Amel 50 - Build Thread

[Piper WarriorII]

Thanks SailCindy for the ice maker pic. I too asked about getting the ice maker option and got a description of where and how it was installed but there were no pictures at the time.
My boat will be splashed in early May 2020 with delivery a couple of weeks later. I will heading to the Med for summer then on to joining the ARC in November.

[sailcindy]

Originally Posted by Piper WarriorII

Thanks SailCindy for the ice maker pic. I too asked about getting the ice maker option and got a description of where and how it was installed but there were no pictures at the time.
My boat will be splashed in early May 2020 with delivery a couple of weeks later. I will heading to the Med for summer then on to joining the ARC in November.

Piper, Sounds like we will be overlapping somewhat in La Rochelle. We plan to live onboard April & May 2020, then cruise the Med for several years before crossing the Atlantic back to the Caribbean. I’m looking forward to hearing how our AMEL 50 predecessors make their way into the Med and stops along the way. Congratulations on your great choice of future cruising home.

[qrazy88]

Originally Posted by sailcindy

Out of curiosity (and potential future cruiser pals in the Med), how many new AMEL 50 owners are now following this thread started by Boom23. And when are your deliveries? Here are the ones I have seen:
Boom23 - April 2019
SailCindy - Boat finished in Oct 2019 but waiting in yard til March 2020 Delivery
Mag3 - Dec 2020
Essence - July 2021
Piper Warrior II ??

Ours is being delivered Feb 2020.

[Piper WarriorII]

Great sailcindy. See you in La Rochelle.

[boom23]

Originally Posted by Piper WarriorII

Hi Boom23 - Thanks for posting the process of building your new Amel 50. I am anxiously awaiting delivery of my 50 in May 2020 and have followed your process with great anticipation. My friend from NAOS Yachts (the new West Cost US agent for Amel) was at the pontoon in La Rochelle and snapped this picture of your boat - truly awesome. Congratulations!!
I had a question about your choice for on board AC requirements. Did you select 220v or 110v for your house AC needs and what options you considered for shore power around the world.
Thanks for the great insights into your process with Amel. They are great people to work with.

Thank you! Just got back and trying to recover from jet lag...

Amel electrical systems are designed to provide clean power to the on-board systems. So, the power source preference, from best to worst, is Inverter, Generator and Shore Power. Keep this in mind as it explains a lot of the Amel electrical design decisions.

The Amel boats are 230V boats, i.e. all AC devices are 230V. All but two on-board 230V devices run at 50Hz or 60Hz. The only two that run only at 50Hz are the microwave and clothes washer. This is important if you plan to connect to 60Hz shore power, like in USA.

On my boat, I can connect to 230V or 110V shore power. If I am connected to 110V, an Isolation Transformer up-converts it to 230V. It does not change the input frequency. So, all installed AC systems, after the Isolation Transformer, see 230V only. The microwave and clothes washer can only see 230V 50Hz, so you need to run the generator or inverter to run them, if the shore power is 60Hz.

The on-board 110V 60Hz appliances (wall plugs), will run of an Inverter.

Their DC system is 24V with a step down converter to 12V, for devices that require it.

I hope this makes sense.

[Alden]

Originally Posted by boom23

Amel electrical systems are designed to provide clean power to the on-board systems.

Thanks boom. Great insights, which I will note and pursue.

May I ask for similar insights on your approaches to Schengen visa limits and VAT?. I have to figure out what our approach will be.

Thank you.

[boom23]

So, we completed the week long (5 days) hand over. As luck would have it, the La Rochelle weather before and after our handover was really nice. During our handover, we had 20-30kts COLD wind and frequent rain. It made the sea trial exciting...

