Introducing the St. Francis 50 mk II: Wayfinder

[Andrew Grace]

Originally Posted by UpOnStands

SV "Wayfinder" prominent on Hugh's twitter page and web site
latest Youtube post?

Great video showing why you should not be using a sock when sailing solo,

in the same time period its taken Hugh to setup and raise we could have setup and pulled down our top down furler 10 times !

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Andrew Grace

Great video showing why you should not be using a sock when sailing solo,

in the same time period its taken Hugh to setup and raise we could have setup and pulled down our top down furler 10 times !

Ten times!!

I think I could manage five.
You are my hero!

[Steve_C]

Originally Posted by Palarran

That's interesting Steve. Did St. Francis have a boat at the show? I've always liked them the best for a new boat manufacturer, considering the cost and quality.

IMO, if you make a contract to pay in another currency, how can you complain about the fluctuation.

Yes they did, it was nice to see the new changes in person. I still am not a fan of the engine under the aft beds, and even on a cool day in Annapolis the huge front windows created a greenhouse in the cabin. For this reason the shades were pulled shut, and they said they closed them to keep it cooler. I like being able to see out from the main cabin. On most of the other Cats the Front windows were shaded and not covered, very noticeable difference.

It is a big roomy Cat but its also 50 ft. and $1M so it should be. Lot of great features but for that much I think its time for a redesign to make it more up to date. Just my opinion.

As for the contract, that was exactly what Duncan said. He indicated that the buyer can choose to lock in the price in either currency and it is what it is. I completely agree, but I also know that this is just his side of the story.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Steve_C

Yes they did, it was nice to see the new changes in person. I still am not a fan of the engine under the aft beds, and even on a cool day in Annapolis the huge front windows created a greenhouse in the cabin. For this reason the shades were pulled shut, and they said they closed them to keep it cooler. I like being able to see out from the main cabin. On most of the other Cats the Front windows were shaded and not covered, very noticeable difference.

It is a big roomy Cat but its also 50 ft. and $1M so it should be. Lot of great features but for that much I think its time for a redesign to make it more up to date. Just my opinion.

As for the contract, that was exactly what Duncan said. He indicated that the buyer can choose to lock in the price in either currency and it is what it is. I completely agree, but I also know that this is just his side of the story.

Possibly time for a new deck mold. Many current /new designs by designers other than the production designers have vertical opening window with overhangs.

Including Grainger, Schonning and Stanton.

High Performance Sailing Catamaran Designs - Grainger Designs Multihull Yachts
Arrow 1360 | Performance Cruising Catamaran
FreeFlow Catamarans

[ejlindahl]

The 3 links provided by Down under, showed cats with that rakish sweeping arm that extends forward from the front corners of the salon cabin. They remind me of the rear seat pillers of my Chevy Volt. They obscure such a large range of view that I consider it dangerous. You just can't see back there to change lanes nearly as easy as my old 2003 VW Jetta. Similarly those sweeping cabin pilars on the 3 cats above as well as Leopards and many other modern cats would seem to obscure a signifcant part of the view from inside the salon. Anything that obscures the view while sitting in the salon is a non starter for me. I think the Lagoon 380 excels in this regard.

Do these forward catamaran pillars have a structural function or are they just a fashion fad de jour? (Like the uncomfortable curved settees in french cats of the 2000's, which the L380 unfortunately is guilty of).

[downunder]

Not necessarily so certainly in the case of the Freeflow46 shown here.

Visability and airflow are as good as you can get. Check the site lines through the saloon.

[BigBeakie]

"Anything that obscures the view while sitting in the salon is a non starter for me. I think the Lagoon 380 excels in this regard.

Do these forward catamaran pillars have a structural function or are they just a fashion fad de jour?

Can't speak for the other designers but I know for the FreeFlow design the view is not obstructed much, and certainly not DANGEROUSLY. And certainly not moreso than the forward mast position when it intrudes into the saloon. Notice that the helm position is completely protected and the view from the helm is 360 degrees unobstructed.

And yes, the "pillars" serve several functions in the FreeFlow design, a few of which are the excellent ram air flow even when the boat is closed up; the design of the rain catcher system; and most importantly, they add significantly to the stiffness of the boat, as they are structural, not just cosmetic.

However regarding aethetics, they do give a nice profile to the boat, at least I think so

And they are hardly "fad du jour" as they have been used by Stanton for many years, and by Jeff Schionning, as well.

[ejlindahl]

Thanks Beakie for the structural info on the FF. I've never thought of the forward reaching cabin "post" being dangerous. When helming all boats have blind spots you need to peak around. I just don't care for it, to me they look superfluous, like fins on a 50s Cadillac.

Agree that asthetics are important. To each is own. Somewhere I read that you have the right boat if you can't stop looking when you're rowing away from it.

[BigBeakie]

No problem, to each their own ideas & opinions. 😀 vive la difference!

Just get a bit familiar with the structural implications of design elements in whatever cat you are considering. For example, if the large "lid" (the saloon roof) on the cat has no contribution to the transverse stiffness of the boat (for the wracking/twisting forces), then how is that handled?


