FULL TOUR: Farr 56 Bluewater Sailboat

Tour of a Farr 56 Pilothouse by an offshore sailor.
Check out Sailing Aurora KZbin Channel: / @sailingaurora-farr56
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[@PH-GNS]

For a change, it's great to see a presentation by someone who knows what he's talking about. Thank you. I learned a few things.

[@thelastpirate]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@terryallen286]

My dad is 82 years old and a member of Terry Kohler's (North Sails) Cruisers Club. Last summer he was forced to sell his boat that he had docked at Great Cranberry Island in Maine. He could no longer stand on the fore deck without falling. It was a sad day for us all. He learned to sail near Blue Hill Maine when he was only 10 years old and had been sailing out of Sausalito harbor for most of his life. He won the Transpac and worked on the R1 entry for the America's Cup for The Saint Francis Yacht Club. You really know your boats and I've been glued to every video from start to finish. You are truly a world-class sailor; as anyone who knows boats can surely attest to. Thank you for your very informational videos. Keep up the good work. Everyone who sails needs a guy like you at the helm.

[@HommyRosado]

God bless your Dad. Im sure he has some amazing stories.

[@dougstearns6746]

At 74 I just discovered your channel. I’ve been sailing on and off for 30 years. This boat and the knowledge and money to maintain it is truly a dream come true. OMG thank you.

[@TheWaterbouy88]

Those white fold down brackets are SCUBA tank holders

[@thelastpirate]

Ah! Duh... Thanks!

[@dougstearns6746]

This is without a doubt the most badass boat I’ve seen. No way could I own something like this but man I can dream. OMG!!

[@paulhandley8669]

Good video, we have serial number 12 Farr 56, we have slab reefed main sail and no hydraulics. We use electric winches to furl if necessary. They are built really tough like trucks. Well thought out, over engineered. Good systems. We have a slightly different interior, good to see the sister ships. Cheers from Australia.

[@WillN2Go1]

Terrific review. Absolutely the best that you start on the outside and discuss rigging. And thank you for not opening a single drawer!

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

He went through all our drawers off camera while he was alone on our boat! :)

[@meestahwah]

I!! LOVE!! THESE!! FARR's!!! I first saw the Farr 60 at a brokerage boat show and then later found there were multiple models. Thanks for showcasing this model. PS: I have now seen that SPECIFIC 56 for sale twice now since I've been watching them. That is a SUPER unique salon set up that someone spec'd out. Cool to see who now owns it! 🙂

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

It was previously named Banana Wind, last owner had it for about 5 years and changed the name to Aurora. We are keeping the name and hopefully the boat for a very long time.

[@mattnurre4446]

I have a 2003 farr56ph as well. Spent a year in Annapolis doing a refit and sailed it this summer to Chicago. Awesome boat and just eats up miles, 200 mile days are easy. Great video, thanks for making it. Only 16 of the 56' models, we went to Italy to find ours as there were none in the US.

[@mattnurre4446]

Interesting fact is Sir Robin Knox Johnston owns a Farr 56ph and has for many years.

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

Ours is number 15! The one from the video above.

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

@@mattnurre4446interesting fact, sir Robin Knox Johnson and I share the same birthday! And boat! #15

[@deerfootnz]

With only a 50' LWL I am extremely dubious that you are frequently or easily doing 200 mile days.

[@timevans8223]

​@deerfootnz me to. I raced one a few times and it was hard to get above 8kts. A very good skipper owner who was a big racing guy. The boat had carbon sails but 200nm days would be a push

[@geofferyrobertson6608]

a good , easy listening review young fella , keep up the good work

[@angelasmith3332]

I once saw a Farr at a marina in Auckland NZ and it's name was FarrQ2.