I was told that I could not post videos from the handover, so I will briefly describe what happened. Amel, and other people, would come each day to describe every boat feature and installed system. As you can guess, that is a LOT of information in a very short time. I am fairly familiar with boat systems, but I had a lot of questions. I wanted to know where everything was located and how it worked. All smell producing systems are located in the engine room as Mr. Amel was sensitive to smells. Other electrical systems were distributed though out the boat but, to my delight, they were easy to reach and see. For example, the bow thruster is in the bow storage area and can be serviced by just removing a cover. Most navigation systems were behind covers at the chart table. Everything that needed to be easily accessible was easily accessible. This is not an easy task on a boat. The engine room is full with equipment, but it is a pleasure as you can see and access most everything in one open space.

This left a lot of room for storage on the boat. There is a huge amount of clean storage under all beds and in the bilge area under the floor. The bilge area does not get wet. The only possible water sources are the electronic and paddle wheel sensors by the forward cabin, but these can be controlled. The grey water tank collects all bilge water. If you have a leak in a waterproof section (bow area, fwd staterooms, engine room, aft stateroom, or lazarette), the water will go from that section to the grey water tank though a pipe (which can be closed). The rest of the bilge does not get wet.

Another thing that surprised me about the boat was the absence of pump noises. You cannot hear the fresh or grey water tank pumps. There are no drain pumps at the showers. The boat feels very refined. The negative of that is that you have to keep an eye on the fresh water gauge as you'll not hear the pump running continuously. I learned this the hard way...

The Amel handover people did an amazing job explaining everything. They were very knowledgeable and I appreciated that. It really annoys me when I know more than the person who is supposed to teach me.

We found it extremely beneficial to stay on the boat during the handover. This way, we could use everything and come up with new questions or requests. We also really enjoyed the Webasto hydronic diesel heater. It made the boat toasty during the cold nights. The diesel heater (located in the engine room) heats up water, which is circulated through-out the boat. There is a temperature control, heat exchanger and fan in each cabin. I am glad I selected this option. It makes the boat usable during colder months.

We kept postponing the sea trial but the weather was not getting better. So, on the 4th day we decided to go out. It was gusting 20-30 kts with frequent rain. The water was brown from the river and it was shallow. I would not have left the harbor during these conditions but, we had to go. On board was myself, my wife and the Amel handover person.

We were glad we had the enclosed cockpit and a very strong bow thruster. We did not even wear a jacket in the cockpit. We had to motor out of the harbor, head on to the waves and wind. The boat felt very solid and controllable. There were no creaking or other noises inside. After we exited the entrance, we unfurled the main (one or two reefs, I do not remember) and the stay sail for some close hauled sailing. It was too miserable out to play with the sail settings too much, or to try to test limits. In addition, my mind was on overload. This was not the ideal time to take a brand new boat out and try to get a feel for it. I prefer baby steps…

All the Amel sail electrical controls have safeties built-in. If the sail has too much pressure (high current situation), when you electrically furl/unfurl, it beeps. This way you know that something is wrong, or you need to change what you are doing. I think our boat liked me because it beeped a lot at me… It was difficult to tell the forces exerted on the sails in bad weather on a new boat, first time sailing. Also, I did not know how strong the motors were. Hence, the beeping. Very useful. With a little practice there should be much less of it. Basically, if the wind is strong, you have to furl/unfurl the mainsail, and probably the headsail, while the wind is in the 20-50 degree range (red and green area of the wind indicator instrument).

The boat performed perfectly. She heeled about 10-20 degrees, depending on the gusts. Brown water was going over the deck and cockpit. We were warm and dry. The visibility of the sails was good from the cockpit. We tacked few times with the self-tacking stay sail. We even tacked using the autopilot. No drama at all.

We later anchored for lunch (typical French celebratory lunch of bread, cheeses and Champagne) at a completely exposed anchorage. The 45 kg Ultra anchor did not even care. Wind was howling outside but in the cockpit and below it was quiet and reasonably calm. In my opinion, the 45 kg Ultra anchor is perfect for this boat.