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Taichungman]

Originally Posted by Steve_C

I had a chat with Duncan at the Annapolis show and asked him about Wayfinder. He had mentioned Hugh several times and gave him credit for many of the changes to the newest version of the SF 50. He indicated that the exchange rate from US dollar to Rand had fluctuated quite a bit between signing of the contract and final delivery. This fluctuation apparently benefited Duncan quite a bit and did not sit well with Hugh. He didn't want to elaborate any further, but really didn't say anything negative about Hugh and said many nice things about his ideas. There did not appear to be any disputes about the quality of the vessel, at least that I could ascertain from Duncan.

Clearly there was some dispute about this and also very clearly Hugh has steered very clear of discussing anything about his experience or his vessel. That is a real shame because I would love to hear some feedback about many of his choices, some that could apply to any vessel, such as the 24 volt vs 12 volt decision.

At this point I doubt we will ever get an update from Hugh. Take this all for whatever its worth. I certainly wish the best for Hugh and Duncan.

While you were talking to Duncan, did you ask him about the 24v upgrade? It would be hard for someone else to compare the two without using both on the same type and size boat. I would imagine Duncan went to 24v because with such long runs on a 50' boat it would be much cheaper to use smaller wire. Also you would have a considerable weight advantage using a 24v system; the 12v wire is much heavier. Also, big boats require , large water makers, large winches and the large inverter may be located far from the battery bank and 12v wiring size would be impractical and less efficient . If nothing else the price would have swayed Duncan. He's a thrifty guy; I've see him making his own repairs instead of hiring someone to do it. He's pretty tight but a nice man.

[Catalysis]

Some friends and I are building two new St Francis 50's at the moment both 24v lithium house bank for nearly all systems. Only have 12v on Yanmars and Genset starting batteries.
Paul

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by Catalysis

Some friends and I are building two new St Francis 50's at the moment both 24v lithium house bank for nearly all systems. Only have 12v on Yanmars and Genset starting batteries.
Paul

Don't they have the option for 24v starters?

[Catalysis]

Socaldmax: Nope

[Hugh Howey]

Originally Posted by Wakey

Well put it in perspective. This thread has 95 comments and over 10,000 views. There's been no crazy posts until recently and it was mostly one poster.

Back to the boat. I really look forward to how these things worked out..
~davits for heavy dink
~48 volt electrical system
~audio/video and how did he setup his network (NAS etc)
~how does she SAIL??

Whenever you get around to it, Hugh. You appear to be having the time of your life. I'm not going anywhere just yet! Lol


Posted from my buggy iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum app

Hey Wakey, a few answers for you:

The davit is an absolute highlight. I can raise and lower the dinghy by myself in rough conditions in just a couple of minutes. It's so fast and easy compared to other systems I've used in the past. I keep meaning to shoot some video of me employing it.

I have a 24 volt system, not 48. It works great. So good that I don't notice it. I recently added more solar panels to raise the total to over 3.5kw. I already was very rarely using the genset. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't even install the genset. The solar and alternators are plenty.

The audio/video on the boat is ridiculous. I created a Raspberry Pi system to handle streaming videos, and I love it so much. It runs OSMC, an open source media center (hence the acronym). It handles any file you throw at it. The sound quality is amazing. I've added speakers at the bow and surround speakers in the saloon. I also upgraded the Fusion system to the new 770 / 440 combo. Oh, and I added a movie projector and a big screen. It makes for epic movie nights, both inside and on the bow, under the stars. I'll try to share some pics / video soon. Couldn't be happier with the entertainment options.

She sails like a beast! I averaged 200 nm per day crossing the Atlantic. AVERAGED. It took 30 days to go the 6,000 nm. She wants to do 8 knots in just about any condition. I usually manage the sails to keep her around 8-10 knots. Faster doesn't make me happier. I've had her sailing (not surfing) at 17.5 knots sustained (spinnaker in way too much wind, but we had a bunch of fit guys onboard looking for a thrill). She's been surfing over 20 knots too many times for my liking. And in light winds, at the right angle, she scoots. I don't hesitate to go out in anything from 8 knots to 30 knots. She can do it all. I made the sail from New Zealand to Fiji in less than 7 days (all the way up to Savusavu, not the closer Suva). That doesn't count the stop at Minerva, just the passage time. And I was alone, so I wasn't trimming sail nonstop. Just relaxing.

Granted, I have the boat quite loaded down these days with toys. She was even quicker when I launched her.


It's been a long while since I've had the time or inclination to write about my voyage. I can't promise I won't disappear again into the ether. In the last year, I've quit using even Facebook or posting to Twitter. I need to do both more often, as I've heard from several people this year that they miss my photos and posts. I'm trying to figure out how to do a better job of sharing my adventures. If you search YouTube for "Wayfinder Voyages," you'll find a few videos my girlfriend put together and uploaded. I'm going to try to do this more often as well.

My best to you all.