Venture. The Inside Story

over the years i have received many requests for a video showing details of venture after much wrestling what to include it seemed best to begin at the beginning early on i decided to retain this first 65 for in-depth testing i named her venture which the dictionary defines as a course of action attended by risk because that is what she represented for us at the time i had no inkling of the adventures that lay in her future venture was the first and therefore prototype fleming65 so before detailing how she is today i will explain how she came to exist this will use some footage seen in existing videos so for those who want to skip this segment go to time code 14 minutes like every fleming venture was built in the tongwa yard in southern taiwan where we have been building our boats since october 1985. to use a musical analogy my job has simply been to write and orchestrate the music select and conduct the orchestra but i can't play any of the instruments so without the skilled and talented musicians the result would be total silence someone has to tell the musicians what to play so together we create a blend of art and engineering early thoughts on building a new boat in the 60 foot range arose in 2001 but it was 2003 before we started work on the tooling firstly plugs essentially full-size models must be created from which molds will be made these molds are then used to create fiberglass parts from which the final boat will be assembled assembly of the hull plug frames is an important step which is recognized by a special ceremony which includes firecrackers it carries a risk but to save time the deck plug is created simultaneously with the hull the finish on the plugs must be flawless as every defect or error at this stage will be faithfully reproduced in the mold the hull plug is blue and the inside of the mold will be red while the tooling is underway work progresses on the herculean task of turning elusive thoughts and concepts into definitive designs handwritten lists become preliminary specifications vital performance and stability calculations are assessed each and every detail is pondered designed and rendered in one of many hundreds of sketches a tiny sampling of which is shown here each sketch given a description and number is filed entered into a database and indexed in multiple binders for safety copies are kept in both taiwan and the us fleming yachts are certified and built to exacting international standards which require that each and every component cable hose and material used in their construction has its own certificate checked by an independent inspector fuel tanks must undergo a fire test to ensure their safety after many weeks of unrelenting work the first hull emerges from the mold like a butterfly from its chrysalis ideas together with drums of resin planks of wood coils of cable and hundreds of components are blended together by skilled craftsmen and sketches become reality over the following weeks the deck the flying bridge and myriad components come together so [Music] [Music] finally the day arrives when the first boat leaves the shed a huge mobile crane lowers her into the test tank firecrackers mark the moment when her hull touches water for the first time now afloat we can at last judge our work from the proper perspective equipment is brought online and tested varnishing is completed the interior cleaned and prepared for shipment the flying bridge receives as cushions electronics will be installed later the giant crane returns and loads her onto the road transporter embarking on her first and most hazardous journey she exits the gate of the yard which gave her birth and travels to 20 kilometers through frenetic taiwan trapping the gaoshon harbour here another mobile crane at a cost of ten thousand dollars per day lowers her into seawater for the first time jammed among a fleet of battle scarred steel fishing boats in the shadow of commercial ships venture finally comes to life under her own power after passing through customs for sea trials in the south china sea adjustments need to be made and carried out in the docks on christmas eve 2004 venture is brought alongside the freighter that will carry her from taiwan across the vast pacific ocean to california so being a new boat of untried design i decide to ship her up the hazardous west coast to do this we must first drive her to ensenada in mexico here venture is floated aboard a dock-wise ship which is essentially a mobile floating dry dock after loading her cargo ballast water is pumped out and she sets sail for vancouver where she arrives five days later over her first five months venture has cruised the waters of taiwan california mexico and canada after more sea trials and limited cruising in northern waters venture is revealed to the public at the seattle boat show in the fall of 2005. from here we make the 1200 mile journey south to california along the wild pacific coast taking five days and five nights after wintering in california venture continues her void south to la paz in mexico here once again she is loaded aboard doc wise this time for the canadian port of nanaimo in british columbia [Music] [Music] from here we head north to alaska and spend the summer of 2006 cruising this icy wilderness [Music] meanwhile some customers have been requesting larger engines before complying i decide to test these out in adventure so over the winter of 2006 we take her to delta marine services the fleming service center on vancouver island to replace her engines most would regard this major surgery as insanity that flemings are designed so engines can be removed without dismantling the boat and being a boat builder calls for a degree of chainsaw mentality original engines out new engines in brian illustrates ample space forward of the new engines job done venture out of the water and the travel lift provides a good opportunity to look at a stabilizer fin with weed deflector and also the rope cutter forward of the propeller over the years venture has served as a test bed for many new ideas and equipment this is a summary of the major items which have been swapped out or modified finally it's time for us to go aboard venture as she is today in the summer of 2021 16 years after commissioning and now with 66 000 nautical miles under her keel equivalent to three times around the world at the equator we now learn about venture as she is today in 2021 after extensive cruising