The following captures the specifics of our 2023 Excess 14 Hull #10.
Here, we’ll document the systems we have onboard, what came with the boat when it was purchased, what we’ve changed, and why.
The Cabin Layout
Since we’ll be spending most of our time aboard and much of the time will be just the two of us, we opted for the “Owner” version, which is a three-cabin layout. The Starboard has a queen-ish bed in the aft, a desk area for spreading out, and a nice sink outside the bathroom (head). A nice feature of the Excess 14 is a walk-in closet, which is great for storage.
The port side has two separate berths, each with its own head and shower. The aft has the same queen-ish-sized bed with side access, while the bow has a slightly larger bed without side access.
Depending on who’s aboard, we store our bikes in the port-bow berth.
Cockpit
Atop, there are dual helms at the rear, which can be single-handed or double-handed. We currently have navigation at the starboard side, but we are considering adding a port-side navigation pod and a repeater for working the winches while watching the wind angle and speed.
Within the cockpit, we have a large rear bench, outdoor dining, and extra seating. The Excess 14 is 8m wide, and this is where it shows. There’s plenty of storage for our gear, including snorkeling gear and 2 paddle boards,
Saloon
Interior includes a fairly large saloon, due to its quite wide “hips”. The beam is 8m, nearly 26′ wide; when compared to its LOA of 45′, she’s quite wide for her length, but we don’t judge. She’s smooth under sail and very stable at anchor.
The interior includes an electric 10-in-1 Ninja oven/air fryer, which we’ve come to love, an electric hob for cooking without gas, and, of course, an electric kettle and all the makings for French press coffee. We also have a gas cooktop and oven, but we almost never use them, as getting gas on the islands can be a challenge.
Starlink
Weather, WhatsApp phone calls, or downloading a movie, Starlink has it covered. It’s really been a game changer.
Starlink is disabled within 200m of the Turkiye coast, and when in international waters between Greece and Turkiye. Looking at the Starlink Coverage Map, we may have similar problems near Montenegro. We sometimes choose to purchase international data when the weather is unpredictable.
Air Conditioning & Heat
We do have air conditioning in both hulls and the saloon. With our new solar and battery setup, we hope to run at least some of it from the battery. We’ll see how well this works as we complete the install, but we do have a genset to ensure we will be comfortable.
Water Maker & Full Size Washer/Dryer
Hull Yeah is set up for a fully self-contained season of cruising. We have a Desallator Duo watermaker that can run from our batteries or our genset.
We also have a Full-Size Washer/Dryer to make sure everyone has fresh, clean clothes and bedding.
Forward Lockers
The port-forward locker can provide extra sleeping space, but we use it to store our extra cushions and Code 0.
The starboard locker is home to our larger spare parts, spare anchor, and our gennaker.
Solar, Batteries, and AC Inverters
For the 2026 season, we’ve added 2,500 watts of roof-mounted, flexible solar panels, and we’re completing the 1,200Ah of Lithium batteries and a 5kw inverter. (Hull Yeah Solar and Energy System Updates) With the Mediterranean sun, this will serve most of our needs. We even hope to run the air conditioning on batteries for those hot, quiet nights.
GenSet
We struggled with whether to add a GenSet, which added costs and weight. While true, we also never worry about having enough energy, and whether we can make water, cook on electricity, run the washing machine, or turn on the AC without worrying about the batteries.
Boat Dimensions
| Hull Length | 13.34 m | 43’9’’ without the bow sprit |
| Length overall | 15.99 m | 52’5’’ with the bow sprit |
| Displacement | 12,8 T | 28,219 lbs |
| Beam | 7.87 m | 25’9’’ |
| Mast clearance (pulse) | 21.54 m | 70’8’’ |
| Draft | 1.48 m | 4’10’’ |
Sail Plan
The Excess 14 has a “Pulse Line” option that includes a larger main and jib, along with a few other upgrades unrelated to the sail plan.
When we purchased the boat, it included the main and and a overlapping genoa jib. We purchased a new North Sails Code 0 with a Facnor Furler, and a North Sails G2 Gennaker with a sock. We felt this provides the best balance of ease of use and performance, as we can raise or douse either relatively easily.
One of the best features of the Excess line is its low boom, which is easily accessible from the roof. Raising, reefing, or flaking the main when dousing is easy and safe.
| Square Top Mainsail | Elvstrom Ekko | 90 m² / 968 sq.ft |
| Overlapping Genoa | Elvstrom Ekko | 45 m² | 484 sq ft |
| Code 0 | North Sails | G-Zero 94m² | 1,012 sq ft w/ Facnor FX-4500 Furler |
| Gennaker | North Sails | G2 190m² | 2,045 sq ft w/Snuffer Sock |
Dinghy – Our Car
We’ve spent more time at anchor than in marinas, and our Dinghy is our car. We wanted to be comfortable and be able to make it through rough seas, get groceries or load up our bicycles. We added a 3D Tender 320, with a console and a Tohatsu 25HP outboard that easily planes.
