Building Our Dream Cruiser Once More Into The Breach... Part 1 By Bob Bitchin

The Decision: To Build a Dream No, I don’t mean acquaintances, as with many In the thirty-plus years I’ve been sailing I have people in the industry. We were friends. Every show, always had the dream of owning a Shannon. For which is about the only place we’d get together, we decades I have bought old, used and abused boats, fixed always tried to sneak away, down a little rum, and discuss them up, sailed them, lived on them and then sold them, the finer things in life... sailing. but the dream was always there. To build and own a And then I sold Lost Soul. brand new Shannon. I was walking back to my booth after the Sail A few years back I met Walter Schulz, designer, America meeting on Friday morning at the Annapolis owner and builder Sailboat Show. The of my dream boat, show wasn’t going and wouldn’t you The New Shannon to open for about know it, we hit it off "Bitchin" Global 52 20 minutes. I ran from the first time into Walter, my we met. The first old friend, on the time I saw Walter docks by his boat. was at the Annapolis He shook my hand Boat Show, around warmly, and we sat 1998 or ‘99. He was in the cockpit of there with a new the Shannon 47 that Shannon, looking for was there. buyers, and I went We talked aboard and sat below about how, in 2005, looking at what I he had a party at thought a real boat the Newport Boat should look like. Show celebrating his And then I sale of Shannon to a walked up on deck, couple who owned and there was Walter. an older Shannon. Not what you’d He was excited about expect for a man being able to start whose reputation was full time working on larger than life. He old, wooden boats, was wearing what his true passion. We most of the cruisers had some rum. We were wearing, khaki had lots of rum. We pants and a plaid were celebrating! shirt. Oh, and he had I didn’t see a tape measure on Walter for two years his belt. Now I ask after that. He was you, how many boat fixing boats, and builders are there I was working on who actually wear (and use!) a tape measure? He had Lost Soul. And then I sold Lost Soul, and here I was a scruffy black beard tinged with grey, and his hair was boatless in Annapolis, and Walter was back. I asked what long. He had a pipe clenched in his teeth, and he was happened, and I could see he didn’t want to talk about it. anything but yachtie. He was one of “us.” After a long pause he said that in June of 2004 he took I didn’t approach him. How could I? I was an a bad fall under a tractor trailer moving a boat rig. He ex-biker who had just started a silly little magazine for thought that the spill was a “sign” he should focus all his cruising sailors, and he was the designer and builder of attention on the two things that interested him most: yacht one of the boats that rich people bought. It took a couple design and classic wood boats. He had obtained three years before I approached him, but in a matter of minutes patents over the years on new, innovative hull designs, after I did, we were friends. including the Shoalsailer 35 and the 38 SRD powerboat 114 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com design. Hydrodynamics and hull designs had become “And then you were going to ship it back to the a dominate force in his life. His other big passion was US?” he asked. Building Our Dream Cruiser restoring old, classic wood boats. So in August 2004, I nodded, and he looked off again. Once More Into The Breach... Part 1 on the thirtieth anniversary of starting Shannon, he sold “Okay,” he said. the name “Shannon” and the Shannon molds to some I looked at him. investors. They formed a new entity called Shannon “Okay, what?” I asked. Yachts, LLC, with the plan that Walter was going to “Okay, you and I will build a boat. I can’t remain involved in Shannon have you sailing around as a consultant. But, like in something other than a many business people who Shannon. It’s not right!” are successful in non-marine I stood there looking at related industries and who him. He stood there looking then buy into boat building, at me. Jody stood there the new owners of Shannon looking at both of us and were confident that they shaking her head. had all the answers. The “You guys are nuts!” she big problem is, they did not ventured. “We can’t afford to understand the questions. build a Shannon.” The results were typically But by then I was bad, and in June 2007 starting to see what Walter Walter had to step back in had in mind. The basic hull and buy Shannon back under and bulkheads weren’t THAT his old company name, expensive, and with my “Schulz Boat Company.” Walter delivering a new boat in 1981. connections in the industry He also realized during this and my advertisers, we just traumatic period that he really missed boat building, might be able to do it! and the real “sign” from his fall was to convince him The rest of the show, Walter and I kept walking that, after all was said and done, he was just an old back and forth between our booths. "How about we build boat builder at heart. the new Global 52?" he asked. We plotted, we planned, I commiserated with him. I knew he thought his and we worked through the show. dream was to “retire” gracefully, but his destiny was to By the end of the Annapolis Sailboat Show we were keep building and designing great sailing yachts. When both committed (or I guess I should say we should have he asked what Jody and I planned to do I was almost been committed!) to building the new Shannon “Bitchin” ashamed. We’d planned on flying to China to see if we Global 52. could find a hull someone had started, that we could get And so, for the next 12 months we will try to take cheap, and then try to have it shipped back to where we you through the gamut of what it is like to build a dream could try and finish it. It was all we could afford. from the ground up. He sat there looking at me like I’d just stepped on his pet cat! The Company: Schulz Boat Company “Why not build a Shannon?” he asked, incredulous Why a Shannon? Because it is the only boat that I would consider anything else. building company that carries the man’s name who “Walter,” I almost cried, “there is nothing more I designs, builds and lives his creation. Shannons have want on Earth, but I can’t earned an international afford it!” reputation for quality He stuck his pipe in The Shop at Schulz Boat construction and offshore his mouth and looked off Company in Bristol. integrity. Shannons into the distance. Jody and have logged over a I stood there like school million bluewater miles, children after being caught including an impressive doing something wrong. list of circumnavigations “How much do you and many transoceanic figure you would pay over passages, mostly by there for a hull, deck and husband and wife teams. bulkheads?" he asked. Every major harbor in the I cogitated for a world has been visited by minute, and then gave him a Shannon. Shannon’s the figure I’d kind of been boatbuilding experience is playing with. an unbroken, evolutionary www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 115 This is the mold that the hull will be created with.

chain, from the Shannon 38 #1 built back in 1975, to The other goal of the new design is to eliminate the present day. During every week since 1975, there work, especially winching and handling sails. As I am always has been a new Shannon being constructed under getting a little long of tooth (okay, so I am over 60!) we Walt Schulz’s personal direction. Even when he sold the are planning furling headsails using electric winches, and company to the investors, he was still looking out for the of course the Leisurefurl Boom furling system for the owners of the Shannons under construction. No company main that we’d put on Lost Soul. One person is able to building semi-custom yachts anywhere can demonstrate raise, reef, or lower both sails just by pressing a button. comparable passage-making records, a stable management Bow thrusters will also be specified. team and a consistent, A lot of people uncompromising standard of Inside the Schulz Boat go for displacement quality for over 30 years. Company shop, finishing trawlers for long As a hands-on up a new boat. distance cruising to President, Schulz oversees avoid the work and engineering and production the open cockpit effort at Shannon. Schulz has found on most sailboats. received numerous U.S. While the popularity of Patents for his design work. displacement trawlers According to Ferenc is understandable in Mate in The World’s Best the abstract, the reality Sailboats, “Walter Schulz is of total reliance on the last of a wonderful breed mechanical equipment - the complete boatbuilder. just isn’t right for me. I He designs boats… and want to be able to sail then builds (them) - always home if something goes interesting and invariably one of the world’s best yachts. wrong. After all, it’s a boat. Something will go wrong! And the ride is a lot more comfortable on a sailboat The Boat: The “Bitchin” Global 52 than a trawler, with its gut-wrenching rolling motion in The Shannon 52 Global uses the sea-tested Shannon any kind of a seaway. 47/52 hull. The addition of a wheelhouse with an “almost As we build this boat we will keep you abreast conventional” cockpit behind will enable people to get of what we choose and why we choose it. Having out of the weather - sun, rain, cold, or heat. For the times a boating magazine does not make us the experts, with good conditions, there is a second outside helm but with the help of our advertisers, and the folks at along with a large sitting area. This is something we have Schulz Boat Company, Jody and I can hardly wait to always loved about our old boat. get “into” this project. 116 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com The History of Schulz Boat Company

Walt Schulz public relations executive is the founder and The Shannon 38 prototype before realizing that his President of Schulz is launched in 1975. true calling was in the Boat Company, builder boatyards where he had of Shannon Yachts. In spent his teenage and February of 1975, he college years. He also moved to Rhode Island began a life-long hobby and started Shannon of restoring wooden to build quality yachts yachts, the first being of his own design. As Bwana Muse, a 1932, 26- a hands-on President, foot sloop, which was Schulz oversees followed by Pagan, a engineering and 32-foot International 500. production at Shannon, Schulz and his and participates wife, Janet, moved in the company’s aboard Pagan as he began sales, technologies, to look for full-time marketing, accounting, work in boatyards. He and administration. was hired by a yard in Every Shannon ever built has been designed, Stamford, Connecticut, where his repair expertise very launched and sea-trialed exclusively by Schulz. quickly promoted him to Service Manager. In Stamford, Schulz is acknowledged in the international marine he commissioned and handled new boat warranty on industry for producing yachts many different types of yachts, of consistently high quality In the fall including Allied, Uniflight, over three decades, and of 1985, the Ericson, Hatteras, Catalina, is recognized as a design Shannon 43 Morgan and Far Eastern was announced and engineering leader and in Annapolis. built yachts. He also worked innovator. He has received on overall repair issues for four marine-related U.S. electrical, engines, propeller Patents for his design work. shafts, leaks, etc., on customer's Schulz attended New York boats at the 200 slip marina. University, Parsons School of It was while he was Design, received a Certificate working in Stamford, CT, that in Fine Arts from the Schulz met Henry Hinckley. Newark School of Industrial The yard Schulz was running Arts, and a Bachelor of did some insurance and Arts from Montclair University. warranty work on several Hinckleys. Inspired by Mr. Schulz was born and raised in the New York/New Hinckley and his high quality yachts, Schulz began Jersey metropolitan area where, as a high school student, to consider the possibility of using his education and he found part-time and summer work in the boatyards that boatyard experience to design a quality sailboat that lined the Hudson River had beautiful lines and in New Jersey. In order bluewater capability, to finance his education, The Shannon 51 and offered customers became a best seller. Schulz expanded his the opportunity to work from painting “customize” their yachts and varnish on boats to using standard hull and include electrical and deck molds. Unlike mechanical engineering, the other boats on delivery assignments and the market including engine repairs. After Hinckley, Schulz’s boat earning his degrees, he would be a semi-custom spent three years in the yacht. In July, 1974, he corporate world working began to draft the yacht as an advertising and that eventually would www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 117 launch his new company, the Beth Leonard took off in before many trade, professional, Shannon 38, named after the 1997 on her Shannon and community agencies. He is Shannon River in Ireland 37 for a three- year also the author of a children’s where both his grandmothers circumnavigation. book, “Will and Orv,” about had been raised. Shannon the Wright Brothers. Schulz was started in August of 1974. is currently writing a book Schulz consulted a about his favorite subject, noted naval architect, George boats, that is scheduled to be Stadel, on the design and published in the fall of 2007. with the financial backing Some Quotes About Walt Schulz: of a sailing afficionado “Walter Schulz is the and Allied Yacht customer, last of a wonderful breed Bill Stechman, he began to - the complete boatbuilder. seek out a place to build He designs boats, invents Shannon hull number one. rigs, invents hull shapes, After researching locations throughout New England, and then, unlike most others who work only on a Schulz finally settled on Bristol, Rhode Island, the computer, he takes saw and rasps and builds a half- yacht building capital of the world since the days of model. And then he builds the real boat - always Nat Herreshoff and the founding of Pearson Yachts. interesting and invariably one of the world’s best In February of 1975, Schulz began work on the yachts.” - Ferenc Mate, “The World’s Best Sailboats.” boat’s construction. Schulz put the final touches on the “The world would be a better place with more boat in time for the Annapolis Boat Show in October of characters like Walter Schulz around; if you meet 1975. The Annapolis show him, I’m sure you’ll agree. was a resounding success, The Shoalsailor 32 was honored Schulz is the opinionated with five orders taken and by Cruising World in 2001 founder, yacht designer, chief much positive feedback as the Boat of the Year. boatbuilder and resident guru about the new Shannon 38. of Shannon Yachts. In the Beginning in 1978, the past 29 years, Schulz has not success of the company only supervised the building prompted several new models of hundreds of Shannon including the Shannon 28, yachts, but has also been which eventually broke awarded four patents in the two Guinness single-hand, field of yacht design and offshore records, and the construction. Yes, Walter 38 Pilot. In 1985, Schulz Schulz is definitely a man expanded to powerboats, who thinks outside of the boat ultimately designing and shop.” - Yachting Magazine building 28’, 32’, 36’ and 45’ powerboat models. Since “Walt Schulz is the man behind Shannon Yachts 1974, he has solely designed rove 20 Shannon models and he has been building quality yachts since 1975. including the 28’, 37/38/39’, 43’, 47’, 50/51’ and 52’ When the first Shannon 38 made its debut at the sailboats, and most recently, the long-distance Shannon 52 Annapolis Sailboat show in 1975, Walt took five orders, Global. By 2004, over $100 million worth of Shannons and the company was on its way. In the 30 years had been built since the company’s founding in 1975. since, Shannon Yachts has launched 335 boats, sail In August, 2004, Schulz sold the assets of Shannon to and power, and the company has earned an esteemed an investor group, and bought position among the ranks the company back in 2007. of top quality yacht Many of Schulz’s employees builders.” – PassageMaker have been with him for over “Walter Schulz, the two decades, most notably outspoken head of [Shannon Bill Ramos, VP of Sales who Yachts] has been called one started with the company in of the last ‘complete’ boat 1975, and Tom Quinlan, VP of builders.” – Motorboating Production who joined in 1979. Schulz has written In 1996 Shannon 43 hull numerous articles that have #39 was delivered to Morgan been published in various Freeman and Mynra Colley- Lee. They are still cruising yachting magazines over the the Caribbean on it today! years, and he has spoken 118 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com Creating "Attitude" Step By Step - From Thought To Launch Step 2 - The Hull

In the previous issue we learned probably the most pretty much means as an owner I am active in all the difficult part of starting our project boat was deciding on decisions that are critical to my comfort and safety aboard which builder to work with. Once we had decided on a new boat. As an added incentive, Shannon is also Walter Schulz at Shannon Yachts, the task of building a known for delivering a boat that is "ready to cruise." As boat became a lot easier. we will explain later in this series of articles, they install There were three basic reasons we chose Shannon. First all of the gear you want on the boat, so you have one and foremost was reputation. When cruising the world, the place to go to if there are any problems. No hassling with one name that consistently brought a positive response was suppliers and outside installers. Shannon. In the 30 years I've been sailing I never heard a During our foray into choosing a builder, price was bad word about them, even from other boat builders! important, and as it turns out, building a completely Then there is the one-piece construction of the hull. custom "made in America" boat costs about the same as Walter Schulz has perfected the building of a hull in one semi-custom's from offshore. Thus our choice. piece. Most hulls are created as halves, and then glassed Our next step was to fly to the Shannon Shop in together. One-piece hulls mean more strength. That Bristol, RI, and meet with them. Once you sit and start seems pretty sensible to us. discussing the boat with Walter you see the real reason The third reason for our choice was the fact that people love his boats. Boats are not his business, they are Shannon builds custom boats, not semi-custom. That his life. When he's not building or designing new boats,

esign oent y e esigner Wlter Sl The goal of the new Bitchin 52 FMS (Full-Rig Motorsailor) is to create another dimension of comfort, utilizing the sea tested Shannon 52 hull. The additional comfort is provided by a wheelhouse with an “almost conventional” cockpit behind. The object is to enable people to get out of the weather - sun, rain, cold, or heat. For the times with good conditions, there is a second outside helm along with a large sitting area. Since Bob & Jody are long distance voyagers, the other goal of the new design is to eliminate work, especially winching and handling sails. The mainsail on the 52 uses a Leisurefurl boom with electric winches. The headsail is also roller furling. One person is able to raise, reef, or lower both sails just by pressing a button. In the event of any mechanical failure, the sails can be operated manually. Bow thrusters are also standard for ease of docking in tight quarters. The Shannon Bitchin 52 addresses the trend for some people who purchase single screw displacement trawlers for long distance cruising to avoid the work and the open cockpit effort found on most sailboats. The reality of total reliance on mechanical equipment is somewhat disconcerting. Even Robert Beebe in the original edition of “Voyaging Under Power” recommends using twin motors of the same size for safety, reliability and redundancy. Compounding the trawler issue is the use of extremely complicated fin stabilizers to keep the trawlers from excessive rolling. Sails do a much better job. Granted, the Shannon Bitchin 52, or any boat that can really sail, does not have the interior volume found in almost square shaped trawlers. However, the Bitchin 52 does provide all the necessary interior volume for a couple and guests to travel the world in luxury. n addition, it will travel thousands of miles through storms and rough seas without the fear of being stopped by mechanical or fuel problems. The Bitchin 52 and its diesel electric propulsion carries enough fuel to power without sailing for over 2500 miles. And the hull shape coupled with the balancing effect of the mast alone, even without sails, prevents rolling. Using the sails in conjunction with the diesel engine gives the vessel unlimited range. The Shannon Bitchin 52 will be able to sail right out of any harbor in the world and get to the next port or home. And there is a place to go for those who have reached a point in their life when they know it is time to come in out of the rain.

128 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com he's rebuilding old ones. In his shop he has projects Carrying over six feet of draft on a vessel precludes going, restoring 100-year-old schooners, right next to many of the pretty cruising places like the Bahamas, the brand new construction of cruising boats. Florida Keys, the Chesapeake, northern Europe and many So we get to step two. This is to choose a hull design others. The centerboard design is perfect for exploring. and build it. Keel design and construction issues are often For instance, the centerboard and its pin can be removed overlooked. External bolt-on ballast is a major problem without hauling the boat. The lifting mechanism is a in a serious grounding. Internal solid lead encapsulated simple-to-use and easy-to-maintain cable lead to a winch ballast is a safer and simpler idea, and this is how the in the cockpit. There are no complicated hydraulic arms Shannon is designed. holding the board down, so the board is free to swing up As for a keel choice, keel/centerboard hulls open up a if the bottom is encountered. lot of shoal draft destinations while still allowing a boat As for hull construction, we relearned that Walter has to perform well when sailing to weather. When cruising, been using isophthalic gelcoat since 1978, long before the keel draft and susceptibility to grounding are paramount “blistering” problems of production boats became public. concerns. Shannons have internal lead ballast, meaning That's right. They don't get blisters. Very kewl! the lead is cast and installed in a keel cavity in the one Walter also pioneered composite core linear foam piece hull. The lead is then encapsulated with fiberglass (Airex) and biaxial laminate construction in 1981 to creating another hull skin over the ballast. On a Shannon, increase strength while reducing weight. Shannon continuous fiberglass filaments from the sheer/deck run replaced balsa with closed-cell cross linked PVC foam down the hull across the bottom of the keel and back up to prevent delamination and rot from potential water the other side. The lead ballast is held in place by the migration. They also use vinylester resin and epoxy fiberglass structure of the hull. Surprisingly, 90% of undercoating for additional hull protection. Since the sailboats being built today have lead keels bolted to 1993, Shannon hulls have been reinforced with Kevlar the bottom of the hull. When a boat goes aground the sheer loads on the keel bolts is tremendous and there is no way to check damage to the bolts without removing the entire keel. The upward force on the aft top edge of a bolt-on keel can create structural damage to the hull. And if the boat with a bolt-on keel has a centerboard with a slot in the lead, the soft lead can close around the board when running aground. We decided on a centerboard because of the reduced draft benefits. Depth of water is a real issue in practically every part of the world.

Above, Jody poses with the boats designer/builder, Walter Schulz, at her first look at "Attitude." On the left and below you can see how Shannon's hull is made as a one-piece hull using their bolt-together hull form. This is very rare in boat building.

www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 129 Walter shows Bob how the gel coat is applied to the inside of the hull form, and is allowed to cure for an exact amount of time. On the right he is explaining to Jody how the materials that will go into the hull are designed to work together for extra strength.

Above: The Airex core is readied for application. The hard part is waiting just the right amount of time to Below: The fiberglass team suits up. allow the glass to set up, before applying the next layer.

hybrid laminates in areas subject to excessive impact in grounding situations. These are just a few of the reasons we chose to build at this facility. The design itself is also of concern when you are planning to sail to distant shores. Here are some of the things we were looking for. The forward sections of the hull beneath the waterline should be “vee’d” with an easy entry to avoid pounding in a seaway. Flat forward sections, influenced by inshore rating rules, punish and fatigue the crew during extended Working swiftly, they apply each layer of engineered cloth. passages. The mid sections should be full enough to allow the placement of tanks near the centerline and below the waterline. Tanks placed in the ends of a boat affect the trim as fluids are consumed and weights change. And the aft sections should have enough buoyancy to overcome the constantly changing weights of crew in the cockpit and gear in the lockers. The hull design should be able to accommodate the necessary weight that is required for tankage, gear, equipment, machinery, etc.

130 Latitudes & Attitudes Bill Ramos (l.) is the project engineer that will oversee the project from start to finish. He has been at Schulz Boat Company since he was a teenager sweeping the floors. On the right, Walter measures Bob to make sure eveything will "fit."

