JB 5 serves as a ferry to a private island off of Antigua, West Indies. The operators needed a boat to supplement the current, aging pair of boats. The existing boats they have are functional but burn a lot of fuel and are noisy. Improved fuel economy was a major criterion for this design. She had to be tough, as the boats make multiple round trips a day. She carries the owners of the houses, plus the staff that work on the island on the grounds and hotel. As the boat will also do evening cruises with the landowners, she needed to be quiet and fitted with an enclosed head.
JB 5 replaces JB 4 that had been purchased in Florida and actually sank 15 miles west of St. Maarten on the delivery. They left from St. Thomas to Antigua (she was shipped from the builder in Florida to St. Thomas on a ship). After that experience, one of the first things I was informed of was “By the way, you are going on the delivery”. I of course went, and the delivery went well, leaving St. Croix at 2100 in the evening and arriving in St. Johns, Antigua at 1100 the next morning. We averaged 13 knots into the wind and waves burning 5 gallons total (not per side) per hour-not bad for a 57 footer. Top speed with a light load of people is in the 26 knot range. She is much quieter than the existing boats; the cored construction contributes to that. In addition the air intakes are routed above the roof and face aft which controls both noise and spray intake. The owners are very pleased with her performance.
Vessel particulars:
LOA: 57’ 6”
LWL: 57’
BOA: 22’
Propulsion:
2x Cummins QSB 5.9 Litre, Medium Continuous Duty rating, 305HP
Construction:
Epoxy Resin, E-glass fiberglass, Core-Cell core
Seating for 60 people with a large amount of deck space for luggage.
Enclosed head.