[@melinda5777]

Hey Brother! Wonderful boat tour, loved it! Your great at these, so, hey, do more. Whatever floats your boat!🤣🤣🤣 I had to say that!😊 You look great! All spiffy! 😮 I'm whistling at my Brother!😅😅 How's Anna and Luna?? I miss seeing them! Hope you had a HAPPY THANKSGIVING 🦃🦃🦃! Stay Healthy and Safe!!! Love to the family! ✝️🙏🙏🙏❤❤🥰⛵👣☘🍍🍼🍼😎🤗🥰

[@bowdezaufa2609]

Damn, I have a Hans Christian 33 with running lights and a bilge pump 😂 that thing is a spaceship.

[@bobgranafei6809]

You have a great boat.

[@AlanpittsS2b]

I got an Alberg 30. I love my boat but it is insane to see other boats and imagine cruising in them.

[@bowdezaufa2609]

@@AlanpittsS2b definitely, I can't imagine having to upkeep so many systems. Alberg 30 is a great boat. Love the hull shape

[@Rainmakerlm]

I love the companionway electric door. We have the traditional slats and its a pain in the ass.

[@HouseOfMcLoughlin]

Very practical boat, soo well planned out and really well thought throughout . Beautiful❤

[@Rainmakerlm]

looks like scuba tank holders in the work room. The work room is a great space, every boat should have that.

[@onedisasterattatime9116]

Dude I totally appreciate your 2 cents....AS I have Zero F ing clue about sail boats....Keep up the excellence carry on,

[@o4pureh2o]

I love the Farr pilot house boats. Beautifully finished and fast cruisers

[@-Bigjordan]

If you want a full-time job with alot of overtime work fixing stuff this is the boat to buy

[@WillN2Go1]

Are there any live aboard 'skippers'/bosuns who know a boat like this top to bottom who get paid really well? I'm a DIYers DIYer, and can figure out almost anything. Boats are another level. The manuals and support are usually terrible, you end up figuring it all out like you have the only one in the history of the planet, and some spare part is nonexistent. Please tell me there are clever people who can fix everything on a boat like this, live aboard and are being paid at least $150k/year.

[@jarnosaarinen4583]

@@WillN2Go1 I doubt it not a boat like that, too small. $150k pa looking at a super yacht!

[@sheilahubbardtimeless]

Great review of the Farr 56. And also, thank you for mentioning Tayana48 in an earlier video on what makes a good blue water cruising boat.

[@SalingSamantas]

I'm a big fan of the csy 44 pilot House version with a cutter rig. That would be my dream boat. You might not like the way it looked but the thing is absolutely bulletproof. It's very, very very heavy, very stable. Probably pretty hard to get it moving and light air I'd expect. But if you're going to cross oceans and you want to do it safely and comfortably, those things are designed to go anywhere and designed to be grounded by people that don't know what they're doing because it was originally intended to be a charter boat, so they're very much overbuilt. Kind of look like a pirate ship but I'm okay with that

[@ZulFikar-sn1vr]

Bruce Farr, a New Zealander, started designing larger yachts in the 1970's. As a youngster, often sailing the Hauraki Gulf, we were in awe of his designs, and if they were anchored in our bay, on Waiheke Island, I would swim out and circle them with my golden retriever, until they welcomed us on board. Only the wealthy owned these yachts at the time... Their base price was over USD1.1 million, in the 1990's.

[@willu47]

This line of boats were built by BSI Marine in Lysekil, Sweden. The Najad yard were involved for early examples and then BSI started their own yard to build the yard and complete the fit out. Farr were commissioned for the hull design, but I don’t know to what extent they designed the rest of the boat as the fit out is semi-custom. I own a 2000 Farr 56 PH. It’s a great but complex boat. The example in this video has a Lewmar Commander hydraulic setup like ours. That has two 24V electric motors to create the hydraulic pressure to drive the hydraulic furlers and winches. The bow thruster needs the PTO from the gen set. We have lines that pull the back stay blocks to the shrouds.

[@o4pureh2o]

Thanks. I was wondering exactly that. So all hydraulic systems minus the bow-thuster can work of the batteries?

[@willu47]

@o4pureh2o yes. In my boat, the PTO on the gen set can be used instead of the Lewmar Commander unit. The Lewmar commander powers all the hydraulic winches and furling except the bow thruster. Then there is a separate (manual) vang and back stay tensioner!

