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Streaming North: Decisions, Decisions and Still More Decisions

By on May 6, 2017 in Guided Discovery
Welcome back.


To fully appreciate what is going to happen over the next 3 days you need some background information. The boat was hauled on Tuesday, April 25, at Embree Marine Services to correct an alignment problem on the port engine. On that haul, Embree had removed 300 gallons of fuel from the auxiliary tanks to facilitate the lift. On my instructions, they returned all 300 gallons to the main tanks, which topped them off and put the excess (31 gallons) in the auxiliary tanks. Therefore, I left St Petersburg Florida on Thursday, April 27 with 1,000 gallons in the main tanks. Upon arrival in Sarasota I noted a fuel burn of 39 gallons. At departure Monday morning I had 960 gallons in the mains (and 31 gallons in the auxiliaries).


The original plan was to fill up in Miami at the Miami Beach Marina, which is conveniently located just inside the Miami Inlet and then head back out and catch the Gulf Stream, which comes within 7 to 10 miles of the Miami Inlet. Then, weather permitting (defined as a southerly winds with favorable seas, preferably following) continue north riding the Gulf Stream to Cape Hatteras and then once past the cape, head north to Ocean City Maryland where we would refuel before the final leg to Hingham. If this all came to pass we would be in Hingham in a record 7 days. Note: The run from Miami to Ocean City is 818 nautical miles.


Now for the story.


Just south of Sand Key. Miami is 19,9 nautical miles north
At around 4:23 PM we off Sands Key and approximately 16 NM south of Miami. Our plan to stop for fuel at the Miami Beach Marina was not going to work as they close the fuel dock promptly at 6:00 PM. We would arrive at the open water buoy at 6:23 PM. Miami fueling was not going to work.

20 nautical miles south of Miami
We had covered 270 nautical miles, 243 NM since Venice
Current speed is 10 knots. Average speed is 8.1 knots (since Venice)
Decision Time: As we passed Miami around 6:30 PM we considered refueling at Port Canaveral early Wednesday morning and set up a route that kept us in the stream for as long as possible before heading northwest to the inlet. That plan was abandoned at 3:10 AM on Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday evening at around 8:30 PM we were off Fort Lauderdale. Looking to the northwest we could see dark clouds. Sirius Satellite Weather was showing a large area of thunderstorms with various intensities, including some bright red cells. The system was slow moving to the south with a slight easterly component.


Rain and thunder storms ahead

Coincidentally, Diana and Kodi were in Fort Lauderdale staying at our friend’s lovely condo on the beach. Had it still been light, Diana could have spotted Guided Discovery with binoculars. I talked with Diana by cell phone and we discussed the storms. Diana was concerned as NOAA had issued a tornado warning and urged me to seek shelter.


Explanatory Note: The risk of thunderstorms include high winds and lightning. High wind are likely with a frontal passage and are more severe when they form a squall line. Lightening is not a life risk when we are in the cabin. However, a lightning strike can take out the boat’s electronics and electrical system and can even damage the engine’s ECUs.  At an electronics seminar at an Outer Reef rendezvous in 2013 (while the 63 was being built) I asked the moderator about the current state of lightning protection for boats. He responded by saying that no solution had been developed and that replacement of burned out electronics was a substantial part of their business. A lightning strike can occur at sea and at the dock. There was no advantage to heading for shore.


Around 9:00 PM off Boca Raton we experienced the frontal passage with rain showers, thunder and occasional cloud to cloud lightning. Winds quickly increased from 3 knots to 24 knots and clocked from southeast to northwest. We noted a drop in current speed from 11.4 to 10.4. However, we were still solidly in the Gulf Stream. Our average speed was now 8.5 knots.


The cold front that was kicking up the storms
Decision Time. At 3.10 AM on Wednesday, Bob and I (Guy was sleeping) decided to bypass Port Canaveral and continue riding the Gulf Stream north to St Simons Georgia, some 200 NM north. Current speed was now 12.5 knots and our average has increased to 9.0 knots. We ball-parked our ETA at Morningstar Marina to be around 3:00 AM the following morning. Morningstar has 1,100 feet of transient face dock so the likelihood of finding space would be good.

