Thanks very much again Paddy!

Thanks for the tips Ian and he's we saw Peter's video too! All good stuff...

Yes it is vey exciting - thanks Jody!

Thanks very much for your support and for watching, Andy.... Polars next week!

Glad it was helpful Claudio!

We are very keen to complete the boat build and take advantage of all the features of the P52!

Yes the bow steps are a great and very useful feature, Kurt!

Yes it is! Thanks for sharing the journey!

Yes Mango, we are looking forward to getting the polars and hopefully being able to go forward!!!!

Thanks so much, Chris!

Thank you 🙌, M! It is looking like it has a lot of potential so we are keeping our fingers crossed!!!

Thanks Stephen!

Thanks John and we appreciate your support, following and comments.

Thank you so much! Lots more decisions ahead - so far it has been major structural and then we get into the details.... sails, material,electrics, galley design , colours, batteries, engines, ? Hybrids etc etc

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567, I like the setup that the Wynns are going with on their 44. It seems like the 52 would easily accommodate the same setup.

Hi Dennis, yes we actually approached an advanced foil designer and it could be done but there are several complications (variable angle is better for different speeds, increased draft, no benefit below 12 knots etc) so we dropped it.... The foil on the HH reduces drag only, no lifting effect but the curved daggerboard creates lift by one ton at 12 knots.

We're very close, Nick... Just waiting on the polars...

Good points, Lincoln! Raffaele will talk about it later but he is designing a seawater heat exchange to get the heavy power dc chargers to be more efficient. With alum hulls it becomes easy….

Thanks Ray - we hope so but need to see the polars before we can commit....

Thanks Mate! Not bad for a bit of tin!!!!

Thanks for the input guys! We will share price on the live stream and we have always had the leopard 45 to keep us going till the next boat was ready, do the2 years is a sad game but in the “plan”!

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Iv seen other waiting times for 'new Cats' dropping from cancelled orders , Things are getting tough out there .

@@billhanna8838 most still have significant waiting but it should get better in the next few years….

You really make our day!! What would life be without you??? We giggle at your quirks but also take on your comments, this is an exciting journey and we are so glad you are at the helm with us. Much love always from the rest of the crew❤👣👣

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Ur both very welcome😎

Hi again, good questions that deserve answers! 1. Yes sacrificial bottoms are really important to prevent hull damage as the hull takes the impact of the back of the daggerboard. Still a risk if you hit higher up.. 2. Yes with Ekectrician engines on the shafts you can power and regen using the same engine and be green until the batteries need recharge... 3. High pressure pump inboard and because the water force is so great, barnacles are washed away immediately... 4. Fly bridge - boom height is probably the biggest issue . The 72 foot gunboat now has a top deck but none of their smaller models. 5. Self tacking jib has pros and cons and we have to make that call... Interesting other points too. Thanks for all that info!!

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 1. Very true 2. So the props can be electric only. No need to run either diesel engine at all. 3. Perfect. What a nice design! 4. Every design element is a tradeoff. I would struggle with it. Is it worth a second set of VPPs to quantify the expected impact and tradeoff? 5. I do not have staysail experience. Could you just add the track to the normal setup or would need a second sail cut?

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Thought of you guys. A shallow draft aluminum boat, centerboard with a small daggerboard forward of the rudder post (3:07-4:52). This boat also has the engine inside the salon surrounded by acoustic panels and very nice woodwork (13:37). Engine exposed (17:21-17:50). KZfaq video “We Paid $57,000 For This Rare Boatyard Fine, Are We Dumb?”. The daggerboard forward of the rudder post from this long time European boat builder was surprising.

Thanks David, we are just looking at how to organise the steering station and shade now so that will be interesting.

Hi again and fantastic, that is very exciting for you too. Hope everything goes smoothly with your hand over and sailing soon! Keep watching our progress to see the progression of the design for us and we will get a price in there soon too when we know for sure!

BTW, Melinda is still back in Sydney but I am in Cape Town attending to the aftermarket stuff. Let me know when you arrive. Cheers, Kevin

Thanks Clive, lots of good info again! Yes the automatic release under pressure with nothing breaking is a really clever design in Portofino.

