Introducing the Friendship 50 RHIB designed by Ted Fontaine
by Ted Fontaine 25 Feb 2020 14:21 PST
Friendship 50 RHIB © Ted Fontaine
This Friendship 50 Sport Boat story began when designer Ted Fontaine was commissioned to design and build a larger version of his clients' Protector Tauranga 41.
The Protector had been used for years, commuting to favorite beaches and surfing destinations on Block Island, Martha's Vineyard and the eastern end of Long Island.
The mandate was to design and build a high-quality, aesthetically-pleasing, multi-purpose exploration vessel: a boat that would perform equally; as well as a support vessel for a professional yacht racing program and as a weekend cruiser.
The new Friendship 50 has a finely appointed interior and accommodations below for extended overnight surf trips or romantic island-hopping for two. The Friendship 50 is designed to be a fast, seaworthy sport utility vessel, purposeful in its aesthetic, strong and functional in it's performance.
As he has done so many times before, designer Ted Fontaine succeeded in creating the perfect balance of performance and beauty. The new Friendship 50 features an 18.5-degree, deep V hull that is specifically designed and engineered to be strong and lightweight for running smoothly on the choppy waters of eastern Long Island and Block Island Sound.
A unique and distinguishing feature of this design is the hybrid, foam-filled, inflatable "D" sponson tubes. A novel component that provides durable protection without diminishing the interior volume of the boat.
The hybrid foam-filled inflatable fender offers superior protection when offloading gear and passengers to other vessels in rough water conditions; this is done without having to worry about damaging the other vessel.
The Friendship 50 features a fully enclosed, heated and air-conditioned helm station. This covered space provides full, all-weather comfort where one controls the triple or optional quad installed 400 HP Mercury Verado JPO outboard engines.
The standard triple engine configuration reaches a top speed of 58 MPH and a cruising speed of 42 MPH. The engines are controlled by a Mercury Joystick control and Skyhook station allowing the ability to adjust direction or maintain a stationary position against the wind, waves or currents.
A Seakeeper active control gyro stabilizer system is installed to eliminate up to 95% of the roll at anchor or under way, thereby reducing fatigue and eliminating the normal causes of seasickness. There is a 7.5 kW Westerbeke MCGA low-C generator installed in the insulated machinery space to provide power to the Seakeeper and a 32,000 BTU air-conditioning system.
The hull and deck are engineered and built to meet ISO 9001 certification from Bureau Veritas, CE Mark Category B Ocean. The hull, deck, and superstructure are laminated with low viscosity epoxy resin with e-glass composite construction and carbon fiber reinforcements. The entire hull and deck structure are post-cured in a specially built oven at 180 degrees for 24 hours.
The Friendship 50 is set up perfectly for coastal cruising. The interior features an open floor plan with a compact, well-appointed galley, a private head with a stall shower and convertible port side settee/berth. A pair of sliding doors in front of the galley makes it possible to close off the forward berth for privacy. There is an aft cabin with double berth located under the helm area providing a private space for invited overnight guests or extended family.
The new Friendship 50 is not only a luxurious workhorse, she is also a comfortable home- away from home- on the water. For more information, please contact the Friendship
Call or email her designer Ted Fontaine at 401-241-0673 for complete details. More information at FriendshipYachtCompany.com and FontaineDesignGroup.com