through every kind of environment we step aboard through convenient inboard opening bulwark doors no steps are required we start our tour at the foredeck and the anchor platform being able to launch and retrieve heavy ground tackle is a key to getting a good night's sleep the original windlass was reliable but when replaced after eleven hard years the replacement had a manufacturing failure now all our boats including venture are equipped with twin vertical windlasses from australia the windlass should include a capstone for those occasions when you pick up more than you expect the one in the nia bay was a lot easier than this i picked up an old anchor in the ebay this is a safety claw to prevent the anchor and chain going over the bow while underway which can be catastrophic the ultra anchor is stainless steel from turkey the chain is now also stainless steel from germany 400 feet of chain is stowed in a dedicated locker in the full peak this design allows you to see what's going on and you can reach in if needed you can undo the retainer designed so that no wrench is necessary the end of the chain known as the bitter end is attached with rope reaching on deck so it can be cut away in an emergency on the watertight collision bulkhead divides it from the rest of the boat the four peak drains directly overboard so no smelly water runs into the bilge there can be heavy loads on the windlass when at anchor under rough conditions this screenshot shows the overnight plot of venture while at anchor under windy conditions in alaska it is important to use a bridle to take the load off the end of the anchor platform lines are led from the chain onto heavy duty custom stainless steel cleats which are secured to half inch steel backing plates installed onto the deck while it is still in the mold as shown here four deck rails are not installed on the teak rail cap but brought inboard for security there are capacious storage lockers under the cabin trunk the ford deck drains to the waterline to keep black streaks off the hull robust doors controlled by gas springs give access to the pilot house bridge deck [Music] there is ample storage inside the portuguese bridge for lines etc the pilot house deck has inboard opening boarding doors to port and starboard for access to non-floating docks handrails are everywhere and are designed with both kits and adults in mind steps lead down to the side decks springline chocks and cleats are recessed with steel backing plates there are no fill plates in the deck for fuel or water fuel fills are under the top step port and starboard and incorporate a burp chamber to prevent spills water fills are off the deck in the cockpit lockers side decks are safe and wide on both port and starboard sides this boat hook is handy with the second one in the cockpit the cockpit is spacious for relaxing in fine weather winches are provided for mediterranean more snugging up mooring lines or adjusting a toe line to the tender while underway the inward opening transom door has a robust hinge of unique design that makes misalignment impossible a shower connection for both hot and cold water allows the hose to reach over the transom to the swim step it also dispenses salt water security staples on the swim step are an important retrofit which makes boarding safer the swim ladder is deployable from the water an important consideration in case someone should fall overboard sliding doors to the salon have latches to control their movement should they be left open in the seaway aft controls are provided for use when backing into docks no steering wheel is necessary the console has a removable platform for an electric bbq a camera allows the helmsman to keep an eye on people in the cockpit hatches to the lazarette have rounded corners generous deck scuppers discharge at the waterline the skirt around the edge of the cockpit conceals the air intakes to the engine room this hatch provides access to the lazarette leading to the engine room the lazarette houses the tanks for fresh water and twin fresh water pumps one is a backup already plumbed in and ready to go the starboard is the water maker for converting sea water to fresh at the rate of one gallon per minute the high pro steering system is fly by wire so the hydraulic lines are short as you can see here the main dc battery switches are external to the engine room the engine room door has a window allowing you to check conditions inside before entering the engine room is the beating heart of a powerboat and is clean and spacious the man engines installed in 2006 have accumulated more than 5 000 hours the common rail fuel system operates at 25 000 psi and requires comprehensive fuel filtration a transfer pump allows fuel to be moved between tanks fuel polishing equipment provides a backup sight gauges offer a traditional check on electronic readouts in the pilot house a thin red line magnified by the fuel in the tube makes it easier to read the level main engines and generator can run from and return fuel to any tank using intuitive fuel management valves lube oil changes are clean and easy using the oil change system everywhere is meticulous attention to detail we have all experienced ripped fingers from hose clamps protected by shaft covers the sea torque shaft system eliminates the need for a stuffing box the prop shelf rotates inside an oil filled tube the thrust from the propeller is transferred to the vessel through bearings inside the gold housing with the thrust removed from the engines engine mounts can be much softer and isolate the engines and reduce vibration there are large house batteries that need to be changed from time to time although readily accessible this is not an easy job [Music] special equipment monitors and adjusts incoming shore power powerful inverters convert dc to ac if the engine room is the heart of a power boat then the pilot houses the brain it is here that the vessel is monitored and controlled and becomes the nerve center here are some photos of it in use the panama canal alaska glaciers scotland and rough weather priority is given to the control console the screen is displayed chart plotter camera and radar ais shows targets even in thunderstorms as shown here on approach at night to the panama canal electronics can be controlled from the helm seat by a track ball on a fold away tray the charge plotter keeps a record off the track this shows the route we followed in southeast alaska in 2018 