A few other things to be considered when designing of the gelcoat first applied to the hull mold. The final a good cruising boat: The rudder should be mounted on finish would be a polished gelcoat on which we will apply a rugged skeg for protection and the propeller should Prism Polish to keep it bright. be mounted in an aperture to avoid having an exposed The one-piece hull construction is something to propeller and shaft. A bent propeller blade can be field- behold. First the hull mold is readied for the new hull. repaired if necessary, but a badly bent propeller shaft The first step is mixing and testing the gelcoat. A small requires hauling the boat and professional help and amount is poured as a test sample. Then the gelcoat is machinery is not readily available in many parts of the applied to the inside of the mold. Timing on this is all- world. Finally, the hull design should have a low center important. When it has reached the right point in curing, of gravity along with the stiffness to be able to carry sail the fiberglass team is brought in. in heavy weather. The layup of the glass and Airex core are critical, and the With all these things in mind, we decided on the keel/ fiberglass team work together as if this were a sport. Layer centerboard design with a draft which we estimate will be after layer of glass is added and each layer is inspected and 5'2" maximum, which is very good for a 52' boat. allowed to cure before the next layer. Our color choices were open to any of the standard And it's not just any fiberglass. They use different Awlgrip colors. After long consideration we opted for the structural cloths for different areas. Crossing the weaves Claret, which is a dark burgundy. That would be the color of the cloth adds to the strength of the hull. Below the

The crew at Schulz Boat Company. Hundreds of years of experience assembled under one roof to build "Attitude," the Shannon/Bitchin 52.

www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 131 waterline the hull is laid up as needs you might have. As an ining reen thick as 2.5 inches, tapering to example, being as big as I am, With the global warming problems, thinking about 3/4" at the top of the hull. green has become a very real part of designing a the bunks had to be extended After the glass cures they boat. We have made some decisions based solely on a little. The showers were add the Airex core. This is a how it will affect the environment and/or the cost enlarged and even the close-celled foam that makes of cruising itself. Our first decision based on green overhead on the wheelhouse the hull lighter above the was the power system. Using Glacier Bay's electric had to be raised (or the sole drive system, we will save an estimated 40% on diesel waterline. Walter's design is costs when we are on a crossing. We will be able to lowered!) This affected the very critical when it comes to sit at anchor for long periods of time using solar and weight and balance of the weight distribution. battery power. Our decision to use the new SolarStik boat, and had to be taken The hull's design has the solar panel control system will help with this. When into consideration. heaviest concentration of it does come time to "charge," the high-voltage system This is where the real can completely re-charge the batteries in just 15 glass and resin, with Kevlar to minutes of generator time - a huge savings. Also, difference between custom strengthen it, up by the bow in our choice of Cherry for an interior wood was made and a semi-custom come the forward 1/3 of the hull. As based on the fact that it is a renewable resource, and in. Moving a bulkhead is you move back the hull's weight is from a harvested crop which is grown in North no problem at this stage in a is reduced until you get to the Carolina. Attitude will also feature plenty of solar custom design. stern, where once again, you get and wind generation to keep fuel consumption to a We also had to decide on minimum. As the boat is completed we will stay on the extra protection of more glass. top of the latest technology to "think green." our rig (sloop, cutter or ketch) Once the hull was and all the things like, if we engineered and being laid up, would want air conditioning, we got to the fun part... designing the interior. This had what type refrigeration, electronics, etc. to be done before the deck mold was crated, so you could By the time we finished the reworked layout had changed move the sections as needed to allow for a better interior considerably. We had decided on a V-berth forward as layout, while maintaining the proper weight ratios. opposed to a centerline queen, so when we had crew it This was actually kind of funny. You see, they had to would be easier for two to use the berth. We also reversed measure me before they could do the weight distribution the suggested layout of the forward head, and put the head calculations. Being 6'4" and as wide as the average itself in the walk-in shower, with a drop board, so there was grizzly bear made the ultimate height of the overhead more room for showers in the guest cabin. a few inches higher than most, and the doors a little wider. Believe it or not, this is standard procedure on all Shannons. Every owner is measured for a custom fit. They have built boats for couples from 5'2" up to... hey! I set their new record! On the first day of our visit we watched the fiberglass team lay the first layer of glass in the one-piece hull, and then we started going over the interior. This is really a very important part of the build. It is at this point where you have to decide on all the little things that you want on your boat. In this way they can design the bulkheads and storage areas to accommodate any special

The original layout idea is shown on the left, and the "marked up" version after three hours of discussion is on the right. On the facing page is the "first pass" of the final design.

132 Latitudes & Attitudes e ti e FRM Attitude Step By Step - From Thought To Launch Part 3 - Ballast & Bulkheads

Ballast and Design fall off and the boat will turn upside We last left the Full Rigged down in the blink of the eye. What Motor Sailor (FRMS) Attitude can also happen in a grounding with waiting to be removed from the external ballast is that the force of mold. After the mold was taken the impact will drive the aft end of apart the hull itself was then the ballast up into the hull, cracking readied for the next step. That it to allow for a lot of water to get in. would be when the solid lead With this in mind, Walter designed ballast is installed around the this boat with internal lead ballast fiberglass centerboard well . and no keel bolts. And it should be Concerning ballast; people talk noted here that Shannon uses solid about the advantage of external lead despite its much higher cost, not over internal lead ballast being, iron or even concrete as is found on in the event of grounding, the many production boats, because the only damage is a dent in the lead. incredible density of lead relative to That is true if you just tap a rock its volume produces the most stability gently, but a significant collision enhancing sailing performance and will shear the keel bolts, and the loads can produce a comfort when sailing to weather in a blow. life-threatening situation on a boat with compromised The lead ballast is encapsulated to prevent any water keel bolts going hard to weather. The rock star Simon Le intrusion even in the event of massive grounding damage. Bon of Duran Duran found this out 20 years ago when An interesting part of the ballast encapsulation process his racing boat, Drum, lost its keel in the Fastnet race. is insuring the proper drainage of all incidental water aft When enough keel bolts get sheared, the laws of physics to the large keel sump. All of this has to be taken into dictate that the rest of them will snap, the ballast will account during the design stage. The stern is jacked up

This is the hull fifteen minutes after the form was taken away. Note that it is complete including the skag, so there are no seams or weak spots to leak. www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 135 In the photos on this page you see the materials that are gathered to create the ballast & bulkheads on the interior of the boat: Pure lead rather than concrete or iron, MAS Epoxy resins, reinforcements, and rolls of engineered fiberglass for structural strength.

a few feet higher than the bow and the final amount of pourable polyester material (which has the consistency of yogurt before the catalyst that hardens it is added) seeks its level before it hardens. After it hardens the hull is returned to a level horizontal position so the top of the keel slopes aft. Any water drains to the large keel bilge sump when the four bilge pumps (two electric-automatic and two manual) will be ready to pump it overboard. The bilge sump on the hull is deep enough with sufficient volume so we won’t have to worry about incidental water sloshing into low storage compartments when the boat is heeled. Finally, after adding a layer of fiberglass laminate over the ballast to create a second bottom, before the boat leaves the fiberglass shop, the entire hull interior surface is sanded smooth to eliminate any fiberglass burrs that can cut your hand, as anyone who has stuck their hand in a dark corner of a storage spot in a production boat unfortunately already knows.

136 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com Here you see the start of bulkhead installations. The first bulkheads to be placed are the midship's, and then the others are measured from the centerline of the boat.

The first step when a hull is moved into the finishing shop is the leveling process. To insure that the interior is installed level and plumb, the hull has to be adjusted in its cradle to sit exactly as it will when the finished boat is in the water. The next step is to install the centerline, a length of wire that runs from the stem to the stern exactly in the middle of the hull. All measurements are based on the centerline, confirmed with laser levels and double-checked with a plumb bob. Boat construction is much more complicated than house building as there are no right angles or corners to work from, and a sailboat hull contains continuous compound curves. To install components direct to the hull, the parts have to be scribed using a compass just like the one in high school geometry that the bad boys used to poke the nerds. Scribing results in a component whose inboard edge matches the compound curves of the hull where it is to be installed exactly. It is amazing how much of what they do there in the shop, like using a plumb bob and compass, is exactly like what the Phoenician boat yards were doing 3,000 years ago. Two full length keel stringers are then installed, fully sealed with fiberglass, including the weep holes to allow drainage to the keel sump. The construction of the interior starts in the center of the boat, at Station #5, the point on the waterline that is halfway from the bow and the stern. By starting to take measurements from this point, any slight error has a minimal effect on the final result. If the chain locker bulkhead (the forward most vertical surface in the interior) is installed first, a ¼” mistake can compound through the rest of the process back to the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, and be significant by the time the aft most bulkhead is which was the world’s premier yacht builder around installed. By working from the center out towards the the turn of the 20th century, also located in Bristol, bow and stern, the chance of error is reduced. RI. The last working Herreshoff carpenter, Knute Again, this starting in the middle of the boat Berg, retired from Shannon in 1986. His skills and is another old-time boat building technique. If it knowledge have passed on to the crew that still work doesn’t go back to the Phoenicians it at least goes at Shannon today. www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 137 As this will be the first Full Rigged This is the deck form, which will Motor Sailor (FRMS), the deck be modified for a raised salon. will be different from the previous Shannons. Here you see the mold that will start the procedure. It may be a little hard to figure out until you realize this is the reverse of what the deck will be when completed. On this vessel we will be using a raised salon, with a full steering station inside, as well as the standard aft cockpit found on a performance cruiser. So once again we have reached the end of the paper that has been allotted for this project. In the coming issues we will be discussing the other features of the boat, and why we have chosen certain items for either comfort or safety. If you would like to keep abreast of the build as it occurs, you can go to the bulletin board at the The next phase is bulkheading and construction of magazine's website. Just log into the interior. As Shannons are built using the critical www.seafaring.com, go to the magazine, then the Bulletin path method, at the time the hull is being molded, Board in Greg's Pub, and join the discussion. the cabinet shop has already started to construct See you next wood components, the electricians have begun their issue with the wire harnesses, and mechanics and plumbers are newest projects. constructing the components Suppliers for the boat’s systems. Design: Walter Schulz/Schulz Boat Co. Builder: Shannon Yachts The it i ComNav Autopilot/Instruments Dax Winch Handles Concept FRM Attitude Edson Steering/EmergencyBilge Specifications (subject to change) Forespar Mast & Leisurefurl Boom The Bitchin 52 is being Length on Deck: 51’ 11” GlenRaven Mills Canvas designed and built to Length Overall: 55’ 7” Handcraft Mattress Mattresses be a comfortable boat Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” Harken Winches, Furlers, Blocks JSI Upholstery for a couple to cruise Beam: 14’ 3” easily and in safety Lighthouse Windlass anywhere in the world. Draft: Centerboard Up: 5' 2“ Mack Sails Sails: Main & Stay Centerboard Down: 8' 7” Navimo Thruster The completed project will Mast Bridge Clearance: 64’ PolyPlanner Stereo & Speakers have all the comforts of home Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. Raritan Heads and a comfortable place from Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. Scandvik Sinks/Faucets/Lights which to sail the world in a Water: 180 gal. SolarStik Solar Panel Control safe environment using as little Fuel: (Diesel) 300 gal Ultimate Marine Cabin Sole Finish outside energy as possible. Waste: 50 Yale Cordage Running Rigging

138 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 4 - The Layout is Finalized

Setting the Layout On the construction, the frames Until now the interior of the are made of mahogany, and where boat has been pretty much in the they are removable they are lag- design stage, but now it has to be screwed into the stringers and lag- finalized. Sure, when we want to screwed or bolted to the bulkheads, make changes we can, but it will and fiberglass tabbed to the hull be much harder once the bulkheads where they are fixed. have been placed and the cabin The deck is cored with PVC soles are in. cross linked rigid foam called The changes to this point in Divinylcell. Linear foams like construction have all been in the Airex and Corecell have better forward cabin. We had to move the memory and are more springy, bulkhead to obtain both athwartship which makes them less well suited and compression structure. The for use in decks. Airex also gets sink was moved to port, and they soft in high temperatures, which straightened the starboard hanging makes it less well suited for a deck locker to gain more floor space where hardware, in places like the and open up the forward cabin. They also opened the V- Red Sea, can get roasting hot. berth filler floor space, and made the shower area bigger When Airex first came out, Bristol Marine used it in a as well. deck. Someone left a filled five-gallon metal pail on the deck As this is being written these are the changes in plans. and when they picked it up there was a recessed ring in the The newest floor plan is shown here. There is no doubt deck. Of course balsa has the water absorption problem that we will be making more changes as the build continues. nobody has been able to beat. Balsa is an engineer’s dream

114 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com material as it is light, strong and cheap, but once it gets wet through leaks around deck hardware and thru hulls, it eventually causes big problems. A few changes Now that the boat has been leveled and the hull to the forward stingers have been installed, the next step is to install cabin are all that were made the bulkheads and sub-sole framing. Because every since last issue. Shannon has a custom interior, the company, in essence, More floor builds a wooden boat interior inside a fiberglass hull space and larger and deck. By contrast, all production fiberglass boats shower area. are built with a fiberglass interior liner pan. This is a piece of fiberglass that comprises most of the interior components like the bunks, head and galley. Many boat builders will finish over these areas with a thin veneer of wood, but if you look close you can see that the basic structure is one piece of fiberglass. On those boats the internal fiberglass liner has slots in it for locating the bulkheads. Obviously, this is a method for mass production. Once their liner is placed in the hull, the location of every other component is established, and no one has to take a measurement to figure out where the wet locker is supposed to go, for example. In addition, all the systems and components like tanks, engine, hoses, fuel lines, pumps, etc., can be installed in the wide- open hull, and then the interior liner pan is dropped on top. While it is much easier to install these parts without the interior in place, access to all the boat’s systems are inevitably compromised. And even though most boat builders make a good effort to attach the liner pan to the hull, it is a lot of weight that can shift in extreme seas or during a grounding, resulting in catastrophic damage to the boat. At Shannon, the construction of the interior is done very differently. First, the bulkheads, made from a type of mahogany called luan, are cut to mirror approximately the hull shape in the place they will be located, as determined off the centerline of the boat. As a side note, the glues used in making Shannon grade exterior grade plywood have improved dramatically over the last 10 years, and never split apart or delaminate as can happen with inferior plywoods. Next, the outboard edge of the plywood is scribed using a compass to exactly match the interior hull surface. A ½” dense foam strip is inserted between the bulkhead and the hull to cushion the point of contact. On boats that don’t have this extra step, there is a hard spot where the bulkhead and hull meet, which, as the boat gets older, shows as a vertical line in the hull gelcoat, indicative of delamination. A polyester fillet in a half-round shape then covers the joint between the hull and the bulkhead. Use of such a half-round shape on both sides of the bulkhead creates more strength than just a right angle 90-degree joint. A 6” wide tab of 1 oz. fiberglass mat is then applied to the edge of the bulkhead and the hull. In a step that is pretty much exclusive to Shannon, the bulkheads are then “stitched” to the hull by rope strands of fiberglass. Holes are drilled www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 115 Once the primary bulkheads are in place, the next step is to install the sub-sole framing. As every Shannon has a custom layout, the sub-sole framing for each boat is designed from scratch. The design of the sub-sole framing is critical.

in the bulkheads every 14” close to the hull, then these strands are fed through the holes to both sides of the bulkhead. This acts as a mechanical bond between the hull and bulkhead. The next step in the process is to tab the bulkhead to the hull using multiple 6” wide fiberglass strips. The fiberglass material is biaxial stitched roven with a 45/45 degree bias backed with mat to better spread the loads. Shannon is using MAS epoxy to laminate some of the bulkhead tabbing. On production boats, the only bond between the hull and the bulkhead is a chemical - i.e. glue-bond, which has limited strength that breaks down over time. Some boat builders try to achieve a mechanical bond by thru-bolting the tabbing, but that has a limited effect as thin layers of fiberglass lose strength as they are compressed by the fastenings. By using both effective chemical and mechanical bonds to fasten the bulkheads to the hull, the Bitchin Global 52 will have the best of all worlds. Once the primary bulkheads are in place, the next step is to install the sub-sole framing. As every Shannon has a custom layout, the sub-sole framing for each boat is designed from scratch to accommodate changes in the location and size of the interior components like the berths, heads and galley. The design of the sub-sole framing is critical as the forces created by the mast and rigging of a sailboat are staggering. The mast itself is being forced down into the hull, while the headstays and backstays are trying to pull up the bow and the stern respectively. In effect, the rig is trying to make the hull into a shape like a banana. If the interior components are not properly engineered, drawers that slid easily and doors that closed snuggly when the boat was on the shop floor will not open and close after the rig has been Farm-grown cherry tightened. The combination of the sub-sole framing and wood is being used the bulkheads help a Shannon to keep its shape. for the interior. A Solid mahogany lumber is screwed together to create renewable resource! a gridwork that will support the cabin sole and secure the bulkheads. Mahogany is an expensive hardwood, but Schulz uses it for this purpose because in spots the

116 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com Here you can see the deck being lifted out of the deck mold.

grid work is fiberglassed to the hull. Mahogany has a low moisture content, and fiberglass resin and laminates adhere to it better than to soft woods like fir. The sub- sole framing is lag-screwed into both the bulkheads and the full length hull stringers. The athwartship pieces of the gridwork are removable, so that the fuel and water tanks can be removed from the keel for replacement if necessary several decades from now. As the final step, the sub-sole framing is treated with Cuprinol wood preservative to insure that, like the rest of the boat’s basic structure, it will last several lifetimes. Following the installation of the sub-sole framing, the wood transverse knees for the chainplates are located on the inside of the hull and reinforced with additional “blankets” of fiberglass laminates. Some boat builders just through-bolt chainplates to the outside of the hull, but as indicated earlier, fiberglass alone without a wood core does not spread a compression load well. In addition, orientating the chainplates athwartship as Shannon does and not fore and aft, puts the chainplate in the same plane Designer and angle as the stay attached to it. In another interesting Walter Schulz contrast with production boat builders, they screw together discusses all interior wood components. Production boat builders the custom use a pneumatic air nail gun, which is much faster. layout with Something that is screwed together is much stronger than the Shannon craftsmen. something that is nailed together, especially in a boat that is constantly being stressed and flexed. In the late 1980s, Gulfstar Yachts of Florida attached a series of sensors to the hull of their new 60 footer, and the constantly changing loads shocked their engineers. Through his over four decades of experience, Walter Schulz has learned that a boat cannot be built too strong, and even with exceptional fiberglass work, the interior has to be constructed with the same level of care and engineering as the hull and the deck. As fiberglass is such a forgiving medium of construction, in most catastrophic events, the hull and deck are not compromised, but the www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 117 Smoothing the hull and checking for any imperfections.

So once again we have run out of paper, and must hold until next issue the deck construction and mounting. The hole for the bow thruster Who knows, we may even have room next issue for the is marked for cutting. propulsion. Time to whole interior separates from the hull, resulting in completion? Suppliers the boat being declared a total loss by the insurance Well, with any Design: Walter Schulz/Schulz Boat Co. company. Shannon puts almost 1,000 extra man hours luck you will be Builder: Shannon Yachts into the process of strengthening and reinforcing able to see the Bomon Custom windows ComNav Autopilot/Instruments the interior structure of a yacht like Attitude. This new boat at the Edson Steering/EmergencyBilge additional work may not be instantly apparent looking Annapolis Boat Forespar Mast & Leisurefurl Boom at a Shannon at the boat show, but pays for itself many Show in October! Fourwinds Wind & Solar GlenRaven Mills Canvas times for the peace of mind it brings to skipper and See you there. Handcraft Mattress Mattresses crew during a bad storm. Harken Winches, Furlers, Blocks JSI Upholstery Lighthouse Windlass The it i Mack Sails Sails: Main & Stay Metal Polish Pro's Hull Finish Concept Navimo Thruster FRM Attitude Oceanaire Windo & Port covers The Bitchin 52 is being Specifications (subject to change) PolyPlanner Stereo & Speakers designed and built to Length on Deck: 51’ 11” PYI Maxi Props be a comfortable boat Length Overall: 55’ 7” Raritan Heads for a couple to cruise Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” Scandvik Sinks/Faucets/Lights easily and in safety Shurflo Pumps anywhere in the world. Beam: 14’ 3” Draft: Centerboard Up: 5' 2“ SolarStik Solar Panel Control The completed project will Centerboard Down: 8' 7” Spinlok Line Control have all the comforts of home Mast Bridge Clearance: 64’ Spectra Watermakers and a comfortable place from Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. Technautics Refrigeration which to sail the world in a Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. Ultimate Marine Cabin Sole Finish safe environment using as little Water: 180 gal. Whale Water Systems outside energy as possible. Fuel: (Diesel) 300 to 400 gal Xantrex Inverter/Charger Yale Cordage Running Rigging Waste: 50

118 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 5 - The Interior Gets Tested By Bob Bitchin Photos by Taylor Klotz The Steering Gets Designed

Finalizing the Interior When he started using a 3-D Jody and I made a pilgrimage CAD software program for yacht to Shannon, in Bristol, RI, on our design, it projected the entire hull way to the Miami Boat Show. The so that there was no more "mystery" last time we'd seen the boat she zones in between the stations. It all was still in her mold, waiting to looked great on a monitor, but there cure. The amount of work that is no substitute for actually standing had been completed in just a few inside a full-sized mock-up, turning, weeks was astounding. reaching, bending to see if the When we arrived at the shop layout design actually works. we found our baby sitting with a The usual sequence for designing complete interior built out of what the interior for a Shannon is that looked to me like cardboard. Walt sends you some design concept I looked at Walter and told drawings of an interior layout so him, "No, I think Jody'd prefer a you get an idea of what you might wood interior." like. Then they come up with a He laughed, and explained preliminary design layout, and put that, as this would be hull number one of a new design, all the structural and support components in place. he wanted to make sure everything worked as it was In our case they had to relocate the forward head aft planned. The deck was not in place yet, so it was a little of the bulkhead to transfer the loads generated by the difficult to get the full feel, but after a few minutes we mast and its rigging and to deal with other structural were busy making small changes to make her our dream issues. Once we approved the revised plans, they took cruising vessel. Homosote and mocked- Walter told us that esign oent by te esigner Wlter Sl up the galley/office and women will generally not Back in the late 1970s BC (before computers) I found that by washer/dryer components. settle for ineffectual use using one half inch Homosote, a thick cardboard material, I could Once Jody and I, (more of space and become a build “mock-ups” of interiors before construction. Back in the old Jody than me!) went tremendous asset in the days, it was difficult to do accurate interior layout plans, as hull through the mock-up, we improvement of utilization lines are based on measurements taken at 10 points called stations were able to see what spaced equidistantly along the design waterline. As hull shapes of space at Shannon. He are compound curves, in many areas of the hull it was difficult to worked and what didn’t gets a lot of credit for determine exactly how fast the hull was curving in between two work. The drawings galley, cabin, and head stations. Not knowing how much interior hull space was available looked good, but the reality layout ideas that were all meant a designer did not know how much space there was before a was no home run. given to him by women bunk would extend out beyond the hull, a very bad thing. By first We went into a meeting mocking up the interior before we built it, especially on Hull #1 during the mock-up period. of each new model, meant we knew what would fit. As Shannon with Walter, and in less Walter told us that became the industry leader in custom interiors in a series of stock than an hour they were nowhere is the "stupid man hulls and decks, we started to mock up every new interior design able to move the Homosote syndrome" more obvious idea. It became quickly evident to me that women, for whatever components around to than in yacht interior genetic reason, have better spatial relations capability in achieve the best possible terms of solving specific interior design problems. designs. His reliance on utilization of space. the wife to get it right has My size presented a also created a few awkward moments when he had to definite challenge for Walt's interior design skills that would tell the husband (who is usually writing the checks) that have been impossible to get right without the mock-up. he can't come alone to look at the boat's progress. He It seems more difficult; how semi-custom boats can be needed the wife to make the final decision based on the built overseas, without the customer walking through a Homosote mock-up. mock-up first. We really appreciated the walk-through. www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 113 The first version of the galley layout. Notice the nav-station The newer layout has and single a prep area below the height bar. bar, and the Nav-Station facing forward.

