Amel 50 - Build Thread

[DeepFrz]

Originally Posted by boom23

Does anyone else have this problem?
There are many pictures in each post and they show up for me.
Maybe the moderators can help out?

Let me know.

Yes, I am seeing a lot of pictures and enjoying your thread immensely.

[Iduna]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Awesome boat!

Man, I should have become a computer engineer

Matt

Seriously!

Although...even worse... I actually am a computer engineer and I can't even afford a 15 year old version of this.

[PeterSz]

Excellent choice!
I own and live on a Beneteau 411 and I love her (she made many blue water miles). But... as you said these are very good boats for the price. The building quality and process is... well, not the same as what I see on the photos you post. I can’t afford a new Amel (at least not now ) but I’d choose the new 50 too. I’ve seen many videos and and somehow the 50 looks the perfect boat. Not the 55.

Peter

[P3sailor]

Having sailed an Amel and been employed by the French aircraft company Dassault, I can honestly say the French take great pride in putting out a high-quality product. Lucky you regarding your purchase. Great pictorial.

[boom23]

Thank you all for the comments. We are pretty excited for next year. As I do not have more pics of my boat, I will post some of others, which are at a more finished stage.

At some point, the boat comes out of the pit. I assume it is to make room for another one. It is then placed on a cradle and work continues. On this particular 50, the owner has installed a stern ramp. This is useful for Med mooring. It is clear that Amel does special requests for buyers. As, we will not be in the Med permanently, I opted for the carbon fiber folding ramp option (the only option available).





Here are some of the specifics of the 50.

All through holes are completely flush.



Underneath the bow pulpit, with Delta anchor... I am getting the Ultra 45kg.

[boom23]

Varifold 4 blade folding propeller. I am getting the Ambassador rope cutter. The cutter shown is a different brand.
I am so glad that Amel does not use saildrives...



Keel installed and painted. This boat is ready for commissioning.



Zincs, ground planes and underwater LED lights. Amel is installing our SSB and iridium satellite phone antenna. I also asked for Icom VHF instead of the supplied Garmin.



Here are the cutters in front of each rudder. I guess they help keepin kelp and lines from getting jammed between the rudder and the hull.
I have to be careful when I clean the bottom and the propeller... For some reason sharp objects like to cut me.

[boom23]

Here is a view of the Amel 50 underside, from behind.

The teak steps and stern seats will be made of King Starboard.

Right over and behind the rudder post, on the hull, you can see a little circle. The 50 has a see-through port so that one can see if something is stuck on the propeller. The window is under the master stateroom bed and it is pretty cool. I debated about having it removed... Amel said that every buyer kept it and they insisted that the assembly is as strong as a hull without it. Seeing how they build things, I trusted them. It may save me from jumping in the water to check the prop one day.

On the Lagoon, I got a fishing line wrapped on the prop during some not calm conditions with head winds (motoring weather). For some reason, I had to clear the prop. I tied a rope around me, kept the good engine running in neutral (just in case it wouldn't start again, you never know) and jumped in the water to clear it. The hull kept hitting me on the back of my head, until I learned and kept my head pressed against the hull so that our boat would not hurt me. My wife was freaking out (for the engine running and the head bumping). Fun times! Frankly, I would do it again just to be in the S. Pacific.

Anyway, the prop on the Amel 50 is much deeper and further away from the stern than on the Lagoon 450, and the Amel 50 has only one engine/propeller (much more critical). If I can avoid having to repeat the above exercise, it will be great! Hence, cutters on the shaft/rudders and propeller view ports are good.

[monus]

too bad for you that you missed the Tayana to have a look at !!!!!!

[Lost Horizons]

Originally Posted by boom23

Zincs, ground planes and underwater LED lights.

What is the purpose of those zincs in the picture?

Also, always wondered of a practical value of the underwater lights. The boat I am currently having built offers the lights as an option; perhaps I do need them?

I have been to Amel 55 at Annapolis boat show last year. Told their rep that i would be interested in a smaller boat. He mentioned the 50 and I asked him to send me the information on it. He promised to, took my card, but I never heard from them. Anyway, the 50 would still be too large for me, so I did not insist and went with a different brand.

[Lost Horizons]

The master stateroom on the 55 was quite impressive. And I loved the idea of a port in the hull to observe the propeller.

