Hi Eric, no I haven't. I have wiring holes at the top outer corners. None at the lower. The only plumbing hole is the grey water bilge pipe passing through and well sealed. However next time I'm aboar

Hi, as I said in my previous SM 299 Ocean Pearl has the void built in on top of the freezer. We spent time in the Caribbean and repeated trips to the Pacific Islands from NZ. We have not experienced t

Hi Nick, likewise on Ocean Pearl SM 299. Regards Danny

Hi Eric. I own SM 299. I have never had a jam on the main. I dont have battens. I find the system very forgiving. I just work the two switches to keep the sail off tight as it rolls I have never done

Hi Eammon, Firstly the center spline. It does wobble from side to side but for some reason does enter without too much trouble, But to line the spline up I wriggle the propeller back and forth while m

Hi Pat, was there a birthday in your family recently? Happy birthday. As to contacts. I have said this a number of times before. The sea environment is brutal and unless we protect our contacts we wil

Well said Bill Danny

Hi Thomas, I agree with you. Seamanship is something that has been forgotten in this age of electronics and perhaps we should relearn it. Regards Danny SM 299 Ocean Pearl

Unpleasant but possible. Not suggesting it as a choice but it can be done. Careful sail trim using skills we have forgotten or perhaps never known can make it a lot easier. Danny SM 299 Ocean Pearl

Hi, just remember that unlike an aircraft a boat wont fall out of the sky if the auto pilot fails, manual steering remains which I guess, while inconvenient, is the fail safe fall back redundancy. Reg

Hi Stefan, you must be very relaxed people for that not to be frightening. Your comment about the agreed course is very interesting, likewise being escorted out of their area. I was once herded away f

#attackedbywhales #newboat

Hi all, As one of the moderators for the forum I offer my view regarding the rule about negative comments. "Without the ability of the other to respond" is the critical phrase. There are always two si

Bill. As a 12 year veteran of this forum and one of the moderators I say you are doing a remarkable job and I have enormous respect for you You have my full support. Kind Regards Danny SM 299 Ocean Pe

Right with you on that Porter Danny SM 299 Ocean Pearl

Well said. Danny SM 299 Ocean Pearl

I had my fuel polished by a dock side filter operator. He circulated all the fuel though his truck mounted filters. He used three grades of filter, course, moderate and fine progressively removing slu

Hi all, while the twin rudders on the 50 may look more vulnerable I doubt if any rudder could resist an orca attack. It is notable that despite the impact on the rudders reportedly the hull suffered n

#attackedbywhales #newboat

Hi, I would put hull form at the top. The modern flying wedges are fast and the voluminous stern cockpit fashionable and popular,but I suspect ( I am a sailor not a Naval architect) not as sea kindly,

#attackedbywhales #newboat

Hi Colin I still love my SM.Ocean Pearl but if I suggested to Yvonne a 50 she would say yes yes yes. But for me the systems on the SM, the ketch rig, the ease of sail control and the supreme sailing c

#attackedbywhales #newboat

Hi all, Yvonne and I visited Amel at La Rochelle when they were fitting out the first 50. It was in the water at the dock and we were given a walk through. I raised with them that it appeared to have

#attackedbywhales #newboat