Amel 50 - Build Thread

[boom23]

Originally Posted by Mag3

I'd second the feedback to Boom23 here.
This thread and some private messages with him were essential to my choosing to buy hull number 45 (to be delivered at the end of this year).

Amel has continued to refine this boat and learn from it's customers. On the one hand Amel is famous for having a very limited set of options... they don't do much custom which is how they manage to deliver such a high end product at a very competitive price point relative to their competition, but they do pay special attention to their customer base and are constantly learning from them and taking those learnings back into their product. Some of what's was added to my build as a result of these learnings (some are options, some just part of the new standard) is captured in an incomplete list below:

• 570 watts of solar on the hard top
• Induction electric stove/oven
• 800 watts of 24v lithium
• red/white lights in the saloon and cockpit
• improved steering mechanism (from the 60)
• mounts for the stools under the table (not just across from the bench seat
• extended hand rails on the hard top
• Improved electrical charging/inverter system
• strengthened boom
• jack line mounts
• fans below
• water filter for the galley
• USB sockets at the helm
• lee cloths & mounts for the saloon bench seats for use as bunks
• book case in the aft cabin
• ceiling hand rails below as well as additional improved handholds below
• 3rd solar panel for the davits
• prop shaft brake

Boom... anything you'd add here?

here is "Fregata" as of a week ago...

Mag3, I hope the A50 lives up to your expectations. Otherwise, sorry in advance...

The improvement list will keep growing as the buyers have different experiences and backgrounds of expertise.

I'm surprised they Amel is not including the snubber bow sprit change that Matt and I designed. It's one of my favorite modifications. Maybe they'll have it as standard. There are many updates that they include as standard.

I would have loved the 570w on the hardtop. Amel resisted on that one, and for the 3rd solar on the davits. I added the extra davit panel on my own. They are very slow and careful about what they offer.

This has been my contribution so far...

* red/white lights in the saloon and cockpit

* mounts for the stools under the table (not just across from the bench seat

* extended hand rails on the hard top

* jack line mounts

* lee cloths & mounts for the saloon bench seats for use as bunks

* 3rd solar panel for the davits


Let's hope that someday soon we'll all be able to enjoy our boats to the fullest. These are strange times.

Stay safe everyone.

[Mag3]

Originally Posted by boom23

Mag3, I hope the A50 lives up to your expectations. Otherwise, sorry in advance...

I assure you it will.

Originally Posted by boom23

I'm surprised they Amel is not including the snubber bow sprit change that Matt and I designed. It's one of my favorite modifications. Maybe they'll have it as standard. There are many updates that they include as standard.

I agree.. that one seems like a no-brainer... certainly is something i'll be having done post delivery.

Originally Posted by boom23

They are very slow and careful about what they offer.

I prefer to think of them as very deliberate and intentional... and although we all wish they were faster, the degree of support post purchase and the listening they do to their community seems to rise above almost any other manufacturer and is to be commended and in fact seen as something to add to the "plus" column when considering purchasing from them.

Originally Posted by boom23

Let's hope that someday soon we'll all be able to enjoy our boats to the fullest. These are strange times.

AMEN TO THAT!

[Habana]

Mag 3, do you have a pic of the solar panels on the hard top? Are the two windows in the top of the hard dodger fully functional? I'm also about to pull the trigger on an Amel 50 and am having to rely heavily on what I can ascertain in places like this as it is currently impossible for those of us in the states to visit EU.

[Mag3]

the solar on the roof..

[Habana]

Great it looks like the windows in the top do indeed open with the solar panels in place. How is the 60's steering system improved on over the 50? Also, why and where does the Boom need to be strengthened? All the other options seem like very good ideas.

[Mag3]

re. the boom: some of the early boats discovered some stress cracks in the boom, which amel then immediately addressed (both for the early boats) and those going forward.

re. the steering.. the original design used a rack and pinion, the 60 used a new design based on a helical gear reduction system that they then took back to the 50's...


the reality is that, unlike cars, boat's don't build a couple of hundred pre-production units to sort out all the minor details... so the early boats help (better companies) find those things and address them. It's why I'd never buy hulls number 1-10 of a boat... it takes a bit for any manufacturer to really sort out how their paper based design works in the real world.

that said, Amel gets kudos from me for continuously looking for how they can improve their boat based on real world usage. They're deliberate and thoughtful and care deeply about their customers and their product.

