Key Message: Replacing an entire boat’s interior is a marathon, not a sprint. Hitting the halfway mark is a huge morale boost, proving the system works and the weight-saving benefits are real and tangible. Author: Anna & Shayne Introduction: A Major Milestone The methodical process of replacing Paikea’s heavy timber floors with lightweight composites has reached […]
Mid-Refit Update: The Floor Replacement Hits Halfway Read More »
Author: Shayne and Anna Key Topic: A successful project isn’t defined by a perfect process, but by the ability to adapt and salvage the result when things go wrong. Our cabin floor infusion, threatened by cold weather and material issues, became a masterclass in problem-solving, proving that recovery and resilience are just as valuable as meticulous
Salvaging a Failed Vacuum Infusion: How We Saved Our Boat Floor Read More »
Author: Shayne & Anna Topic: Follow the transformation of our forward port cabin, where we replace heavy original parts with lightweight composite structures while maintaining and improving the critical structural integrity of the hull. The refit of Paikea’s forward port hull represents a perfect convergence of our goals: significant weight reduction without compromising—and often enhancing—structural strength. In this phase,
Weight Saving & Structural Integrity: Rebuilding a Catamaran Cabin Read More »
Author: Shayne and Anna Key Message: By replacing a heavy, non-structural plywood floor with a custom composite one, we achieved a monumental 75% weight saving in this area—transforming 30kg of dead weight into an 8kg structural component that actively strengthens the hull. In boat building, every kilogram saved is a win. So, when we weighed the old,
The Refit Grind: How a 22kg Floor Fits Into a 600kg Weight Loss Read More »
Structural Bulkhead: Building a Return Flange Under the Floor Some weeks the best footage comes from the people who weren’t supposed to be filming. This one belongs to the boys. With a week away at work, Harry and Ollie took over documentation duties aboard Paikea — and there were two genuinely separate projects happening at
Structural Bulkhead: Building a Return Flange Under the Floor Read More »