[gjorgensen]

Boom, this thread is extremely useful - thanks much for posting these.

Two quick questions: First, has Amel ever indicated if they'd be willing to do the non-skid in white or some lighter color? Thinking mostly about heat. Second, you had mentioned something about building out the 3rd cabin (stacked bunks) as an office/workshop. Did you actually do that?

[boom23]

Originally Posted by Lost Horizons

What is the purpose of those zincs in the picture?

Also, always wondered of a practical value of the underwater lights. The boat I am currently having built offers the lights as an option; perhaps I do need them?

I am guessing the Amel 50 has a bonded electrical system. The zincs are probably there to protect the propeller and rudder shafts too. I will ask about what is connected to the zincs next chance I get.

The underwater lights are fun. The blue light they emit make the ocean look amazing. They also attract fish. After half an hour, or so, there are usually tons of fish swimming under the boat. Our dog loves it. We love watching them also. One time, we had a huge school of squid under our boat. It was like a cloud of squid! I was picking up squid with my hands. All my boats have had underwater lights.

Originally Posted by Lost Horizons

The master stateroom on the 55 was quite impressive. And I loved the idea of a port in the hull to observe the propeller.

I liked the aft master on the 55 also. Unfortunately, we wanted 3 staterooms with the master aft.

Originally Posted by gjorgensen

Boom, this thread is extremely useful - thanks much for posting these.

Two quick questions: First, has Amel ever indicated if they'd be willing to do the non-skid in white or some lighter color? Thinking mostly about heat. Second, you had mentioned something about building out the 3rd cabin (stacked bunks) as an office/workshop. Did you actually do that?

You are welcome! Amel did a colored hull for a client. I do not see why they wouldn't do a different color "teak". Of course, you should ask Amel directly. Frankly, the teak coloring is not that dark. All the Amel cruisers I met in the S. Pacific, did not have teak heat problems. The Yahoo Amel owners group would be another good place to get opinions.

We always wanted 3 staterooms. We have two kids with significant others... I plan to use the lazarette for workshop. I might even make a little counter in the engine room but I do not think my wife will like the cockpit floor to be open most of the time. I always work on something... I have to spend more time on the boat before I figure this out. Maybe a folding work bench/table and a small vice? Or, the cockpit table (with some protection)?
The top bunk on the 3rd cabin folds up. You can always store the lower bunk mattress and use the space as a workshop. Or, you can use the top bunk as storage. It has a lee cloth. Again, Amel will be able to answer better. You can contact Antoine Rioton of Amel at commercial@amel.fr. He's a great guy.

[gjorgensen]

Boom, thanks again. I suppose you could build a little workbench over the engine and your wife could just toss you in the engine room and close the hatch. So the upper bunk folding up really answers that question. They could position the lower to use as a desk as you say when the top bunk is folded up. That would be a pretty nice solution in my opinion.

I've noticed over the years that the Delos "workbench" is a slab of wood they place over the cockpit table to create a work surface. You could probably do similar on your boat (which I think has a bigger cockpit and table than a Super Maramu) and figure a way to clamp it down so you could even affix a vice to it if needed. I wouldn't bend pipe on a setup like that, but for most casual uses it should be fine.

[bill99]

I love Amel's.
How do I get to look at the pictures and read the story without having to scroll the page across backward and forwards ?
Thanks

[boom23]

Originally Posted by gjorgensen

Boom, thanks again. I suppose you could build a little workbench over the engine and your wife could just toss you in the engine room and close the hatch. So the upper bunk folding up really answers that question. They could position the lower to use as a desk as you say when the top bunk is folded up. That would be a pretty nice solution in my opinion.

I've noticed over the years that the Delos "workbench" is a slab of wood they place over the cockpit table to create a work surface. You could probably do similar on your boat (which I think has a bigger cockpit and table than a Super Maramu) and figure a way to clamp it down so you could even affix a vice to it if needed. I wouldn't bend pipe on a setup like that, but for most casual uses it should be fine.

At least for few weeks, I'll spend a lot of time learning where things are and how they work. I'm thinking that the piece off wood over the cockpit table will work as a work area. Hopefully, I will not have to fix too many things.
By the way, there is storage under the lower bunk also.