We finally had to return to the dock, at which point the Amel guy told me "It is your boat, you dock it." I had to dock stern-to with beam wind, next to the last Amel 64 getting commissioned. I had no idea how the boat behaved going astern or how the bow thruster affected it. I also have to admit that most of my boats have had twin engines and I am not comfortable backing up a single screw boat, especially a new one and in these conditions. The bow thruster takes about 20 seconds to lower and be operational and it is STRONG! It feels like a giant hand grabs the bow and turns it. There is no hesitation. The Amel person told me that he tried to make the bow thruster overheat and it took 4 continuous minutes before it shut down! Amel recommends 20 seconds max continuous run time. I was doing 2-3 second bursts. You need to have the generator running and both battery chargers (100 amp and 60 amp) ON when using the bow thruster. It consumes some serious amps.

I knew that I needed higher than normal speed to maintain control going astern in these winds. So, I went hotter than usual and with the help of the bow thruster, I brought the boat to the dock, without hitting anything (to my relief) until I heard the Amel guy shouting “Slow Down!” But, with a little forward throttle, the 50 came to a complete stop (again to my relief). I had a hard time judging distances from the cockpit. But, this was my first time docking and, considering, I was very happy with it. I was back at the dock and I did not hit anything! By the way, in all my years of boating, I have not hit anything, yet. I am very conservative handling boats.

Overall, I would have preferred to sail our boat during calm weather on our first outing. But, the weather did not leave us much choice. On the plus side, my wife was perfectly fine!

On the last day of the handover, it was much calmer with 6-10 kts wind and calm seas. We used this opportunity to try all the sails. At about 155 degrees true, we had the Gennaker, poled out genoa and the mainsail up. We were doing 6-8 kts, which is not bad for a 22 ton boat. I do not have a spinnaker. Back at the harbor, we practiced backing up. The Amel guy took me at a narrow channel (with docked boats and 10 ft or less on each side) and asked me to back her all the way to the end. At much lower speeds this time, I did it (with relatively few oops moments of using the bow thruster in the wrong direction). If you have enough speed (not sure what yet) and little wind, you can maneuver backwards using the rudders. Otherwise, the bow thruster is essential. It is almost like backing up a car. The thruster is your steering. You keep the rudders straight and use the thruster to head in the direction you want to while you back up. It took me a couple of narrow channels to get comfortable with it. The 50 is extremely maneuverable going aft using the bow thruster. She can make circles in her boat length.

I know this a long post… Too many things are going on in my head. We just got back home and we are getting ready to start cruising end of May. As a conclusion, my wife and I are very happy with our boat “Paloma.” She feels right for us.

[boom23]

Originally Posted by Alden

Thanks boom. Great insights, which I will note and pursue.

May I ask for similar insights on your approaches to Schengen visa limits and VAT?. I have to figure out what our approach will be.

Thank you.

Hello Alden,

My wife and I do not have the Schengen limitation. We are both dual citizens, but USA residents. While in Europe, we'll use our European passports. We do not plan to stay more than 6 months in a single country, or Europe.

Regarding VAT, as we are USA residents, we have the 18 month limit on the boat. We plan to visit a foreign port (Albania, Morocco, Turkey, Gibraltar is debatable, etc.) before the 18 months to reset the clock. My plan is to leave the boat in Turkey during off season, which will do the trick.

[Alden]

Thanks. Nicely explained. We’re looking into similar solutions, though we’re well behind in the sequence.

[sailcindy]

Boom23...Awesome clarification of the electrical configuration for the A50 especially for those of us adding the 110v circuit.
Below is a handy table that AMEL provided us for the equipment power source and requirement for major appliances. I’m sure when we take delivery we will post this as a reminder.

[Alden]

Originally Posted by boom23

So, we completed the week long (5 days) hand over.

<little snip>

As a conclusion, my wife and I are very happy with our boat “Paloma.” She feels right for us.

Great post. Thank you. Hearty congratulations! It’s a very well designed boat, based around a clear design philosophy, of manageability, maintainability and health sustaining comfort. It’s great that Mrs Boom fared well during the trials. Any thoughts on mono vs multi motion differences?

