The Pre-Splash Push: Integrating Engine Work, Composite Rudder Mods, and Custom Fairings

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Key Topic: Facing a firm launch deadline, we executed a coordinated final push on our catamaran’s critical systems. This involved servicing the saildrives, preparing new rudders for future winglets by installing a carbon rod backbone, and fabricating custom fairings to improve hull hydrodynamics. With a focus on engineering robust solutions—from reinforcing foils to managing a complex crane lift without a spreader bar—we successfully splashed the boat, transitioning from a major refit phase back to active cruising.

Author: Shayne and Anna

A scheduled boat launch is an immovable deadline that concentrates the mind and accelerates work in the yard. For us, it triggered a final, integrated push across multiple systems on Paikea. With a knee injury confining me to a supervisory role, this period became a masterclass in delegation and family teamwork, tackling everything from propulsion service to composite modifications.

Propulsion & Steering Systems: Service and Upgrade Prep

The core focus was on the systems that drive and control the boat. The saildrives required their second service, a job that began with the careful use of a jack to lift the engine, allowing the mounts to be manoeuvred out. Once removed, the units were cleaned, serviced, and reinstalled—a critical preventative maintenance task.

Concurrently, we initiated a performance upgrade to the steering system: rudder winglets. This required modifying our brand new rudders. Fortunately, the builder had laminated solid glass plates into the foam cores at the tips precisely for this purpose. We drilled into these plates and potted a carbon rod into each, creating a robust structural backbone. This carbon spar will serve as the primary load-bearing element for the future winglets, ensuring a strong, reliable attachment that won’t crush the core.

Hull & Foil Integration: Fairings and Reinforcements

A significant source of drag on catamarans is the turbulent flow where the saildrive leg meets the hull. To address this, we designed and fabricated custom fairings. These streamlined covers bridge the gap between the hull and the saildrive leg, smoothing water flow and reducing resistance.

We also conducted a final reinforcement of the foil attachments. Additional carbon patches were laid up on the hull at the daggerboard and rudder sites. For the forward daggerboard case, we drilled through these new laminates to install a locking pin—a simple but vital safety upgrade for heavy weather sailing.

The Lift: Engineering a Safe Launch Without a Spreader Bar

The launch itself presented a unique engineering challenge. The local crane lacked a spreader bar, meaning the lifting straps would converge at a sharp angle, potentially crushing the aluminium gunwale rail.

Our solution was to distribute the load. We placed a solid block of wood between the strap and the hull, positioned directly in line with an internal bulkhead. This simple but effective measure transferred the crushing force from the fragile rail into the boat’s primary structural member, allowing for a safe and controlled lift.

Conclusion: A Successful Splash, With Work to Continue

The moment of truth arrived. After a final, midnight session ensuring the rudder mods were sealed and antifouled, Paikea was lifted and splashed without incident. A quick inspection confirmed no water was entering through the numerous new through-hulls or filled old holes—the ultimate sign of a successful haul-out.

While the list is never truly finished—the trampoline needs re-lashing and the winglets await final molding—returning to the water is a major milestone. It signifies a transition from a project in dry dock to a living, breathing vessel ready for the next phase of adventures, her systems serviced, upgraded, and prepared for the sea.

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