Sailing and upgrading our performance catamaran, a Catana42s named Paikea
Shayne gets to enjoy a “very civilised” crossing of the notorious Gulf of Lion in Mediterranean France on a Gunboat 68. It’s not all cocktails and champagne sailing for the crew on Paikea. Luckily the Captain is in a pretty cool line of work and when he does have to earn a living the job […]
Crossing the Gulf of Lion on a Gunboat 68 Read More »
How did we know it was ok to change our aluminium beam to a carbon one? Take a behind the scenes look at why we decided to change our aluminium front beam on our Catana42s for a carbon fibre front beam and longeron. Shayne talks about the amount of load our catamaran sees at the
We have a new carbon fibre bow pole to fly our mast head and fractional spinnakers from. Now we need a Code 0 to complete the perfect sailing set. Luckily Anna knows the pointy from the blunt end of the scissors and she sets to work to turn something old into something new. Here is
Recycling an AC sail into our new Code 0 Read More »
Continuing our sea trials this week. We have a very clever new headcar locking system that Shayne machined up. This system is similar to what is used on the large performance multis made by Rigging Projects. It allows us to release the head of our square top mainsail and flake it away neatly in it’s
Moving the head on the mainsail and testing our carbon front beam Read More »
The first sea trials on Paikea after our recent and extensive modifications. We had already taken Paikea out under motor to test the front beam, longeron, rudders, folding propellers, flush skin fittings, and new antifoul paint. Next step was to test how the boat handled sails and the associated loads. We wanted to proof load
Sea trials with our custom head car GAFF LOCK Read More »
Curious about what the best rigging harness actually is? What do the professionals use when they have to spend hours on end working at the top of a mast. How do you stay safe when you are at the top of some of the tallest rigs in the world? It’s not for the faint hearted
The professional’s rigging harness Read More »
An excellent instructional video for anyone wanting to learn about downwind sail trim. Shayne has a gift for making a complex topic simple and easy to understand. Make sure you take some time to watch this video even if you already know how to trim your sails, it’s worthwhile listening to what a professional sailor
How to trim sails downwind on a catamaran Read More »
When we first bought Paikea in 2018, she was a relic from the past. In addition to her missing rudder, ill fitting sails and skin fittings that had not been touched since she was launched, the electrical side was a mess. The electronics were outdated and the only instrument that worked on board was the
Changing to a 24volt system on a 30 year old catamaran Read More »
This episode is all about our hard top over the cockpit. It was made using more salvaged parts from the 2007 America’s Cup. This time we have got a bit of Swedish vibe going on.The foredeck on the America’s Cup boats had a HUGE hatch with which to launch their spinnakers and it was perfect
Recycled foredeck pieces from an America’s Cup yacht made into an aft hardtop Read More »
A unique opportunity for Shayne to join in a local Vela Latina yacht race in the Mar Menor, Spain. The Vela Latina is an elegant and ancient design. It appears in the 9th century of Arabic inspiration, and quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean replacing the square sail used by seafarers and fishermen. Today it is
Fibreglass repairs to a timber Vela Latina Read More »