We are the youngbarnacles – a family of 5 living onboard our 1990 Catana42s. Together we are modifying our vintage production catamaran into a modern performance cruiser.
We are marine industry professionals who make a living working on high tech racing yachts and large performance multihulls. When we are not working in a professional capacity, we spend our time sailing, exploring and improving Paikea, our old Lock Crowther designed Catana42s. Our projects on Paikea include using recycled carbon fibre parts to modify our catamaran into a modern and fast liveaboard. Our YouTube channel showcases our experiences on Paikea as we live, work and sail onboard. We try to keep our videos educational, and like to include information on how we sail, repair and upgrade our boat plus share tips on getting the most out of your own vessel.
On our website you will find information on the restoration and modifications we have done to Paikea. Even though our older boat has “good bones” some of the processes used 34 years ago in the construction of this vessel are certainly outdated. The marine industry has come a long way in terms of their understanding of design, building techniques and composite construction and although there are many things we can’t change with an old boat, there are ways to breathe new life into Paikea.
It is a labour of love, turning a vintage production boat into a modern performance cruiser and not for the feint of heart. If you love a good budget restoration done the right way then we’d love to have you along on the journey. We are out to achieve our dream: a contemporary and simple, fast-in-light-airs liveaboard performance cruiser catamaran .
Work – Modify – Sail – Repeat
Boat Systems
We have a dedicated boat systems and upgrades page detailing the systems. tools and equipment used on Paikea. If you would like to know what modifications we have done to our vessel, the navigation systems instrumentation we use, performance analysis tools, sail inventory, and much more you can find it included here.
We have also provided links where we can so that you can check out the items for yourself.
Free Resources
Along with information on how we repair and upgrade our boat, we also share professional tips on how to get the most out of your own vessel. These resources include sailing tutorials, links to choosing the best anchor for your boat, tips and tricks for working with composites, and links to some great videos on how to splice.
We also have discussion forums where you can add topics you would like to discuss or perhaps scroll through our database. This is a dynamic space which we add to if we can find something we think will benefit the sailing community so keep checking in.
Members Resources
If you would like to know more about the details and thought processes behind many of the modifications you may want to consider becoming a member. As a member of our community, you will have access to our exclusive collection of material including further details on our Paikea projects.
We prioritise any questions from our members so feel free to post on our forum. Please be aware that at the moment we are involved in an America’s Cup campaign and as a consequence, it may take us a while to reply to your email.