Route to St Simons Georgia
The leg from WP 1492 to WP 1497 is the west wall of the Gulf Stream
Here’s the logic. We would continue to take advantage of the Gulf Stream and some reasonably good weather following the frontal passage (see below). Fuel reserve 300 gallons, 150 in each tank.

The forecast for Altamaha Sound to Fernandina Beach out to 60 miles:

  • Wednesday: Winds NNE 5 to 10 increasing to east 10 to 15 in the afternoon. Seas 3 to 4 feet with an 8 second period.
  • Wednesday Night:  East southeast winds (a quartering tail wind) 10 to 15 knots with 3 to 4 foot seas with a period of 8 seconds
  • Thursday: South southeast winds 20 to 25 knots with seas 4 to 6 feet.

At 4:00 AM on Wednesday we were 18 NM due east of Fort Pierce Inlet in 2 to 3 foot seas following the frontal passage. Our average speed was now 9.0 knots. We estimated current speed at 12.4 knots.

Passing the Fort Pierce Inlet
12 hours later, at 4:30 PM we were 58 NM east of St Augustine, Florida. Seas continued at 2 to 3 feet and our average speed had reached 9.7 knots. We had covered 550 nautical miles since leaving Sarasota.

Notice that as we continued north our off shore distance increased dramatically. That’s the reality of running the Gulf Stream. To stay in the stream you have to be willing to cruise way offshore. It would now take around 7 hours to reach shore and even more to reach a port. Favorable weather and well maintained boat are essential.


Decision Time: Earlier at 3:30 PM, Bob and I (Guy was again sleeping) decided to continue to Charleston, South Carolina. This was an easy decision. Why arrive in St Simons at 3:00 AM and waste time and good weather waiting for the fuel dock to open? Interestingly, this decision only added 60 nautical miles to the trip. Most important, it allowed us to continue in the Gulf Stream as Charleston was a straight shot 170 NMs north from our present position east of St Augustine Inlet. At that time we calculated 536 nautical miles made good. Charleston added 170 nautical miles for a total of 706 NMs. We calculated our reserve at 294 gallons. Readers with a sharp eye will notice that the fuel reserve to St Simons (300 NM) is identical for Charleston. How can that be? It’s simply a matter of heading due north instead of heading northwest (i.e., swinging the course arc). We also conserved fuel by staying in the stream.


Decision to go direct o Charleston
At 1:00 AM on Thursday Morning we were 68 NMs due east of Little St Simons Island and mostly out of the Gulf Stream as indicated by current speed of 8.6 knots. We still showed an average speed of 9.7 knots.  Seas were running 2 feet of less as winds continued to back to the south. At that point we were 74 nautical miles south of Charleston with an ETA of 9:46 AM at the point where we would intersect with the Charleston approach buoys. We calculated our fuel reserve at 236 gallons including generator usage to the intersection.

The following words appear in the log for this latest entry. “Peaceful!!” BUT this is the “lull before the storm.” Read on. It clearly gets more exciting.

Written by Les.,

Streaming North: Discovering the Gulf Stream

By on May 6, 2017 in Guided Discovery
Departure: May 1, 2017 @ 6:32 AM.


Following tradition, Darrel and Sue Peters joined us in the morning and helped us cast off. We met them in Florence Alabama in November of 2010 while on a Great Loop side trip. Sue left her pocketbook in the courtesy car and, having found no money in here purse (just kidding), we guessed that it was the folks on the 50 foot Ocean Alexander, returned the pocket book and have been friends ever since.


Back to business.


The Crew: Guy Aries, Les and Bob Benson
Departure from Sarasota is always a challenge as there is no easy way out to the Gulf. There are three options; Big Pass, New Pass and the Venice Inlet via the ICW, and each has its issues. Big Pass is a local knowledge pass that is tricky in calm water and dangerous with rough seas due to the shallow depths. New Pass, recently dredged, has a bridge with restricted openings before 7:00 AM and a very shallow channel (where we almost touched last March) leading to the pass. Taking the ICW to Venice involves 4 bridges, two of which open every 20 minutes and numerous no wake zones.