So with some inexpensive Homosote, sheetrock screws, and a saber saw, they were able to enhance the whole galley, office and forward head layout. If they had taken our input and redone several full blown interior layout drawings, we would have added several weeks to the process. Even computer generated 3D has its limitations when it comes to designing a boat interior. Walter used the same formula when doing a new deck, Also, the washer- and especially, cockpit design. Once again he went dryer was moved out to full-size Homosote mock-ups to deal with all the from the bulkhead... ergonomic issues involved in cockpit and deck layout design. The only difference between interior mock- ups and deck/cockpit mock-ups is that they paint the Homosote white so that Walt can see and deal with the aesthetic balance issues. Just as the interior is mocked up full size before construction, the same thing is done with engines, tanks, generators, hot water heaters, air conditioners, etc. Having custom fuel and water tanks constructed for every boat has the significant advantage of maximizing the size (i.e. amount of fluid) held by each tank. A Homesote mock-up that is shaped to fit in exactly to the hull space available is made and then sent to Luther's ... making room for a wetlocker Welding in Bristol, RI, the maker of Shannon's 316L outboard. This stainless steel water and aluminum alloy 5052 mil. spec. view is looking aft. fuel tanks for the last 30 years. The custom tanks made by Luther are tested to two atmospheres both by Luther

The head was set up using a stand-in head, to make sure everything fit right.

114 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com When we arrived at Shannon they had mocked up the interior, and were waiting for us to make sure everything was just right. A few hours later, after we'd been in a meeting in Walt's office, we came out to find the V-berth almost done! Amazing! and Shannon. And just as the Homesote mock-up tank comes out of the boat, the actual tank goes back in, and if it ever has to be replaced decades later, it comes out as easily as it went in. By building the interior first, then installing the systems, it enforces the discipline of making sure everything mechanical and electrical is easy to get to and can be removed when it inevitably needs replacement. One of Shannon's strengths is, they don't put the systems in first and then build a boat on top of them. Similarly, the electrical harness, comprised of miles of copper strand tinned wire, is designed and then assembled in the electrical shop at Shannon and then installed. In this "critical path" method of construction, components are fabricated in the different Shannon A happy Bob departments simultaneously and then installed in the checks out the appropriate sequence to expedite the construction bow-thruster tube. process. After the mechanical and electrical systems are installed, the next step is deck landing, followed by the final phase of interior woodwork where the cabinetry in the interior of the hull is joined to the underside of the deck. Once completed, every wire, every plumbing junction and every mechanical device will be easily accessible to the owner. A New Steering Design from Edson The Edson Corporation has been designing the steering systems for boats a very long time. The Walt explains an idea to add trim-tabs company started in Boston in 1859, inventing the first to Bob & Jody. diaphragm pump. In 1902 they invented the worm steering gear which revolutionized the boating industry. Now, almost 150 years after their start, they are working with Walt Schulz to design a system for the new Shannon Bitchin Global 52. I figured since they designed the steering for one or two other boats, like the yacht America back in 1905, and one or two others since then, they were qualified. Walter agreed, and so we met with Will and Hank Keene at the Edson offices on a cold and blustery day in February to hash out the best system for this new design. www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 115 The staff at Edson came up with a two-speed steerer with "integral wheel clutch" built into the steerer. This two speed steerer would allow us to vary the rim loads on the wheel dependant upon how we intend to use the boat. It will also make up for the difference in strength between Jody and I. On the inside steering station we will use a mechanical chain and cable using Edson's bulkhead This is the way the deck ended up, using the mounted steering system. This will Homosote boards to "get the feel" of the deck. have a wheel brake, dual engine Now that Walter is okay with the look, a mold will be created to output the final design. controls and a smaller diameter wheel than the outside steering station. Outside will be similar, but will be set up for a larger wheel. The sheaves will be a minimum of 6", and we will be using 8" sheaves wherever we can. Also, on the exterior steering station we will have a clutch so we can disconnect the wheel when we are under autopilot. While we were at Edson we also decided we needed their bronze diaphragm bilge pump as our ultimate backup pump. They have been making similar pumps Jody comes up with since 1859, so we figured they might know what they an idea to make the were doing when building them. Ya think? moon-roof in the center an opening hatch for Engine Size is Set - Twin Screws better circulation. We had originally planned on using diesel-electric drives for this boat, but as it turns out, they are not building them the right size yet for our displacement. Glacier Bay has built a few twin 32HP units that are working well, but we needed at least twin 66HP units, and they are just not being made yet; probably a year or so out still. I have to tell you, this has caused a lot of time to go by determining the proper engines for this boat. But Glacier Bay has assured us, within a year they will be making a larger diesel electric drive system that will work for my boat. Until then, we have decided to go with standard diesel engines. We are looking at putting twin 75HP turbo-charged diesels in. Using twin screws will offer a multitude of options when cruising. We can select either engine when we want to conserve fuel, or opt for both engines when we need the power.

Hank Keene shows Walt how the shifting system barely clears the down tube.

The crew at Edson after deciding on the steering system.

116 Latitudes & www.seafaring.com ...And the Beat Goes On We selected a Lighthouse windlass A lot has been going on during ining reen for the boat. They have one of the this past month, with some major Thinking green has become a best reputations in cruising. They are very real part of designing a boat. built in the US, and are available in decisions being made while at the Many decisions are being based Miami Strictly Sail Show. There is soley on how it will affect the either 12 or 24 volt. By next issue we nothing like attending a boat show environment and/or the cost of will decide if we will be using 12 or when you are building a boat. Scary cruising itself. Using two smaller 24 volts diesels with twin screws will allow for the to the pocket book. us to run on a single motor on One of the most important items on calm days during a crossing. This windlass a boat, and not to be overlooked, are will save a lot of fuel. We will be and bow the heads. Walter using solar and wind power as thruster. well. Our choice of cherry for an suggested, and we interior wood was made based Okay, agreed, that the on the fact that it is a renewable once Raritan PH II E resource, and is from a harvested again we've hit the edge of the paper, electric/manual crop which is farm-grown in North so we will have to give it a rest for this Carolina. Also, we will be using head made a lot of LED lighting throughout, to save month. sense. It works as on electrical usage. We will cover We will be covering a lot more on an electric head, for this more as the project goes on. what's going onto the boat next issue. ease of use for guests and crew, but in But a little hint! We found a great the case of a problem, they also can helm seat over at Pompanette's booth be operated manually. Anyone who has ever had to fix a in Miami, and wait until you see how we are going to use clogged head at sea knows the benefit of that wisdom. LED lighting throughout the boat! And then there is the Ariston washer & dryer by As you can imagine, there were a lot of decisions made Splendide, which we found at WestlandSales.com. This is over the past month. But we are starting to see the boat a 110 volt stackable washer and dryer system with a vented come into fruition already. dryer, so it really works. Jody found Next issue we should be able to show you the these at the trade show in Miami and we completed deck put it on our last vessel, the Lost Soul. and raised saloon, She fell in love with them. By using a and we will have vented dryer we were able to keep up some more great Suppliers with all the wet towels that stacked up photos by Taylor Design: Walter Schulz/Schulz Boat Co. while cruising the Mexican Riviera, as showing each Builder: Shannon Yachts well as avoiding the search for laundry step of the build, Bomon Custom windows ComNav Autopilot/Instruments facilities while cruising. So we made as the boat goes Edson Steering/EmergencyBilge Walter find a spot for them in the new from drawing Forespar Mast & Leisurefurl Boom boat. At first we had them up against board to the sea. Fourwinds Wind & Solar Glacier Bay Diesel electric Drives the hull, but because of Walt's great idea And, yes, if all GlenRaven Mills Canvas of "testing" the layout first using the goes as planned, Handcraft Mattress Mattresses cardboard mock-up, we found we could it will be in the Harken Winches, Furlers, Blocks Hood Stainless Hatches move them more to centerline (better Annapolis Show! JSI Upholstery for weight!) and it allowed us to add a wet locker we didn't See you there! Lighthouse Windlass have originally in the plans. Mack Sails Sails: Main & Stay Mastlight LED Lighting Metal Polish Pro's Hull Finish Navimo Thruster The it i NAVTEC Rod Rigging Oceanaire Window & Port covers Concept FRM Attitude PolyPlanner Stereo & Speakers The Bitchin 52 is being Specifications (subject to change) Pompanette Nav-Seats PYI Maxi Props designed and built to Length on Deck: 51’ 11” be a comfortable boat Raritan Heads for a couple to cruise Length Overall: 55’ 7” Scandvik Sinks/Faucets/Lights easily and in safety Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” Shurflo Pumps anywhere in the world. Beam: 14’ 3” SolarStik Solar Panel Control Draft: Centerboard Up: 5' 2“ Spinlok Line Control The completed project will Centerboard Down: 8' 7” Spectra Watermakers have all the comforts of home Mast Bridge Clearance: 64’ Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels and a comfortable place from Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. Technautics Refrigeration which to sail the world in a Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. Ultimate Marine Cabin Sole Finish safe environment using as little Water: 180 gal. Whale Water Systems outside energy as possible. Fuel: (Diesel) 300 to 400 gal Victron Inverter Waste: 50 Yale Cordage Running Rigging www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 117 e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 6 - The Interior is Started By Bob Bitchin Photos by Taylor Klotz The Tankage is Created

Creating the Interior to us, we also wanted to use an The goal of this project is to environmentally friendly wood. create a yacht that will still be Teak and mahogany are two other strong and beautiful over the popular woods used by Shannon lifetime of several owners. This for interior woodwork, but they are boat is not built with planned both tropical hardwoods. While obsolescence in mind, like so much the people in the countries in South else that is manufactured in the America and Southeast Asia that world today. Walt and his crew are export these woods are entitled confident that archaeologists 3,000 to make a living, unfortunately, years from now will be digging up lumbering practices there are often hulls that they built and putting sails environmentally unjustifiable. on them to go sailing. American cherry, by contrast, is a As you will see, the next phase of renewable resource grown in vast construction shows how this boat is tracts that are selectively harvested built to last a long time. after about 30 years of growth. Now that the bulkheading is Being “green” is important to complete, the cabinet shop begins to us, and the last thing I need is a construct all the wood components Greenpeace inflatable following me that go into the interior. For the around in protest. wood, Jody and I chose cherry from the highlands of Because yacht building is a centuries old industry in North Carolina. While the beautiful aesthetics of this southern New England where the boat is being built, there wood with its subtle grain and lustrous color appealed is a strong pool of companies there that supply materials

114 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com

The head was set up using a stand-in head, to make sure everything fit right. like lumber. Shannon is one of the few companies its size that makes up all the wood components that go into its yachts. The real secret to quality control is limited subcontracting. Shannon starts with raw lumber that they finish themselves in a thickness planer. The wood itself is quality controlled for appearance, with about ¼ of it deemed not good enough to go into a Shannon. This wood is donated to the local high school shop program. Besides the quality of the wood selected, extensive use is made of solid wood in constructing all the interior components. If you look closely at most yacht interiors, you will see that locker frames, drawer fronts, bulkheads, etc., are constructed from plywood with a thin hardwood veneer with the edges trimmed in either solid wood or plastic Here you are looking to port. Notice the dual openings for the refer - front access T molding. While the glues of in port, top access when at sea. Also, lots of drawer space and undercounter storage. plywoods are much better these days, something made out of plywood is not going to hold up to decades of use and abuse. A locker frame or drawer front made of solid wood is going to always be stronger, and has the advantage that it can always be sanded and refinished back to original condition regardless of how badly it has been neglected. However, after a few sandings, you blow through the veneer on plywood and it never looks the same. The actual construction techniques on this boat for frames and doors is called mortise and tenon. This is where a slot is cut into a frame and the perpendicular adjoining has a corresponding “male” end that is inserted into the slot. The fit is tight and held together by two part epoxy glue. To enhance the finished appearance, the cabinet makers at Looking to starboard, you see the office and liquor cabinet area. On the right, the Shannon will make all the frames for opening you see is a wet locker. The Ariston stackable washer/dryer will sit alongside. the doors and adjoining lockers from one carefully selected plank of cherry to make sure that the grain of the wood matches. A mass production cabinet factory can’t and doesn’t take the time for this level of care. By making all the wooden components themselves, Shannon also is able to fit lockers, drawers, doors, etc., into the custom interior. If only one size drawer is made it is wonderful for cost-effective mass production, but that means that there is no maximum utilization of space. So custom interiors mean all the woodwork has to be made custom if it is going to be done right. Large components like galley units are built with the method known as glued and screwed cornerpost construction. That Under the raised saloon, at the forward of the engine compartment, is the battery means that in the corners of the panel. It will be easily accessable between the two drive motors. www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 115 galley base there are solid wood cornerposts. Plywood bulkheads are then glued with the two part epoxy glue as well as screwed on either sides of the cornerposts. The solid cherry stavings are then glued on the plywood, thereby hiding the screws going into the cornerposts. Another art of the method of interior construction includes shadow boxes. This means that where there is a linen locker or medicine chest in the head, the cabinet makers make up a box screwed together and finished with a Formica-type high pressure laminate on the inside. This box has a solid cherry frame that is slid into a corresponding cutout in a bulkhead that is framed on the inside with solid wood. The box is then screwed into that The wiring for the thruster has all been put in place, as well as the macerator for frame with screws on its inner the foreward holding tank. Below is the insert for the cabinet in the bathroom. frame. When you look at the box from the outside it looks like it is permanently attached to the bulkhead. But to remove the shadow box to get to vital components like the vented loop for the head intake, all you have to do is open the doors, remove eight screws, and slide the box out. Like a lot that goes on at this stage of the construction of our boat, making shadow boxes is not cheap, and its usefulness is not apparent until something behind it breaks, which will inevitably happen. On

What you are looking at here is a new mold being built for the Global 52 raised saloon.

116 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com a lot of boats, when this happens you have to start up the boats I had, were "slow leaks" of diesel. In all three chainsaw, and you end up having to pay once again for of these cases, it turned out to be fuel tanks that were that great bargain price. either welded with the wrong type of welding rod, or The woodworking crews at Shannon are split into the just plain bad welds. The hassle of emptying, then cabinet makers who make all the wood components, and sterilizing, then sealing with a fuel-resistant epoxy, and the installers. The installers take these wooden parts, then (in two cases) rebuilding the cabin soles where the and fit and attach them into their appropriate locations. tanks were buried, was more than most cruisers want to Shannon's wood workers are among the best in the world, deal with. and know that their work is what people see first and will In the Bristol/Rhode Island area one man has a be looked at the closest. One tool that the woodworkers reputation of being the best tank man around. Bud never use is an air-nail gun. An air-nail gun uses Luther has been building tanks for Shannon and other compressed air to drive a nail into two pieces of wood boat builders, like Hinckley and Alden, for decades, to attach them together, slightly countersinking the nail and he is without peer in the area. When Walter was head. You can identify an air-nailed interior by the dabs finished designing the interior, as soon as the tank of putty that cover these nail heads. Using an air-nail gun dimensions were complete, Bud was called in, and he is a fast method to build a yacht interior, but unfortunately, soon set to work building tanks that would last the life wood components that are nailed together tend to pull of the boat. apart when subjected to the forces experienced on a boat. A fiberglass hull, no matter how thick it is, flexes in a seaway, and this stresses and strains wood components. On a Shannon, all the wood components are screwed together, which is much stronger than nailing them The forward shower is together. Where the screws are in locations that the being readied. Notice woodwork may need to be removed for access to the opening above equipment or machinery, the screw heads are left exposed. the toilet. There will When the woodwork is more permanent, the screws are be storage there. countersunk, and the heads are covered with a wood plug called a bung. And if you look close on any Shannon, you will notice that the grain of each bung is inserted with the grain of the bung in line with the grain of woodwork that it is attached into. One interesting aspect of the interior woodwork is the level of detailing that goes into all the components. For example, the solid wood drawer front panels all have raised panel bevels. Such intricate details are typical on yachts built in southern New England, and have the roots in the methods used by the Herreshoff boat yard during the Gilded Age at the turn of the last century. By contrast, the interiors of boats built in northern New England, while well done, have more of a stark, austere look that is often referred to as Maine work boat styling. Boats from the Far East have interiors with a much more elaborate “carved wood” appearance. It all is a matter of a taste, but we think that the Shannon look is appropriately nautical, but at the same time not overdone. But a lot of what is going into this boat will not be seen by most people, and it is here the boat's strength really lies. As an example, the fuel tanks. Over the past 30 years I have had a few boats. One of the biggest headaches I can recall, on the last three

Luther's Welding in Bristol, RI specializes in marine welding and tank fabrication. When it came time to get the tanks built there was just one man for the job. Here you see Bud Luther putting the finishing touches on the new fuel tanks. www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 117 The material they specify is 5052 alloy aluminum. It is we will not be using diesel electric propulsion. At this the only material that the US military approves for long time there doesn't seem to be a system made that will range fuel storage. power a boat this size. There will be in about a year, but As you can see in the photos, he has included numerous not at this time. extra fuel fittings. There is also a clean-out fitting on the Also, Walt did some figuring, and in order to sail at very bottom, so when we have its full potential, we had the the FilterBoss system installed, choice to go with either a we will be able to polish our esign oent by te esigner Wlter Sl ketch rig (to maintain ICW fuel whenever we want to, and One aspect of Shannon’s interior woodwork is the height) or a tall rig. We have clean all the fuel in the tank. level of detailing that goes into all the components. For opted for the tall rig. The water tanks are being example, the solid wood drawer front panels all have a There have been a lot of constructed of 316L stainless raised panel bevels. Such intricate details are typical on new items specified for the steel. Once installed we will yachts built in southern New England, and have the roots boat, and as they happen we be using the Whale System in the methods used by the Herreshoff boat yard during will update you here in the of water distribution, which the Gilded Age at the turn of the last century. By contrast, magazine. You can also track is a plug-and-play system the interiors of boats built in northern New England the construction of the boat where you can add and remove while well done have more of a stark austere look that is on Shannon's website. fixtures rapidly and with ease. often referred to as Maine work boat styling. Boats from So until next issue, But more on this later. the Far East have interiors with a much more elaborate this is where the project There have been two big “carved wood” appearance. It all is a matter of a taste, but Bitchin Global 52 is. Next changes made to the design of we think that the Shannon look is appropriately nautical month? We hope to have the boat. One is the fact that but at the same time not overdone. the deck installed. Concept Thinking Green FRM Attitude The Bitchin 52 is being Thinking green has become a Specifications (subject to change) very real part of designing designed and built to be a a boat. Many decisions are Length on Deck: 51’ 11” comfortable boat for a couple being based soley on how they Length Overall: 55’ 7” to cruise easily and in safety will affect the environment Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” and/or the cost of cruising. Two Beam: 14’ 3” anywhere in the world. smaller diesels with twin screws Draft: Centerboard Up: 5' 2“ will allow the boat to run on The completed project will a single motor on calm days Centerboard Down: 8' 7” have all the comforts of home during a crossing saving a lot of Mast Bridge Clearance: 73'’ fuel. Solar and wind power will Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. and a comfortable place from also be usd. The cherry interior Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. which to sail the world in a was farm-grown in North Water: 180 gal. Carolina. LED lighting will be safe environment using as little used throughout. We will cover Fuel: (Diesel) 300 to 400 gal outside energy as possible. this more as the project goes on. Waste: 50

Sponsors and Suppliers to the Global Bitchin52

Builder: Shannon Yachts Lighthouse Windlass Scandvik Sinks/Faucets/Lights www.shannonyachts.com www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com www.scandvik.com Bomon Custom windows Luther's Fuel and Water Tanks Shurflo Pumps www.bomon.com www.lutherswelding.com www.shurflo.com Brownell Systems Boat Moving Mack Sails Sails SolarStik Solar Panel Control www.brownellsystems.com www.macksails.com www.solarstik.com ComNav Autopilot/Instruments Mastlight LED Lighting Spinlok Line Control www.comnavmarine.com www.mastlight.com www.spinlock.co.uk Edson Steering/EmergancyBilge Marelon/Forespar Plumbing fittings Spectra Watermakers www.edsonmarine.com www.forespar.com www.spectrawatermakers.com Euro Marine Trading LopoLights Metal Polish Pros Hull Finish Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels www.euromarinetrading.com www.mppros.com www.stazo.com Forespar Mast & Leisurefurl Boom Max-Power Thruster Technautics Refrigeration www.forespar.com www.max-power.com www.technauticsinc.com Fourwinds Wind & Solar NAVTEC Rod Rigging Ultimate Marine Cabin Sole Finish www.fourwinds-ii.com www.navtec.net www.ultimatesole.com GlenRaven Mills Canvas Oceanaire Window & Port covers Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.glenraven.com www.oceanair-marine.com www.westlandsales.com Handcraft Mattress Mattresses PolyPlanner Stereo & Speakers Whale Water Systems www.hmcwest.com www.polyplanar.com www.whalepumps.com Harken Winches, Furlers, Blocks Pompanette Nav-Seats Yale Cordage Running Rigging www.harken.com www.pompanette.com www.yalecordage.com Hood Stainless Hatches PYI Maxi Props www.pompanette.com www.pyiinc.com JSI Upholstery Raritan Heads www.newjsi.com www.raritaneng.com