[@o4pureh2o]

@willu47 beautiful boat. Well done

[@Rainmakerlm]

I agree with you that hydraulics is superior to electric but the issue is that when a line breaks the whole system can be disabled if the system is not designed well and you can not isolate the one bad component. You also generally do not know you have a leak and keep trying to get the component to work and you pump out all the fluid, so you need to carry a decent amount of spare fluid to refill the system if that happens.

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

taking notes - thanks!

[@Rainmakerlm]

@@sailingaurora-Farr56 any new videos coming out. What happened with the crack in the glass at the trans/prop shaft

[@USA4thewin]

yo just wanted to say ,, loving this new content you have going on

[@HubertAlacoque]

Excellent presentation. This boat is clearly a monument of technology. It begs the question: How do you maintain/repair all that equipment without having a motorman/engineer on board at all time? A "blue water" offshore boat is only as good as all equipment function properly... Thereby the need/want for simplicity on a sea going boat for long passages. But that boat would be awesome on anchor, at marinas and on short - medium range passages.

[@theboatadventure]

Welcome back to where you belong. Here is your card back. Bon Voyage Captain. I have an AMEL 54 that is actually 57 feet and this is as nice in comparison you get in a truly liveaboard cruiser.

[@crawford7010]

i seen this boat for sale and from what i remember it was a steal of a deal glad someone snatched it up

[@Salokinos]

awesome video, gorgeous boat.

[@edwardmacintosh9476]

Great job on the boat tour . What a beauty she is as well, I I were 30 years younger I would give it serious consideration but alas it's a bit late for me. Anyway tks for the tour,and so we'll done video.

[@СтасТрой]

Love you channel. Glad to see )

[@Rainmakerlm]

Its a great boat. I saw the tour on the owners channel. Very good boat to go around the world. It is a complicated boat, ours is as well and you get familiar with it pretty quickly.

[@zeppafloyd]

I prefer catamarans but that boat is absolutely spectacular. Could definitely live aboard that beauty. Great video.

[@Desire4Sound]

Love the pantry 😊

[@SalingSamantas]

And I do prefer the walk over CSY 44 for two reasons, an actual engine room with an actual workbench space to do things and the added privacy of the AF cab and separated from the main saloon and cabins in the rebirth two couples can have lots of privacy in a boat like that. I know you don't care for the walkover James, but in my opinion it's a plus

[@Garytoronto]

WoW

[@svsalserenity4375]

I think one of those just sank in the Atlantic . Something hit the rudder , tore it off and left a hole , spade rudder .

[@thelastpirate]

I remember reading that story, but that was 7 years ago. Surprising to me, as there is a watertight bulkhead in front of the steering system on this boat. I wonder if they are all built like that? Or maybe someone compromised it? Hard to say.

[@jkstehn1]

Looked like the rudder post was mounted to the aft side of the bulkhead. Maybe the impact pivoted the rudder post at the hull and drove the top of the rudder post forward and through the bulkhead. Just a guess since I have no idea what other support there is, or how beefy that bulkhead is.

[@The_Dark_Shark]

I came here to ask about below the waterline because Bruce Farr is the master of spade rudders. Everything looks beaut above the waterline but I'll pass 👍

[@mattnurre4446]

A farr56 sank in the Marion to Bermuda race, was not from a rudder failure. It was suspected to be a thru hull failure for the forward grey water tank overboard thru hull. In the Farr manual specifically says to close it before going offshore.

[@AdeboFunkyVoodoo]

So what?

[@msgoogle4565]

Very nice boat

[@rohantherockwiththerocketh7871]

That's a good looking boat mate. There are quite a few bits and pieces for me to think about in the design. Normally I try to watch the advertisement because it gives you a few cents and adds up but KZbin is putting longer ads on your video for me at least. Have a ripper mate and stay safe!

[@AtomEcho]

LETS GO!!!

[@vtlaco1969]

Great and honest review. Beautiful boat, nice design features, especially all the watertight bulkheads. All those hydraulics, though-I'd rather work a little harder on deck than work on my hydraulics-or have them fail at the wrong time...