Casey Key Swing Bridge

We chose Venice via the ICW on Monday morning as a brisk 20 knot wind out of the south was making, according to the forecast, 3 foot waves. That wave direction increased the risk of bouncing of the bottom at Big Pass. To shorten our time on this route we left at 6:30 AM to take advantage of the fact that the Siesta Key bridge opens on demand before 7:00 AM. The run to the inlet took two hours and 13 minutes.

When we entered the Gulf at Venice we saw that we had made the right decision as we immediately started pitching in a 3 to 4 foot head sea. Seas calmed to 2 to 3 feet as we passes Marco Island around 7:00 PM then increased to 4 to 6 as we progress toward the Keys. The 63 handled the seas will but pitching is not fun unless you’re playing baseball.


Around 4:00 AM on Tuesday morning we were 17 NM north of Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge. Winds that had been 25 to 30 knots out of southeast winds reduced to 15 to 20 knots and the seas calmed.  At 6:27 AM, 24 hours after departing Sarasota we crossed under the Seven Mile Bridge. We had covered 182 nautical miles at an average speed of 7.7 knots.


Seven Mile Bridge
Explanatory Note: The 63 cruises at 8.4 knots at 1400 RPM. The head winds and seas had reduced our speed by .7 knots. That may sound trivial but it’s not when you running 24 hours a day for multiple days. Essentially, you lose 16 NM and 2 hours every 24 hours.

Decision time. Run the Hawk Channel in protected water or run outside the reef in deep water to catch the Gulf Stream. This proved to be an easy decision as the forecast of south southeast winds at 10 to 15 knots with 3 to 5 foot seas was the same on both sides of the reef.


Would we get the promised push from the Gulf Stream? That question was clearly answered 4 hours later when we recorded an average speed of 7.9 knots. We were now seeing current speed readings of approximately 8.8 knots and, best of all, we were running in 3 to 4 foot seas off the starboard forward quarter. Those seas continued to calm (to 2 feet) and our speed continued to increase to 9.0 knots. The Gulf Stream was giving us a 1.5 knot push.


The depth increases as we cross the reef. Our position is shown on the right hand screen
Sorry for the poor photo 
The Gulf Stream turned Guided Discovery into a speedboat.  OK, I know. You think that’s a big exaggeration but you need to read on.

Written by Les

Streaming North: Results of a Lovely Winter

By on May 6, 2017 in Guided Discovery
Hello readers!  It’s been a lovely and quiet Sarasota winter and I’ve been lazy about writing. However, now that I’m moving Guided Discovery north I am motivated to document our trip.


Explanatory Note: I write about the north south passages for two reasons. The first is to preserve my memory of what has proved to be some very exciting adventures. The second is to share the adventure with those of you who follow my blog. So here we go again.


Departure from Sarasota by tradition is May first at 7:00 AM. That tradition has practical roots dating back to the purchase of the 63. The goal was manage dockage costs, which no longer applies as we have an annual contract for our great slip at Marina Jack.  The original plan was to time our arrival at Hingham Shipyard for early May to enjoy a late New England spring and to get the maximum benefit of the marina’s 6 month seasonal contract which ends October 31. Hence the November 1 at 7:00 AM departure from Hingham and the May 1 Departure from Sarasota.


The three other factors that affect the “tradition” are insurance considerations related to the hurricane season and the fact that Diana and Kodi move the car while I move the boat with friends, some of whom fly from wherever to crew on the journey. A date certain is a practical consideration for making airplane reservations. The third factor is weather. It starts to get hot in Sarasota and by late April we start seeing temperatures in the 90s (not great for us or Kodi’s paws).


The 7:00 AM departure is also motivated by my goal to minimize the time spent on the Okeechobee Waterway. It facilitates the crossing with two overnights stays by positioning the 63 for a 7:00 am opening at the first of Okeechobee’s five locks. With a little luck and a few speed adjustments it is possible to be on the Atlantic Ocean the morning of the third day. Then its 7 days and 6 nights to Hingham.