Thanks Mark for the various bits of advice. Yes we followed with interest as Distant Shores went through the process to get a custom Alum boat built with the lifting centreboard and while they have been around for a long time in Alum monos, there is no-one that has done them for cats (as far as I am aware). We have been in contact with Devilliers and have seen their new designed cat that is interesting too and yes, the performance of the cats also has a major effect on hull shape and while all those formulae are great ball parks, the boat that lifts itself out the water at lower speeds, reduces resistance and overcomes the hull speed limitations. That is what we tried to create with the amended Portofino design and wide flatter sterns is one of the features...

sailing nahoa is doing an aluminium catamaran as well

ThanksJim. Yes in Oz lifting keels are soooo good!!!

Hi, nice to hear from you. If you want to contact me off-line my email is drjohnmcintosh@tpg.com.au. Interested in your "project".

Thanks for the question and yes the chine is above the watetline snd that was exactly the question I gave to Portofino!

Thanks, will do!

Thanks David, Will do when they are available. Details like the helm position are still being drawn...

Yes, it would be great to know where all the sail lines lead back to? Perhaps you are considering a small part of the forward cockpit as the sail management area, with a helm/wheel or "joystick steering" just inside the saloon? Looking forward to knowing more!

@@toddmalone4384 I would be really interested in the helm position too, the boat seem to tick so many other boxes (low wind performance, comfort, ...) - but I am not convinced of what i have seen so far of the helm station. which steering technology will be used?

Thanks for the info, MWM! You are rIght about not flying a hill - we have no desire to be on the edge of capsize! However we found on our performance cat with dagger boards , once past 70-80* off the wind, they were not needed at all as the fine entry hulls kept the directional stability without the need for daggerboards. DB are a risk if you hit the ground but the sacfificisl bottoms broke off and avoided hull damage. Still daggerboard repair needed so a centreboard would save that aggravation. We are not going to be racing, but we want to be able to sail fast without too much effort and stay safe... lots of choices to make!

Thanks Barry! Yes the features are spectacular and quite unique! We have not looked into the different lithium options yet as we are still focussing more on the performance and design at present...

Welcome to Barefoot Doctors then and thanks for the comment! Yes we visited Garcia and did do a full tour and made a video about it too (S3#2). They have amazing features and very comprehensive set up for the higher latitudes and icebergs. They are really solid and more heavy so that impairs performance and we do not have aspirations of sailing in cold places as we have been living in the tropics most of our lives. Hope to hear from you again and glad you are coming along with us!

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 thanks I will check that video out - I also noticed that you had them on your spread sheet after I had left the comment- I guess I should watch the whole video before commenting :). I go to Dubai a lot for work, will have to check out the yard where you are having yours built!

Yes, no, maybe, not sure.... or if that much fun, will we just keep you in suspenders for another few episodes?! Thanks Tiny - and we can't wait too!

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 In that case I will keep watching

Thanks Mark, it would be nice if we can move design parameters forward for the better!

Dear C from Denver! Thanks for the feedback. No you did not miss any episode about the cause of the fire as we have not made it public yet as it is in the courts as we try to get some payout - nothing has been paid yet but when the process is complete we will fully explain the cause of the fire (its not too complicated and not the fault of the boat) and discuss the insurance issues that other yachts need to be aware of....

Yes the wait will be hard and we hope there will be many advances in that time in electrics, batteries, solar and engines.... Thanks for the insights, Magnus!

​@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Watch for the Na, Sulpher and Al based batteries coming on to the Production lines this year. His observations about the cost of a dedicated seperate generator is spot on... However there are also new forms of ultra compact lighter more efficient motors also coming to market that can be used in both roles. I can add a few links if they interest you... Its still difficult to add external research links to U tube. 🙄 Theres a lot of hybrid power plant work going on in Holland and Poland. Also look at the regenerative potential under sail ... Prop choice and retractable electric drive. Re stern thrusters... Jets 👍🏼😁 With more places limiting anchoring it allows you to maintain position or stay on dock while casting off single handed or sideways park single handed.. but these systems use steerable nozzle's..

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Both batteries and solar panels must be improved within 2 years. I actually think it will arrive in time. I know about batteries and panels that are already on their way here. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a5iCi6ZynMDcias.html&ab_channel=TheFuturist

Thats very kind of you Pier. Thanks for your support.