118 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 7 - Propulsion & Power Systems... By Bob Bitchin Photos by Taylor Klotz The Boat Is Becoming Finalized

Decision Making 101 we can quick-charge the batteries The past month has been a when needed. But if we are on a long flurry. It's been hard for Jody and ocean crossing and our batteries are I, as we've had to make some hard topped, we can turn off any of them to decisions. But it's been particularly conserve our horsepower and increase hard for the boat's designer/builder, our fuel range. Walter Schulz. The reason being, We opted to use the new Yanmar every decision comes down to his 4JH4-TBE motor, which is a four figuring out what will work best for cylinder, four-stroke, vertical, water the particular application. cooled diesel engine. It is turbo- As you can imagine, every charged and uses an intercooler. decision involves how the new We are coupling with their KM4A2 item will affect other items in the 2.63 reduction gearing. The boat. So it's not as easy as seeing standard 4JH4TE version is rated at something at a boat show and 75 HP at 3200 RPM, but the TBE saying, "Gee, let's get that." (HTBE is the 110 HP model with Here's an example. When we first KM4A2 gear box) version is rated decided to build a world-class cruiser, we wanted to be as at 110 HP at the same RPMs. up to date as possible. The biggest problem facing world The 4JH4 engine is a user-friendly, clean, thrifty and cruisers today has to be the cost of fuel. After all, the cost reliable marine diesel. The compact designed iron block of filling a tank can humble just about any boat builder. and head feature close space cylinders to save space and The Propulsion is Set weight. Extensive use of aluminium alloys in oil pan, Walter came up with a great plan for the propulsion. The covers, and in many parts make for good weight savings. more we work with it, the better we The total weight of the engine like it. And this is a good example and gearbox is about 524 (545 of why each decision affects others lbs. with KM4A2 gear box) that have to be made. pounds for each engine. The In order to get the best possible length is about 36 inches. economy on a cruising boat, we Yanmar’s new inlet swirl need to be able to cross an ocean design improves the fuel-air while being stingy on fuel. To mix, and the extra high pressure this end we went to Yanmar and fuel injection system and chose to run two smaller motors as close attention to coolant flow opposed to a single 150 HP motor. minimizes hot and cool spots for There are multiple reasons The standard Yanmar improved combustion efficiency. for this, and I believe in years 75 HP diesel When we want maximum to come more and more fuel efficiency we will have the cruising boats will opt for this option to run a single engine at configuration. Here's why. about 2200 RPM and get about 6-6.5 knots burning a tad By using two smaller motors we will have the option over one gallon per hour. Four hundred gallons of fuel of running just one when we are becalmed on an ocean should give us about a 2400-2500 mile range if becalmed. crossing, saving fuel. It also gives us an automatic But when we are in a hurry, or need to punch through "backup" in case of emergencies - a way of life at sea. heavy seas or currents, we would have two engines But wait (as they say on TV), there’s more! With two pushing us at an estimated 10 knots! motors we have the option of running multiple alternators. If Yanmar and Balmar have designed a better way to we need a quick charge we can run both motors, and using maximize DC charging output. The factory-engineered two 120 amp Balmars per motor (a total of 480 possible amps) Yanmar Alternator Mounting Bracket Kit provides all of www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 123

pg 123-126 Project Bitchin 52.i1 1 5/12/08 12:19:31 PM the components required to mount a charging current for the starting battery. used for starting both the generator second alternator on the side of the Mounted between the house battery and engines in an emergency. The engine opposite the standard alternator bank and the starting battery bank, the generator battery will also be charged position. Included in the package are Digital Duo Charge automatically and maintained through a Duo Charge. a mounting bracket, adjusting arm, provides up to 30 amps of charging We will be running three 4KS25P pulley, drive belt, belt cover, harness current to the starting battery whenever Rolls 4 volt flooded batteries for our adapter and mounting hardware. To voltage at the house battery exceeds 13 house bank. It is usually not a good provide protection against damage volts. When voltage at the house battery idea to mix battery types. This is to engine components, the optional bank drops below 13 volts, the Digital especially true of flooded and AGMs, mounting package provides a single Duo Charge automatically isolates the the reason being the two types of sheave pulley for the second alternator. starting battery from the house battery, batteries take charges differently and it This limits maximum alternator output preventing the starting battery from being is best to isolate them. However, the to 100 amps. unintentionally discharged. The Digital use of the Balmar Duo Charge insures And Now for Power Usage Duo Charge’s four selectable battery proper charging of the AGMs. Once installed on the engine this programs allow the user to properly The reasoning for using Rolls configuration is ideal in supporting large charge cranking type batteries, even flooded batteries for the house house battery loads. Both of our engines when thick plate deep cycle batteries are bank is because of the inverter are being configured with two 100-amp used in the house battery bank. power we will be using to run the Balmar high-output alternators to supply We asked Larry Janke at Southeast boat when at anchor or at sea. The a combined output of up to 200 amps Marine, who is our guru when it comes three 4 volt batteries in series will per engine -- this will be perfect for our to all things electrical, what our final give us 1350 amps of deep cycle 12 house batteries, which will be 1350 amps. battery configuration should be. To do volt storage, which should keep us When providing output from all four this we had to make some assumptions. happy while not running the Phasor alternators to supply a single battery bank, We figured the windlass and thruster 9.5KW generator. We are using the it’s necessary to control all alternators together should use about 120 amp Xantrex inverter/charger system to hours per day worst handle inverting power for the 110V The Yanmar diesel with the dual case. If we double all system throughout the boat. This Balmar rig that for inefficiency and will include some of the galley items stupidity, that is 240 we have added, like the ice maker amp hours. Four L16 (don’t leave home without it!), trash (6 volt) Fullriver AGMs compactor and washer/dryer. (model DC 400-6) Okay, as soon as the laughter dies are what we ended up down I will continue. What can I say? deciding on for the 24 I cannot recommend decadence as a volt system. We figured way of life, but it works for me! the windlass at a But back to reality. We want stuff maximum of 185 amps to work on the boat, whether we are x 5 minutes which is at sea, at anchor, or at a dock. The 925 amp minutes or inverter is what allows us to enjoy that 16 amp hours. The time to its fullest. thruster will draw 680 amps x 3.5 minutes which is 2,380 amp minutes with a single voltage regulator. Balmar or 40 amp hours per 3.5 minute has designed its multi-stage Max Charge duty cycle, so 48 amp hours need regulator with the ability to regulate two to be returned per thruster cycle. high output alternators at once, providing If we use the thruster twice a day balanced output from both alternators to that is 96 amp hours. the vessel’s house battery bank. When We decided on a pair of upgrading from an OEM to a high output DC-100 12 volt Fullriver AGM alternator, you always need to be sure batteries for the isolated engine that wiring and fusing are properly sized batteries, paralleled together. to ensure safe and efficient charging. The final battery choice is When combining both alternators for a Fullriver DC-85-12 volt to support house battery loads, Balmar AGM for the genset. We will recommends the use of its Digital Duo install a paralleling circuit to The three Rolls 4 volt lead acid batteries will handle the house bank. Charge to provide a reliable source of allow the house batteries to be 124 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com

pg 123-126 Project Bitchin 52.i2 2 5/12/08 12:20:32 PM Oh, yeah, and I almost forgot... This will be used to charge Global 52. It delivers up to 3000 the air conditioners. batteries when needed, as well watts of pure sine wave output from No, we are not going to run all as run the Climma 1600 BTU air our battery bank. Its 150 amp power- the air conditioners on the inverter. conditioner for the main saloon, factor corrected charger ensures That is not good for the batteries or and the two 7000 BTU Climma air that the batteries will be recharged for the air conditioners. But we are conditioners mounted in the fore quickly, using significantly less AC adding a small (7000 BTU) Climma and aft cabins. It will also run the input current to produce the same air conditioner for the aft cabin, Ariston washer/dryer. charge current. It comes with a which will run either on inverted When on dock power or on large AC wiring box, side-mounted power or the generator, so when we generator, we will use a separate DC connections and a built-in are at anchor in the tropics we can Xantrex XC5012 charger for the transfer switch that automatically sleep in comfort. engine starting bank. transfers between inverter power And of course there will be power Forward in the boat we will be and incoming AC power. It will tools, hair dryers and all the other using four 6 volt Fullriver AGMs in accommodate up to a 7500-watt things you don’t really need on a series to create our 24 volt system to surge, and the 100 A split phase or boat, but want! run the Max-Power bow 50 A dual input transfer makes for Okay, back to the thruster, the Lighthouse full use of available AC power. charging system. windlass and the new The Xantrex XC battery charger We will install two electric Harken headsail we will be using for the AGMs Fullriver AGM furlers. Yes, this is is designed primarily for marine starting batteries a brand new item for applications world-wide. They are of 1000 cold crank Harken, and we get to available in both 12 and 24 volt amps each charged test it! But more on that models. The XC chargers provide through a Balmar later. This complete longer battery life by independently Duo Charge system system will be isolated, controlling each battery bank and to isolate the AGM Above, the Fullriver AGM and will use a Xantrex starting battery batteries will be used for the 24 volt charger to from the Rolls engine and 24 volt system, keep them topped off flooded batteries while (below) three Rolls 4 volt whenever the generator lead acid batteries will handle when the engines the house bank. is on, or when at dock are running or power. We will use the another charge new Stealth Charger source is present. from Southeast Marine when we are For our generator we have chosen under engine power. For the Fullriver AGMs we will use the Xantrex XC5012 charger for the a Phasor K3 9.5 HP generator. It The new Xantrex MS3000 Sine isolated starting battery, and the XC2524 will be housed in its own sound Wave Inverter/Charger is what we volt unit to keep the Fullriver AGM shield. This uses a three cylinder will use for the house bank for 24 volt bank charged for the thruster, Kubota diesel, and runs at just 1800 inverting and for charging. We had windlass and headsail furling.

The Phasor Model K3 9.5 HP generator eliminating the problem of under or overcharging batteries. They feature a unique drip-proof design and fuseless reverse polarity protection to ensure trouble-free charging. The XC series can be used in a wide variety of conditions and locations. Auto-ranging AC input voltage capability (100- The new marinized MS3000 from 260VAC) makes cruising overseas Xantrex will handle the charging and inverting for the Rolls house battery bank. and in third world countries no problem. The digital display is RPM. It is a single bearing direct invertible to accommodate either coupled generator and has a remote the RS3000 when we re-fit the Lost horizontal or vertical installations, control panel for easy operation. Soul, and we loved it. The MS3000 and can be detached and mounted The whole unit is just 34.5” x 15.75” is the new marinized version of the wherever needed. The 12 volt x 22.5”, and it weighs only 460 unit that was originally made for models are available in 30A & 50A, pounds! It outputs both 120 and 240 the luxury RV market. So it was and the 24 volt models are available volts, and 9500 watts of power. our obvious first choice for the new in 15A & 25A. Another kewl thing www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 125

pg 123-126 Project Bitchin 52.i3 3 5/12/08 12:22:01 PM is there are three independently controlled begins charging the 24 volt system output banks to accommodate different battery at up to 20 amps. If no charging types and states of charge simultaneously. source (alternator or AC powered Also, there are settings for flooded, gel, AGM, charger) is present, house battery lead-calcium or custom battery types. voltage will drop below 13 volts As an additional charging system for the and the Stealth will shut off. The 24 volt system forward, we will be using the 24 volt system will now be isolated aforementioned and innovative Stealth Charger. and can not be discharged by other This is a DC to DC battery charging device, 12 loads. Whenever the alternators or volts in 12, 24 or 36 out. The Stealth Charger is This is the new Stealth generator is running or a shore-side Charger, to keep the 24 volt very efficient (about 90% compared to the much system topped off. AC charger is on, the Stealth will lower efficiency of most AC powered chargers). charge the 24 volt system and when The Stealth is wired in parallel to the house the batteries are fully charged will batteries and when a charging source raises the float them at appropriate voltage. house battery voltage to 13 volts or above the Stealth I have to tell you, without the help of Larry Janke at Southeast Marine I would have had a hard time designing the aforementioned system. Thanks Larry! Sponsors and Suppliers So there you have it. Due to a joint effort by the team at Shannon Yachts, working closely with Mack Boring to the Global Bitchin 52 (the distributor of Yanmar Marine engines), Balmar, Xantrex, Phasor Generators, Fullriver Battery and Builder: Shannon Yachts Mastlight LED Lighting www.shannonyachts.com www.mastlight.com Southeast Marine, a propulsion and power system has Artisan Mattress Mattress Max-Power Thruster been designed that is truly out of the 21st Century: easy www.artisanmattress.com www.max-power.com Balmar Alternator system Metal Polish Pros Finish fast charging, low fuel use and high performance while www.balmar.net www.mppros.com maintaining a luxurious lifestyle while cruising. Bomon Custom windows NAVTEC Rod Rigging www.bomon.com www.navtec.net Once again we have hit the end of our space. In the Brownell Boat Moving New England Rope Line next issue we will discuss the design of the centerboard www.brownellsystems.com www.neropes.com Climma Air Conditioners New Found Metals Ports system, along with showing you how far we have come www.veco-na.com www.newfoundmetals.com since starting this project. ComNav Autopilot Oceanaire Port covers www.comnavmarine.com www.oceanair-marine.com You can keep up with the construction of the boat by going Edson Steering Phasor Generator to the Shannon website at www.shannonyachts.com. www.edsonmarine.com www.phasor.com Euro Marine LopoLights PolyPlaner Sound System www.euromarinetrading.com www.polyplanar.com Force 10 Galley Stove Pompanette Nav-Seats www.force10.com www.pompanette.com Forespar Leisurefurl PYI Maxi Props Concept www.forespar.com www.pyiinc.com The Bitchin 52 is being designed and built to Fourwinds Wind & Solar Raritan Heads www.fourwinds-ii.com www.raritaneng.com be a comfortable boat for a couple to cruise Fullriver USA AGM Batteries Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler easily and in safety anywhere in the world. www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.veco-na.com Glacier Bay Insulation Rolls Batteries The completed project will have all the www.glacierbay.com www.semarine.com comforts of home and a comfortable place from GlenRaven Mills Canvas Scandvik Sinks/Faucets www.glenraven.com www.scandvik.com which to sail the world in a safe environment Handcraft Mattress Shurflo Pumps using as little outside energy as possible. www.hmcwest.com www.shurflo.com Harken Winches, Furlers SolarStik Solar Mounts www.harken.com www.solarstik.com Honda Tender Motor Southeast Marine Batt Syst, www.honda.com www.semarine.com Hood Stainless Hatches Spectra Watermakers www.pompanette.com www.spectrawatermakers.com FRM Attitude Hubbell Dock Power Spinlok Line Control Specifications (subject to change) www.hubbell.com www.spinlock.co.uk IMTRA Int. Lighting Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels Length on Deck: 51’ 11” www.imtra.com www.stazo.com Length Overall: 55’ 7” JSI Upholstery Technautics Refrigeration Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” www.newjsi.com www.technauticsinc.com Beam: 14’ 3” Lighthouse Windlass Ultimate Marine Sole Finish Draft: Centerboard Up: 5' 6“ www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com www.ultimatesole.com Luther's Tanks Westland Sales Washer/Dryer Centerboard Down: 9' 9” www.lutherswelding.com www.westlandsales.com Mast Bridge Clearance: 73'’ Mack Sails Sails Whale Water Systems Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. www.macksails.com www.whalepumps.com Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. Mack Boring Yanmar Engines Xantrex Inverter/Chargers Water: 180 gal. www.mackboring.com www.xantrex.com Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal Marelon Thru-hull fittings Yale Cordage Line www.forespar.com www.yalecordage.com Waste: 50

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pg 123-126 Project Bitchin 52.i4 4 5/12/08 12:22:45 PM e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 7 - Finalizing the Interior and Sail Plan... By Bob Bitchin Photos by Taylor Klotz The Engines and Tanks are in Place

Finalization at Last! forestay allows the larger sail to tack The hardest thing about building through the larger opening easily. A Hull #1 is the fact that everything you real no-brainer! do affects every other item on the Working on the rig and sail plan is boat. After going through this process a group effort. First, the designer has with designer Walter Schulz and to engineer the sail area and balance coordinator Bill Ramos at Shannon, it with the displacement of the vessel. I have nothing but respect for boat He has to take into the equation the builders. After seeing how each step weight, the keel shape, how the boat’s has to be considered, it amazes me bow cuts the water, and a hundred that boats are ever built! other things. We have covered in earlier articles Once he decides on the basic the hull design and basic layout. Now sailplan, the mast and boom have to we need to get into the rig design, and be decided on. We opted to use a finalizing the sailplan. Forespar mast and their LeisureFurl Walt had originally designed in-boom furling system. It is being the boat using a 64’ “Intracoastal one of the reasons I opted to build a coordinated by Alan Massey, the friendly” rig. The height was set by Shannon in the first place. There is project director at Forespar, and Frank the lowest bridge on the Intracoastal one thing about Walt’s designs. He Colinari at Bay Sailing Equipment, waterway. After some engineering doesn’t rest on his laurels. Every boat with locations in both Massachusetts tests he realized that in order to get he builds he learns something, and each and California, who will be building the performance he wanted from the one is just a tad more advanced than the mast and doing the rigging once boat, he either had to go with a ketch the last. the boat is ready for it. Colin and rig, or with a tall Travis at Mack The final layout of the Sails will be rig. In a phone Bitchin FRM Global 52 call we discussed designing and it, and I opted for building the the taller rig, 75’ sails with input from the waterline. from the boat's My decision designer, the was easy. I mast builder, much prefer blue- the boom water sailing to manufacturer greenwater sailing. and (sigh for Give me the them) me! offshore passage every time. I wasn’t Walt designed the “Scutter” rig many In the meantime, the engines, really interested in going down the years ago. When he first explained it generator and batteries had to be Intracoastal. to me, I remember slapping myself in placed for the final weight distribution With the tall rig the boat will have the forehead and asking myself why I so Walt could actually finalize the rig the full performance sail area needed had never thought of it. A very simple placement. Where the weight sits has to really get moving. Also, as I have change that simplifies sail handling. a lot to do with how the boat will sail. sailed ketch rigged boats for the past 30 In a nutshell, by placing the smaller Even little things, like how much chain years, I thought I’d like to sail with a Stays’l on the headstay it becomes a we will carry, where it will be, where single mast for awhile. simple task to tack, with the smaller the dinghy will reside, and a hundred The height of the rig was one thing, sail “blowing through” the opening other things all have to be considered. but the real novel design of the sailplan, between the headstay and forestay. The interior has been pretty well which Walt calls the "Scutter" rig, is Having the larger Genoa on the decided, and it is already over half 116 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com

pg 116-118 Project Bitchin 52.i2 2 6/9/08 4:07:31 PM The tanks from Luther's Welding are now in place, with the ... and the fuel tanks of aluminum stainless water tanks forward... located beneath the saloon sole.

completed. We made one large change to the layout last month on our visit to the Total Sail area 1465 Sq Ft Shannon yard. The raised saloon was originally laid out with deck access on both main - 743 Sq Ft the port and starboard sides, as well as an exit to the aft cockpit. We decided to 100% fore tri. - 722 sq ft I - 68.42 eliminate the port opening. This will allow us to have a larger settee on that side P - 60.5 of the saloon, and we can access the port side through the aft companionway. E - 19.00 More Decisions MH / DWL - 75’ During the building process you have to make decisions in a certain order, as the use of one item may affect another. This part of the boat's designing has been particularly difficult for us. Because we are in the business, we have a lot of friends and acquaintances who have products they'd like to see on the boat. We, of course, have certain ideas as to what we actually want on the boat. The decision as to what navigation system we wanted to use was pretty easy for us. While at the Miami International Boat Show we were wandering the navigation and electronics section of the show, and we stumbled upon a large

Stter ig by te esigner Wlter Sl encountered on The exclusive Shannon Scutter rig offers a variation on other boats in the cutter theme. In 1994 I developed the “Scutter” (short the higher wind for sloop/cutter to reflect the combination of the fore triangle ranges. The plan of a double headsail sloop and the mainsail of a cutter) Scutter rig also The finalized as an alternative rig for all Shannon models. A conventional incorporates 'Scudder Rig Sailplan. sloop cannot be reefed down to much less than 110% and a mast head still power the boat. A rolled-up genoa loses its shape crane resulting in the relocation when reduced more than 30%. It is impossible to take a big of the back stays further aft. This allows for 15% genoa and roller furl it down to a working jib. A rolled up more roach in the fully battened mainsail, enabling genoa also has a relatively long luff length, and additional the Scutter rigged 52 to sail to windward reasonably sail area up high just induces heeling moment, reducing well even without the use of headsails. You can sail speed and causing weather helm. The Scutter rig keeps the off a mooring with just your mainsail on a Shannon, boat sailing well in a wide range of wind speeds, without which is impossible with a high aspect ratio sloop. putting the crew in harm’s way as both headsails are rigged The Scutter rig makes for a faster boat in real world ready to go with the all the lines led aft to the cockpit. offshore conditions. I knew we had the Scutter rig right With the Shannon Scutter rig, a conventional roller when we were building a Shannon for Morgan Freeman. furling 140% genoa is positioned at the stemhead and five Morgan is deservedly acclaimed as America’s greatest feet forward of that on the bow platform is another stay that actor, but he is an even better sailor (and human being.) accepts a 80% working jib also on a roller .furler Morgan had been sailing a In less than 20 knots of wind, the boat is sailed Morgan conventionally rigged Shannon just like a sloop, with main and full genoa. As Freeman at 38 for 7 or 8 years all over the the wind picks up, the genoa is rolled in 30% to the helm of Caribbean when he decided to have a predetermined position with reinforcements his Scutter us build a larger Shannon 43 for built into the sail. With more wind, the genoa is rigged him and his wife Myrna. I was fully furled and the working jib is rolled out. By Shannon worried that Morgan would not locating a true working jib forward it is possible want to change, so I spent an hour to claw off a lee shore. The high cut yankee telling him all the advantages of working jib is small enough that it slides through the new Scutter rig. When I got the slot when tacking. Another feature of the done, Morgan just looked at me Scutter rig is that the center of effort on the and said “What the hell took you headsails moves forward as the sails are furled, so long to think this up?” and I which will reduce the weather helm typically really didn’t have a good answer.