[@PhilipLindsten]

We recently bought hull no. 17 and love it! I invite other owners to sign on to our Farr Pilot House group!

[@willu47]

Where do we sign up?

[@webheadusa9377]

This was another terrific video. The backstay lines looked like it interferes with movement of the boom. Is there a back=up system for the hydraulic system in case the pump breaks with sails up or anchor down? Hydraulic lines looked robust, but they should be replaced maybe every five or ten years. James - impressive that you know so much about this boat. : ¬) Webhead USA

[@davidseslar5798]

The boat reminds me of what I've read about Annamarie and Karl's 'Escape'. Big, powerful, complex, and lurking. Doesn't seem to have the mainsheet hazard that Escape did, though.

[@CallSignWhiplash]

I would consider it more of a raised coach roof rather than a pilot house. Nice vessel either way.

[@joeldelamirande5792]

I would say hell ya Love the interior of hylas 2016 era

[@arottie4097]

W0W!

[@warrencranch2614]

Bruce Farr designs great boats!! you didnt mention the price, or where its located. or the year, Id love to know

[@thelastpirate]

I did mention the year, it's a 2004, but it's not for sale. I just wanted to take the opportunity to run through this beautiful boat and point out a few of the offshore-related options.

[@warrencranch2614]

@ oh I Assumed….. it is a beautiful boat!

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

@@warrencranch2614 We are the new owners. We just closed on her in October and have been trying to buy her since first seeing her last spring. She was listed at $430k when we started looking... but still needs $100k in updates!

[@rickydee5863]

Bruce Farr is a renowned yacht designer from Aotearoa .would be interesting to know if it was built here in Aotearoa

[@SuperSventizeMe]

(1) Farrs are great boats. Good walkthrough. (2) You said "I have the exact same one [windlass] on my boat..." Your boat? I thought you sold your Oyster? (3) How do the running backstays not get in the way of the boom? (4) Lazarette is not huge for a 56' boat. (5) You suggested one head is possibly enough? Bluewater cruisers should have a port head and a starboard head so you always use a head when under heel.

[@skuffbuzzer]

Great boat, thanks for sharing. What do you think of the Sirius DS40?

[@davidnelson4707]

what a great walk through. Well how much is the boat? Thank you,for a great video.

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

We just bought it! It was listed at $430k but needs a solid $100k refit which we are working on now.

[@clarityanalytics]

If it ain't broken, don't fix it -- Thomas Bertram Lance (Campaign Adviser to President Jimmy Carter, and later appointed as head of OMB)

[@udovchjustin5941]

You once said you dont like beneteaus. WhT are your thoughts on the Farr designed first series from beneteau?

[@sproket168]

It's not complicated. You just need to be into it.

[@johnmallette3143]

Nice,.,.Tkzz for sharing,.,.,.peace

[@garycheavin8768]

any thoughts on what would be suitable as a beginners blue water boat ? Our thoughts are to do coastal cruising, island hopping and then after a few years of that longer trips.

[@jimmerriman6920]

Do you like this engine location better than the engine room and placement in an Amel 55?

[@kennethphilips3226]

Nice review. I liked how the shore power was run as well. Was this on the Severn River? Looks like the Chesapeake area. Pretty sure I've driven over that bridge multiple times.

[@thelastpirate]

Yes it was. :) Nice area, very pretty here.

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

Yes, she is actually on the south river. Off of Solomon’s island road.

[@rnunezc.4575]

Hi bro long time no see...that hull iscto me the epitome of excellent design in everyway...dont agree about teak deck being best for antiskid...side teaks decks maybe ok..fiberglass and sand is best and painted white..fresh, cheap maintenance etc...teak decks cost lots of $ in maintenance ..etc. Wonderful boat..best luck and t care best to family..🤙❤

[@robhow7962]

Do you need to keep a motor running for the hydraulic systems? Can you sail without a motor running?

