The captain and crew, on the other hand, have full control. They will know immediately if there's trouble with the bilge pump, if a navigation light is out, or if the frozen stores locker has lost power. They can also remotely monitor and control almost all of the electrical and electronic equipment aboard Sandrine via small touchscreens, or reprogram functions as requirements change.
Troubleshooting is straightforward, and in the event of a failure that the owner-operator or captain cannot diagnose or repair, Octoplex technicians can tap into the system via satellite or landline to evaluate the system remotely. Should something go wrong with the Octoplex hardware-which is unlikely given its ultra-reliable aviation genesis-the breaker panels have a provision for switching over to manual mode to keep things going. Breaker sockets are programmable, so a universal breaker good for up to 30 amps will protect at 5 amps if that's where the socket was initially programmed. No resetting of the breaker itself is required. Not only does this reduce the number of spares to be carried, but allows non-essential breakers to be moved to essential functions should there be no spares available. A measure of the user-friendliness of the Octoplex system is that it has now been specified as standard equipment not only by Hargrave but also by several production yacht builders, including Viking Yachts, for smaller yachts that are often owner-operated.
Sandrine shows Hargrave is willing to adopt the latest technology, but some of the company's proven standards will never go out of style. The company's dedication to Hargrave owners seems to increase with each delivery, a feeling the owners seem to reciprocate. And builds like Sandrine go a long way to explaining this mutual respect and admiration. It all comes down to one word owners consistently use when they talk about the company: "integrity."
Hargrave Custom Yachts, (954) 463-0555; www.hargrave-usa.com