Thats great Jeff! I thought many others would be interested in a lot of things that we have been trying to get but when the brands don't give you the choice, you are forced to compromise on so many things.... Good luck with your search too!!!

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 I’m waiting to see the results. I like the dive locker, and roomy cabins. I’m looking for a live aboard to do mostly west coast USA traveling maybe South America and the Caribbean

Nice to hear from you Raptor! I am sure that there are lots of folk out there that will want we want but till now the brands just made it that it was not possible! Now it is - so lets get what we want. I want to be able to do 12-15 knots with relative ease and comfort, under autohelm and not have to worry about capsize if a squall blows through... The compromises are also only in degrees - lose a bit of speed for flybridge. Put on a flybridge and lose a couple of knots at the top of the range I suspect and increase windage - that's probably more of an issue is strong storms at anchor... Don;t worry about corrosion any more and just make sure the wiring is done by someone that knows what they are doing and check your anodes frequently and use the isolation transformation - all sorted! Keep the dream alive and the more boats you sail on and the longer trips you take, the more accurate you will be in choosing what you want and what you don't want. I guarantee that many of those wants will change after a period on the boat actually doing it so put on less to start with and add later - esp if that helps you get out on the water earlier... Good luck!

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Thank you for your reply. Your right, buying a boat today is quite a different experience to what it was even only a few years ago. Customization is becoming the in thing (possibly even more than I realised). 12-15 kn without stress does seem very reasonable (not outrageous). I would also be happy with that. Flybridge, the main thing I like about them is room they give you in the cockpit/saloon area. I want dual helms and it's amazing how much 2 helms take up. Corrosion, yes, it does not seem to be the problem that it was even only a few years ago. My wants, needs and dont wants sure have changed a lot over the last 5 years. The dream is very much alive and WILL be fulfilled - when I semi-retire. I will be there on you livestream on 12 Feb (midnight for me as I live in Western Australia. I would also very much like to know exactly what specs and calculation they use for your polars, and are Portofino doing the Polars or is a third party doing them? Thanks.

Yes, Guys, at the end of the day you could have whatever configuration you want. So if you want to do all green you can but the distance you can motor is still limited unless you have a generator of some kind. We hope the technology will improve and solve that in the next few years.... Thanks for following and for commenting!

Hi Claudio, we hear you but don't know how much speed would be lost with the flybridge... The other big issue is that in a storm it does create a lot of windage so increases the risk of dragging. The Leopard 50 moved at 3.5 knots in 35 knots of wind without any sails up (drifting very fast)!

Yeah, terrible timing for Qld at 2am and 3am for those in Southern Australia and NZ.... Either the US guys would have missed it or the Aussies would be up late! We figured the Aussies are a tough and resilient folk so hopefully we will have some awake to share!

Hi CB, yes we heard you had finally got to speak to him so that is great. No we are not going to the Miami show and we are heading to South Africa to sail from CapeTown to USA in April though.... We are not doing the VPPs for the flybridge as we agreed to drop it and it took some weeks.

Thanks GB! My email address is drjohnmcintosh@tpg.com.au Thanks!

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 OK I'm on to it now! BRB...

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Ok It's up loading the video now. Check you email in about 10 min. 👍 Cheers.

It's all finished, Check you email!

Hi Guys, thanks for the interest. There is not only an all up or an all down option because you can have the boards rotated to any depth or angle. So when going upwind they would be fully down but when on a reach you would probably only use the windward one at a 30* angle to reduce resistance as leeway is minimal. Downwind both will probably be up completely. That is the sort of way I used the daggerboards in the past and the more you are off the wind, the less you need and I expect the cat to hold its course well without the boards due to it's sharp entry.... But we will see.

Thanks for the comment, Mountain Dweller. I am only basing that on the Outremer polars that I have that show quite disappointing performance off the wind - only 12 knots or so from memory... And the Outremer 51 (Archer) was only doing 1 knot faster than Zatara when on a reach crossing the Pacific... The Seawind Polars are spectacular doing over 20 knots ....

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 And all this time I thought is was because Keith on Zatara had the iron ginnys at full throttle! 😂😂 Cheers and best of luck on your build!

