Build Update #5 - Hasta La Visa Baby

You may have perceived a sense of frustration coming from us based on our last build update. We have better news this time as there has been considerable progress made in the last few months. Here's an update on what's been going on.

As per usual everything in the photos is covered up for protection but hopefully they are good enough to give you the idea.

Cockpit/Transom Area

Starting at the back, the day head (toilet and sink), aft lounge and table, drinks refrigerator, showers, swim platform and hull extension have all been completed. The electric BBQ and sink have also been installed, and the boat name has been mounted.

The hull extension modification was also applied to the first 2 W-60s (our boat model) that have already been delivered and the word is that the changes match what the naval architects' CFD (computational fluid dynamics) modelling predicted - i.e. an improvement in trim angle and subsequently efficiency. Anecdotally we are hearing fuel consumption will be around the 24 litres/hour mark at 9 knots which is a great result.

The only remaining thing in the aft cockpit is the freezer that will go under the lounge. We've gone with a Eutectic system from Ozefridge because of their great efficiency but it is proving difficult to get the right amount of insulation in the space available. We are hoping to get at least 200 litres of capacity.

Foredeck

Everything up front including the ladders for the bow compartments, sofa settee, tables, drinks fridge, popup lights, anchor, chain and winch are now complete. We are getting a shade system for the front cockpit now so that was an unexpected bonus.

Salon/Galley

In the main salon area, the Sonos sound system, TV, electric blinds, Fusion speakers, office space (with hidden monitor) and dining table are all complete. All galley appliances installed and cabinetry including the slide out pantry are complete.

Port Hull

The owners' side consisting of master cabin and ensuite (shower, toilet, mirror, cabinetry) is complete.

Starboard Hull

The forward and aft guest cabins and heads are complete. The main AC/DC electrical panel is installed including the Victron monitoring panel and 50/60 Hz shore power components. Laundry appliances and ironing board also installed.

Engine Rooms

Installation of the auxiliary equipment in the engine rooms including Victron inverters, engine plumbing and exhaust, generator, water maker and hydraulic systems is complete.

Flybridge

Up top the collapsable mast has been installed. We are calling the back of the flybridge the "dinghy deck" and everything is installed here (including deck lights and cameras). Inside the flybridge all the cabinetry for the sofa, table and upstairs galley is installed.

The upper navigation panel is complete. Work is now focussed on completing the main navigation station.

Yard Visit

We are planning our first yard visit in early March to provide our feedback. We have spent this week organising flights, hotels and visas.

The Chinese visa processing centre is 1.5 hours away from us. There is no air conditioning. It is hot, crowded and horribly inefficient. Christine's passport photos got knocked back because she was wearing small hoop earrings. There was confusion about if we needed a tourist or business visa. Anyway, after 4 visits we were quite proud of ourselves for managing to get our business visas. Good for 1 visit!

Paperwork/Red Tape

We've also starting looking into shipping, importation, insurance and the "flag of convenience".

Estimates for transporting the boat to Australia run $60-90 G 😲.

If the boat is in Australia for more than 12 months we'll need to pay GST on it.

Boats that travel internationally need to be registered in a Flag State. At this stage I'm leaning towards the Cook Islands 🇨🇰 which seems pretty appropriate, but we are looking into the options as it's all quite confusing. I think we'll end up talking to someone professional as most of what we've been reading seems more geared towards commercial vessels.

When will we get it?

So at this stage pretty much everything is done with the exception of electronics and final verification/sea trials. There has been no update from Granocean on when they think they'll be finished (in fairness they've just had a few weeks off because of Chinese New Year) but assuming all goes well I expect we could see the boat here around the May or June timeframe.