Ocean Crossing Tiki 26

[Jacob Sears]

Ignoring the issue of potential discomfort and focusing instead on safety and reliability, what types of modifications would you make if you were building a Tiki 26 with plans to sail it across big oceans (en route to a circumnavigation perhaps)? Would you change anything below the waterline? What about above? Asking for a friend, of course.

[Robert Hughes]

I don't know specifically about the wooden T26's as mine's a GRP version, but on most boats of this size one of the most vulnerable areas is the hatches and companionway boards.  You need to be absolutely sure they are strong enough and can be closed securely.  If they are removeable they also need to be secured by lanyards so it's impossible to lose them.

I've seen bad weather in a boat this size in the open ocean.  Imagine a large wave breaking right over the top of the boat, and make sure everything is secure and strong enough to withstand that.  If you lose a hatch there's a good chance you would lose the boat.

The Wharram designs are generally safe and conservative.  If a Tiki 26 is well built from good quality materials, and is sailed well, it should be quite capable of an ocean crossing.  It's main limitation is load carrying ability.  If you work out the weight of stores (especially fresh water) required this can become an issue.

One of my favourite quotes (can't remember where I heard it) - "The best bit of safety equipment on a small boat is a good skipper"...

[Éric Bouvéron]

Bonjour,

That story:

 http://wharrambuilders.ning.com/forum/topics/how-to-capsize-a-hinemoa

gives Robert's post a strong confirmation. My English is far to be perfect but I understand that all happens with a hatch lost.

I know a Tiki 26, sailed by the son of the French naval architect François Vivier that crossed and back the Atlantic.

Sorry its in French but Google will certainly help.

http://www.vivier.info/voyage.html

Obviously, the pics show that he doesn't have a sleeve mainsail. That may be a modification, but why he choosed that, I don't know.

[Levi Verwoest]

Hatches and the companionway are the weak points as I found out. If you don't have watertight bulkheads, modify you boat so she does. built in flotation would also be a good idea. And don't get lazy about tying stuff on the deck. Make sure your boat can sail to weather in strong wind/big waves. Learn to sail in ALL conditions without relying on your engine. Good water catchment,food preservation and simplify everything possible. Use a windvane. Know how to fix everything on the boat

[Ian R]

I identified this in my 31' building; unfortunately for an intent quick builder there are 4 (sliding) hatches. I redesigned these based on a Maurice Griffiths hatch design with effectively a double sliding captive rebate on all four  and false forebeam on the foreward pair, meaning that green water can drain before it meets the second hatchbeam over the hatch. I also cambered the hatches themselves meaning that they are far stronger than a flat -topped hatch as per the designs and look better in my eyes.

You can reckon on a hundred hours at least  for that to make a decent job working from scratch first time, sheathing, fitting, painting. When you look at the building hours estimated by the designers that should give you a little clue or two..... I also double sheathed  the forecabin roofs as they deflected more than about 10mm when I jumped on them which I was not happy with, even though I was only about 70kg at the time (well not much more now).

My washboards are also different: they are flush on the outside with no projecting rebates etc (which messes up your procedure when you drop the beams in) . They have an effectively double rebate behind, combined h/w frame surrounds with ply rebate lips on the washboard itself. I don't think I could kick them in,  even with big boots. Took a lot of time to work out for myself and make and fit.

My cockpit hatches (4 more!) are made with a oak frames finger jointed on the corners, 1088 ply on top, sheathed all round. They are very strong but if you get any standing water in the cockpits (rainwater) the oak likes to move and raise the sheathing. Better than softwood rot I suppose. So they need to be kept clean, as also any beam block positions which I blast out with a pressure cleaner, as the boat in general needs due to the MANY water traps in this design.

Sorry I have diverged a bit from the point about the strength/integrity of hatches in potentially bad conditions.

In sum I agree that the hatches/companionways are potential weak points.

[Ian R]

I identified this in my 31' building; unfortunately for an intent quick builder there are 4 (sliding) hatches. I redesigned these based on a Maurice Griffiths hatch design with effectively a double sliding captive rebate on all four  and false forebeam on the foreward pair, meaning that green water can drain before it meets the second hatchbeam over the hatch. I also cambered the hatches themselves meaning that they are far stronger than a flat -topped hatch as per the designs and look better in my eyes.

You can reckon on a hundred hours at least  for that to make a decent job working from scratch first time, sheathing, fitting, painting. When you look at the building hours estimated by the designers that should give you a little clue or two..... I also double sheathed  the forecabin roofs as they deflected more than about 10mm when I jumped on them which I was not happy with, even though I was only about 70kg at the time (well not much more now).

My washboards are also different: they are flush on the outside with no projecting rebates etc (which messes up your procedure when you drop the beams in) . They have an effectively double rebate behind, combined h/w frame surrounds with ply rebate lips on the washboard itself. I don't think I could kick them in,  even with big boots. Took a lot of time to work out for myself and make and fit.

My cockpit hatches (4 more!) are made with a oak frames finger jointed on the corners, 1088 ply on top, sheathed all round. They are very strong but if you get any standing water in the cockpits (rainwater) the oak likes to move and raise the sheathing. Better than softwood rot I suppose. So they need to be kept clean, as also any beam block positions which I blast out with a pressure cleaner, as the boat in general needs due to the MANY water traps in this design.

Sorry I have diverged a bit from the point about the strength/integrity of hatches in potentially bad conditions.

In sum I agree that the hatches/companionways are potential weak points.

[Reuben Filsell]

See my comment under hobby horsing.