Thanks for the advice, Kirk! The Garcia is 18.5T and they use thicker aluminium and this boat is being planned to come in at 16T. Mumbys are much lighter construction and come in around 10T I understand but I will be getting more info on that too.... Portofino are using naval engineers to do the calculations to reduce weight without compromising the strength but we are not aiming for a super light Mumby type construction.

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Yes, but just keep in mind that the Mumby is a stripped out shell of a boat with very few amenities, extremely minimalist-zero luxury or insulation like the Garcia. Also that swim platform alone probably is going to add 1.5T. Very cool boat though. Performance? Well that’s relative to what you are looking for, but you say you are looking for a boat that will sail easily at 12-14knots but that’s Balance 526 territory which has an SA/D of 31 and comes in at 12T, the Portofino won’t be close to matching these types of numbers. Good luck & get that commitment on weight in the contract!

There is no point in going backwards and forwards as the proof will be in the pudding... S as Lao even the heavy Leopard 50 platform weighed 0.5 tonnes do it is nowhere near the1.5t you expect. Pkukkys boat will be far from a stripped out boat and still be under 20T so have faith my friend and be open to being amazed on many fronts!

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Very true! To commission a custom build like this at a yard without a track record of producing performance catamarans you definitely need to do your due diligence and know what you are getting into. Looking forward to following along!

@@kirkb3473 👍

Yes we are going to be going into the goats and Portofino will be offering the 52 model Little Joe!

@Barefoot Doctors Sailing exciting stuff. I saw that Stryker are offering aluminium builds now. Did you consider their 52?

HI Norman, yes please! Email me please on drjohnmcintosh@tpg.com.au. I did reply to your earlier comment with my email but it probably got buried under all the other comments so you couldn't see it... Hope to catch you this time!

We can still consider that! Thanks for the suggestion Arnold.

We are seeing the 52 growing now and it will be really exciting as it gets finished and everyone can see what it looks like exactly and how it performs! We love the ability to go in shallow water (up river, protected bays, into mangroves for hurricane prot3ection and to anchor in calm water....) Good luck with your search!

The Garcia now costs E1.7m /$1.8m plus options - we got the updated price in S3Ep2… Price for the Portofino 52 in the next episode…

Thanks for the comment Tony. The polars were calculated using 18.5T and the dry weight is 16T so the performance should still be fine. Any cat is affected by weight and the lighter she is the faster she will sail... For comparison of weights she is lighter than the Garcia and the GRP boats but heavier than the carbon boats and performance cats like HH, Outremer and Seawind. The HH55 is 14.2T and the Seawind for example comes in at 13.5T so only a bit heavier.

Thanks JC - yes there is no "top storey"! Nice and sleek.

We are building in Dubai where there have decades of aluminium yacht and ship building experience. One hull now finished….

Hi Aries, the Portofino 52 is only being designed as we speak / communicate so as it is not finished, there is nothing online as yet. We have been actually changing the hull shapes and layout that required many changes including different engine positions so when the design is complete, they will put it online... They have the 47 and 67 online at portofinomarineservice.com

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Thanks you very much. I'll be looking forward to see it.

The outside helm is in the saloon roof, almost the same spot as with a fly bridge.

haha john just mentioned the same vlog before I read the comments - my bad - well said

Thanks John, for the info about those stats and yes we follow Peter and his journey! That is all interesting stuff and the numbers act as a guide, the Vpps/ polars help and its on the water that is the most important....

We are in contact with him also! Cheers guys

Thanks Billy!

Thanks and some others have mentioned Mcconachys. I have just never been on one and we have not reviewed them so we are not wiling to pass judgements or statements about boats outside our direct experience.

Hi guys, the value would only fall if the boat was not up to standard and did not perform as expected. Once they are out there and if they perform well, the value may even be greater than what we paid as the features are unique and outstanding and there won't be many available... Of course we hope it will go upwards in value but if we go with it we hope that we won't need to sell anyway!

@Barefoot Doctors Sailing ....not sure I agree with you, people are very brand oriented and typically less inclined to go with a boat from a super niche builder. Be realistic one day you will have to sell, everybody has to sell - unless you want to pass it to kids or friends in your respective wills. But if you really don't care what it's worth when you sell then follow your path. In that case I would be more concerned about after sales support from a niche builder.

