Wind Horse/ Dashew

L

LBDboater

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Joined
Nov 22, 2004
RO Number
15780
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127
I'm not sure how much everyone else follows their website, but I found out this evening that it appears Steve and Linda Dashew are selling Wind Horse and moving on to a different design. I find their designs to be the absolute epitome of what I look for in a boat. Rugged, secure, factors of safety and comfort and a boat of the utmost efficiency along with easy maintenance. I would love to be a position to own any of their designs, and hope to one day be able to. I only wish that the next keeper of Wind Horse can do her as much justice and further her dignity from here on... I would love nothing more than to get a first hand tour of any of their designs.

Beauty of a boat to me is in the safety, security, and comfort I feel from the boat. When human and boat merge to work together, is art. I think the Dashew's have come up with the closest to optimum design that I have seen so far! I can't wait to see their designs evolve over the next years and as technology evolves (I keep looking for the idea of a single engine, low RPM , simple diesel to power a twin propped FPB97... but I'm not an engineer nor a naval architect so I cannot work out the specifics of how it would have to work or if it would... just a dream).
 
I think the single engine / twin prop approach has been tried several times with different approaches and generally works pretty well. Lots of added complexity though.
 
It's available now. Google "Mastry Geared Up".

Bob
 
Never heard of it being done with outdrives before, though I've read several articles over the years about the various installations. Even thought of doing it myself. My boat was originally a twin gas, but I converted to a single diesel when I rebuilt it. I kinda miss the maneuverability.

I figured I could drive two regular transmissions with a heavy timing-belt drive, and it wouldn't cost all that much to install. Only issue is both props (when in gear) would turn at the same RPM, but I think I could live with that by clutching in and out.
 
What I have always wondered, and this is dream without any technical backing, is how a diesel electric system would work. Would it be possible to have a single diesel generator that provides electrical power to two independent electric motors that turn the props? I've always heard good things about the torque of electric motors even at slow speeds and things of that nature, and with two independent motors, each prop could be operated at different speeds and in different gears from the other. Like I said, not an engineer or naval architect, so no detailed scientific backing to this idea that lives in my head.
 
a lot of the new oil field service boats are diesel electric pods.

Here is Yanmar's

picIndex03.jpg
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Other Gary

a lot of the new oil field service boats are diesel electric pods.

Here is Yanmar's

picIndex03.jpg


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That's pretty close to what I was thinking. I'm not sure the Dashew's would ever be willing to use pods for their style of boat due to the fact that prop protection is of the utmost importance when traveling globally with most of the time in somewhat unfamiliar waters. I think with a big enough generator engine, that a single would work. Their design philosophy is one engine that is reliable and easy to maintain is fine for cruising with. The other part of diesel-electric on a boat the size of the FPB97 is having the house loads covered (they have already achieved this with utmost efficiency on all their designs, but I could still see an advantage with the diesel electric).
 
I have toured the original Wind Horse which has spent a lot of time here in NC both at my marina and on the hard at Trident in the Jarrett Bay complex. pretty cool. It is a twin engine boat. But for coastal cruising I am not sure that would be the design of choice, for circumnavigating it is exactly what i would like; I far prefer it to the Nordhavns I have been on, which are several. Certainly not everyone's cup f tea looks wise, though my wife really likes it, and it is apparent that it inspired a lot of the thinking in Steve Job's boat.
 
quote:
Originally posted by caltexfla

I have toured the original Wind Horse which has spent a lot of time here in NC both at my marina and on the hard at Trident in the Jarrett Bay complex. pretty cool. It is a twin engine boat. But for coastal cruising I am not sure that would be the design of choice, for circumnavigating it is exactly what i would like; I far prefer it to the Nordhavns I have been on, which are several. Certainly not everyone's cup f tea looks wise, though my wife really likes it, and it is apparent that it inspired a lot of the thinking in Steve Job's boat.

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I love the look of it, but I'm definitely more of a function over form kind of guy.

I have another question about the diesel-electric concept in regards to the Dashew's ever being able to utilize it.

What are the reliability factors of the electric motors that would be required? Maintenance? These would have to be something reliable, tough, and up to the rigors of near constant use. Also, maintenance would have to be easy, without too many special skills for it to be properly implemented in an off-shore circumnavigating vessel. Thoughts from anyone who is more informed than I am?
 
quote:
Originally posted by In the know

Who are Steve and Linda Dashew?

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Google Search their name and you'll see some of the sailboats they designed and cruised in for years, and now they have moved on to powerboats. They have a website called SetSail that describes all of their powerboat designs and the design parameters of each model. Very very impressive in my eyes. I've been through every page of their website and at least twice a year I go back and reread everything on it.
 
i read an article a few years back about an engineer that was buying two identical used boats (i think in the 35 ft range) and testing one with traditional twins and the other with diesel electric to compare actual costs of equipment, fuel, etc. need to see if he ever completed the tests.
 
That would be interesting to learn. With a single bigger diesel instead of twins, the difference in cost might not be that much and I'd expect the fuel consumption to be less.
 
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