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pg 116-118 Project Bitchin 52.i3 3 6/9/08 3:56:04 PM The new Furuno NavNet 3D is what we will use on the new boat. SpecificationsFRM Attitude (subject to change) Length on Deck: 51’ 11” Length Overall: 55’ 7” Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” Beam: 14’ 3” Draft: Centerboard Up: 5' 6“ Centerboard Down: 9' 9” Mast Bridge Clearance: 73'’ Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. Water: 180 gal. Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal Waste: 50

audience who were sitting enthralled watching a demo of a Sponsors and Suppliers new navigation system from Furuno. Builder: Shannon Yachts Mastlight LED Lighting Their new NavNet 3D system was so kewl it received www.shannonyachts.com www.mastlight.com the New Innovation Award at the show. Jody and I sat Artisan Mattress Mattress Max-Power Thruster www.artisanmattress.com www.max-power.com through the 20 minute presentation, and by the end of it Balmar Alternator system Metal Polish Pros Finish we were in deep discussion with Jeff Kauzlaric of Furuno www.balmar.net www.mppros.com Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging NAVTEC Rod Rigging on how we could put together this new system for the www.baysailingequipment.com www.navtec.net Bitchin Global 52. Bomon Custom windows New England Rope Line www.bomon.com www.neropes.com In a nutshell, NavNet 3D allows instant zooming, chart Brownell Boat Moving New Found Metals Ports planning, chart display changes and other chart handling www.brownellsystems.com www.newfoundmetals.com Climma Air Conditioners Oceanaire Port covers functions that are truly seamless. www.veco-na.com www.oceanair-marine.com It has a Black Box which is a super-charged graphics ComNav Autopilot Phasor Generator www.comnavmarine.com www.phasor.com processor that gives a true 3D chart presentation. Edson Steering PolyPlaner Sound System NavNet 3D incorporates a whole new dimension into www.edsonmarine.com www.polyplanar.com Euro Marine LopoLights Pompanette Nav-Seats chart presentation with instant chart rendering. www.euromarinetrading.com www.pompanette.com You have an option for traditional chart plotting or you Force 10 Galley Stove PYI Maxi Props www.force10.com www.pyiinc.com can choose to pan and zoom the chart to any angle at any Forespar LeisureFurl Raritan Heads range scale you choose. It is pre-loaded with full-scale, www.forespar.com www.raritaneng.com Fourwinds Wind & Solar Revere Personal PFDs complete NOAA raster and vector chart libraries for the www.fourwinds-ii.com www.reveresurvival.com entire U.S. Fullriver USA AGM Batteries Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.veco-na.com They use a “RotoKey” on-screen revolving menu key. Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Rolls Batteries A rotary knob on the control panel gives you full control. www.furuno.com www.semarine.com Glacier Bay Insulation Scandvik Sinks/Faucets It has a full-time 3-dimensional presentation. You can www.glacierbay.com www.scandvik.com see all of the information you want with no limit on what GlenRaven Mills Canvas Shurflo Pumps www.glenraven.com www.shurflo.com information you view. Plus, you can use a radar overlay, Handcraft Mattress SolarStik Solar Mounts Sirius Satellite Weather, AIS targets, ARPA targets, plus www.hmcwest.com www.solarstik.com Harken Winches, Furlers Southeast Marine Batt Syst, all of your chart symbols and depth soundings. www.harken.com www.semarine.com Oh, yeah. Did I mention that you can also overlay Honda Tender Motor Spectra Watermakers www.honda.com www.spectrawatermakers.com satellite photographs as well as tides and current info? It Hood Stainless Hatches Spinlok Line Control does a lot more than that, but we will cover that when we www.pompanette.com www.spinlock.co.uk Hubbell Dock Power Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels have the system installed and working. The fact is, we www.hubbell.com www.stazo.com have made the decision to go with this new NavNet 3D IMTRA Int. Lighting Technautics Refrigeration www.imtra.com www.technauticsinc.com system, as well as using the integrated autopilot, radar and JSI Upholstery Ultimate Marine Sole Finish instrumentation from Furuno that all “communicate” and www.newjsi.com www.ultimatesole.com Lighthouse Windlass U-Line Marine Ice Maker work together in a seamless system. www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com www.u-line.com We will get into the navigation system when we start Luther's Tanks Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.lutherswelding.com www.westlandsales.com installing it. Right now, we have, once again, hit the end Mack Sails Sails Whale Water Systems of the paper, and will have to continue this in the next www.macksails.com www.whalepumps.com Mack Boring Yanmar Engines Xantrex Inverter/Chargers issue, when we hope to have the deck in place, and some www.mackboring.com www.xantrex.com more photos of the engines in place. Manson Anchor Bow Anchor Yale Cordage Line www.manson-marine.co.nz www.yalecordage.com Also, we should have the new saloon house coming out Marelon Thru-hull fittings of the mold - the first of the raised saloon Global series. www.forespar.com Until then, we will keep on building and spending! 118 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com

pg 116-118 Project Bitchin 52.i4 4 6/11/08 2:15:55 PM e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 8 - Bulkheading and Deck Placement... By Bob Bitchin Photos by Walter Schulz and Taylor Klotz A New Steering System Design by Edson

Attitude Gets a Deck and all the chainplates would be The deck placement on a new exactly where they had to be for the design is one of the most critical steps structural strength needed in heavy in the construction of an ocean going weather. One of the key elements vessel. It has to not only be strong in a Shannon is the fact that they are enough to withstand all the pressures world-renowned for their ability to that the sea can throw at the boat, but take whatever the sea gods can throw it has to be ergonomically friendly at them. This strength has to be built and, of course, waterproof. in at this point in the design! The deck stage of this new Global The process of landing a deck on 52 was one of the major design a sailboat hull is a time consuming problems, as it is a totally new style. process. To enhance strength by That meant a lot of trial and error and creating a monocoque uni-body painstaking planning by the boat's structure, the bulkheads which are designer and builder, Walter Schulz. attached through the fiberglass We covered in an earlier tabbing process to the hull, are article how he worked for also fiberglass tabbed to the days with his crew making underside of the deck. changes to the style and The tops of the bulkheads design, so the deck would must be scribed within a half not only be strong, but inch tolerance to allow for the would also be eye pleasing cushioning foam strip inserted as well. in between the bulkhead and Once the design was the underside of the deck to completed they had to prevent hard spots. To do this build a new mold for the the deck must be positioned house, and the house over the hull, and the tops had to be married to the of the bulkheads are cut to deck. But first the deck approximate the contours of the had to be put in place underside of the deck. to make sure that all the The on-board office is readied for varnish (above), while the Next the deck is lowered engines and generator are placed in the engine room belowdecks bulkheads would be strong, prior to the deck placement and bulkhheading (below). close to the tops of the bulkheads

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pg 123-126 Project Bitchin 52.i1 1 7/9/08 11:12:15 AM using electric chain falls attached to girders supporting the roof of the shop, and then the bulkheads are scribed with a compass to mirror the contours of the underside of the deck, and then cut. The process is repeated several times until there is a uniform secure fit between the deck and all the bulkheads. Once the deck is permanently landed, the fiberglass crew uses half-round fillet and multiple layers of 6” wide 45/45 bias S glass biaxial roving with MAS epoxy to connect the tops of the bulkheads to the deck, after carefully covering all the varnished cherry wood on the bulkheads to protect them from resin drips. Laminating the bulkheads to both the hull and the deck creates phenomenal strength, reinforcing both the hull and the deck. When sailing, the mast and rigging are subjected to huge loads that transfer to the hull and the deck. These stresses can be spread to the entire structure of the hull, which has become, in effect, one piece by fiberglassing the bulkheads to both the hull and the deck. Because it takes so much time to scribe and cut all the bulkheads, some production boat builders skip this step, so the tops of the bulkheads float free on some production boats and the space is hidden behind a trim piece. This is one of the extra steps that Shannon Yachts takes as part of the “bullet-proof” construction process that really only counts if you get caught in a big storm or run aground. These steps are not done when bottom-line-obsessed accountants run boat companies.

The bulkheading process is a lot more than at first perceived. As the deck is slowly lowered into place, every inch has to be measured precisely so the MAS epoxy can be applied between the deck and the bulkheads. Then Sikaflex is used to bond the internal hull flanges. Then the hull is attached using aircraft flare-nuts with oversized washers on 3/8" thru-bolts.

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pg 123-126 Project Bitchin 52.i2 2 7/9/08 11:13:21 AM Notes n leding by Wlter Sl After 33 years of Shannons sailing all over the world and bouncing off every conceivable object like concrete docks, ocean buoys, 500 foot freighters, coral reefs, big rocks, etc., one statistic that I am most proud of is that we have never had a failure of the hull to deck joint. There are other boats out there that have seen the deck peeled off from the hull or have experienced mammoth un-repairable leaks in the hull to deck joint after a collision that nobody wants to talk about, especially my large friend Bob Bitchin who makes his living extolling the romance and the glamour of the cruising lifestyle. But Bob does know better, so that is probably why Shannon is building a boat for him and Jody. To end up with the safest boat humanly possible, it takes many steps like fiberglassing the tops of the bulkheads to the deck as part of the deck landing process like we do at Shannon.

To permanently land the deck before tabbing, the deck is raised up and Sikaflex sealant/adhesive is applied to the 5” internal hull flange. Sikaflex is much more expensive than other popular sealant/ adhesives, but it has the advantage that it stays flexible and does not harden and crack over time. An adhesive that is so rigid that it cracks turns out to be a bad sealant and will be a source of leaks that are impossible to fix. No matter how thick a hull is constructed, it is going to flex in a big seaway, and it is a bad thing when the adhesive in the hull/deck flexes and cracks, creating a leak. The hull and deck are then finally joined; mechanically fastened with 3/8” thru-bolts with oversized flat washers, lock washers and aircraft flare nuts on 14” centers. The deck is countersunk where it is thru-bolted to make the heads of the thru-bolts flush. Then the teak toe rails are similarly thru-bolted on alternate 14” centers, and the genoa track is also thru-bolted as part of the hull to deck joint for the aft 70% of the toe rail. The bow and stern pulpits and the stanchion bases are located outboard and thru-bolted as well as part of the hull to deck joint, so on average there is a mechanical fastening every 5” on the Bitchin Global 52. Importantly, every hull/deck joint thru-bolt on this boat is accessible without the need to rip the interior woodwork apart with a chainsaw. Inaccessible hull/deck fasteners are something you really don’t want to think about on a boat. www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 125

pg 123-126 Project Bitchin 52.i3 3 7/9/08 11:14:25 AM SpecificationsFRM Attitude (subject to change) Length on Deck: 51’ 11” Length Overall: 55’ 7” Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” Beam: 14’ 3” Draft: Centerboard Up: 5' 6“ Centerboard Down: 9' 9” Mast Bridge Clearance: 73'’ Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. Water: 180 gal. Notes on Steering by Will Keene of Edson Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal Edson initially developed the Dual Speed Multi-Mode Waste: 50 Steering Systems for boats 125 feet and up; for boats such as Adele (180’), Pin Gin (152’), Vision (147’), and Antanesia (125’). The feedback we got from these boats was so enthusiastically positive that we designed Sponsors and Suppliers the “Speedster" for boats in the 50-125 foot range. Builder: Shannon Yachts Mastlight LED Lighting It is the perfect solution for Bob and Jody because, quite www.shannonyachts.com www.mastlight.com simply, it has speed for Bob who is old and weak, and Jody Artisan Mattress Mattress Max-Power Thruster www.artisanmattress.com www.max-power.com who is young and strong. However, more importantly, it Balmar Alternator system Metal Polish Pros Finish has a speed for heavy air and a speed for light air, a speed www.balmar.net www.mppros.com for docking and a speed for passage making, a speed for Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging NAVTEC Rod Rigging the strong and a speed for the not quite so strong, and if www.baysailingequipment.com www.navtec.net Bomon Custom windows New England Rope Line so inclined, a speed for racing and a speed for cruising. www.bomon.com www.neropes.com Brownell Boat Moving New Found Metals Ports As Walter said, after 33 years of Shannons sailing all www.brownellsystems.com www.newfoundmetals.com Climma Air Conditioners Oceanaire Port covers over the world and bouncing off every conceivable object www.veco-na.com www.oceanair-marine.com like concrete docks, ocean buoys, 500 foot freighters, coral ComNav Autopilot Phasor Generator www.comnavmarine.com www.phasor.com reefs, big rocks, etc., one statistic they are most proud of is Edson Steering PolyPlaner Sound System that they have never had a failure of the hull to deck joint. www.edsonmarine.com www.polyplanar.com Euro Marine LopoLights Pompanette Nav-Seats Attitude Get's a New Steering Design www.euromarinetrading.com www.pompanette.com Will Keene at Edson has been working with Walter at Force 10 Galley Stove PYI Maxi Props www.force10.com www.pyiinc.com Shannon on a new system for steering the Global 52. This Forespar LeisureFurl Raritan Heads new system, designated www.forespar.com www.raritaneng.com Fourwinds Wind & Solar Revere Personal PFDs the “Speedster,” is a multi- www.fourwinds-ii.com www.reveresurvival.com speed clutched steerer that Fullriver USA AGM Batteries Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.veco-na.com provides the helmsman or Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Rolls Batteries helmswoman the ability to www.furuno.com www.semarine.com Glacier Bay Insulation Scandvik Sinks/Faucets change the steering ratio and www.glacierbay.com www.scandvik.com hence, “load on the wheel GlenRaven Mills Canvas Shurflo Pumps www.glenraven.com www.shurflo.com rim.” With the simple turn of Handcraft Mattress SolarStik Solar Mounts the control knob the “speed” www.hmcwest.com www.solarstik.com Harken Winches, Furlers Southeast Marine Batt Syst, of the steering system can be www.harken.com www.semarine.com changed so that a woman can Honda Tender Motor Spectra Watermakers www.honda.com www.spectrawatermakers.com steer the boat in heavy air by Hood Stainless Hatches Spinlok Line Control slowing the steering speed www.pompanette.com www.spinlock.co.uk Hubbell Dock Power Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels down, or the “Captain” can www.hubbell.com www.stazo.com speed the steering up to make IMTRA Int. Lighting Technautics Refrigeration www.imtra.com www.technauticsinc.com maneuvering around the dock JSI Upholstery Ultimate Marine Sole Finish a snap. www.newjsi.com www.ultimatesole.com Lighthouse Windlass U-Line Marine Ice Maker They have also incorporated a wheel clutch into the www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com www.u-line.com Speedster to serve two functions; first to relieve the auto- Luther's Tanks Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.lutherswelding.com www.westlandsales.com pilot of the fly wheel effect on the wheel, and secondly Mack Sails Sails Whale Water Systems to eliminate the fly wheel effect from the outside steering www.macksails.com www.whalepumps.com Mack Boring Yanmar Engines Xantrex Inverter/Chargers system when steering from the inside station. www.mackboring.com www.xantrex.com That wraps up this month's look into what it takes to Manson Anchor Bow Anchor Yale Cordage Line www.manson-marine.co.nz www.yalecordage.com build a truly unique world cruiser. Next month we will Marelon Thru-hull fittings show you more of what is going on behind the scenes to www.forespar.com develop a true world-class cruiser! 126 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com

pg 123-126 Project Bitchin 52.i4 4 7/9/08 11:15:09 AM e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 9 - Trying to Make it All Fit... By Bob Bitchin Photos by Taylor Klotz And a Quick Trip to Shannon & Harken!

Good News - Bad News! going tugs, and for lightweight If there is one generalization that catamarans, but to date no one had a can be made, it is that in building working system that we could go and hull #1 you will always encounter see. And even though Shannon is an unexpected problems. This being the innovator in many things, he did not first hull #1 I have been involved with, want to chance an untried system. we have proved the axiom. And so, after three months it When Walter Schulz and I first was decided that we would try an discussed this boat we were sitting on alternative idea to get the most out one of his boats in Annapolis at the of our fuel. The plan was to use two US Boat Show, and sitting there in the smaller engines. That way, when we warm sun, we were living in a perfect were becalmed we could run a single world. In that perfect world, we low-fuel consumption motor and get decided how kewl it would be if we the most efficient mileage. could have the new Shannon Bitchin- Working with the folks at Mack Global 52 at the following year's show. Boreing, the distributor for Yanmar Well folks, the bad news is, it Some Changes Are Made diesels, it was decided to use two 75 doesn't look like we will make it to So what has changed? Let's start at HP Yanmars, but to go with the turbo- Annapolis for the show! the top. The original plan was to try charged engine designs for better power. But wait! There is good news! It and create a diesel-electric propulsion This turned out to be an even better does look like we will have it for system, which Walt and I still believe idea than what we expected. We'll the next major show, which will be will be the system of the future. achieve an estimated 2500 to 3000 in Miami. mile range on just Besides, Miami 400 gallons of is warmer, and fuel. And bonus! a better place We'll have a to hang out on backup motor. our new boat! But when the If all had storm winds turn gone as and they're on planned it our nose, we will would have have the power been close, of two motors to but as we push us through encountered anything we some design might encounter. changes with Our next the propulsion setback came as (changed from we were placing diesel electric the batteries. You to diesel While the mold for the rasied saloon is being completed, the interior is coming together. see, just because motors), it we planned for didn't look like we could possibly make BUT, as it turned out, there was everything to be right didn't mean it it on time. Besides, Walter wanted to not a system being built that would would be. The batteries we'd chosen be sure everything was just right, and work with our size vessel. They had were the best we could find. That who am I to argue with that? great systems for mega-yachts, ocean meant for the house batteries we

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pg 113-115 Project Bitchin 52.i1 1 8/5/08 11:38:14 AM wanted to run three 4-volt flooded Rolls marine batteries. They would give us 1350 amps. We would be able to sit at anchor for days without running the generator. We even worked it out with Xantrex for a charging system that would allow us to use FullRiver AGM batteries for starting the engine and electric winches. As you probably know, it is not a good idea to combine two types of batteries in a system, but Xantrex came to the rescue by designing a system that would charge both types while keeping them isolated. AND THEN! It seems that there was this little pulley. It was needed to lift the centerboard. And guess what? It had to be mounted right where the Rolls batteries would go, Colleen McAulay is the lady who makes the varnish shine at which meant we would be three inches short for the batteries. Shannon Yachts. She has been there 12 years, and when she You see, they stood over 24" tall and weighed in at about puts on a coat of varnish, it is perfect! 1,000 pounds total weight. So they couldn't just be moved aside without affecting the balance of the boat! And so we had to go back to the drawing board and try to come up with smaller Rolls batteries with equal amps. We did find something close, but it meant another delay. And in the Meantime... It was still all ahead full at Shannon. The final paint design of the hull was decided on. We will use white and gold accents to set off the claret color of the hull. This will give it a longer, lower look when in the water. At the same time, the interior surfaces were given a few coats of varnish by Shannon's varnish expert, Colleen McAuley. Many of the cabinet pieces are varnished in their finishing room prior to being installed. We had spec'd a high Below: The completed Filter Boss System from our friend Andy Keenan at KTI is mounted and ready to go in place! gloss for the bulkheads and semi-gloss for the ceilings.