Ground Tackle
While we love to sail, we also love to enjoy the islands. Which means we need to know the boat will be there when we get back and that we can sleep through the night without worry.
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| Chain | Galvanized 10mm (ISO 4565 3/8″ Cambell S3) x 100 meters |
| Anchor | Ultra 35kg, replacing the stock 20kg/44lb Delta. We immediately saw a huge difference with the Ultra when sitting in anything other than dense sand. We now feel far more confident sleeping or taking off for long day trips. Yes, it was expensive, but so is dragging into someone else or worse. We’ve kept the 20kg Delta as a spare, and have an additional Danforth with 50m of line |
| Bridal | Stock nylon line and open-ended clip, with an added Mantus M3 Chain Hook We put out an additional 8 meters of chain for the bridal. In 3m depths, the bridal can rub on the bow sprit bobstays. We plan to add some nylon tubing to the bridal to avoid damaging the bridal or the Dyneema bobstays |
| Stern Tie | We have (2) 50m and (1) 100m floating stern lines, with slings to make it easy and safe to attach to the rocks. |
| Mooring Setup | We tend to avoid mooring balls because it’s hard to know whether they’re maintained. We have yet to use them while sailing throughout Greece or Türkiye. If needed, we plan to use the bridal, as I don’t like mooring lines rubbing across the top of the deck, nor rubbing across the bow. Adding cleats to the top of the bows would invite tangling of sheets from downwind sails, and we now have Antal T-Locks for the sails, with a clean surface. We’ve also received recommendations to use the stern cleats, as it’s easy to back up, grab the line, and hook to both stern lines. We’ll see. |
Safety Gear
- 6 Halley Hansen PFDs
- McMurdo EPIRB
- Life Rings
- Life Sling
- Sena Bluetooth Headsets
Other Equipment Details
| Engines | (2) Yanmar 4JH57 57 HP |
| Props | 3-blade Flexi-fold props |
| Fuel Capacity | (2) x 53 US Gallon | 200 Liter independent tanks, stored under the stern births |
| Fresh Water Capacity | (1) 300 liters | 79 US gallon |
| Head Holding Tank Capacity | (2) 80 liters | 21 gallons |
| Berths | With 3 berths, 3 heads, and 3 showers, we can sleep 6 very comfortably. The port has a “small crew” cabin, accessible from the port forward berth or the top hatch. 2 more can sleep in the saloon, for high-capacity transits. |
Hull Yea Systems and Upgrades
| Date of Install | System | MFR / Model |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2023 | Water Maker | Dessalator AC & DC DUO |
| April 2025 | Generator | Onan 7kw |
| Jan 2023 | Inverter | Mastervolt 2kw Changing to Victron 230v x 5k |
| Jan 2023 | HVAC | Hulls: Webatso BlueCool S10 Saloon: Webatso BlueCool S16 |
| Jan 2023 | Sound System | Fusion Apollo MS-RA670 |
| Jan 2023 | Auto Pilot | Garmin |
| Jan 2023 | Chain Counter | QNC CHC B00 Quick |
| Jan 2023 | Navigation | Garmin 12″ |
| Jan 2023 | AIS | Garmin 8000 |
| Sept 2025 | Battery Monitor | Victron BMS 1000 |
| Oct 2025 | Toilets | Converted to fresh/salt water switching eliminating the salt/urine calcium blockage problems |
| Oct 2025 | Solar | 2,500 watts of Sobian undermount wiring, rooftop panels |
| Sept 2025 | Batter Monitoring | Replaced the stock Scheiber system with a Victron Cerbo GX/Display |
| April 2025 | Kitchen Faucet | With a dual valve for filtered water: Inter Ceramic ICF 7107801b |
| March 2025 | Starlink | Starlink Mini |
| April 2025 | Washer/Dryer | LG D4R7009TSSB Washer/Dryer ( Installation Details ) |
| July 2025 | Sails | North Sails G-Zero w/Facnor FX-4500 furler |
| August 2025 | Sails | North sails G2 Gennaker w/Snuffer |
| September 2025 | Solar |
Miscellaneous Dimensions
These are some specifics for outfitting the boat, including bedding, carpets, shelves, headliner, and locations for the boat name.
| Stern Beds | 205cm x 160cm (130cm at the foot) |
| Bow Bed | 200cm x 200cm |
| Bow Crew Mattress |  |
| Kitchen Ledge (behind the stove) | 14cm x 170cm |
| Headliner | 285cm x 410cm at the widest point. When replacing, you’ll need at least 330cm x 450cm (10’10″/130″ x 14.5’/177″) to provide material to stretch into place |
Exterior Dimensions
Stern sizing for placing your boat name: 20cm from the bottom to the lower part of the hatch, x 120cm wide; you may want to limit the width to 70cm
Alexandru made a great suggestion: keep the pasarela in mind, as it may hide it depending on which side it’s mounted.
Hull Yeah! 
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