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

The generator needs to be running to run the bow thruster - I dislike this arrangement, but the furlers and winches are ran off the 24V batteries. So yes, you can sail without an engine running.

[@rodneyp9590]

I didn’t even know Farr made this. I talked myself out of a Farr race boat at an auction I could have gotten for a song once. It was beautifully built but too much boat for me.

[@timothyabraham13]

How do you compare this to a Kraken 50 / 58?

[@davetrail]

Hey man. Love your videos, but I do have to say that you looked much happier when you were on the water living the life. I know you're doing what you think is right, but what we think isn't always what's really right.

[@juliazentner681]

I think one dry shower area is enough. 2 toilet and 1 shower toom

[@JDUUnsworth]

Type of keep and rudder. Solid fiberglass or foam filled

[@richardbell5792]

Lovely boat but systems too complex and too much to go wrong unless you're an engineer. Liked most other features except don't see the point in having to use a big winch handle to open a bilge locker, would be a pain. Noticed the scuba tank holders too, thought you'd have twigged that🤣

[@theperfectpatty9026]

little case of the sniffles James

[@FabrizioBentini]

What about ShearWater 39? I fiumi one on yacht world that seems pretty good for bluewater

[@Rob-r2s]

It seems like the hottest and newest cruising designs are going with a wide transom and at least two rudders like Distant Shores TV has done. This is a very nice boat but I'd rather go with an aluminum boat. Also, I'd rather have a furling boom than a furling mast but prefer a main sail that folds into a bag on a V boom.

[@deerfootnz]

Which I personally dislike intensely. A wide transom means that as the boat heels, or the waterline changes with wave action, the bow drops and the stern raises. This brings the rudder out of of the water which is why they need twin rudders. It also leads to an increasingly assymetric immersed volume laterally which means the boat develops increasing weather helm leading to higher helm/autopilot loads and worse directional stability. All if this is fundamentally undesirable in a cruising boat. Of course you do get more room in the aft cabin, or two aft cabins...but this is the true reason for a fat ass, not any hydrodynamic justification.

[@Rob-r2s]

@@deerfootnz and that's why I prefer a catamaran.

[@deerfootnz]

@@Rob-r2s And a catamaran has its own advantages and disadvantages: if you compare monohulls of similar price they are often just as fast and roomy. The cat offers no heeling and shoal draught, while a mono is easier to sail and more communicative. A cat is mostly easier to dock. A mono is inherently simpler and stronger. It's what you prefer. But to compare bad mono design fairly should you compare with a badly designed cat?

[@Rob-r2s]

@@deerfootnz How much sailing experience do you have?

[@deerfootnz]

@Rob-r2s 40 years of deliveries & cruising. Just over 200,000 miles. Five times across the South Pacific, eleven times across the Atlantic & plenty of other sailing and racing including working for an America's Cup team in 2002/3.

[@TheXanthoman]

So what would be your preffered main furler ?

[@deerfootnz]

Mine would be slab reefing

[@thelastpirate]

Same as deerfootnz, slab with a park avenue boom. That's just my preference.

[@deerfootnz]

@@thelastpirate I have the original aluminum boom with racks riveted on, but a carbon park avenue boom is definitely in the programme...

[@angelromeromora]

Hola me gusta tu trabajo Ese barco que estás mostrando qué precio tiene de segunda mano ?

[@Oyster485SYJubilation]

Hi James, how’s it going? This is Steve from Oyster 485/09. I’m thinking of heading to Cartagena in Columbia. Steve from Fair Isle mentioned that you had a friend who acted as a check in agent. I’d be grateful if you could put me in contact with him. TIA

[@mallorymcguire833]

Cost?

[@Rainmakerlm]

Did you catch the crack/delamination at the CV joint/aqua drive system. you may want to point that out to the owners

[@thelastpirate]

You have a good eye. Yes, they are aware.

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

Yep, we know about it. Thank you!

[@Rainmakerlm]

@@sailingaurora-Farr56 any update on this? Was it structural or just superficial? If it was an issue was there any resolution? Hope you guys are off and sailing and enjoying the new boat.