Raffaele Rognoni of Portofino Marine Services - 15 years in the yacht building industry and see his experience in S3#3 "New Portofino 47 Review".

Us too!

16 Tonnes

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 thanks. That's not bad for all that it offers. It's halfway between the Explocat 52 of the same size and the Outremer 55.

I'll let you tell Eli about her clothes and shoes though....

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 I don't see a problem. bikinis take up almost no space and who needs shoe's when you are on a boat.....lol 🤣😂

Yes, the Leopard 45 is for 2-3 years use while we’re in the Med and our plan was to use those years to create our ideal boat...

Hi Tim, The centreboard will kick up due to using compression plates that will give way under strike force, and whether it is hydraulic, manual or lines. Then you can pull it back down and there is nothing broken, not even sacrificial pins. We do have the plan for lifting rudders too to allow shallower draft and beachability. The previous 42 cat I built had lifting daggerboards and rudders that just touched the sand when it sat on the beach so that worked very well. My issue with "watertight bulkheads" is that most of them are not actually watertight with drains through to avoid needing bilge pumps in each section or holes cut for Kids berths or similar. This design will have truly separated watertight bulkheads and air tight voids wherever possible to ensure maintenance of floatation. In the 42 foot cat, the whole of the under floor areas was sealed off as well as the nose cone and under the berths in each cabin. One area in the 52 that can also be used is to seal off the saloon roof and unused bridge deck area, so it is not that those areas alone will maintain floatation but with proper watertight bulkheads, it will be much safer than the usual boats that are built... Clearly you have the appropriate design to keep your bulkheads properly watertight and still be able to use the space - great design!

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Hi, Barefoot - I don't follow the reasoning that you're against watertight bulkheads if they aren't watertight. By definition, watertight bulkheads ARE watertight. It's not hard to put a short pipe with a valve on it attached to a bulkhead. I would have valves at every point where a pipe passes through a bulkhead. Wires can be passed through with copper bolts attached to fiberglass plates bedded on your metal bulkheads. As for the centerboard arrangement, it seems absurdly Rube Goldberg to me. As for flotation, you have to do the math. For example: 36,000 pounds of displacement needs 562 cubic feet of ,emptiness, or better, closed cell foam, to float it. That's a whole lot of nothing. Probably the slickest retracting rudder I've seen is the daggerboard in a revolving drum arrangement in some Gunboats - but it doesn't kick up. It's easy to put a dingy style rudder on a boat - essentially a daggerboard case with pintles and gudgeons on the transoms on a short skeg. The case can be open in back so it can pivot if given a pivot on the daggerboard case. However, you get some efficiency loss from air bubbles, and it's more complicated to put wheel steering and an autopilot on the arrangement. It's also vulnerable in harbors. My preference would be a 1.5 foot keel, housing the whole centerboard. It doesn't interfere with the boat's interior, and the pivot pin can be accessed from outside of the boat. Then the rudders can be conventional inboard, just a bit short. The resulting boat would have 3.5' of draft with 3' deep rudders.

@@timdunn2257 Hi again Tim. I think you missed my point about the common production cats that have buklheads they call "watertight" but are not with cut outs or drainage holes that render them unsealable and several have sunk as a result. There is also the common misconception amongst the sailing community (it seems) that "cats don't sink" which is also incorrect... See Sailing Dauntless with the Leopard 50 that fully sank. Clearly your processes for maintaining the integrity of the watertight bulkheads are what we are going to be doing in various ways to ensure the integrity of the watertight bulkheads soon the P52 and will have large areas that are sealed - the two engine rooms (large volume), the two bow sections, the stern sections, multiple under sole areas, the nose cone, the salon roof and sections of the underwing. This is me pushing them to put in more sealed areas and not their design as I have seen boats go down and everything filling up because the bilges drain across sections... I have not done the maths (and we work in metric) for how much volume we need to have but are you saying that it is impossible to have enough buoyancy to keep the boat afloat between the sections that are sealed off and the air tight voids? If the bottom oof the main hook centrally was holed, we need enough buoyancy in the rest of the boat to stay afloat so that is what I am trying to achieve. I have considered on the Leopard to have salvage bags that can be inflated with scuba tanks to create that buoyancy as well. As for the Rube Goldberg reference - that compression solution does not break , can be instantly reversed and is simple and easy to instal is the best design I have seen for the centreboard hitting any objects and being able to be reused immediately - what solution do you think is better? Also we want to be able to back the boat on it's hull and having a 1.5foot (1/2 m) keel makes it deeper draft and puts more strain on a smaller area, it seems so it will dig into the sand. Does that set up work for beaching?

