Humphree Fin Stabilizer System

Bump..... I have the same question.

Yes, I have run a few vessels with Humphrees INTERCEPTORS. They work well on vessels when you're doing over 25 knots, as good as fin stabilizers IF they're dialed in right......however, slow speeds they're not good and at anchor don't work at all. NOW, I have never run a yacht with Humphree fins, so cannot comment on that.

No interest in zero speed performance. Just roll control on my Hatt, do need it to work at hull speed though.

The amount you would spend to install such a system, is going to cost almost as much as your yacht is worth. In this situation I always recommend moving up to a newer yacht with a better hull design. By the late 1990's and on, hull design increased by leaps and bounds and left everything built in the early 80's and before it in the dust as far as ride goes.

In my (our) personal experience with owning both a larger full displacement yacht and a larger fast yacht, I would never add fin stabilizers to a fast (30 Kts+) boat, period! On the fast GRP boat we have Humphrees INTERCEPTORS and multiple gyros, so we covered the full range of stabilisation from zero speed to full speed without any degradation in performance due to the additional resistance of fins sticking out of the hull. That boat even has retractable bow and stern thrusters for the undisturbed flow of water on the underwater body. At high speed, the skipper unlocks the very effective gyros by push of a button to get more maneuverability, as those wheels are very effective.

On the steel full displacement motor yacht (14 Kts cruise) we have hydraulically retractable straight fins (Blohm & Voss industries, they only come hydraulically powered), which extend horizontally out of the hull. This gives best performance both on cruise and when on the hook. As only the projected area of the fins are really effective, these fins are mounted horizontally like an aircraft wing. Big disadvantage of this arrangement is, that they have to be retracted when moored in harbour. But in a protected harbour they are not really needed. If the sea in the harbour gets so rough, that the boat rocks being moored on the quay, my guests will convert to a hotel anyhow .

When adding non retractable fins to a new displacement boat, I would go for an electrical system with solid state laser ring gyros and the fins with end plates to reduce the induced drag on the fin tips.

On my 50 ft steel full displacement inland waterway vessel (semi production boat) I have the Magnus effect rotary stabilizers. They came as an factory option with the boat. When switched on, they swing 90 degrees out and when switched off, the turn back in. Same as above, when in use, the extend beyond the hulls perimeter. In the beginning, I was very suspicious with the system, first because of its performance and second because our inland waterways and canals have slooped river banks and I thougt, damage would be likely.

But in practise I was really impressed by its performance, especially when going on the Elbe River, where I encounter very larg commercial vessels with a pretty big bow wave and in the choppy sea within the tidal waters of the German North Sea. My son has killed one rotor when docking with the system active. But the damaged rotor tube can be exchanged easily, even in the water and the tube is not expensive, as it is basically only a simple plastic tube.

These systems can be easily retrofitted to any existing steel, alloy or GRP boat. On a new built, they come with a hull pocket, where they are nearly flush with the hull, when retracted. Means, they would even work on semi displacement hulls also very effective when going at hull speed. On fast boats they are useless. Their gyro system can also be used for the Humphrees Interceptors. The new systems now even come as zero speed stabs by swinging for and back during operation.

i ve run a couple of naiad equipped older hatt MYs and they work real well. I would not trade the sharp entry, wave cutting and strength of my old hull for anything newer. The biggest improvement on these hulls is the wider beam that came in the 80s

I haven’t finalized the Trac Stab hydraulics on my boat yet. My boat used to have Vospers mini fins installed in 1971 by Merril Stevens in the Miami river for j fee $4000 (I found the invoice on board...). They were beyond obsolete obviously but I lucked out getting a great deal on a rebuild system from a local Trac dealer. Working take out from a boat that upgraded to zero speed. It was a deal to good to pass.

As owners of newer and larger boats Upgrade their systems there are seal to be found

What I am getting at, is I don’t think it’s a wise decision to spend 50% of the boats value on installing stabilizers and would be better to just move up to an early 2000s 63’ Hatteras MY which has a lot of other improvements, but is also more stabil to begin with. It would be $175k to put the proper sea keeper (16) in a 58’ Yf as a 9 is only rated to 60’ and 30 tons, which would be under the vessels displacement. And a new installation of fins would be over $100k I would guess.

The rebuild trac system i got is going to to run me under $25k incl installation by the time I m done. Yep, that good a deal but they can be found.

An early 2000s 63 is what... $700k/900k. 3 to 4 times near the cost of an older hatt even repowered and stabilized.

Yes, but if most owners had to pay a yard to do everything you did, the cost would easily be double. A 63’ has many other advantages....much larger, no split engine room smell, all 24v, newer technology throughout, much faster, etc. etc.

Look at the numbers you just spit out in the 1975 46.6’ Bertram project boat thread. Most vintage 53’ or 58’YF Hatteras have not been meticulously maintained at this point and easily need 6 figures in repairs/updates. Whether it be rebuilds, new generator and paint.....etc. etc.....

Westport is doing that a lot as are several European builders. I've seen Ferretti and Sanlorenzo do it.

. I know. Some days I question my sanity.

"Wise Decision" and yacht improvement rarely overlap. And, I think I can get the job done for a lot less than half the price. If I can do it for, say, 15% of the value would it still be unwise?

Exactly... when J suggested getting something new I almost replied... what, an Azimut? But bit my tongue .

Seriously the right answer isn’t 15%, 25% or 35% but how much enjoyment will you get out of the stabs.

Any upgrade you make on a boat loose 50% of its costs the minute it gets on board but I think stabilizers are one of the best value upgrades.