3. Import bond – Approximate Fee $500 – (Will Vary between Customs Agent)
  4. Harbor maintenance tax .00125 X value (if arriving as cargo and importing)
  5. EPA filing $75.00
  6. Miscellaneous Customs Fees assessed by Customs Agent – $400

Documentation and Clearance Papers

Once the Duty has been paid, the owner of the vessel will receive US Customs Clearance Paper known as an “Entry Summary” or CBP Form 7501, which shows Duty has been paid on the vessel. This document should be saved and kept onboard the vessel for the life of her ownership to show that she can cruise freely in US Waters as a Duty Paid vessel.

Does US Duty Paid Status Transfer to New Owners?

US Duty Paid status is transferable between owners so long as the boat maintains a US Flag and registration between sales.

If a boat is US Flagged and Duty paid only to changes flags and leave the US after a sale, if the boat is later sold to a new owner who wishes to reflag her US and bring back into the US the boat would be obligated to pay the duty again upon her re-arrival to the US.

About Andrew Holland

Andrew Holland is the Sales and Marketing Manager of The Multihull Company and is an avid catamaran enthusiast. He began working at The Multihull Company in 2007 after graduating from Temple University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Marketing. Before joining TMC in 2007, Andrew worked for Philadelphia Media Holdings on the Philly.com production team and freelanced for several major magazines around the country.

After joining the The Multihull Company team in 2007 as the Web and Marketing Manger, Andrew began working closely with TMC President and catamaran expert, Phillip Berman, where he quickly learned the many facets of the catamaran industry and soon took over the role of Sales Manager at TMC. Now, after being aboard and sailing nearly all of the major productions cats along the Eastern coastline and Caribbean, Andrew has taken that expertise to work with TMC clients, whether they are buying or selling a catamaran.  Andrew has now oversaw the sale of over 800 catamarans around the world since he began working with TMC and is able to take the most complex transaction and make it a breeze!  Articles by Andrew Holland include:

Read More

Testimonials

Andrew Holland came up with exactly what I wanted. He reported honestly and professionally he never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. Thank you Andrew, you were totally professional, but also I know that if and when we meet up, it will be like a friend finally meeting. You are always welcome on Aseka!
Beverly Cory
Voyage/Maxim 38

Things went as smoothly as possible. Andrew did a great job managing me!!! Probably the most difficult part of the broker’s job. As you are aware, I have used your professional relationships exclusively and couldn’t be happier with the service of finance, documentation and delivery company so far.
Victor Plavner
Fountaine Pajot Lipari 41

Read More Testimonials

Fuel System Maintenance

by

Fuel System Maintenance

Written by Alvah Simon.

In the pantheon of sailing saints, nestled between St. L. Francis Herreshoff and Father Joshua Slocum, I propose that we canonize Rudolf Diesel as the patron saint of the windless wanderer. For it was Diesel who, in 1892, had a revolutionary idea regarding the fledgling internal combustion engine. He postulated that if the compression ratio was sufficiently high as to create intense heat and a viscous fuel was injected in a vaporized form, there would be no need to introduce a high-voltage spark to create ignition.

For many years, these large-lunged thumpers did not change significantly. Their strength was in their robust simplicity. Their fault lay in their ponderous weight and sooty emissions.

Through spurts of evolutionary design, those faults have disappeared in the modern diesel. What remains is a long list of clear advantages over gasoline engines. The weight-to-power ratio now outstrips the gasoline engine, the fuel economy is approaching twice that of petrol, the emissions are markedly more environmentally friendly and, if given clean oil, fuel and air, the reliability and longevity are legendary. In the European passenger- vehicle market, diesel engines now outnumber their gasoline cousins, and of course, diesels totally dominate freight transport on the rails, highways and oceans.

For the cruising sailor, however, the most critical difference is safety. Whereas gasoline is highly vaporous and explosive, diesel emits little vapor and is almost impossible to ignite. When burned, it creates far less carbon monoxide than gasoline, an important consideration in small and ­relatively unventilated spaces. But diesel oil, as it is sometimes called, is a complex fuel with a long list of properties, such as lubricity, cetane rating (equivalent to octane in gasoline) stability and cold-weather performance.

Buyer Be Aware

Our first consideration should be at the point of purchase. While still stateside, one can be reasonably sure they are getting a fresh and clean product. Still, it may pay to have a close look at the marina or other outlet selling that fuel. If the docks and slips are neglected, so too may be the stowage tanks. When were they last cleaned? How much volume has been put through? If even remotely suspicious, pump the first quart into a glass jar or clear plastic container. The fuel should be bright and clear. Some areas tax recreational diesel at a higher rate than highway outlets and add a marker dye to police that policy. These are harmless and do not mask contaminants.

Twenty years ago, diesel oil had a shelf life of 1½ to two years. Due to heightened environmental regulations, today’s fuel is required to be ultralow sulfur. This makes it more vulnerable to microbial contamination. Also, due to insatiable demand from China and other developing nations, refineries are forced to crack the fuel in ways that increase volume but decrease quality. Now, decline in fuel quality can be detected in as little as six months.