Hi, Barefoot - That's not a point against watertight bulkheads, that's a point against lying salesmen. Caveat emptor! If you can't inspect the area below the cabin sole to make sure the bulkhead is watertight, you're already in trouble. It is, of course, possible, and even fairly easy to make sure you have adequate buoyancy to keep a catamaran afloat. I have done it. Many cored fiberglass hull multihulls are unsinkable due to the amount of core, but you must do the math to make sure if you rely on that property. It's not magic. It's just simple math, though it's somewhat tedious. You can do a shortcut, using the net buoyancy of the laminate in a fiberglass cored multihull - that is subtracting the weight of the fiberglass and weight of the core from the floatation of the volume of a square foot (or meter) to get the net buoyancy. As for your aluminum boat, just measure the cubic feet of each watertight cabin, multiply by 64 to get the buoyancy, and ensure that what you are depending on to float you, will. Just adding buoyancy without doing the math is pointless. Centerboards have been common along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the US for a couple of hundred years. The centerboards were made of wood, and weighted with lead or iron. A line was tied to a point that could raise the centerboard to haul the board up. The boards would kick up when a shoal was hit. The line goes up to the deck inside a tube, to keep water from sloshing into the boat. Replacing this simple, cheap, reliable line with a hydraulic motor, hydraulic ram, and a device to pinch the centerboard is, please forgive me for saying so, hilarious. In a catamaran, the false keel often used is usually used for tankage, which is useful. I have never heard of keels (called false because they aren't ballasted,) being a problem in grounding catamarans. Catamaran keels are reinforced to take the force of grounding. In boat yards, catamarans are usually dried out on their keels only, sometimes with some support forward to support the bows if the keels are far aft. As far as preferences go, you pay your money and take your choice. I urge keeping every necessary thing on a voyaging boat as simple as reliable as possible! KISS! Electricity in sailboats should be regarded as a luxury, not a necessity! I sailed from LA to Honolulu to Seattle to LA, and I did a transpacific voyage via the south Pacific, as well as sailing in Puget Sound and British Columbia. I've anchored in a hundred harbors or so, and never wished to have just 1.5' draft. A big advantage of keels on a catamaran is that you can paint the bottom resting on the keels. If you are going to rely on making a catamaran unsinkable, you must do the calculations to ensure adequate flotation. Do a google image search for centerboards and catamarans dried out between tides on their keels to see my points in practice. forums.sailinganarchy.com/data/attachments/407/407021-47431d21d45e9ce9b34396f039364af7.jpg oceannavigator.com/wp-content/uploads/data-import/bc7ab764/cats2.jpg www.antarescatamarans.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/keels-and-rudders-on-catamaran.jpg

@timdunn2257 Thanks Tim. The false sales talk was my point and of course I am I favour of proper watertight bulkheads! I ssiled 20 years around Australia, South Pacific and Indonesia on our 2 ft draft beachable cat and there are many advantages - see S3#8 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Y9mWotmUvJfVdmw.html to why we like that combo so much. It’s a personal choice of course and most go for the deeper keels although once you’ve experienced the beauty and safety of getting up creeks and mangroves to escape statins and swell, we certainly felt like or throats were cut with a 5 Ft draft of the leopard50… Each to their own and great that there are different options to suit each desire!

Interested to find out more - my email is drjohnmcintosh@tpg.com.au

Nobody is going to launch any nukes. An EMP event is not going to happen. Lightning is far more likely. EMP pulse dissipates quickly. The boat has short wire,s so induced charge won't build up enough to cause damage unless you are right next to a ballast (you are likely to burn first).

I know nothing about EMP but hope that I will never be near enough to civilisation if that ever occurs!

Yes Jim thanks. Yes we have been in contact with Peter and follow his blogs...

Thanks for the comment but too many things missing and so much electronic controls, I would worry about them failing after some time at sea... Spectacular boats though - top of the carbon fibre range and really fast, it seems!