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pg 113-115 Project Bitchin 52.i2 2 8/5/08 11:39:05 AM FRM Attitude Length on Deck: 51’ 11” Length Overall: 55’ 7” Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” Beam: 14’ 3” Draft: Centerboard (Up/Dwn): 5' 6“/ 9' 9" Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. Water: 180 gal. Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal Waste: 50

Sponsors and Suppliers Builder: Shannon Yachts MAS Epoxies Epoxy www.shannonyachts.com www.masepoxies.com Artisan Mattress Mattress Mastlight LED Lighting www.artisanmattress.com www.mastlight.com Balmar Alternator system Metal Polish Pros Finish www.balmar.net www.mppros.com Notes on Eletronis by n reen Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging NAVTEC Rod Rigging The above drawing is the core of the Furuno Navnet 3D system. www.baysailingequipment.com www.navtec.net Since the Furuno is based on ethernet cabling, it will be reasonably Bomon Custom windows New England Rope Line easy to add another layer of computers to run the entertainment portion. www.bomon.com www.neropes.com We are going with Poly Planar’s MRD-70 marine stereo, which lends Brownell Boat Moving New Found Metals Ports www.brownellsystems.com www.newfoundmetals.com itself to the multi station design so someone can watch a movie in the Climma Air Conditioners Oceanaire Port covers cabin, while in the saloon, Jody can be listening to her tunes, while www.veco-na.com www.oceanair-marine.com Bob is cranking the jams in the cockpit! If he needs some help on deck, ComNav Autopilot Phasor Generator he can override everyone’s joy with a call on the intercom function. www.comnavmarine.com www.phasor.com Edson Steering PolyPlaner Sound System www.edsonmarine.com www.polyplanar.com For Navigation and Entertainment Euro Marine LopoLights Pompanette Nav-Seats www.euromarinetrading.com www.pompanette.com When we first started thinking about the navigation, Force 10 Galley Stove PYI Maxi Props communication, and entertainment systems on www.force10.com www.pyiinc.com Forespar LeisureFurl Raritan Heads Attitude, the conventional designs were always www.forespar.com www.raritaneng.com separate. In the “mega-yacht world" system designers Fortress Storm Anchor Revere Personal PFDs www.fortressanchors.com www.reveresurvival.com have had free rein to engineer these systems so Fourwinds Wind & Solar Ritchie Nav Compasses they will operate together. Well, if it’s good enough www.fourwinds-ii.com www.ritchienavigation.com Fullriver USA AGM Batteries Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler for the “rich” folks, it’s good enough for us! www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.veco-na.com The first thing was to get an idea of the overall Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Rolls Batteries www.furuno.com www.semarine.com system we wanted. “Simple, simple, simple,” I said Glacier Bay Insulation Scandvik Sinks/Faucets to Dan Freeman, our consultant on this project. With www.glacierbay.com www.scandvik.com GlenRaven Mills Canvas Shurflo Pumps the understanding that the parts www.glenraven.com www.shurflo.com on this boat need to be something Handcraft Mattress SidePower Thruster www.hmcwest.com www.imtra.com even I can understand, he came Harken Winches, Furlers SolarStik Solar Mounts back to us with what seems to be www.harken.com www.solarstik.com Honda Tender Motor Southeast Marine Batt Syst, a little complex, but really isn’t. www.honda.com www.semarine.com With the Furuno Navnet 3D as a Hood Stainless Hatches Spectra Watermakers www.pompanette.com www.spectrawatermakers.com base, we worked our way out The MRD-70 AM/ Hubbell Dock Power Spinlok Line Control from there. Since we will get FM/CD Receiver and www.hubbell.com www.spinlock.co.uk IMTRA Int. Lighting Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels into sharing the computer system RD-44 Display are www.imtra.com www.stazo.com in a later issue, the tunes deserve the base foundation JSI Upholstery Synergy Marine Dock Lines www.newjsi.com www.synergymarine.ca a little mention here. We for an expandable multi-zone system Lighthouse Windlass Technautics Refrigeration are going with Poly www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com www.technauticsinc.com Luther's Tanks Ultimate Marine Sole Finish Planar’s MRD-70 marine www.lutherswelding.com www.ultimatesole.com stereo. We will even be Mack Sails Sails U-Line Marine Ice Maker www.macksails.com www.u-line.com able to use the cockpit Mack Boring Yanmar Engines Westland Sales Washer/Dryer stereo for sound for our www.mackboring.com www.westlandsales.com Magma Barbecue Whale Water Systems own “sail-in” movies when www.magmaproducts.com www.whalepumps.com we use a projector on Manson Anchor Bow Anchor Xantrex Inverter/Chargers www.manson-marine.co.nz www.xantrex.com deck. Very kewl indeed! Marelon Thru-hull fittings Yale Cordage Line As we have once again run out of paper to write on, we www.forespar.com www.yalecordage.com will have to continue this in our next issue. See you then. www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 115

pg 113-115 Project Bitchin 52.i3 3 8/5/08 11:39:45 AM e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch By Bob Bitchin Part 10 - Building a fast boat to perfection!

Perfection Takes Time! found that a pulley had to go in a will sail in At a meeting a few weeks ago we specific spot. Placing it where it light winds had to make a decision, and it was a needed to go necessitated our moving like the Shannon 51 Performance tough one: to try and finish the boat in the batteries, which affected the Cruiser, but will be able to motor time for the Annapolis Show, which we weight distribution. Walt wasn't across any ocean using only about 400 would have to rush, or to take our time happy with that, so we re-designed gallons of fuel because of the dual and make sure that this "Hull #1" was the batteries' configuration to Yanmar setup. Also, even though it perfect. Perfection was the winner. put the weight where it belonged has all the comforts of a luxury yacht, In order to create a truly world- for the best performance. it will need very little charging to class boat, one that will stand up to We have made a lot of advances sit for days at anchor or undersail. all that the sea can throw at it, lot's in the final layout and engineering Next month we will have more, or of little things have to be considered. that we can't show you here, but when you can go to www.shannonyachts. As just one example, as we were completed will make a big difference. com to see more recent updates. mounting the newly designed Edson The biggest innovation of dual-station, dual-speed system, we this design will be that it

Length onFRM Deck: Attitude 51’ 11” Length Overall: 55’ 7” Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” Beam: 14’ 3” Draft: Centerboard (Up/Dwn): 5' 6“/ 9' 9" Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. Water: 180 gal. Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal Waste: 50

Builder: Shannon Yachts Sponsors and Suppliers Rolls Batteries www.shannonyachts.com www.semarine.com Artisan Mattress Mattress Glacier Bay Insulation Marelon Thru-hull fittings Scandvik Sinks/Faucets www.artisanmattress.com www.glacierbay.com www.forespar.com www.scandvik.com Balmar Alternator system GlenRaven Mills Canvas MAS Epoxies Epoxy Shurflo Pumps www.balmar.net www.glenraven.com www.masepoxies.com www.shurflo.com Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging Handcraft Mattress Mastlight LED Lighting SidePower Thruster www.baysailingequipment.com www.hmcwest.com www.mastlight.com www.imtra.com Bomon Custom windows Harken Winches, Furlers Metal Polish Pros Finish SolarStik Solar Mounts www.bomon.com www.harken.com www.mppros.com www.solarstik.com Brownell Boat Moving Honda Tender Motor NAVTEC Rod Rigging Southeast Marine Batt Syst, www.brownellsystems.com www.honda.com www.navtec.net www.semarine.com Climma Air Conditioners Hood Stainless Hatches New England Rope Line Spectra Watermakers www.veco-na.com www.pompanette.com www.neropes.com www.spectrawatermakers.com ComNav Autopilot Hubbell Dock Power New Found Metals Ports Spinlok Line Control www.comnavmarine.com www.hubbell.com www.newfoundmetals.com www.spinlock.co.uk Edson Steering IMTRA Int. Lighting Oceanaire Port covers Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels www.edsonmarine.com www.imtra.com www.oceanair-marine.com www.stazo.com Euro Marine LopoLights JSI Upholstery Phasor Generator Synergy Marine Dock Lines www.euromarinetrading.com www.newjsi.com www.phasor.com www.synergymarine.ca Force 10 Galley Stove KTI FilterBoss Fuel Filters PolyPlaner Sound System Technautics Refrigeration www.force10.com www.ktisystems.com www.polyplanar.com www.technauticsinc.com Forespar LeisureFurl Lighthouse Windlass Pompanette Nav-Seats Ultimate Marine Sole Finish www.forespar.com www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com www.pompanette.com www.ultimatesole.com Fortress Storm Anchor Luther's Tanks PYI Maxi Props U-Line Marine Ice Maker www.fortressanchors.com www.lutherswelding.com www.pyiinc.com www.u-line.com Fourwinds Wind & Solar Mack Sails Sails Raritan Heads Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.fourwinds-ii.com www.macksails.com www.raritaneng.com www.westlandsales.com Fullriver USA AGM Batteries Mack Boring Yanmar Engines Revere Personal PFDs Whale Water Systems www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.mackboring.com www.reveresurvival.com www.whalepumps.com Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Magma Barbecue Ritchie Nav Compasses Xantrex Inverter/Chargers www.furuno.com www.magmaproducts.com www.ritchienavigation.com www.xantrex.com Garhauer Main-sheet traveler Manson Anchor Bow Anchor Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler Yale Cordage Line www.garhauerarine.com www.manson-marine.co.nz www.veco-na.com www.yalecordage.com

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pg 159 Project Bitchin 52.indd1 1 9/8/08 10:11:35 AM e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 11 - It's Taking On a Life of It's Own...

By Bob Bitchin The Finalized Cockpit and Interior Features.

Everything Is and crew can move easily to the Coming Together! outside cockpit area and enjoy a day Over the past 10 months we under sail, all the while enjoying the have watched as an idea was put comfort of a Shannon. on paper (or in this case, on digital When the saloon was raised cyberspace!) and from an idea came Walter worked long and hard to a design. Over the last few months keep the balance of the vessel as that design has taken shape in wood close to the waterline as possible. and fiberglass, and it is now actually That will be one of the things that starting to look like a boat. allows the boat to sail so well. One of the major design features For speed under motor the single that we were trying to accomplish large diesel that is normally used was to have a boat that would was divided into a twin diesel perform under sail as well as the design. Using two Yanmar turbo- Shannon Yachts are famous for, charged motors will give the boat an and at the same time estimated 12 knots speed would motor as well as a Notes on te oit edesign by Wlter Sl under power. power yacht. As the project has proceeded, one of the goals has been to The original interior To accomplish this make maximum use of the outside helm and cockpit area. I have design was to be a three lengthened the seats to 6'2" so that it is possible to lay down on Walter Schulz started them to sleep outside - one of the great pleasures at anchor in the cabin layout. As the boat with his time-tested hull tropics. The helm station now will be a molded fiberglass unit that was created we decided design which has earned will accommodate two people behind the wheel and two people we would prefer an office a reputation for ease of in front of the console also facing forward. There will be storage over a third cabin, so handling and graceful under the two bench seats and the two double helm console seats, Walter was able to convert as well as a spot for the propane tanks. The lack of good places speed under sail. By to sit and sleep outside plus no cockpit storage is a problem with the third cabin. While raising the saloon a few conventional center cockpit yachts that has been well addressed in doing this he and Jody feet he was able to design a the Shannon Global 52's innovative deck plan thanks to the bitchin' redesigned the galley to true all-weather capability (I mean helpful) comments and excellent input from Bob. have a bar area. This into the boat, which will opened up the below deck allow the crew to stay warm and toasty in inclement area for socializing around the galley and the office area, weather. Of course, when the sun pops out the captain where we spend a lot of our time.

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pg 113-115 Project Bitchin 52.i1 1 10/14/08 7:17:14 AM The final cockpit design shows plenty of space and built- in comfortable areas.

The cockpit area has been opened up as well. This was background. You see, one of his early positions in the done so we could be as comfortable as possible when marine industry was doing warranty work on yachts. This cruising the tropical zones, where an outside cockpit is training early in his life led to his building in plenty of essential to the enjoyment of a cruising vessel. access. You will find on a Shannon there is virtually no A lot of small things have been added as the boat space that cannot be accessed. comes together. Little things like storage areas under the Speaking of accessibility, you will notice there is a washer stairway to the aft cabin. As you know, in a boat there is and dryer on the boat. One of the things that we learned from never enough storage, and even on a 52 footer, every inch 15 years of living aboard our previous boat was, a good washer of space is needed. and dryer are a necessity if at all possible. Space being what One of the key features of a Shannon is easily it is on a boat, sometimes you just can't fit them in. Here, accessible systems. From the very beginning, it has been Walter came through in high style. He was able to "stash" the a trademark of a Schulz design. This comes from Walter's stackable Ariston Splendid 110 volt washer and dryer right

Here you can see the under-stair storage (above) with the Nav-Station storage area being built. The Ariston washer and dryer are installed next to the wet locker and have their own holding tank for discharged water to keep the harbor clean & green.

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pg 113-115 Project Bitchin 52.i2 2 10/14/08 8:51:31 AM Here you can see the starboard and port cabinets being built for the aft cabin. Everything is pre-finished and then built into place. at the base of the steps, and when not in use you won't even deck in place. That is when it really starts to get hectic, know they are there. But when needed, they will be easily as the boat enters its finishing stages and it all comes accessible. Also, we have installed an isolated holding tank together as a functioning vessel. for the washer, so we won't be spewing soapy water in the The plan is to have the boat finished for the Miami Boat harbor when we use the washer in the marina. This is an Show in February. Everyone at Shannon is working to a often overlooked feature that launching deadline of late makes a big difference to December or early January. neighboring vessels. That way we will be able The aft owners cabin FRM Attitude to get the rigging up, take also has a lot of open space, Length on Deck: 51’ 11” her out and test everything Length Overall: 55’ 7” giving the boat an open and Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” so we can fine-tune her, airy feel while still allowing Beam: 14’ 3” and then sail her south, to plenty of storage and places Draft: Centerboard (Up/Dwn): 5' 6“/ 9' 9" warmer climates and to the to stash goodies, and a large Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. boat show. Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. centerline bunk. With any Water: 180 gal. But for now, once again, luck, next issue we will be Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal we have run out of paper, so able to show you photos of Waste: 50 we will leave FRM Attitude the boat with the house and for another month.

Sponsors and Suppliers Builder: Shannon Yachts Glacier Bay Insulation MAS Epoxies Epoxy Rolls Batteries www.shannonyachts.com www.glacierbay.com www.masepoxies.com www.semarine.com Artisan Mattress Mattress GlenRaven Mills Canvas Mastlight LED Lighting Scandvik Sinks/Faucets www.artisanmattress.com www.glenraven.com www.mastlight.com www.scandvik.com Balmar Alternator system Handcraft Mattress Metal Polish Pros Finish Shurflo Pumps www.balmar.net www.hmcwest.com www.mppros.com www.shurflo.com Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging Harken Winches, Furlers NAVTEC Rod Rigging SidePower Thruster www.baysailingequipment.com www.harken.com www.navtec.net www.imtra.com Bomon Custom windows Honda Tender Motor New England Rope Line SolarStik Solar Mounts www.bomon.com www.honda.com www.neropes.com www.solarstik.com Brownell Boat Moving Hood Stainless Hatches New Found Metals Ports Southeast Marine Batt Syst, www.brownellsystems.com www.pompanette.com www.newfoundmetals.com www.semarine.com Climma Air Conditioners Hubbell Dock Power Oceanaire Port covers Spectra Watermakers www.veco-na.com www.hubbell.com www.oceanair-marine.com www.spectrawatermakers.com ComNav Autopilot IMTRA Int. Lighting Pelican Products Flashlights Spinlok Line Control www.comnavmarine.com www.imtra.com www.pelican.com www.spinlock.co.uk Edson Steering JSI Upholstery Phasor Generator Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels www.edsonmarine.com www.newjsi.com www.phasor.com www.stazo.com Euro Marine LopoLights KTI FilterBoss Fuel Filters PolyPlaner Sound System Synergy Marine Dock Lines www.euromarinetrading.com www.ktisystems.com www.polyplanar.com www.synergymarine.ca Force 10 Galley Stove Lighthouse Windlass Pompanette Nav-Seats Technautics Refrigeration www.force10.com www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com www.pompanette.com www.technauticsinc.com Forespar LeisureFurl Luther's Tanks Praktek Fenders Ultimate Marine Sole Finish www.forespar.com www.lutherswelding.com www.praktek.com www.ultimatesole.com Fortress Storm Anchor Mack Sails Sails PYI Maxi Props U-Line Marine Ice Maker www.fortressanchors.com www.macksails.com www.pyiinc.com www.u-line.com Fourwinds Wind & Solar Mack Boring Yanmar Engines Raritan Heads Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.fourwinds-ii.com www.mackboring.com www.raritaneng.com www.westlandsales.com Fullriver USA AGM Batteries Magma Barbecue Revere Personal PFDs Whale Water Systems www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.magmaproducts.com www.reveresurvival.com www.whalepumps.com Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Manson Anchor Bow Anchor Ritchie Nav Compasses Xantrex Inverter/Chargers www.furuno.com www.manson-marine.co.nz www.ritchienavigation.com www.xantrex.com Garhauer Main-sheet traveler Marelon Thru-hull fittings Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler Yale Cordage Line www.garhauerarine.com www.forespar.com www.veco-na.com www.yalecordage.com

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pg 113-115 Project Bitchin 52.i3 3 10/14/08 8:53:45 AM e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 12 - The Deck in Place...

By Bob Bitchin The Saloon Design Comes Together!

Coming Into the Final Stretch In some ways it's hard to believe it has been a year since we started this project, and in other ways it seems impossible that it could be so short a time since Walter Schulz first started to create the Bitchin Global 52. But it was at the Annapolis Boat Show last year the idea was formed, and we have gone from a few sketches on some pieces of paper to a full blown hull, deck and basic interior layout in that short a time. With the deck in place the majority of the interior has now been created, and the openings for the New Found Metals' stainless ports have been cut, ready for their placement. The mold for the upper house has been completed, and a Homasote mock-up has been put in place in order to get the correct measurements and placement for the custom Bomon windows which will be created for the saloon. This had to be done because there is a minimum of six weeks for their fabrication. It also allows us to put together a Homasote mock-up of the interior setup. In this way we have a chance to actually "walk the deck" and make sure that the inside steering station and nav instruments will be easily accessible, and the seating will be both practical and comfortable. After all, a key part of the design is to insure comfort while cruising as well as safety and strength.

On the right you can see the deck, now complete. The holes for the New Found Metals' stainless portholes are cut and ready. Below, on the right, a Homasote mockup of the saloon was fabricated so the Bomon window system could be designed.

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pg 113-115 Project Bitchin 52.i1 1 11/11/08 11:40:35 AM The top photo shows how the final layout is being built from Homasote and dry- While at the Annapolis Boat Show wall screws for finalizing the "ergonomics" of the saloon. Below, the inside steering we stopped and checked out the Side- station and nav instrument area are dummied, while on the bottom of the page the Power Thruster we had installed on galley pass-through (l.) and port settee (r) are mocked up as well. Hope the settee the boat. Thought it might be easier to is more comfortable than it looks here when finished! see like this than it is when installed! By the way, the plan to have the boat at the Miami Boat show doesn't look like it will happen. We don't want to rush the completion of the boat, and, this being hull #1, it is taking a bit more time to complete than originally planned, but we know the wait will be worth it. But there has been a lot going on that you can't see here, and next issue we promise to have a lot more showing what has been accomplished now that all crews are working on the completion. Next month's issue we will have a lot more to show you and plan an extended article!

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pg 113-115 Project Bitchin 52.i2 2 11/11/08 11:42:39 AM Notes on te lley by Wlter Sl As we finish the galley on Shannon 52 Global #1 I am reminded of how innovations from marine suppliers improve boats. Improvements in insulation and refrigeration units have made the American birthright of an ice cold beverage of your choice an all-the time-reality when sailing. The Glacier Bay vacuum insulation panels that Bob and Jody selected are the best available, and have dramatically improved the R value insulation of the ice box/refrigerators while significantly decreasing the thickness of the insulation when compared to foam insulation. The panels operate on the same principle as a Thermos bottle, which the people at Glacier Bay can explain better than I can. This results in more room inside the refrigerator and the freezer, which leaves more space in the rest of the galley for all those other "necessities" of life, like Bob and Jody's trash compactor. Refrigeration units have gone from being the number one source of boat builders' warranty problems circa 1978 to be one of the ship's systems that you almost never have to think about. And Bob has selected one of the best units, the Kool Blue from Technautics. As I look back on the 33 years since I founded Shannon, ether is not a single area of our boats that has not been improved by innovative products from our suppliers. Better insulation panels and 12VDC refrigeration may seem insignificant in the cosmic scheme Here you can see the forward cabin of things, but from my perspective they are representative of the never ending getting the final assembly now that quest for excellence by American manufacturers. the deck is in place. Concept FRM Attitude The Bitchin 52 is being designed and built to be Length on Deck: 51’ 11” a comfortable boat for a couple to cruise easily, Length Overall: 55’ 7” economically and in safety anywhere in the world. Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” Beam: 14’ 3” The completed project will have all the Draft: Centerboard (Up/Dwn): 5' 6“/ 9' 9" comforts of home and a comfortable place from Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. which to sail the world in a safe environment Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. Water: 180 gal. using as little outside energy as possible. Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal Waste: 50

Sponsors and Suppliers Builder: Shannon Yachts Handcraft Mattress Mystic Stainless Stainless Shurflo Pumps www.shannonyachts.com www.hmcwest.com www.mysticstainless.com www.shurflo.com Artisan Mattress Mattress Harken Winches, Furlers NAVTEC Rod Rigging SidePower Thruster www.artisanmattress.com www.harken.com www.navtec.net www.imtra.com Balmar Alternator system Honda Tender Motor New England Rope Line SolarStik Solar Mounts www.balmar.net www.honda.com www.neropes.com www.solarstik.com Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging Hood Stainless Hatches New Found Metals Ports Southeast Marine Batt Syst, www.baysailingequipment.com www.pompanette.com www.newfoundmetals.com www.semarine.com Bomon Custom windows Hubbell Dock Power Oceanaire Port covers Spectra Watermakers www.bomon.com www.hubbell.com www.oceanair-marine.com www.spectrawatermakers.com Bristol Cushions Seating IMTRA Int. Lighting Pelican Products Flashlights Spinlok Line Control www.bristolcushion.com www.imtra.com www.pelican.com www.spinlock.co.uk Brownell Boat Moving JSI Upholstery Phasor Generator Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels www.brownellsystems.com www.newjsi.com www.phasor.com www.stazo.com Climma Air Conditioners KTI FilterBoss Fuel Filters PolyPlaner Sound System Synergy Marine Dock Lines www.veco-na.com www.ktisystems.com www.polyplanar.com www.synergymarine.ca Edson Steering Lighthouse Windlass Pompanette Nav-Seats Technautics Refrigeration www.edsonmarine.com www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com www.pompanette.com www.technauticsinc.com Euro Marine LopoLights Luther's Tanks Praktek Fenders Ultimate Marine Sole Finish www.euromarinetrading.com www.lutherswelding.com www.praktek.com www.ultimatesole.com Force 10 Galley Stove Mack Sails Sails PYI Maxi Props U-Line Marine Ice Maker www.force10.com www.macksails.com www.pyiinc.com www.u-line.com Forespar LeisureFurl Mack Boring Yanmar Engines Raritan Heads Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.forespar.com www.mackboring.com www.raritaneng.com www.westlandsales.com Fortress Storm Anchor Magma Barbecue Revere Personal PFDs Wallas Heating www.fortressanchors.com www.magmaproducts.com www.reveresurvival.com www.scanmarineusa.com Fullriver USA AGM Batteries Manson Anchor Bow Anchor Ritchie Nav Compasses Whale Water Systems www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.manson-marine.co.nz www.ritchienavigation.com www.whalepumps.com Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Marelon Thru-hull fittings Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler Xantrex Inverter/Chargers www.furuno.com www.forespar.com www.veco-na.com www.xantrex.com Garhauer Main-sheet traveler MAS Epoxies Epoxy Rolls Batteries Yale Cordage Line www.garhauerarine.com www.masepoxies.com www.semarine.com www.yalecordage.com Glacier Bay Insulation Mastlight LED Lighting Scan Marine Heating System Yachtwire Electric Panels www.glacierbay.com www.mastlight.com www.scanmarine.com www.wewireboats.com GlenRaven Mills Canvas Metal Polish Pros Finish Scandvik Sinks/Faucets Yanmar Diesel Power www.glenraven.com www.mppros.com www.scandvik.com www.yanmar.com

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pg 113-115 Project Bitchin 52.i3 3 11/11/08 11:43:16 AM e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 13 - The Raised Saloon is Cast... By Bob Bitchin Additional photos by Bill Ramos The Rig and Stainless Come into Play.!