Even where you live can affect the nature of the fuel. In extremely cold areas, such as New England, many fuel docks will sell No. 1 diesel instead of the standard No. 2 throughout the winter months. This has less paraffin, as it tends to wax up in extreme low temperatures and can block fuel lines. This practice results in less lubrication and can ultimately affect engine life. Increasing pressure to mandate the use of a biodiesel called FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) may present yet more challenges.

Once purchased, the fuel in the vessel’s main tank typically is held in a cool and dark environment that inhibits condensation and certain types of degradation. Not so for those ungainly jerrycans lashed to the lifelines. Multiple heating and cooling cycles promote copious condensation. Also, diesel exposed to sunlight (uncommon in normal situations) finds an encouraging environment for the growth of algae. I have always maintained that the only proper place for diesel is in the diesel tank. But if built-in capacity forces you to carry cans on deck, cover them from the sun, do not siphon or pour out the last dregs, and rotate the fuel in them often.

Water, Water Everywhere

Our job is not done once the amber liquid is in the tank, for there lurks a cabal of interrelated threats. These include oxidation, condensation, gel, sludge, rust particles, dirt, gums, varnish and an ugly plethora of microbial enemies both fungal and bacterial.

The single greatest threat to clean diesel is water because it not only has destructive properties itself, but promotes flow-on problems. Most engine manufacturers recommend a maximum of 200 parts per million. When exposed to oxygen or oxygen-bearing substances, the fuel naturally oxidizes. Water is, of course, one part oxygen and two parts hydrogen. Further, microbes need water to multiply and, in the process, produce acids that destroy fuel quality, corrode tanks and engine parts, and clog filters.

Clear signs of water in the fuel are irregular idling, excessive black or white smoke, and rapidly clogging filters. Your first line of defense is to keep the tanks as full as possible to reduce condensation.

But once in, there are two diametrically opposed strategies to deal with water problems, depending on the quantity of the moisture and how early it has been detected. These are emulsifiers and anti-emulsifiers.

Emulsifying additives break the water droplets down to particulate size, called micelles, so that they suspend in the fuel and pass somewhat harmlessly through the fuel filter and are burned. Anti-emulsifiers coalesce water into gummy lumps that drop to the bottom of the tank and, unless stirred up, remain below the pick-up pipe and eventually can be vacuumed out.

Another issue encouraged by ultralow sulfur content is the agglomeration of asphaltenes into an oily sludge that can block filters in as little as 50 hours of operation. A different type of additive called a stabilizer is required to combat this threat.

Sludge Drudgery

Next, we must deal with ­f­oreign growth in fuel with biocide additives. The diesel tank is a perfect petri dish for bacterial growth. It boasts water for germination, carbon for food, oxygen and sulfur for respiration, and trace elements for growth and propagation. So splendid is this environment that minute amounts of bacteria can explode into thick layers of pond scum that no filtration system can cope with. Add in fungal growth that forms robust mycelia mats to ensure a complete shutdown, usually at the moment of no return when entering a narrow coral pass.

Bacterial and fungal issues require different formulas of biocide. The marketplace has responded to these low-sulfur problems with a complex line of products to treat this ­confusing array of issues. There are two strategies, one a ­general shotgun approach and the other as focused as a target rifle.

As a preventive measure there is a plethora of additive brands that combine conditioners, emulsifiers, cetane-rating enhancers and general biocides that inhibit both bacterial and fungal growth. They increase the fuel’s lubricity, which reduces friction, extending engine life. Given the initial expense of any diesel engine, they are well worth their cost and should be used on a regular basis.

All the promotional ­calculations of the additives’ cost versus miles-per-gallon efficiency has little relevance to cruising sailors because we do not put enough hours on our vessels to make that cost significant. Nor do the claims of added power, for we are not hauling tons of cargo uphill, but rather pulling a relatively light load at constant rotations per minute through a somewhat standard medium. Let the long-haul trucker running many thousands of gallons per year through their vehicle crunch those numbers. What we need most is stability for fuel that sits for long periods in our tanks, and a reasonable purity once it is finally burned.

However, once a problem is detected vis-à-vis sludge, gel, black particles or general cloudiness, these multitasking products will not be strong or specific enough to effect a cure. The littlest bit of bacteria, nestled into a hairline crack in the steel tank liner, can survive a general treatment and escape to go forth and multiply. You must scoop up a quart of fuel and take it down to a professional diesel lab for analysis. Once the problem is identified as fungal, bacterial, hydrolysis, asphaltene, foreign debris or simple degradation, you can select the appropriate additive that’s strong enough to address your specific problem.

Ensure that the biocide is well-mixed with the fuel by going for a lively sail, or at the least, use a series of forward and reverse motions dockside. Be sure to give any separated day tank the prescribed treatment lest you reintroduce the problem via the injection pump return line. After introducing a biocide, plan to replace the filters after 10 hours of use because it will inevitably kill off a significant volume of organic matter.

