We are off! It’s time to pack up our mighty ship and leave the boatyard. We are not quite finished with the upgrades but it’s definitely time to get out of the boatyard and do some cruising. We are some of those crazy people who weigh everything that we put on Paikea. This episode it’s […]
Why weight is Important on your multihull Read More »
Sailing with a code 0 on our 1990 performance catamaran. The idea behind removing our original aluminium front beam and replacing it with a carbon fibre beam with longeron and bow pole https://youtu.be/RNuBhgp9HWo was so that we could increase our sail inventory by allowing us to fly different types of sails. From our new bow
Sailing with the CODE 0 and our #1 choice for furler Read More »
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 »