Meanwhile, Over at Bay Sailing Equipment... final stages The man behind the rig for the Project Shannon is a of the rig, legend in the sailing industry, although he'd be the last to which we will say it. Frank Colaneri, who owns and runs Bay Sailing cover as it Equipment in the city of Fall River, Mass., is known for gets closer to taking on some of the biggest sailing rigs (not to mention installation. the finest!) in the US, and all over the big blue ball we Now as live on. I am sure Besides that, for the past thirty-some-odd years he has you are been doing the masts for Shannon, and no Shannon has aware, where ever lost its rig. That says a lot in itself, but there is also and how the fact that Frank is one of the world's leading authorities the rigging on using Navtec rod rigging. His rigging shops in attaches to Massachusetts and California are well known as the the vessel is authorities in rod rigging, and that is what Walter Schulz of the utmost spec'd for this boat, as he has for all Shannon sailboats. importance to The Forespar mast is being formed from the mast the strength extrusions you see below. Once they have been of a rig. The original design has been created by the assembled, they will be finished at Bay Sailing Equipment boat's designer, Walter Schulz of Shannon, and the rig shop, with all the wiring and lighting pre-installed. Then will be built by the Bay Sailing Team, the Forespar LeisureFurl boom will be added, and the Those of you who are into auto racing might recognize whole setup will be rigged using Navtec rod rigging, Frank. He has been involved in the racing scene for more which is the acknowledged leader in rigging. Having years than he likes to admit, and has run some of the rigged dozens of the most well known sailing yachts in fastest cars on Earth... but that's another story. Right now the world, Frank and his riggers are still designing the we are talking about the Project Shannon Global 52.

On the left you see the start of our mast. Below is Frank Colaneri, a legend in marine rigging, who is designing our rig with Walter Schulz.

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pg 107-109 Project Bitchin 52ne1 1 12/4/08 6:25:30 AM In order to maintain the strength needed for a true Charlie Marques of Mystic Stainless world cruising yacht, what is almost as important to the works on some strength and stability as the design and the rig itself will stantions at his shop. be the quality of the stainless where the rigging meets the boat. Once again we have gone to the best we could find. Charlie Marques is most well known in the sailing community for the Mystic Stainless ladders that are found on most of the better sailboats. They are the ones that fold up and out of the way, and then deploy almost automatically. We had one on the Lost Soul and wouldn't think of having a boat without a Mystic ladder. But what we also learned is, in the New England area, Charlie is somewhat of a celebrity when it comes to his custom stainless work. On a recent visit he took us to see a 76' classic that he created most of the stainless on, and I immediately asked Walter if he could do the stainless for the boat. Walter not only agreed, he said Charlie was well known in the area as one of the best stainless men in the marine industry. How kewl is that? You see, there is another reason I wanted him to do the stainless. It has to do with friendship. For the past few years, Charlie has had the booth right next to us at the Annapolis Boat Show and we've become friends, so this is a double good thing for Jody and me. In the drying room the bow pulpit But I digress. Below you can see the final creation sits after another of the raised saloon. Pics #1 & #2 are of the fiberglass coat of varnish. being hand-laid into the mold, and photos #3 & #4 show the rear of the finished house, before any of the cutouts

#1 #3

#2 #4

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pg 107-109 Project Bitchin 52ne2 2 12/4/08 6:27:00 AM for the hatches, companionways or windows are in. And finally, at the right you can see how the insulation has been created for the reefer and freezer. In photo "A" you see a close-up of the Corian on the plywood, which is attached to a layer of Glacier Bay's high- performance super insulation, Barrier Ultra-R. At R-50 per inch (10x the insulation value of polyurethane A foam), it has the highest thermal insulation performance currently available anywhere. Once installed, that was created at Shannon and sent to Glacier Bay in this will create an insulation that will reduce the amount Northern California to be fabricated. of power needed to keep things cold while we cruise. And with that, once again, we have run out of paper, but Barrier Ultra-R is a rigid, polypropylene-encased vacuum as you can see, things are starting to ramp up and in our insulation panel that is custom-made to a template next issue we should be able to cover a lot more for you.

Design Comments by Walter Schulz One of the most important aspects of yacht design and construction is the cockpit. A cockpit has to be ergonomically correct so that the crew is comfortable at all times and safe, especially in extreme weather. Ninety percent of daylight hours are spent in the cockpit, so if the seats are uncomfortable, or the distance between the seats is too great so that you cannot brace yourself when the boat is heeled, then the cockpit is not a success. On this cockpit I spent many hours including building several full size mockups to get it right. I wanted a cockpit that had seats long enough so that you could stretch out and relax or sleep in nice weather. Of course the second interior helm station precludes the need to be outside when it is nasty, but you still want to be comfortable as possible if you are out there. Forward facing seating for more people than the helmsman is always a nice feature if space permits, and the raised location of the Shannon 52 Global allowed me to include a double-wide helm seat for two average people or one exceptional large human being. Locating the cockpit raised up so that you can see over rather than around or through windows in the wheelhouse was a necessity.

Sponsors and Suppliers Builder: Shannon Yachts Handcraft Mattress Mystic Stainless Stainless Shurflo Pumps www.shannonyachts.com www.hmcwest.com www.mysticstainless.com www.shurflo.com Artisan Mattress Mattress Harken Winches, Furlers NAVTEC Rod Rigging SidePower Thruster www.artisanmattress.com www.harken.com www.navtec.net www.imtra.com Balmar Alternator system Honda Tender Motor New England Rope Line SolarStik Solar Mounts www.balmar.net www.honda.com www.neropes.com www.solarstik.com Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging Hood Stainless Hatches New Found Metals Ports Southeast Marine Batt Syst, www.baysailingequipment.com www.pompanette.com www.newfoundmetals.com www.semarine.com Bomon Custom windows Hubbell Dock Power Oceanaire Port covers Spectra Watermakers www.bomon.com www.hubbell.com www.oceanair-marine.com www.spectrawatermakers.com Bristol Cushions Seating IMTRA Int. Lighting Pelican Products Flashlights Spinlok Line Control www.bristolcushion.com www.imtra.com www.pelican.com www.spinlock.co.uk Brownell Boat Moving JSI Upholstery Phasor Generator Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels www.brownellsystems.com www.newjsi.com www.phasor.com www.stazo.com Climma Air Conditioners KTI FilterBoss Fuel Filters PolyPlaner Sound System Synergy Marine Dock Lines www.veco-na.com www.ktisystems.com www.polyplanar.com www.synergymarine.ca Edson Steering Lighthouse Windlass Pompanette Nav-Seats Technautics Refrigeration www.edsonmarine.com www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com www.pompanette.com www.technauticsinc.com Euro Marine LopoLights Luther's Tanks Praktek Fenders Ultimate Marine Sole Finish www.euromarinetrading.com www.lutherswelding.com www.praktek.com www.ultimatesole.com Force 10 Galley Stove Mack Sails Sails PYI Maxi Props U-Line Marine Ice Maker www.force10.com www.macksails.com www.pyiinc.com www.u-line.com Forespar LeisureFurl Mack Boring Yanmar Engines Raritan Heads Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.forespar.com www.mackboring.com www.raritaneng.com www.westlandsales.com Fortress Storm Anchor Magma Barbecue Revere Personal PFDs Wallas Heating www.fortressanchors.com www.magmaproducts.com www.reveresurvival.com www.scanmarineusa.com Fullriver USA AGM Batteries Manson Anchor Bow Anchor Ritchie Nav Compasses Whale Water Systems www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.manson-marine.co.nz www.ritchienavigation.com www.whalepumps.com Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Marelon Thru-hull fittings Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler Xantrex Inverter/Chargers www.furuno.com www.forespar.com www.veco-na.com www.xantrex.com Garhauer Main-sheet traveler MAS Epoxies Epoxy Rolls Batteries Yale Cordage Line www.garhauerarine.com www.masepoxies.com www.semarine.com www.yalecordage.com Glacier Bay Insulation Mastlight LED Lighting Scan Marine Heating System Yachtwire Electric Panels www.glacierbay.com www.mastlight.com www.scanmarine.com www.wewireboats.com GlenRaven Mills Canvas Metal Polish Pros Finish Scandvik Sinks/Faucets Yanmar Diesel Power www.glenraven.com www.mppros.com www.scandvik.com www.yanmar.com

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pg 107-109 Project Bitchin 52ne3 3 12/4/08 6:29:09 AM e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 14 - The Hull and House are Complete By Bob Bitchin Photography by Taylor Klotz During the Holidays, the Work Goes On

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pg 124-127 Project Bitchin 52ne2 2 1/5/09 9:15:21 AM e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 14 - The Hull and House are Complete During the Holidays, the Work Goes On

The Holidays and Bad Weather Don't Slow the Job This month (December) saw some of the worst weather in decades slam into New England, and the Schulz Boat Company, home of Shannon Yachts, was buried under huge drifts of that cold white stuff. But that didn't even phase the folks at Shannon. They still managed to get to the shop and keep the project going as if there were no weather problems at all. Even with the Christmas and New Years holidays, the project never slowed. Now the boat is complete from the keel to the top of the house. Well, almost to the top of the house. As you can see there is a rather large opening there, but as the boat nears completion you will see why this was created in this fashion. The blue tape shows the layout for the Bomon window system that is being created at their Canadian workshop. The specs were determined once the house was in place so all the measurements could be verified. Now that the exterior of the boat is pretty much completed, the interior can be finished. As you can see, nothing is left to chance when a new Shannon is created. The last thing any cruiser wants is to find an annoying leak once you are cruising through the tropics and a rainstorm hits, or worse yet, while rounding the Horn. Because this is hull #1, there is a lot of meticulous nitpicking, and there is no one who looks at the design as it comes to life more than the boat's designer and creator, Walter Schulz. At each step he spends hours walking the deck and the interior, making sure that everything that Latitudes & Attitudes 125

pg 124-127 Project Bitchin 52ne3 3 1/5/09 9:16:44 AM is put on the boat is in its best position and will perform and aft cabins each with a large double bed and en suite in the way it is designed. That's probably why 100% of head with shower stall; sea-going galley with breakfast bar all Shannons built over the past 34 years are not only still featuring two swivel chairs; and an office area with a desk, out there sailing, but most are worth more now than what liquor locker, ice maker and bench seat featuring all the they cost new. communications connections necessary to run a magazine Walt Schulz and I struck up a “brotherhood of the while drinking a mai tai at anchor in Bora Bora. non-shavers” friendship at the boat shows many years We ended up using a lot of innovative equipment from ago. Walt says that he looks like an accountant when suppliers who advertise in Lats&Atts. While Shannon has standing next to me with all my tattoos and jewelry. But always used their preferred vendors, we wanted to work after sailing 100,000 miles all over the world, Jody and I with the folks who have supported our magazine, so we were looking for our "perfect" boat. The #1 boat on the introduced Walt to people we wanted to work with, and in wish list was a Shannon. When I saw Walt’s plans for the doing so Shannon has now made relationships with many Shannon 52 Global I knew I'd found what I wanted, and new vendors who they discovered because of this project. after five minutes of intense negotiation we gave Walt a Now that the complete hull and house design have been deposit (I signed a dollar bill and wrote "Deposit on a new finalized, we will be able to get into all the goodies that Shannon!"), and hull #1 of the Shannon 52 Global to be will make this boat truly unique. It should move a lot faster named Attitude become a reality. now, so in the next few issues we will be able to show why The Shannon Global 52 has a wheelhouse featuring an we chose many of the items we will be using. interior helm station with swivel chair, entertainment center But as always, we have run out of space, so we will have with 44” LCD TV, dining area, nav station with swivel to wait until next issue, when we will have more on the chair, and two settees that convert to sea berths; forward Bitchin-Global 52, Attitude. Here's a list of the people we are working with Builder: Shannon Yachts Fortress Storm Anchor JSI Upholstery www.shannonyachts.com www.fortressanchors.com www.newjsi.com Artisan Mattress Mattress Fullriver USA AGM Batteries KTI FilterBoss Fuel Filters www.artisanmattress.com www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.ktisystems.com Balmar Alternator system Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Lighthouse Windlass www.balmar.net www.furuno.com www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging Garhauer Main-sheet traveler Luther's Tanks www.baysailingequipment.com www.garhauerarine.com www.lutherswelding.com Bomon Custom windows Glacier Bay Insulation Mack Sails Sails www.bomon.com www.glacierbay.com www.macksails.com Bristol Cushions Seating GlenRaven Mills Canvas Mack Boring Yanmar Engines www.bristolcushion.com www.glenraven.com www.mackboring.com Brownell Boat Moving Handcraft Mattress Magma Barbecue www.brownellsystems.com www.hmcwest.com www.magmaproducts.com Climma Air Conditioners Harken Winches, Furlers Manson Anchor Bow Anchor www.veco-na.com www.harken.com www.manson-marine.co.nz Edson Steering Honda Tender Motor Marelon Thru-hull fittings www.edsonmarine.com www.honda.com www.forespar.com Euro Marine LopoLights Hood Stainless Hatches MAS Epoxies Epoxy www.euromarinetrading.com www.pompanette.com www.masepoxies.com Force 10 Galley Stove Hubbell Dock Power Mastlight LED Lighting www.force10.com www.hubbell.com www.mastlight.com Forespar LeisureFurl IMTRA Int. Lighting Metal Polish Pros Finish www.forespar.com www.imtra.com www.mppros.com

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pg 124-127 Project Bitchin 52ne4 4 1/5/09 9:20:39 AM FRM Attitude Length on Deck: 51’ 11” Length Overall: 55’ 7” Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” Beam: 14’ 3” Draft: Centerboard (Up/Dwn): 5' 6“/ 9' 9" Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. Water: 180 gal. Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal Waste: 50

Design Comments by Walter Schulz A pallet of sailboat hardware from Harken in Wisconsin arrived at Shannon last week for Bob and Jody Bitchin’s Shannon 52 Global, Attitude. From the 12VDC winches to the genoa tracks to the standup deck blocks, it is all beautiful equipment. When you look at anything made by the company of the brothers Olaf and Peter Harken, you can tell that everyone from the person who designs the Harken hardware to the person that machines it on the factory floor, knew that it was going to be used in one of the harshest and most physically demanding environments – on a sailboat in a storm in the ocean – and they did their job right. The Harken brothers revolutionized headsail roller furling with their design use of needle bearings over 20 years ago, and it is interesting to see this innovation continue with the new 12VDC roller furling unit that they supplied for Bob and Jody’s Shannon. As I look at this Harken hardware, it reminds that the two things that the company of the Harken brothers never lost sight of, but that sometimes get forgotten in 21st century boat building are: 1. It is a boat; and 2. It is a sailboat. While I realize production boat builders have to respond to the market, a sailboat is not a condo and visa versa. While at Shannon our focus for the last 34 years has always been on bluewater cruising boats. Some of the people we build boats for want the latest gadgets that really have nothing to do with sailing on their boat. I myself love widgets and trying new things, but do you really need to interface the coffeemaker to the autopilot so that a fresh pot of coffee is brewed and ready automatically right after you set the anchor? While Bob and Jody have had their moments (like the washer and the dryer that are bigger than the ones in my house!), because of their experience (and common sense), Attitude reflects the understanding that the sea is a fierce and demanding yet beautiful environment. And while a boat not done right can kill, it can also provide exhilarating pleasure. But those moments of bliss come to me when the winds are blowing and all the sails are in tight, pulling the boat along almost effortlessly. And while it is nice to come below and smell the fresh brewed coffee right after you drop the anchor, it is important to keep in perspective that form has to follow function, especially on a sailboat. That has been and will always continue to me my advice to the people like Bob and Jody that Shannon has the opportunity to build boats for. And it is nice to see the American sailboat equipment manufacturers like Harken have not forgotten that every piece of equipment that goes on a proper sailboat best be built good and strong. Walt Schulz

to create The Shannon Bitchin - Global 52 Mobil Marine Elec. Panels Raritan Heads Spinlok Line Control www.wewireboats.com www.raritaneng.com www.spinlock.co.uk Mystic Stainless Stainless Revere Personal PFDs Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels www.mysticstainless.com www.reveresurvival.com www.stazo.com NAVTEC Rod Rigging Ritchie Nav Compasses Synergy Marine Dock Lines www.navtec.net www.ritchienavigation.com www.synergymarine.ca New England Rope Line Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler Technautics Refrigeration www.neropes.com www.veco-na.com www.technauticsinc.com New Found Metals Ports Rolls Batteries Ultimate Marine Sole Finish www.newfoundmetals.com www.semarine.com www.ultimatesole.com Oceanaire Port covers Scan Marine Heating System U-Line Marine Ice Maker www.oceanair-marine.com www.scanmarine.com www.u-line.com Pelican Products Flashlights Scandvik Sinks/Faucets Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.pelican.com www.scandvik.com www.westlandsales.com Phasor Generator Shurflo Pumps Wallas Heating www.phasor.com www.shurflo.com www.scanmarineusa.com PolyPlaner Sound System SidePower Thruster Whale Water Systems www.polyplanar.com www.imtra.com www.whalepumps.com Pompanette Nav-Seats SolarStik Solar Mounts Xantrex Inverter/Chargers www.pompanette.com www.solarstik.com www.xantrex.com Praktek Fenders Southeast Marine Batt Syst, Yale Cordage Line www.praktek.com www.semarine.com www.yalecordage.com PYI Maxi Props Spectra Watermakers Yanmar Diesel Power www.pyiinc.com www.spectrawatermakers.com www.yanmar.com

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pg 124-127 Project Bitchin 52ne5 5 1/5/09 9:21:23 AM e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 15 - Cutting Holes - A Final Step By Bob Bitchin The Importance of Air and Water Flow

A Holy Boat - The Right Way! core, then packs the edges with a After spending so much time and polyester putty. Finally the edges are energy to create a one piece hull and sealed with epoxy resin. The ports, a one piece deck then joining them windows, and hatches will then be together, the next step is to cut a lot of bedded with ample amounts of Life holes in the boat. With the nine cutouts Caulk/Boat Life polysulfide caulking. for the heavy duty marine windows Bedding stainless steel hardware can be currently being made by Bomon of subject to leaks as the manufacturing Quebec, Canada, the wheelhouse is process of the hardware leaves an looking beautiful. The water views oily film on the surface that is almost through the “picture windows” are going impossible to remove with solvents. To to be spectacular. All the stainless steel insure that the bedding will stick to the opening portlights from New Found stainless, Shannon coats the interior Metals in Port Townsend, Washington surface of all stainless steel hardware and the stainless steel deck hatches with a 3M epoxy sealant developed for from Hood Yacht Systems in Florida will insure visibility and the aerospace industry. This light green colored “paint” sticks to ventilation in all the cabins. the stainless, then bedding sticks to the “paint.” This is the one Part of the process of installing the windows, ports and step you can’t see and don’t appreciate until the boat doesn’t leak. hatches involves sealing the edges of the cut fiberglass laminates. All those holes in the hull under the waterline (a scary Shannon first removes the divinylcell PVC cross link composite thought you really don’t want to focus on) involve similar

www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 129 construction techniques. For thru hulls for engine intakes, sink drains, etc. we are using Marelon seacocks from Forespar in California. The resistance to galvanic corrosion of Marelon seacocks is a real advantage. The Marelon fittings are through-bolted together to form the body of the seacock, making them fantastically strong and easy to operate. Other critical components exiting the hull are the propeller shafts. Rather than just having the twin shafts on Attitude exit from the bottom of the hull, we added two carbon fiber tubes that are reinforced with gussets laminated directly to the hull. Again, this is another piece of Shannon over-engineering that will prove its merit if I ever break my perfect record of never

Here's a list of the people we are working with Builder: Shannon Yachts Fortress Storm Anchor JSI Upholstery www.shannonyachts.com www.fortressanchors.com www.newjsi.com Artisan Mattress Mattress Fullriver USA AGM Batteries KTI FilterBoss Fuel Filters www.artisanmattress.com www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.ktisystems.com Balmar Alternator system Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Lighthouse Windlass www.balmar.net www.furuno.com www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging Garhauer Main-sheet traveler Luther's Tanks www.baysailingequipment.com www.garhauerarine.com www.lutherswelding.com Bomon Custom windows Glacier Bay Insulation Mack Sails Sails www.bomon.com www.glacierbay.com www.macksails.com Bristol Cushions Seating GlenRaven Mills Canvas Mack Boring Yanmar Engines www.bristolcushion.com www.glenraven.com www.mackboring.com Brownell Boat Moving Handcraft Mattress Magma Barbecue www.brownellsystems.com www.hmcwest.com www.magmaproducts.com Climma Air Conditioners Harken Winches, Furlers Manson Anchor Bow Anchor www.veco-na.com www.harken.com www.manson-marine.co.nz Edson Steering Honda Tender Motor Marelon Thru-hull fittings www.edsonmarine.com www.honda.com www.forespar.com Euro Marine LopoLights Hood Stainless Hatches MAS Epoxies Epoxy www.euromarinetrading.com www.pompanette.com www.masepoxies.com Force 10 Galley Stove Hubbell Dock Power Mastlight LED Lighting www.force10.com www.hubbell.com www.mastlight.com Forespar LeisureFurl IMTRA Int. Lighting Metal Polish Pros Finish www.forespar.com www.imtra.com www.mppros.com

130 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com having ever run aground (yeah right.) Actually, having "settled" on the bottom more than once, the extra strength that has been engineered into this boat will come in real handy. As you can see, there is a lot more to finalizing a newly designed boat than meets FRM Attitude the eye. The circulation of air and water is one of the things that make a cruising Length on Deck: 51’ 11” Length Overall: 55’ 7” boat either work, or not work. Here you can see one of the reasons Shannon has Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” built such a great reputation. They not only engineer a boat to look and sail well, but Beam: 14’ 3” they also go that extra step when planning for ventilation and circulation of water, Draft: Centerboard (Up/Dwn): both salt and fresh! So we will have the option when the weather turns, to keep 5' 6“/ 9' 9" Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. a good airflow while staying dry and warm below decks. This will come in real Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. handy if I ever decide to do something stupid, like maybe sail down to Antarctica. Water: 180 gal. Naw, that'd never happen, right? Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal Once again we've hit the edge of the paper. As Attitude looks Waste: 50 more and more like a boat, we can’t wait for the launching.