[@Tsavo12]

Okay, I'll ask. What would you expect to pay for a vessel like this?

[@keithcarpenter9938]

For every year of life you need one foot of boat

[@1Tane55]

I like the 56 DS and the 52 DS

[@jarnosaarinen4583]

Great Boat must of cost a fortune when new! Only if it was Alloy!!

[@udovchjustin5941]

Bruce Farr is about as big a name in boat design there is. "Whoever he is"?! Haha

[@reversingentropy]

It can't be the ultimate sailboat, its missing a mast 😅

[@timbabbitt460]

Not a fan of running a diesel to work the sails or the windless

[@timbabbitt460]

You blow a hydraulic hose you are cussing

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

You only need generator for the bow thruster - windlass and sails are all powered by a 24V hydraulic pump.

[@hmo1234]

How would they change motor if ever needed? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@danielscott4514]

It might involve craning it out through the top sliding plexiglass (if it carries on a good way towards the front of the pilothouse), or it could involve taking out one of the big fixed windows perhaps. Sometimes engine replacements on boats can be a 'mare - one of the commercial tourist boats I worked on in the past has had something like three engine replacements done now (because the company that owns it runs it every day of the year, and seemingly they push back maintenance that might avoid engine replacements). It's a large (300 passenger capacity, three deck, wavepiercer motor catamaran, built of aluminium). The engine replacement procedure for that boat involves cutting a huge hole in the side of the hull, which is sloping upwards/inwards at roughly 45 degrees over the engine - so it's sort of part-side, part-overhead, and then craning the engine out. When the new engine is put back in, they've got to weld the cutout back in. Ugh. I seem to recall the whole procedure, including cost of new engine was something like half a million Australian dollars.

[@smeralda4431]

A well presented boat with a lot of expertise. However, I'm dizzy from your constant turning of the camera. Take the filming a little easier. Slow panning brings more detail than constantly panning the camera back and forth..

[@sproket168]

Battle ship

[@udovchjustin5941]

How much?$$

[@MrJohnBos]

Bare feet on a sun drenched teak deck is HOTTT. Wet feet on a worn teak deck is slippery. I'll take figerglass with an anti-skid applied over the deck.

[@IIAShadowII]

I have the steel version of this boat. Lol

[@thomasthornton5737]

😀😀😀👍👍👍❤❤❤

[@myaschaefer6597]

They just don't make'm like they use to!

[@GoodSkipperClub]

I agree, a great boat but a lot of equipment to repair. Additionally, it needs a giant generator to power it all. This is a bit at odds with quiet and ecological sailing.

[@kenWilliams-q6h]

great boat, maybe slow down the swinging of the camera. very hard to watch

[@sailingsegundo4644]

Im 4 minutes in and two things I don't like hydraulics and big windows facing forward. Those windows blow out in a storm that boats going down. Hydraulics is more crap to break just when you need it.

[@bernardlawson665]

Spin ignore

[@Ranchpig67]

I find it so odd they would design all those winch handle openings. Whats wrong with normal openers? Kind of silly and more of a pain to be honest having to grab winch handles every time you want in a locker or lazarette or shower stall door? I mean come on. Maybe the original owner was a Harken.

[@Robbiez-im7iu]

So. How much is it? Cushions look worn…

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

We just bought it! It was listed at $430k but needs $100k refit which we are working on now.

[@maurobrattich7971]

Beautiful but way too complicated for cruising.

[@chrishalious8194]

If you want a full-time job fixing all kinds of jobs this one is for you. As for hydraulics, that's a whole heap of problems sorry

[@sailingaurora-Farr56]

Hey, that's my job now! I know what I signed up for!

[@rentiap]

Maybe..... If it had a swing keel for a lesser draft that would allow one to get into shallower areas, and maybe even dry out.

[@davidpercival9239]

I'm not leaving my boat,my boat not Merrill or chas,s.c. I've been threatened by him twice, on the cities air boat ,storm Helene put me here no help I'll die before Merrill gets me

[@papachuck6007]

So, uh, how much is my $10,000 boat??