Did I mention the lovely winter? Well it was.  Sunny and warm every day with almost no rain (perhaps 5 days and then only showers). This threw a wrench in the works. At the end of the first week in April, I checked Lake Okeechobee water levels, which were 12.4 feet. Two weeks later the lake’s depth was 11.78 feet. The Army Corp of Engineers posted a controlling depth (i.e., depth at the lowest point on the waterway) as 5.72 feet. Do the math (.72 times 12 = 8 inches). Guided Discovery draws 5 feet of water at the keel. That results in a margin of just 8 inches between floating and “the hard,” which is rock in the low spots.


Time for local knowledge. A conversation with Bill at Lake Tow and Recovery, the local marine towing service out of Clewiston FL, was helpful.  Bill said it’s doable BUT you have to stay in the middle of the channel coming out of Clewiston and have calm winds. According to Bill, a moderate wind from the any southerly direction blows the water north and can lower the depth by 6 inches (oops, now we have a two inch margin). Having to pass another boat can result in a grounding as the depth deceases at the edge of the channel. Too close for me.


Note: As of May 4, the lake was at 11.65 feet with a controlling depth of 5.59 feet.

Plan B is a trip south along Florida’s west coast, a passage through the 7 Mile Bridge at Marathon, then east along the keys via the Hawk Channel to Miami and then to the Atlantic at Stuart. This route adds 170 nautical miles to the trip along with a fuel burn of approximately 190 gallons (at current fuel price of $2.70 per gallon).


The question here is which of three routes to take. There is the very shallow Intracoastal that runs inside the keys, which is not an option for the 63. Then there is the well-marked and Hawk Channel with an average depth of 20 feet that runs between the Keys and the reef to Miami, which we used in 2011 on our Great Loop adventure. The third option, weather permitting, is to run outside the reef in deep water (400+ feet) and pick-up the Gulf Stream. According to my friend, Captain Billy Thomas on the yacht Determination, you can pick up at least one knot of speed.


In anticipation, I programmed two routes, one for the Hawk Channel and one for the outside route.

Outer Reef’s slogan is “Go beyond the reef.” Well, weather permitting I planned to do just that and more. The title of this series, “Streaming North” represents my intent to way beyond the reef (like 60 to 70 miles offshore) and ride the Gulf Stream north. Read on to share a spectacular experience.

Written by Les.

Streaming North: Getting Ready

By on May 6, 2017 in Guided Discovery

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Happy 3rd Anniversary

By on May 6, 2017 in Guided Discovery

Reader Note: Article in progress. I will finish it soon (notwithstanding the fact that I started it 3 months ago)February 10, 2017On February 10, 2014 at around 5:00 PM, Diana and I officially became the proud owners of OR63063, the 63 foot Outer Reef …

HVAC Sea Strainer Adventures

By on January 3, 2017 in Guided Discovery

Happy New Year!!!What a way start the new year.  Talking about something as mundane as the monthly cleaning of the HVAC sea strainer.The story I’m going to share is almost funny until you get into the details which involve incompetence of the stra…

Dakota’s Carnegie Hall Debut

By on November 30, 2016 in Guided Discovery

Diana and I spent our Thanksgiving weekend in New York City so that we could see our “unofficial” granddaughter perform at Carnagie Hall. It was exciting weekend and a very special treat.

Carnegie Hall
Steve, Dakota and Becky

I’ll let Dakota’s American Protege participant’s bio fill you in on Dakota’s musical background.

“Dakota Betts, a 13 year old (who just turned 14) from Glenview, IL has been captivated by the piano ever since learning the distinctive staccato rhythm of “Mexican Jumping Beans” at age 5. She is a student of Dr. Akiko Konishi and has won top prizes in several competitions and festivals. In 2013, Dakota won second place in the Robert Savler Music Competition sponsored by the Chicago Music Teacher’s Association, and in 2014 she was a prize winner again in a higher division, winning third place. In addition, Dakota was the youngest prize winner of the 2014 Triton College Concerto Competition. She also competes on her school’s Science Olympiad team and earned the privilege to represent her district at the Illinois state competition in 2015. When she is not playing the piano or in the science lab, Dakota can be found on the tennis court, soccer field, or writing poetry that reflects her free spirit and vivid imagination.”

