Controls and instruments. Todays
boats and cars are often cluttered with a whole lot of instruments,
switches and buttons. They disfigure the whole design and character.
This can be seen best when you look into the cockpit of a Boeing aircraft
and compare it to the cockpit of a 21st century Airbus (best:
the A 380 XX) as my youngest brother Paul Schulpen, captain at
Royal Dutch Airlines explained to me. On one hand the cluttered instrument
panel has more or less grown over the past 30 years while the other
brand developed a total design and functionality vision on
the dash panels. I saw his explanation as a hint (thank you Paul!).
So a plain dashboard was starting point. The dash of the
boat should reflect balance and be inviting.
Adrian Brown is a real sportsboat lover (apart from his sports cars…). He insisted on having white instruments. I was not convinced but let him free and with a big smiley he came with the clocks on the picture. Apart from this: Adrian has singin’talents!
It all looks so simple and easy when you see the finished result. But every millimeter and size had to be calculated and built by hand. In this picture you see the first mould of the instrument panel. Balanced, with the steering-column mount in the middle. Rectangular holes for the main switches; the rest is hidden in the back. The
steering position is adjustable (option). All other switches are hidden.
Steering is on starboard, no on port side
The wheel is only a temporary one… Saturday January 29 Adrian ran into the workshop with the original one, delicately hidden in black material and he and Henk Ritmeester were talking about the center of the steering-wheel. They sent me out to get some lemonade for Sharon, Adrian’s daughter. Ok guys, I’m out…. One of my personal favourites on the boat is the detailing of the control lever. To my simple idea, a normal control lever was sufficient, but Adrian wanted a special one. And while I saw René and his colleagues construct the cover; I saw his face fall… He was dissatisfied with the result and took away the whole part, came back the next weekend-day and in all quietness made his masterpiece of which I am very proud. Meanwhile,
the boss, Marcel Ritmeester worked very hard (and one night thru!) at
the sides. Time was very limited so everyone gave his best.
Adrian could not stay behind and stayed three hours in the forepeak to hide away the pushbuttons of the horn… So it sounded through the workshop every ten minutes after he told us where we could find it!
The reason why this picture isn’t clear enough lies in the sweat….
Entertainment and fun. Entertainment
is a vital element in a leisure element as a boat. So sound and
music were built away; another hidden element. Adrian
suggested a 500 Watt power amplifier and Harman-Infinity speakers. These
water resistant speakers were too ugly for René, so Henk Ritmeester
CNC milled solid wooden mahogany covers for the speakers. No distortion
of the interior please… Unbelievable gems, masterpieces.
Special cables for best sound and music results… (Adrian)
(After switching on the mains, loud music in cars , sorry boats, filled the whole workshop…. Then Trance came in… René!) In between a ‘Call for Help’. René
is not only a talented designer, he also is a hobby musician, direction
‘trance’and comparable. He would like to compose a catchy
rhythm with some famous deejay of the scene. If you can help him,
send us an email
The ‘Only Sony’ (why isn’t there a nicely designed Olivetti CD-radio on the market?) in the black panel… Sound, music and mood.. Apart from the music, Adrian Brown pumped up the spirits, bringin’in his waterskies and other supplies…
Pumpin’ up the mood…
But most of his supplies came in on UPS, DHL and others (he must have learned a lot from the car manufacturers: JIT-delivery please…)
Of course, a remote control is as self evident as you have it at home… The captain controls the course and speed of the boat ergonomically while the first mate and guests are in control of the power and source of the entertainment… If you like a DVD player or Digitenne television on board, we can realize it for you. Visitors….. Since time before the show was limited and the interior fitters (and painters…) always have to make up for the time arrears, we had to work long days and evenings, also during the weekends. But we had many visitors and admirers! Even Oda and Evert Koopmans, coming from high-up Fryslân with the kids…. Nina, Evert Roy and Stephan found their way in the workshop
The floor The shape of the floor reminds you of the shape of the boat. Come in and see it!
After a lot of hours… (test)
Some days later… Niels Verdoorn working hard! One week later he stayed two days hidden in the forepeak to finish some jobs. (Attention for the pistachio-coloured forepeak.. read more later!) Adrian by the way broke the record in connecting all the wires and switches: 46 hours I estimate! (The forepeak isn’t that big so if any circus needs Houdini’s…) |
