Free Sailing Resources & Guides
Welcome to our open-source sailing library. Here, you’ll find a curated collection of our most practical tutorials, upgrade logs, and hand-picked resources from across the web. Whether you’re fine-tuning your catamaran’s performance or mastering a new splice, consider this your first port of call.
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Paikea’s Upgrade Journey
Follow the evolution of our Catana 42s. This log documents our major modifications, from concept to completion, with links to detailed blog posts for each project.
Explore Paikea’s Upgrades
Left image: Paikea before our modifications
Working with Composites Hub: Practical Boat Building & Repair
Modern sailing is built on composites. This is your entry point to understanding and working with the carbon fiber, fiberglass, and epoxy that form the backbone of performance vessels. The guides below demonstrate our methodical approach to structural refits. For the complete picture—including project logs, laminate schedules, and failure analyses—dive into the full Composites Hub.
Essential Guides & References
Theory is useless without practice. This curated library contains the core technical notes and methodologies we use on Paikea. It’s a starting point for your own projects. For our collection of videos, links to websites and documents to download, visit our main Tools & References Hub.
Sailing Techniques & On-the-Water Video Library
The transition from theory to practice is where expertise is proven. Here you will find essential sailing tutorials and real-world footage from the cockpit, demonstrating everything from fundamental maneuvers to handling large performance multihulls. For the complete collection of playlists and advanced techniques, explore our full Sailing Video Archive.
Recommended External Resources
We only link to the best. Here are our top picks from other creators for mastering specific skills.
Learning Composites
A collection of resources for the technical sailor interested in DIY composite work. Many of our materials come from Easy Composites, who also produce excellent tutorial content.
Splicing & Soft Shackles
We use soft shackles everywhere on Paikea. For the best “how-to” guides, we recommend the experts at this channel, where precision splicing is an art form. We have a collection of our favourite videos from these guys in this link.
Anchor Testing & Reviews
Your ground tackle is your most important safety system onboard. This excellent channel is dedicated to rigorous, real-world testing of anchors across all types and sizes. Watch side-by-side comparisons and see the data to help you choose the best anchor for your seabed and vessel.
Ready for Deep Dive? Join The Hub.
The free resources here are just the beginning. Our Members’ Hub contains exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else:
- Detailed Video Deep Dives
- Downloadable 3D Print Files & Documents
- Behind-the-Scenes Project Logs
- Direct Access to Our Community Forum
Learn More and Become a Member