Design Comments - Marelon Design Comments - Shannon One of the areas often taken for granted One of the subtle yet critical design criteria of yacht design is ventilation. but extremely important to the integrity and Sometimes I do second guess myself wondering if I have spent too much effort usability of a vessel is the water exchange to make sure that air flow is right in all conditions and climates. Then some through the hull of the boat for both the engine Shannon owner will stop by our shop or come to the boat show to tell me about and plumbing. For seacocks, sink drains, a week-long passage in wet, cold weather with several large unwashed men on vented loops and thru hull fittings, we chose to board (Bob - don’t be so self-conscious - nobody’s looking at you) and the baffled use Forespar’s Marelon polymer parts. These dorade vents insured that their Shannon did not smell like the locker room at valves and thru hulls are precision molded the high school gym by the end of the trip. Similarly, owners from Florida will glass filled nylon which are far superior to say thanks for all the hatches and opening ports so that on most days they never the traditional bronze fittings. The Marelon have to turn on the air conditioning. Air flow is not as simple as it seems, as due parts are ABYC & UL compliant and are the to the Venturi effect, exhausting air is as critical as letting in. Air must move only polymer based fittings approved for use through the entire interior, including all the lockers to inhibit dampness and above and below the waterline. In addition prevent mildew. I hate to take a shirt out of a locker and have it feel wet, so to being very strong, the Marelon fittings every door on every Shannon has louvers. Similarly, there is only finished wood are completely non corrosive and give us ceilings properly spaced away from hull and not carpet glued to the inside of a freedom from electrolysis or reaction to any locker on a Shannon, as nothing smells worse than a wet rug. Air conditioning metals. The thru hulls fittings also need no is a wonderful thing that must have been guaranteed to all Americans by some bonding to the hull! The seacocks require recent amendment to the Bill of Rights, and we will be putting some high tech minimal maintenance and will last for years. Climma units into the boat for Bob and Jody. But there is going to be nothing In researching this material we found that finer then sitting in the wheelhouse aboard Attitude enjoying the scenery in Red over 200 power and sailboat builders currently Brook Harbor on Cape Cod (the favorite anchorage in the world of my two specify and use Marelon parts. Walter has daughters, Erin and Bree) on a brilliant hot summer’s afternoon with just enough been using Marelon parts for years so he was of the sou’west breeeze coming through to cool the boat down. completely familiar with these fine products. Walt Schulz

to create The Shannon Bitchin - Global 52 Mobil Marine Elec. Panels Raritan Heads Spinlok Line Control www.wewireboats.comMystic Stainless www.raritaneng.com www.spinlock.co.uk Stainless Revere Personal PFDs Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels www.mysticstainless.com www.reveresurvival.com www.stazo.com NAVTEC Rod Rigging Ritchie Nav Compasses Synergy Marine Dock Lines www.navtec.net www.ritchienavigation.com www.synergymarine.ca New England Rope Line Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler Technautics Refrigeration www.neropes.com www.veco-na.com www.technauticsinc.com New Found Metals Ports Rolls Batteries Ultimate Marine Sole Finish www.newfoundmetals.com www.semarine.com www.ultimatesole.com Oceanaire Port covers Scan Marine Heating System U-Line Marine Ice Maker www.oceanair-marine.com www.scanmarineusa.com www.u-line.com Pelican Products Flashlights Scandvik Sinks/Faucets Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.pelican.com www.scandvik.com www.westlandsales.com Phasor Generator Shurflo Pumps Wallas Heating www.phasor.com www.shurflo.com www.scanmarineusa.com PolyPlaner Sound System SidePower Thruster Whale Water Systems www.polyplanar.com www.imtra.com www.whalepumps.com Pompanette Nav-Seats SolarStik Solar Mounts Xantrex Inverter/Chargers www.pompanette.com www.solarstik.com www.xantrex.com Praktek Fenders Southeast Marine Batt Syst, Yale Cordage Line www.praktek.com www.semarine.com www.yalecordage.com PYI Maxi Props Spectra Watermakers Yanmar Diesel Power www.pyiinc.com www.spectrawatermakers.com www.yanmar.com www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 131 e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 16 - Windows & Ports are Added By Bob Bitchin Closure is Getting Closer

A View For All Seasons! the hull colors. Once the windows One major feature on the project have been custom made, Bomon Global 52 is the raised pilothouse. creates screens for the opening This will allow us to stand watches windows, so when we are in tropical in relative comfort while still climates we can open the windows having a great view all around. and enjoy the fresh air. This is being accomplished by the The house has been constructed use of Bomon windows, which are using Divinylcell, a crosslinked PVC built in Canada. These window rigid foam core chosen for lightness, systems have been the mainstay which has been fiberglassed for of many yachts. They are built strength. The foam is a full 1" strong, and once in place secure thick to insulate as well as give the interior from bad weather and the structural strength needed for adverse conditions. adverse conditions at sea. The windows are produced from In order to assure there will never Reynolds/Bon L 6063 marine grade aluminum and we be a leak into the structure, the foam is cut away from chose the powder-coated white for the exterior to match where the windows, ports and hatches are mounted, and

www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 129 In the photo left you can see how the foam core is cut away before being filled with the hardening mixture to seal against any leaks in the future. There is no balsa core used anywhere at Shannon because if it gets saturated with water it causes major problems. Below the Shannon crew prepares the Bomon window, pre- fitting the aluminum mounting hardware to assure a the area is filled with a resin based compound that perfect fit once it is in place. hardens like cement. Tthe windows are then caulked As with every boat I have owned over the last 20 years, into place over the hardened material. This is a the portholes are from New Found Metals. NFM ports Shannon exclusive. are built using a thru-bolt system that seals the porthole by clamping the outer-ring directly to the inner housing, thus making it a structural bond, unlike many ports that simple use caulking to seal them with a "beauty ring" on the outside, where the real strength is needed. We are using three different size NFM ports, which will allow better ventilation when in the tropics and more strength when battling the conditions we will encounter in the southern oceans. On the page opposite you can see two areas I wanted to point out which, once the boat is completed, you will never see. In photo A, Bill Ramos is pointing to where the bulkhead meets the overhead. This is set in epoxy and then glassed into place, to give the strength that Shannon has been famous for. Since 1973 Shannon has never lost a boat. 100% are still sailing. This is a testament to their strength. Here's a list of the people we are working with Builder: Shannon Yachts Fortress Storm Anchor JSI Upholstery www.shannonyachts.com www.fortressanchors.com www.newjsi.com Artisan Mattress Mattress Fullriver USA AGM Batteries KTI FilterBoss Fuel Filters www.artisanmattress.com www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.ktisystems.com Balmar Alternator system Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Lighthouse Windlass www.balmar.net www.furuno.com www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging Garhauer Main-sheet traveler Luther's Tanks www.baysailingequipment.com www.garhauerarine.com www.lutherswelding.com Bomon Custom windows Glacier Bay Insulation Mack Sails Sails www.bomon.com www.glacierbay.com www.macksails.com Bristol Cushions Seating GlenRaven Mills Canvas Mack Boring Yanmar Engines www.bristolcushion.com www.glenraven.com www.mackboring.com Brownell Boat Moving Handcraft Mattress Magma Barbecue www.brownellsystems.com www.hmcwest.com www.magmaproducts.com Climma Air Conditioners Harken Winches, Furlers Manson Anchor Bow Anchor www.veco-na.com www.harken.com www.manson-marine.co.nz Edson Steering Honda Tender Motor Marelon Thru-hull fittings www.edsonmarine.com www.honda.com www.forespar.com Euro Marine LopoLights Hood Stainless Hatches MAS Epoxies Epoxy www.euromarinetrading.com www.pompanette.com www.masepoxies.com Force 10 Galley Stove Hubbell Dock Power Mastlight LED Lighting www.force10.com www.hubbell.com www.mastlight.com Forespar LeisureFurl IMTRA Int. Lighting Metal Polish Pros Finish www.forespar.com www.imtra.com www.mppros.com

130 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com A B

In photo B you can see the cutout for the hatch before it is cored and filled. What Design Comments - Shannon you see is the Divinylcell PVC rigid foam Vince Lazarra was one of the pioneers and great men of the American sailboat core, a full inch thick, which is being used industry. He started in California in the 1950s, and after selling Columbia to insulate and give strength, while being Yachts, he moved to southwest Florida. His Gulfstar Yachts was a dominant extremely light weight. This is one of the force in the sailboat business during the boom years of the ‘70s and ‘80s. His reasons we were able to raise the saloon two sons, Dick and Brad, learned the business from their father, and then they moved on to powerboats where their current company, Lazarra Yachts, is one and still keep the weight low for better of the world’s premier mega yacht builders. Vince (Mr. Lazarra to me during sailing ability. the early years when I was getting Shannon started) established the area Once again we have hit the edge of the around Tampa/St. Pete as a Mecca for American boat building. I heard a story paper, and will have to wait until next in the early 1980s that during the design process of a new 60 footer, Vince, in issue to see more of what it takes to build his effort to always build a better boat, hired some NASA-type engineers to do a stress and load study by attaching multiple monitors and sensors on the hull, hull #1 of a boat designed to take on deck and rigging. The non-sailor engineers were amazed at the constant forces whatever the oceans can throw at it. and harmonics experienced by a sailboat pushed by the wind moving through There are no shortcuts to creating a vessel the water. These tests showed that no matter how thick fiberglass laminate is, like this. it will deflect, twist, and bend when the boat is sailed hard. On the practical side, doing boat repairs and manufacturers warranty in the years before I founded Shannon, I knew the degradation that can occur where hardware like windows are attached to a deck house. Accordingly, as my large friend FRM Attitude Bob saw during his recent visit to inspect our progress, at Shannon we take Length on Deck: 51’ 11” the extra step to remove the core from the fiberglass laminate on the perimeter Length Overall: 55’ 7” of all windows and replace it with a solid fiberglass mastic. Where the widows Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” are thru-bolted there is no breakdown of the area surrounding the fasteners, Beam: 14’ 3” as would occur over time if we didn’t take this step. This helps to insure that Draft: Centerboard (Up/Dwn): 5' 6“/ 9' 9" there will be no leaks long term. As the testing done by Vince Lazarra showed, Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. and my 40 years in boat building has proved, it has paid for me to do it right Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. when building every Shannon, especially when there is a distinct possibly that Water: 180 gal. I might get shanghaied on some crazy sailing adventure by a big individual and Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal his beautiful wife that own one of my boats. Waste: 50 Walt Schulz

to create The Shannon Bitchin - Global 52 Mobil Marine Elec. Panels Raritan Heads Spinlok Line Control www.wewireboats.comMystic Stainless www.raritaneng.com www.spinlock.co.uk Stainless Revere Personal PFDs Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels www.mysticstainless.com www.reveresurvival.com www.stazo.com NAVTEC Rod Rigging Ritchie Nav Compasses Synergy Marine Dock Lines www.navtec.net www.ritchienavigation.com www.synergymarine.ca New England Rope Line Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler Technautics Refrigeration www.neropes.com www.veco-na.com www.technauticsinc.com New Found Metals Ports Rolls Batteries Ultimate Marine Sole Finish www.newfoundmetals.com www.semarine.com www.ultimatesole.com Oceanaire Port covers Scan Marine Heating System U-Line Marine Ice Maker www.oceanair-marine.com www.scanmarineusa.com www.u-line.com Pelican Products Flashlights Scandvik Sinks/Faucets Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.pelican.com www.scandvik.com www.westlandsales.com Phasor Generator Shurflo Pumps Wallas Heating www.phasor.com www.shurflo.com www.scanmarineusa.com PolyPlaner Sound System SidePower Thruster Whale Water Systems www.polyplanar.com www.imtra.com www.whalepumps.com Pompanette Nav-Seats SolarStik Solar Mounts Xantrex Inverter/Chargers www.pompanette.com www.solarstik.com www.xantrex.com Praktek Fenders Southeast Marine Batt Syst, Yale Cordage Line www.praktek.com www.semarine.com www.yalecordage.com PYI Maxi Props Spectra Watermakers Yanmar Diesel Power www.pyiinc.com www.spectrawatermakers.com www.yanmar.com www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 131 e ti t e t Attitude Step by Step - From Thought to Launch Part 17 - The Secret to the Engines Explained By Bob Bitchin A Little Clarity on the Windows

Why Two are Better than One! a little further in the article, there are It dawned on me that there are a lot more good reasons for "splitting probably a lot of folks out there the horsepower." who are not aware of the reasoning Also, we will explain a little behind using two smaller engines about the custom Bomon window in the place of one large one. On system. After the previous issue we the following pages this will be heard from some readers expressing explained in depth, but I can clear concern about using such large it up pretty fast by putting it into opening windows on a world cruiser. a terms even an ex-biker (that'd be At first I was a little concerned as me!) can understand. well, but both Bomon and Walter You see, using two engines Schulz calmed my worries. First, it instead of one will allow us to is all tempered glass, and secondly, "motorsail" better than using a single we will have Lexan window covers engine. With a single large engine, you turn down the for heavy weather, so not to worry. throttle to save fuel, but that is not how diesel engines On the next couple of pages are comments from the like to run. It is far better to have a smaller engine when builders of the windows, as well as a little more on the you don't need full power, so it can run at its optimum engine configuration. This will have to be it for this RPM without burning a lot of fuel. As Walt will explain issue, as we have once again run out of space!

Looking more and more like a boat, the Shannon-Bitchin Global 52 is close to becoming a reality!

www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 115 Here's a closer look at the Bomon window system.

Design Comments - The Motors One of the most innovative features of the Shannon 52 Global Attitude is the twin diesel propulsion system. It goes without saying that twin engines offer redundancy in case of the failure of one of the Here you see the twin Yanmar engines. Another plus is the ability to only run one engine. Even on turbo-charged 75HP engines, sailboats fuel economy is important. The idea of putting a single big which have been set at a 5° angle. diesel in and running it at low RPM to take advantage of lower fuel burn at the lower RPM does not work. To run a diesel at low RPM is not good for the motor as unburned fuel carbons up the injectors, injector pump, etc. Thinking that you are babying a diesel by running it at low RPM for extended periods of time is a mistake. Diesel motors run best when pushed at 80% cruising RPM. Diesels like even wide open throttle (WOT), but the fuel burn can almost double to go from Design Comments - Bomon cruising RPM to WOT. In situations like power sailing or looking to When custom-building windows for a project extend range by powering at a low speeds during a passage, shutting of the size of the S-B 52, we usually start where down one of two engines is a real advantage, as the one engine can everybody knows what they want but have not be run at cruising RPM for long periods of time. Running a motor figured out how to build it. This was not the when a sailboat is heeled can be a problem as the engine oil will not case with Shannon. They sent us templates circulate properly. An engine cannot be angled more than 8 degrees of the window opening cut-outs, which we without potentially damaging the engine. As the leeward engine will produced Cad drawings for and FedEx'd them be run to push the bow of the boat into the wind when power sailing, to Shannon for approval. Adjustments were the two engines on Attitude are angled inboard 5 degrees. When the made from the Cad drawings and the green boat is running flat, the slight tilt of the engines allow the engines to tempered glass (the really expensive stuff) operate properly. When the boat heels to a little more than 10 degrees, was ordered. We bent the frames, machined the leeward engine can still be run safely. A single diesel of course the trims, and shipped to the powder-coater. cannot be angled like this and run on both tacks. Twin engines have We experienced no problems during assembly, been standard for many years on powerboats and larger sailboats, but cleaning and packaging and were able to ship they make sense on any sailboat larger than 50’. in a total of 5 weeks from the date of order.

Here's a list of the people we are working with Builder: Shannon Yachts Fullriver USA AGM Batteries Lighthouse Windlass www.shannonyachts.com www.fullriverdcbattery.com www.lighthouse-mfg-usa.com Artisan Mattress Mattress Furuno Nav/Radar/Autopilot Luther's Tanks www.artisanmattress.com www.furuno.com www.lutherswelding.com Balmar Alternator system Garhauer Main-sheet traveler Mack Sails Sails www.balmar.net www.garhauerarine.com www.macksails.com Bay Sailing Mast/Rigging Glacier Bay Insulation Mack Boring Yanmar Engines www.baysailingequipment.com www.glacierbay.com www.mackboring.com Bomon Custom windows GlenRaven Mills Canvas Magma Barbecue www.bomon.com www.glenraven.com www.magmaproducts.com Bristol Cushions Seating Handcraft Mattress Manson Anchor Bow Anchor www.bristolcushion.com www.hmcwest.com www.manson-marine.co.nz Brownell Boat Moving Harken Winches, Furlers Marelon Thru-hull fittings www.brownellsystems.com www.harken.com www.forespar.com Climma Air Conditioners Honda Tender Motor MAS Epoxies Epoxy www.veco-na.com www.honda.com www.masepoxies.com Edson Steering Hood Stainless Hatches Mastlight LED Lighting www.edsonmarine.com www.pompanette.com www.mastlight.com Euro Marine LopoLights Hubbell Dock Power Metal Polish Pros Finish www.euromarinetrading.com www.hubbell.com www.mppros.com Force 10 Galley Stove IMTRA Int. Lighting Mobil Marine Elec. Panels www.force10.com www.imtra.com www.wewireboats.com Forespar LeisureFurl JSI Upholstery Mystic Stainless Stainless www.forespar.com www.newjsi.com www.mysticstainless.com Fortress Storm Anchor KTI FilterBoss Fuel Filters NAVTEC Rod Rigging www.fortressanchors.com www.ktisystems.com www.navtec.net

116 Latitudes & Attitudes www.seafaring.com The large Bomon windows will allow us to "stand watch" from the comfort of the main saloon!

Design Comments - Walter Schulz The twin Yanmar diesels that we have installed on Bob and Jody’s Attitude are a marvel of modern engineering. Long ago Japan decided that they would start designing and producing diesel engines that would dominate the under 200HP market worldwide someday. Looking at Yanmars and the other Japanese diesels, you can see the reverse engineering as they had looked at what the rest of the world had to offer and made their motors just a little bit better. In 1978 Shannon was one of the first American boat builders to move to a new Japanese diesel as I made the Yanmar 2GM 15HP standard on the Shannon 28. My decision to go with Yanmar had some history to it. When I was just getting started in the boat business rebuilding marine engines, the first person to extend me credit was the owner of Mack Boring of Union, New Jersey, Ed “Mac” McGovern, Sr. The concept that he would give me a rebuild kit, wait for me to do the work, and then trust me to wait for his money until I was paid was a wonderment. Although I am the biggest pain-in-the-ass boatbuilder for suppliers, the Shannon and Mack Boring relationship is still strong 30 years FRM Attitude later. Son Steve McGovern has continued the good customer policies Length on Deck: 51’ 11” of his father, and when I call to say we have an engine problem, he gets Length Overall: 55’ 7” his people on it right away to fix it. And while there are not too many Length on Waterline: 42’ 7” problems with Yanmars, they do happen, and that is why there are Beam: 14’ 3” two Yanmar diesels on Attitude, in case one breaks. My philosophy Draft: Centerboard (Up/Dwn): 5' 6“/ 9' 9" of boatbuilding can be summed up: “If it is mechanical, electrical, or Displacement: 44,000 Ibs. turns on your boat, it will break eventually, and always at the worst Ballast: 13,500 Ibs. possible moment.” As we are doing for Bob and Jody, the emphasis Water: 180 gal. at Shannon for the last 34 years has been to provide easy access and Fuel: (Diesel) 400 gal as much redundancy as possible to make long distance cruising and Waste: 50 living aboard as hassle-free as possible. Walt Schulz

to create The Shannon Bitchin - Global 52 New England Rope Line Roll-Gen Gennaker Furler Ultimate Marine Sole Finish www.neropes.com www.veco-na.com www.ultimatesole.com New Found Metals Ports Rolls Batteries U-Line Marine Ice Maker www.newfoundmetals.com www.semarine.com www.u-line.com Oceanaire Port covers Scan Marine Heating System Westland Sales Washer/Dryer www.oceanair-marine.com www.scanmarineusa.com www.westlandsales.com Pelican Products Flashlights Scandvik Sinks/Faucets Wallas Heating www.pelican.com www.scandvik.com www.scanmarineusa.com Phasor Generator Shurflo Pumps Whale Water Systems www.phasor.com www.shurflo.com www.whalepumps.com PolyPlaner Sound System SidePower Thruster Xantrex Inverter/Chargers www.polyplanar.com www.imtra.com www.xantrex.com Pompanette Nav-Seats SolarStik Solar Mounts Yale Cordage Line www.pompanette.com www.solarstik.com www.yalecordage.com Praktek Fenders Southeast Marine Batt Syst, Yanmar Diesel Power www.praktek.com www.semarine.com www.yanmar.com PYI Maxi Props Spectra Watermakers www.pyiinc.com www.spectrawatermakers.com Raritan Heads Spinlok Line Control www.raritaneng.com www.spinlock.co.uk Revere Personal PFDs Stazo Marine Ship's Wheels www.reveresurvival.com www.stazo.com Reverso Oil Change System Synergy Marine Dock Lines www.reversopumps.com www.synergymarine.ca Ritchie Nav Compasses Technautics Refrigeration www.ritchienavigation.com www.technauticsinc.com www.seafaring.com Latitudes & Attitudes 117