Becky, Dakota (14), Nathaniel (12) and Steve after the performance

Dakota is an amazing young women and we have had the privilege of watching her grow up.

Now to the competition. American Protégé Piano and Strings Competitions are open to independent solo musicians of all ages, nationalities and countries. Participants submit their performance on video. The first round of the audition process includes screening of the submissions by the American Protégé Organizational Committee. Then a panel of judges consisting of high-profile musicians and teachers review the finalists and make the final decisions.
Needless to say, when the process is completed the judges have selected young people who have considerable talent.
Now the venue. “The Winner’s Recital” took place on Saturday afternoon at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The three hour-long program of classical music included the performances of 34 young people ages 8 to 16. They were absolutely amazing.
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
And now to Dakota’s performance. She played a segment from Gershwin’s Prelude No. 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zeYTFzypdw
And finally we come to “Dakota’s Carnegie Debut Dinner,” which was held at Ai Fiori, an Italian restaurant at the Langham Place Hotel on 5th Avenue.  Dinner was spectacular but this was no surprise given the restaurant’s credentials as described below.
Dakota on the staircase to the restaurant
Ai Fiori received three stars from The New York Times as well as Michelin Star recognition the past several years. The restaurant was also included in Esquire Magazine’s 2011 List of Best New Restaurants in America. Additionally, New York Post critic Steve Cuozzo labeled the signature dish Astice the “greatest dish in the world.” Ai Fiori also ranks among Zagat’s Best Italian in NYC, and the Forbes Travel Guide awarded it four stars.  

What a party. It started at 5:30 PM and lasted until after ten. In attendance were family and friends from all over the US and the UK.

Becky, Paula, Martha (Dakota’s grandmother) and Gail

Diana and Gail (Becky’s sister)
Dakota’s grandfather John Betts with his friend Doreen
Dakota with her cousin, Audrey

Now to the rest of the weekend.

Diana and I arrived on Thursday evening after a problem free flight from Tampa and promptly adjourned to the Bianca Restaurant at the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel for Thanksgiving Dinner. This was followed by a walk north on 5th Avenue, where we looked at Christmas decorations and back south through Times Square.

Saks Fifth Avenue constantly changing lighted facade accompanied by Nutcracker Suite music

Friday morning we took the subway and visited the 9/11 memorial. Very moving. The names of every person who perished in the terror attacks of February 26, 1993 & September 11, 2001 are honored in bronze around the twin Memorial pools.

One World Trade Center in the background

911 Memorial Pool

Then a quick subway ride north to the theater district where we took in a hysterical broadway show, Front  Page with Nathan Lane, John Slattery and John Goodman.

John Goodman
Nathan Lane and John Slattery

Friday’s dinner was with Becky, Steve, Dakota, Nathaniel, John and Doreen at Joe Allen in the theater district.

Les, Nathaniel and Diana discussing Minecraft at Breakfast at the Tick Tock Restaurant

Saturday was devoted to Dakota’s performance at Carnegie Hall. However, a funny (well not that funny) thing happened on the way to Carnegie. I lost my cell phone, which I discovered when I used it to get the time right after exiting the taxi cab (approximately 12:30 PM). &*#%%#@@ (expletives deleted). Diana to the rescue. She suggested I use her phone to call mine. Bingo. I got a hold of the passenger in the cab we had just vacated and he arranged for the driver to return to Carnegie with the phone. Believe it or not I still was on time for the start of the 1:00 PM performance.

Betts family as we arrive at Pennsylvania Station for the train ride to Newark Airport

Sunday was a travel day. All of us departed the hotel at 12:30 PM and headed for Pennsylvania Station for the train ride to Newark Airport ($18.00 for Diana & I – best deal in NYC). No hassle at the airport, a smooth flight and we were home.

A spectacular weekend in the Big Apple with spectacular people.

Written by Les.