[boom23]

Originally Posted by sailcindy

Boom23...Awesome clarification of the electrical configuration for the A50 especially for those of us adding the 110v circuit.
Below is a handy table that AMEL provided us for the equipment power source and requirement for major appliances. I’m sure when we take delivery we will post this as a reminder.

Sailcindy,

I did not remember the watermaker being 50Hz only but, after looking at an Amel provided schematic, I believe you are correct. At least, the watermaker can run on DC too.

Also, it seems that the Microwave and Washer-Dryer run of the 2500W inverter. So, as long as the chargers are ON, there is no problem when connected to a 110V 60Hz shore power.

So, overall, it seems that we can run anything while connected to a 110V, 60Hz shore power. It will be few years before I do this, but it is good to know that it is not a problem.

[boom23]

Originally Posted by Alden

Great post. Thank you. Hearty congratulations! It’s a very well designed boat, based around a clear design philosophy, of manageability, maintainability and health sustaining comfort. It’s great that Mrs Boom fared well during the trials. Any thoughts on mono vs multi motion differences?

You are welcome!

A catamaran, especially a cruise loaded one, would be miserable in the short period steep waves. It would bang (loudly and frequently) under the bridgedeck, which after a while is maddening, at least to me. My wife and I found the catamaran safe in rough S. Pacific weather, but the motion was very abrupt (jerky) and uncomfortable. It feels like someone is violently shaking you, and bangs on the hull continuously.

At the same time, the catamaran does not heel and has tons of room. We really enjoyed the cat in calm weather. Everything is a compromise and many will disagree with me.

We found the Amel 50 as a good compromise, as she has good sailing manners, bright interior with lots of hull windows, and a large (enough) protected cockpit with great views.

[qrazy88]

Originally Posted by boom23

So, we completed the week long (5 days) hand over. As luck would have it, the La Rochelle weather before and after our handover was really nice. During our handover, we had 20-30kts COLD wind and frequent rain. It made the sea trial exciting...

Boom23,

Thank you for this detailed description of your hand over week. I think it’s very helpful to those of us who will be experiencing it in the future. If memory serves you gave a lot of thought to how your solar and dinghy would live together in terms of passerelle access. I also believe you had Amel mount your solar on a raised mount rather than being flush with the tops of the davits. I’m curious of your thoughts now that you’ve seen the finished product in person. This is an area I’m struggling with as well.

[boom23]

Originally Posted by qrazy88

Boom23,

Thank you for this detailed description of your hand over week. I think it’s very helpful to those of us who will be experiencing it in the future. If memory serves you gave a lot of thought to how your solar and dinghy would live together in terms of passerelle access. I also believe you had Amel mount your solar on a raised mount rather than being flush with the tops of the davits. I’m curious of your thoughts now that you’ve seen the finished product in person. This is an area I’m struggling with as well.

You're welcome!

I did not select the Amel dinghy option as they had spec'ed 15hp engine. I had ordered the same dinghy (Highfield 3.10 with a 20hp Honda, electric start, chaps, nav lights, and extra handles at bow) from the same dealer, but he did not have it ready for handover. So, I did not get to test the passerelle with the dinghy. Moral of the story, order early from the dealer and keep bugging him...

Based on what I saw, I believe it would be best to lower the dinghy below the passerelle. This way the path is clear. Unless, you can angle the passerelle away from under the dinghy.



I like the raised solar panels. The workmanship is very nice. The stern nav light is raised above them and seems functional, without too much of a shadow on the solar panel. I really wanted three 200W Victron solar panels over the davits but Amel did not want to do it. Now that I checked, adding a 3rd panel would stick out 40cm in front of your face while on the passerelle (see pic below). I do not want to have to duck every time I use the passerelle. A better solution would probably be to install two 300w panels, which occupy less width (but extend further aft) than three 200w panels. This requires SS modification of the solar panel brackets. I am not ready to tackle this yet... I like the cockpit top solar panels (200w). They are removable and not that noticeable. They are held with standard cushion hardware. And, you can still use the cockpit cover slider.

The picture below is from eye level while on the passerelle mounting hole.