[Futuresailor]

Originally Posted by Mag3

I'd second the feedback to Boom23 here.
This thread and some private messages with him were essential to my choosing to buy hull number 45 (to be delivered at the end of this year).

Amel has continued to refine this boat and learn from it's customers. On the one hand Amel is famous for having a very limited set of options... they don't do much custom which is how they manage to deliver such a high end product at a very competitive price point relative to their competition, but they do pay special attention to their customer base and are constantly learning from them and taking those learnings back into their product. Some of what's was added to my build as a result of these learnings (some are options, some just part of the new standard) is captured in an incomplete list below:

• 570 watts of solar on the hard top
• Induction electric stove/oven
• 800 watts of 24v lithium
• red/white lights in the saloon and cockpit
• improved steering mechanism (from the 60)
• mounts for the stools under the table (not just across from the bench seat
• extended hand rails on the hard top
• Improved electrical charging/inverter system
• strengthened boom
• jack line mounts
• fans below
• water filter for the galley
• USB sockets at the helm
• lee cloths & mounts for the saloon bench seats for use as bunks
• book case in the aft cabin
• ceiling hand rails below as well as additional improved handholds below
• 3rd solar panel for the davits
• prop shaft brake

Boom... anything you'd add here?

here is "Fregata" as of a week ago...

800 watts of lithium? It must be tough having to run the generator for 10 minutes every 1 hour(Joking).

Do you have pictures of your electric galley?

[Mag3]

ha! i meant 800 amp hours of 24v lithium ion batteries..

see attached information for the cooker..

[Habana]

Mag3, do you have alternate plans for picking up your Amel if conditions are such that you are not able to fly to France from the US? My delivery will be Dec 2021, so I hope we won't be in the same boat (the metaphorical one) as we are now. Also, has Amel kept you updated on progress vis-a-vis pictures and the like? I'm curious to see how the options list and the standards list changes/evolves over the next year.

[Mag3]

I don't currently have alternate plans set out.. it's a very fluid situation right now.

[Esoxxie]

I saw your boat in Zante today and it looked amazing! While I'm not in the stage of my life to buy such a boat it was awesome to see it. Wish you the best!

[boom23]

Originally Posted by Esoxxie

I saw your boat in Zante today and it looked amazing! While I'm not in the stage of my life to buy such a boat it was awesome to see it. Wish you the best!

Thank you!
She looks even better after a good wash, which she needs!
I feel very fortunate to have her, and be in Greece in these trying times.
Stay safe.

[acunningham]

Hello again boom23,


How are you getting on single-handing? I hope the recent rainy weather in Greece hasn't put a damper on things?


For the benefit of those considering going the same route as you, would you be willing to share information on some of the ongoing costs you've encountered?


* Maintenance costs so far.
* Predicted maintenance costs for the next couple of years.
* Insurance.
* Marinas in the Mediterranean.
* Fuel consumption. I believe you're mostly coastal cruising?

[Mag3]

All -

Just a quick note into this thread. Based in part on this original thread, my wife and I made the trip out to Amel to visit the factory and take a test sail almost a year and a half ago.. and placed an order.

"Fregata"... Hull number 43 will be delivered mid December.

Amel has been fantastic throughout the entire process. We get a weekly packet of photos of the build process.. I've included some of those shots with this post.

Most of the next month will be just putting in all of the systems on this boat...

us and european electrical systems so she's world ready
dishwasher
induction stove and electric oven
microwave
800 amp hours of Lithium batteries,
1200 watts of solar
powered winches
full electronics package both at the helm and at the nav station
dishwasher
washing machine
water maker
heating
air conditioning
generator
sound system
etc. etc.

I suspect it will take me the better part of a year to truly intimately know this new home.. it's power, it's nuances, and how to care for it!

thanks again to Theo for this original post and the invaluable knowledge it provided me.

Cheers,
-Justin

[Mag3]

All -

Fregata continues to come closer to birth. Here are some more in-progress build shots.

you can see some of the solar on the hard top.. 600 watts of solar on the davits.. the interior build out... the nav and helm stations. The hand rails on the ceiling port and starboard in the saloon (i'd recommend this add for anyone considering a purchase).

Amel has been fantastic. Soo close now.. December 15 is coming fast.