for night passages all instruments dim right down here we are preparing for a night passage directly across the gulf of alaska many miles from a safe shoreline the marathon system displays a wide range of technical and environmental information at the touch of a button the recess at the base of the fascia provides more space for larger screens without raising the height of the console while providing a convenient spot for binoculars glasses flashlights etc additional instruments supply wind speed and direction and much other information the steering wheel is of custom design and hand crafted at the yard priority is given to easy access to all wiring and equipment including ac and dc switchboards all wiring is numbered custom adjustable window blinds from the uk cut the glare from the windshields behind this panel is a cunningly concealed jump seat port and starboard sliding doors can be held open in any position with this knurled knob a deck head is convenient especially during rough weather and for the watch keeper a curtain can be used to close off the pilot house at night or when navigating during tricky conditions the aft end of the pilot house has comfortable seating and a table with handcrafted inlay safe inboard stairs lead to the flying bridge the flying bridge can be enclosed with a hard top but on venture we have elected to leave it open with a foldable bimini the most important feature is the upper control station an additional optional station shown here on venture 2 is also available after the seating area the main tender is supported on two runners molded into the deck which during construction are reinforced with internal aluminum beams a power davit lowers the tender into the water alongside the boarding door in the side deck we now also carry a second smaller tender that can be dragged ashore we have an eight cubic foot freezer for long distance cruising [Music] the table has storage under survival suits and emergency ditch bag are stored under the city [Music] in this elevated location is a 12 volt battery for radio transmission the main epirb distress beacon is also here as is the life raft both will self-launch if necessary this overboard rescue device is paired with a block and tackle system the radar arch is double section with cables inside the inner section this hatch leads down to the cockpit we now move to the all-important living areas starting with the salon this photo shows how it looked when brand new in 2005. there have been a few changes since including this coffee table with map of scotland the table was made in taiwan the chart in ireland and assembled in southampton in the uk the main table serves as an invaluable workspace when not being used for meals stairs to the pilot house have storage inside as does all seating large toughened glass windows built to ce ocean class specs provide wonderful views which can be almost surreal in confined waterways port aft adjacent to the doors leading to the cockpit is a wet bar with sink and small refrigerator to starboard is a wine cooler and a tv which recesses into the countertop the galley is forward of the salon and is fully equipped with convection oven and microwave pots are stored in a slide out locker above the induction cooktop pot holders are absolutely essential yet often absent in modern boats here they can also be used for retaining an adjacent crock pot and even for securing knives when underway the double composite sink is recessed the recess is useful for restraining water and even mugs a large domestic fridge freezer has locks to prevent the doors flying open in the seaway there is a wine locker at the end of the galley counter this compact galley has been carefully designed to function at sea and has produced many meals while underway we now go below to the accommodations the banister rail is but one example of the high standard of cabinet work to be found in all fleming vessels we begin our tour in the master cabin with ensuite head on venture the overhead light fitting has a ladder to the escape hatch here is a photo of a sister ship which uses a separate ladder the bed opens with gas springs to provide spacious and versatile storage accommodations are offered in a variety of layouts so i will show just a quick selection here in the port cabin venture has two single births plus one pull out and one fold down here are examples from other boats including one with a double berth [Music] ventures starboard cabin has a pair of up and over berths similar to those shown here throughout the boat there are bookshelves with fold down lee rails bathrooms referred to as heads from sailing ship days are well appointed with marble countertops and generous showers the washer and dryer are in the passage this may seem like a luxury but is close to essential for comfortable cruising to complete this quick tour of venture i would like to say a few words about our use and design philosophy we need to keep in mind that a vessel of this sort can encounter conditions similar to at least richter eight on the earthquake scale so everything needs to be designed with that in mind we encountered such conditions off the coast of iceland not a lot of fun but we escaped undamaged the crew might suffer but the boat has to keep working i consider venture to be a mini expedition vessel and as such we carry additional equipment not just for our own security but also to help others who may require our assistance for example the spare anchor we had to use in the galapagos we have 300 feet of line for towing we carry a ditch bag in case we need to abandon ship in a hurry semi-submerged containers are a common hazard these days for medical emergencies we carry a heart fibrillator an oxygen kit and a stretcher along with sutures and a selection of medications when going ashore in the tender we carry a backpack with gps personal locator beacon and emergency supplies of food and water i hope this video will have gone some way to responding to those requests for more information about venture it brings great personal satisfaction to conceive an idea be privileged to shepherd it through design and construction into a functioning reality that carried us in comfort and safety to so many distant destinations [Music] [Music] so you

Channel: Fleming Yachts

Views: 540,926

Keywords: Venture, Fleming Yachts, Construction, Travel

Id: M8sssHlIWS0

Length: 36min 15sec (2175 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 03 2021