Wylie’s Vision – A Caillon for Sarasota

By on November 22, 2016 in Guided Discovery

Reader Note: Two articles in succession starting with the word “vision.” Perhaps you’re thinking that I’ve run out of original titles. Just a coincidence but in this case the use of the word “vision” is highly appropriate. Read on to see why.Background…

Bob’s" Vision" – Bracewell Semi-custom 54

By on November 16, 2016 in Guided Discovery

READER NOTE: This is clearly deja vu. Last May just days after arriving in Hingham I got to watch a 44 foot sailboat being extracted from the shed where it was constructed (see “Popping the Cork on a 17 Year Old NEW Boat”). Now, three days after arriving in Sarasota I’m driving across the state of Florida to see another brand new boat.

Diana and I met Bob and Jan Kossman in August of 2012 on the second phase of our Great Loop adventure. We had just completed the Trent Severn Waterway, a 240 mile inland waterway journey from Trenton Ontario to Port Severn, a port on the southeast end of the Georgian Bay.

Diana with Jan & Bob Kossman on Mackinac Island in September 2012

Actually, Kodi introduced us to the Kossman’s who were cruising on their 45 foot Tollycraft, Jan’s Tern, with their dogs Kaylee and Daphne. This took place in Penetangiushene Canada. We then proceeded to cruise north with them through the Georgian Bay and the North Channel. We checked back into the United States at Drummond Island and then cruised together to Mackinac Island, where we finally parted company.

Jan’s Tern – Bob’s 1996 45 Tollycraft Cockpit Motor Yacht
Currently for sale. See www.boattrader.com or tollyclassified.com

Needless to say we’ve been friends every since. Bob and I spoke frequently as we were building the Outer Reef 63 (November 2012 to February 2014). Bob and Jan joined us for the Christening Party that Outer Reef threw at the 2014 Miami Boat Show.

Shortly after we took delivery and moved Guided Discovery north to Massachusetts, Bob began the process of building a custom yacht with Lance Bracewell, owner of Bracewell Marine Group. That process ultimately took 26 months, was done in China and culminated with the arrival of a semi-custom built Bracewell 54 in late September 2016.

From late September to last weekend (November 12), when I visited the Kossman’s and their new yacht in Fort Lauderdale, the boat had been at Cable Marine undergoing six weeks commissioning. Bob and I have been in close communication and I have had the opportunity to vicariously participate in the process of commissioning another new yacht (with all of its frustration – oh well). Now I traveled 200 miles across Florida to view the almost finished product.

Bob, like Burger King, wants to do it his way. So after much searching he found a builder, Lance Bracewell, who was willing to modify an existing hull to meet Bob’s specifications.

Explanatory Note: Three ways to build a boat. Custom: You hire a naval architect and start from scratch with drawings. Everything on the boat is custom designed. You choose all equipment along with interior fabrics and colors. Semi-custom (like Outer Reef and Bracewell): You start with an existing hull and make modifications. You get to choose equipment along with interior fabrics and colors. Stock (the 48 Sundancer): You get to pick equipment from an options list. Interior fabrics are selected from a set of fixed choices.

Reader Note: The photos that follow are of a boat in the later stages of commissioning and thus things are a little messy.

Here’s a photo of the finished product.

“Vision,” Bob’s 54 Bracewell Semi-custom Motoryacht

And here’s a photo of the standard Bracewell Pacesetter 54.

Bob moved the flybridge forward a good 6 feet creating an 18 foot flybridge with amazing space including a day head. The bridge is fully enclosed with EZ2CY strata glass and has a fully enclosed hinged door to the boat deck.

Aft view showing engine room access door, aft deck, boat deck and aft door on flybridge

Another major modification occurs on the main deck. The standard 54 Pacesetter is a two station boat. Bob’s 54 has a single control station on the flybridge. The elimination of the lower station frees up the that space to become banquette seating for five. The result as you walk forward is a wide open space.

Standard Pacesetter with pilothouse helm station and surrounding settee.
Bob’s banquette across from the galley creates seating with an open feeling

Now as you sit at the banquette and look aft you have a open space of almost 40 feet.

