More Sailing
- A Privileged View: Showcasing the Iconic Gunboat 66 “Outnumbered”
Author: Shayne & Anna As liveaboard sailors and marine professionals, we’re constantly surrounded by beautiful boats. But every so often, we encounter a vessel that is truly special—an icon that stops you in your tracks. The Gunboat 6602, “Outnumbered,” is one of those boats. We’ve been entrusted with a unique task: caring for this legendary performance… Read more: A Privileged View: Showcasing the Iconic Gunboat 66 “Outnumbered” - Offshore Reality Check: Performance Analysis and Emergency Assessment Mid-AtlanticAuthor: Shayne and Anna Topic: This post provides a professional analysis of an Atlantic upwind passage, demonstrating the Catana 42 Paikea’s performance capabilities with real-time data on wind angles and boat speed. It details the immediate emergency response to a sudden structural bang at sea, outlining the systematic procedure for inspecting daggerboards and hull integrity. The article… Read more: Offshore Reality Check: Performance Analysis and Emergency Assessment Mid-Atlantic
- Ocean Passage Engineering: Systems Analysis and Arrival Planning 40 Miles OffshoreTopic: 40 miles from the Azores after a 14-day Atlantic crossing, we handle mid-ocean gear failure while planning our next jib sheeting system upgrade. This professional analysis covers block replacement, floating ring technology, and track system design for optimal sail control, demonstrating how continuous improvement integrates with routine offshore sailing. We combine practical repair work with… Read more: Ocean Passage Engineering: Systems Analysis and Arrival Planning 40 Miles Offshore
- 30-Knot Atlantic Sailing: Performance Analysis and 17-Knot SurfTopic: Author: Shayne and Anna Introduction The midpoint of an Atlantic crossing often brings the most challenging conditions, and our passage to the Azores delivered 30-knot winds and building seas. These conditions provided the ultimate test of Paikea’s heavy-air capabilities and our family’s offshore systems, from spinnaker management to performance diagnostics in demanding ocean conditions. 1.… Read more: 30-Knot Atlantic Sailing: Performance Analysis and 17-Knot Surf
- How to Reef a Catamaran Downwind: A Practical GuideKey Message: Practical Skills for Real-World SailingReefing is a fundamental skill, but doing it effectively while sailing downwind on a catamaran requires specific techniques. This guide, filmed in 16 knots of breeze on our Atlantic crossing, breaks down the practical process of reefing a mainsail controlled by a halyard lock and a sticky track. We… Read more: How to Reef a Catamaran Downwind: A Practical Guide
- Offshore Reality: Light Air Performance, Wind Speed Myths, and Systems Management Mid-AtlanticAuthor: Shayne and Anna Topic: This post provides a professional analysis of an Atlantic crossing focused on light-air performance optimization. It details the practical challenges of managing daggerboards, watch systems, and spinnaker configuration with a family crew, while delivering a critical technical examination of the “wind speed boat” myth. The article contrasts real-world performance data with common… Read more: Offshore Reality: Light Air Performance, Wind Speed Myths, and Systems Management Mid-Atlantic
- How to Trim a Jib on a Catamaran: A Pro’s Guide to Speed & PointingKey Message: Beyond the Winch HandleTrimming a jib on a performance catamaran is an engineering discipline, not a guessing game. It requires a systematic approach to sail shape, driven by an understanding of aerodynamics and boat dynamics. This guide, drawn from America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race protocols, will show you how to move beyond… Read more: How to Trim a Jib on a Catamaran: A Pro’s Guide to Speed & Pointing
- Designing a Bulletproof Reefing System: A Professional BreakdownWe can reef at any time, in any conditions at any point of sail Key Message: Engineering for Reliability, Not Just FunctionA reefing system is a primary safety feature, yet many are plagued by jamming cars, chafed lines, and poor sail shape. On our catamaran Paikea, we’ve engineered a system that eliminates these failures. This… Read more: Designing a Bulletproof Reefing System: A Professional Breakdown
- Wild 17.8-Knot Sled Ride Ends with a Torn SpinnakerKey Message: A four-hour deadline to cross Antigua for a birthday party turned into a wild downwind sled ride for our family. Pushing our catamaran, Paikea, in fresh trade winds, we hit 17.8 knots while battling a major handicap: sailing with only one rudder. The thrilling speed came at a cost, as a bad gybe… Read more: Wild 17.8-Knot Sled Ride Ends with a Torn Spinnaker
- How We Sailed Our Catamaran 800 Nautical Miles With One RudderAuthor: Shayne & Anna TOPICS:This post details the emergency procedures and sailing techniques we used to safely cross the Atlantic after losing a rudder. It covers strategic use of daggerboards, sail balance for steering control, and advanced weather routing to manage an offshore crisis. Losing a rudder 800 nautical miles from land presents a sobering reality… Read more: How We Sailed Our Catamaran 800 Nautical Miles With One Rudder
- Crisis at Sea: How We Managed Losing a Rudder 800nm From LandKey Message: This post details the immediate response to losing a rudder offshore, covering crisis leadership, technical diagnosis using onboard instrumentation, and the strategic decisions that ensured a safe passage to land. Author: Shayne & Anna The moment of truth in any offshore passage comes not when things are going well, but when they go wrong.… Read more: Crisis at Sea: How We Managed Losing a Rudder 800nm From Land
- Atlantic Sailing: Daggerboard Control, Watermaker Maintenance & Speed SecretsKey Message: True offshore efficiency is achieved not by a single grand gesture, but by a series of small, intelligent optimizations. From deploying a daggerboard for better control to creatively maintaining systems and adding a tiny sail for a crucial extra knot, this passage shows how mastering the subtle interplay between boat handling, system management, and… Read more: Atlantic Sailing: Daggerboard Control, Watermaker Maintenance & Speed Secrets
- Real-World Test: How Our New Carbon Front Beam Handled a Choppy SeaAuthor: Shayne and Anna Key Message: This sea trial proved that true performance isn’t just about strength or weight savings, but about how upgrades transform the sailing experience in real-world conditions. Despite the inevitable “breakdowns” that accompany any major refit, the immediate and tangible improvements—a stiffer, more balanced boat, easier speed, and transformed steering—validated the… Read more: Real-World Test: How Our New Carbon Front Beam Handled a Choppy Sea
- Repairing and Sailing a Traditional Vela LatinaA 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… Read more: Repairing and Sailing a Traditional Vela Latina
- Boatyard Boredom? Not for These Two Young Sailors.Key Message: A love for sailing isn’t taught; it’s nurtured through freedom and opportunity. When given a boat and the space to explore, young sailors naturally develop skills, passion, and an intuitive understanding of the wind and water. Author: Anna, Harry and Olly Introduction: Making Their Own Fun Life in a boatyard during a refit can… Read more: Boatyard Boredom? Not for These Two Young Sailors.
- Sailing to Work: A Family Delivery to the Gunboat 68 LaunchKey Message: The cruising life isn’t all sundowners at anchor. Sometimes, work calls, and the boat becomes both a home and a delivery vessel, leading to unique opportunities and real-world sailing challenges. Author: Anna & Shayne Introduction: A Professional Mission For us, sailing and work are often intertwined. When Shayne’s professional rigging work was required for… Read more: Sailing to Work: A Family Delivery to the Gunboat 68 Launch
