wakataitea

Comment by WaveDancer & Bella on September 15, 2012 at 3:55am

What advantages of your rigg would you  you point out before the Wingsail rigg?

Comment by wakataitea on September 16, 2012 at 1:45am

........looks cool..........

The rig:
Wakataitea is carrying 60qm of sails.
The main sail has 45qm and the stay sail 15qm.
A lot of people ask us if we can reef the main sail and how we do it.
Yes we can and it is basically the same system like on a regular main sail. We have to go into or very close to the wind and drop the sail (spares) into the lazy jacks and tied the reef lines around the lower spar. To hoist the sail again, we have to go again very close into the wind.
Isabelle and I had to make our experience handling the long spare on a moving boat but we learned fast how we have to do it.
Often we leave the anchorage with already one reef in the main sail. It is really strange, even with one reef; the main has still enough power to push the boat fast forward in light winds. Must have something to do with this “vortex lift”.
We can sail till 40 degrees to the apparent wind but the boat will not get very fast. From 55dregees the boat really starts to move but the best angle is everything from 70 degrees.
We reach then easy 6-7 knots in 10 - 12 knots true wind. This is the speed we sail the most time. Till 5 knots speed, you don’t hear any water running along the hull, everything is quiet and you think the boat is not moving.
The real fun is wind from 80 degrees apparent and with 15 knots true. The GPS shows all the time 9, 5 -10, 5 knots speed over ground the miles to go are running down fast. The rig is made for trade wind sailing.


We are very happy with this system and have no doubt that we can sail with it around the world save. It looks beautiful and is an eye catcher. Especially the local people on the islands are very interested in our boat.

Comment by wakataitea on September 16, 2012 at 1:48am

since we launched the boat in january 2009, we sailed 18000 NM with it...
all kind of wind conditions on the way...
CRAB CLAW IS THE BEST>>> ;)

Comment by WaveDancer & Bella on September 23, 2012 at 3:16pm

Of what material are your spars made? Bamboo?

Comment by wakataitea on September 23, 2012 at 9:46pm

yellow cedar.... ;)

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