Banquette looking aft to the salon. Notice the open stairwell to the flybridge, TV and cabinetry to port.

Explanatory Note: Bob built and equipped a boat that matches his cruising style. Unlike myself, Bob does not run long distances or offshore or in substantial seas or operate at night. Hence this boat does not have stabilizers, AIS, night vision or satellite radio. Bob picks favorable weather and runs at hull speed most of the time. The boat is capable of 21 MPH when needed.

Here’s the basic specifications:

  • Length overall (LOA) 54’ – 0”
  • Length on deck (LOD) 51’ – 0”(including integrated swim platform)
  • Beam 16’ – 0’
  • Draft 3’ – 6”
  • Displacement 56,000 lbs.
  • Fuel capacity 600 gals
  • Water capacity 300 gallons
  • Holding tank 150 gallons
  • Bridge clearance 19’ 6”

Now for a tour of the main deck.

Bob standing on the aft deck. Storage locker to port.
There is plenty of room for a table with chairs

Salon starboard settee and fixed table just forward of the salon door

Salon door and port settee with fixed table

Lovely fixed table

TV and entertainment center – currently awaiting equipment and cabinet doors

Galley banquette. Stairwell to the accommodations is to starboard

Galley with full size refrigerator and top freezer, 2 burner electric stove, dishwasher and toaster oven

Bracewell will build the Pacesetter 54 as either a two or three stateroom boat. Both arrangements have two heads. Bob choose the two stateroom arrangement to maximize the size and storage for each room. We’ll start with the starboard side of the master stateroom, continue around that room and then look at the VIP stateroom.

Master Stateroom Vanity with storage
Door to the head and shower is to your left
Master queen sized bed

Side table with granite top and storage below
Starboard storage includes 12 drawers flanked by two hanging lockers. Notice the granite top. 

Aft hanging locker
TV, drawers and double door hanging locker
Looking forward to the VIP stateroom
VIP standard size bed

Storage drawers under the bed

VIP TV
VIP head

Now well look at the flybridge. Bob’s decision to build a single station boat maximized space on the main deck and eliminated considerable cost by not having to duplicate electronics. The flybridge is enclosed with EZ2CY strata glass, which can be opened for ventilation. The area has a powerful HVAC unit that makes in usable year round in any weather.

Looking forward to the control station
Notice the starboard settee and fixed table

Control station with two Garmin 7612s and a Garmin Autopillot
The 54 is equipped with single lever engine controls, a bow thruster and a joy stick

Super comfortable ultra leather covered helm seating 

Starboard settee and table looking aft

.

Flybridge sink and storage. Day head to the right.

The day head. Inside is a commode

Left to right. Day head, door to boat deck.and flybridge refrigerator

Boat deck. Open space for sun bathing
Bob does not carry a tender. Hence no davit.

Now we’ll visit the lazarette and the engine room (or holy place as it was called by Bill Parlator, the co-founder of Passagemaker Magazine). The 54 is equipped with two Cummins 530 HP tier 3 (very clean, state of the art) diesel engines. The engine room has over 68 inches of headroom and as you will notice has tremendous space. Literally everything is accessible. To get to the engine room you pass through the lazarette.

Lazarette starboard side

Lazarette storage shelf

Washer and dryer and work space

More storage space

Lazarette looking aft
Forward bulkhead and storage lockers

Port engine. Notice the space for easy access

The builder, Lance Bracewell, with Bob Kossman
sitting comfortably on the port storage locker

Jan and Bob pose for a parting photo.

Suggestion to Lance: Name this model “Vision.”

And to Jan and Bob. She’s a work of art. Good luck and smooth sailing.

Written by Les.

Sarasota Bound: The Home Stretch

By on November 15, 2016 in Guided Discovery

FORT MYERS FLORIDA TO SARASOTA FLORIDAWe departed Legacy Harbour Marina at 6:37 AM and began a 79 NM run that would take us west on the Caloosahatchee River past Fort Myers and then north on the Gulf ICW to Red Fish Pass where we head west and then nor…