8. The Best Ocean-Crossing Motor Yachts: Steve Dashew on FPB Explorer Yachts & Seagoing Comfort
20 November 2025 · 29 min · 1K views
What this video covers
Designing an effective long-range explorer yacht requires balancing hull shape, stability, and seagoing comfort, often at the expense of interior volume. Because yacht design is a zero-sum game, prioritizing high average speeds and steering control—the ability to maintain course in crossing sea states and force 9 or 10 storms—necessitates narrower hull forms rather than the full-aft sections common in production motor yachts. While modern tools like CFD and velocity prediction assist in development, they cannot replicate the physical reality of fatigue and motion experienced during multi-day passages.5:03 Successful offshore designs, such as the FPB series and the prototype Windhorse, rely on real-world testing to refine stability curves and ensure the vessel can recover from a capsize without the aid of a mast or keel.11:31 Maintaining steering control while surfing and the ability to outrun weather systems are the primary factors that allow for safe, comfortable, and high-mileage cruising.26:02
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