Pressure’s On

When I mentioned earlier the elegant simplicity of the diesel engine I was excluding the injection pump, which is undoubtedly the most complex piece of equipment you are ever likely to own. Its tolerances are measured in ten-thousandths of an inch, pressure in the tens of thousands of psi. Orifices measure in microns less than the width of a human hair. This demands uncompromised cleanliness. A professional injection-pump shop looks like a surgery unit, complete with white robes, hairnets and gloves. This explains why that little pump alone constitutes more than 30 percent of the entire engine’s cost.

To protect that finicky investment, the fuel should pass through an efficient sequential filtration system. This begins with a relatively large and coarse initial filter/water separator, leading to a smaller and finer filter mounted on the engine. The main cartridge has a hydrophobic barrier made of silicone-treated cellulose. The repelled water particles coalesce into droplets that fall to the bottom of the filter housing bowl, where they can be sighted (in the case of clear bowls) and occasionally drained via a low tap.

Debate rages as to how many filters are required, how large, and how many microns they should be. The nuanced answer is: It depends. First, on how meticulous one has been in the sourcing, stowage and remedial treatments of the fuel. Next is how convenient it is to access the system for regular water drainage, filter changes and bleeding once the system has been cracked open.

The manufacturers ­recommendations are ­general guidelines that do not take into consideration the ­gallons-per-hour ­consumption of your specific engine, nor the average hours of operation. There are earthmovers sucking barrels per hour, generators running 24/7, and then there are the purist sailors who struggle to remember where the starter switch is. We sailors can get away with smaller and finer filters simply because we push less volume through them. But, however counterintuitive it may sound, this can be overdone. Multiple filters with small micron ratings can result in higher vacuum pressure. This can ultimately damage the O-rings and gaskets on the engine lift pump and result in injection-pump inefficiency or even failure.

I have successfully used the “10-2 System” for decades. My initial filter is a 10-micron Racor with a spinning water separator, and the engine-mounted final filter is a 2-micron cartridge. I change them at least as often as the engine oil, which means every 200 hours of operation or at the annual spring recommission, whichever comes first.

Don’t rely on your memory; tempus fugit. Install a proper Hobbs meter (engine-hour clock) to accurately track maintenance history, and mark on all filters with large numbers the date of change and engine hours at that time.

But if you are the belt-and-suspender type you may consider a bypass system in the event of a sudden ­shutdown, or a circular fuel “polishing” system to prevent such. The bypass is simply a diverter valve that funnels the fuel to an independent ­pre-filled filter and rejoins the main fuel supply line ­downstream of the original filter. It is important to ­isolate the ­primary filter at both ends via a Y-valve or add-itional shutoffs.

Because a polishing system operates independent from the engine, it requires a fuel-safe 12- or 24-volt pump capable of creating sufficient pressure to lift fuel from the main tank, force it through a filtration system and return it to the tank. As this requires ample engine-room space and usually comes at considerable cost, you may consider the services of a professional fuel polisher instead, who, in situ, will vacuum any sludge and debris from your tank bottom and run your fuel through a high-volume filtration system. This might be money well spent before a major offshore venture.

In conclusion, if you source, store, condition and filter your fuel as described, you can be almost guaranteed that Old Smokey will be less so, and purr away happily for many wonderful years and miles to come.

This article was originally published on Cruising World and is being used with the express permission of the publisher. Read the original here.

This article was originally published in Cruising World and is being used with express permission from the publisher.

Read the Original Here

Balance 526 “Dragonfly” is Launched and on Her Way Home

by

Balance 526 “Dragonfly” is Launched and on Her Way Home

Everyone had a wonderful time in St. Francis during the last two weeks of March as Balance 526 hull #4, Dragonfly, was commissioned for her owners, Dave and Lisa, and then sailed on to Cape Town. After a stop of a week or so, she took off for the Caribbean and is now half-way across the Atlantic on her way to St. Lucia.

Dave and Lisa threw a wonderful party for the build team in St. Francis and fun was had by all.

It was also the first time that Balance owner Phillip Berman was joined by his wife, Anne Gordon, who recently retired from her job with the Philadelphia Eagles after their Super Bowl victory in January. Anne had a chance to meet the entire build team and get a taste of the laid back life in St. Francis! Roger and Phil were able to surf together, Anne and Phil did some mountain biking, and it was just – as always – a super pleasant experience to be back in St. Francis.

The initial inspiration for the Balance 526 arose from our passion to design and build, from the ground up, the finest performance voyaging catamaran ever conceived for a couple or small family who really want to go places in speed and comfort yet carry significant cruising payloads. We set out to design the 526 to be simple to operate, to maintain, and enormously gracious to live on. We’re proud to say that the design was a success, as the 526 won Cruising World’s Import Boat of the Year in 2017.

See the 526

© Copyright 2017 The Multihull Company. All rights reserved.

BACK TO TOP