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Rio to Polynesia | Download 01 | Download 02 | Download 03 | Download 04 |
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Multichine 26C Geko takes a lift on a magic carpet It was published last January in a Turk nautical forum this teasing photo of Geko, a MC26C built by Ömer Kirkal, in Istanbul, Turkey. No sooner had Geko been launched, and a club mate who had just acquired a series produced twenty-six footer made in a European country, challenged him for a match race. It was at stake the treat to the one for the road at the marina’s bar that same evening. Can you believe, the challenger is that hardly visible boat inside the red circle! To crown it all Geko had some problem before the starting gun with her boom, and had to improvise a makeshift sheet system for the mainsail. Since the C in the class’s name means that the MC26C is a Cruising design, it is advisable that Ömer doesn’t give his challenger a second chance, since it’s possible that in another occasion the genius inside the bottle refuses to let him win hands down.
Geko taking a lift on the “magic carpet”. The challenger is the sailboat inside the red circle... Note how well finished is Ömer’s amateur construction! That Geko was built in Bristol Fashion, this is easily observed. However she wasn’t built to be a racing machine. Actually she was built to be the perfect floating home, what can be confirmed in a gallery of photos published in the articles "MC26C Geko is shown in a Turk nautical program" and "Multichine 26C Class is spreading its horizons", both to be found in our section All News. The first article contains three videos produced by the local open TV which are very well made.
Ömer’s wife Firuzan plastering the gaps between tiles she installed in the heads wall. The photo is a good witness that Geko was built with cruising intentions in mind. Photo: Ömer Kirkal. *** We can only know what our builders are doing when they send us news about their constructions. Nevertheless we have regular contacts with some of them who have their boats practically completed, actually almost ready to be launched. We hope the magic carpet that assisted Geko in doing water skiing in Turkey may be a confidence-booster for them.
The MC26C is a typical cruising boat, having 1.85m headroom in the saloon, heads with shower, and an inside layout comparable to many thirty-footers. To know that it also sails fast is an extra bonus. Render: www.ideebr.com 2012 will probably be the year of the MC26C class, as a project for amateur construction that can solve the longings of so many who wish to have a blue water cruising yacht at an affordable cost. As far as we know, all our clients who are concluding their boats are amateur builders, and it has been a feeling of self accomplishment for them to have built their boats with their own hands.
Anauê, is a MC26C built by an amateur in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is technically concluded, missing installing keel, the transom hung rudder and auxiliary propulsion. The MC26C was a design we developed with the intention to demonstrate that a twenty-six sailboat may be fit for any kind of cruising adventure. Now with the first boats of the class being launched it will be possible to confirm the rightness of our goals. Click here to learn more about the Multichine 26C | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pop 25. It is missing very little for the launching of Horus Favourable winds are blowing from Argentina regarding the new design Pop 25. Our friend Daniel D'Angelo, from City Bell, the amateur boat building hub for home construction in that country, is in the last stages of construction of the prototype of the class.
The transom scoop is wide enough to be used as a bunk on a starry summer night. Photo: Daniel D'Angelo Since all custom fittings and equipments are already purchased, now all that is missing is to do the last touches of finishing and installing the deck hardware (the boat's construction is far more advanced than it is shown in the photo).
The cockpit impresses for its spaciousness and functionality. Fitting a dodger above the companionway hatch enhances considerably the protection of the crew. Photo Daniel D'Angelo While the building was taking place Daniel ordered the two fin-keels. In his case he opted for cast iron bulbs, easier and cheaper to obtain in his neighbourhood, fixing them to the fin by means of 20mm ( ¾”) bolts welded to the fin's plate. Since cast iron is slightly less dense than steel, the bulbs became a little lighter, but still within the project's tolerance. Taking into account that the pieces aren't that bulky, we suggested him to hot-deep galvanize them for a long-lasting, maintenance free, results.
The keels ready for the anti-corrosion treatment. Note that the keel to hull attachment flanges weren't welded yet. Photo: Daniel D'Angelo Daniel brought us precious information about the plans. He told us that if it wasn't for his formal work, Horus should have been concluded in four months, and that he was astonished with the easiness of its construction. He will resume the construction in February, expecting to conclude the boat a fortnight later. It is in his plans to join the La Plata ocean race championship, starting in February, already sailing with his new “machine”. It is a hard task for a new project to launch a meteoric career from the start, hitting the nail on the head. There are so many new designs with interesting ideas being constantly introduced in the market! The designer must be aware of fierce competition while the class merits aren't thoroughly established. However, the Pop 25 has two already proven factors that might help boosting its career, thanks to the hand Daniel gave us constructing the prototype: being a cheap and quick to build craft. He told us Horus cost him U$15000, only missing labour, at any rate it is an amateur construction, and the outboard motor, his option, all this without subsidies. The cost of living in Argentina may be quite affordable, and he might have employed some shortcuts, like for instance, employing civil construction water-proof plywood instead of the recommended marine grade stuff, but in any circumstance this is peanuts for an open sea cruising sailboat. Other points about the project that deeply impressed him were the efficiency of the thermal insulation, this summer has been searing in Buenos Aires and no matter how hot it was outside, the cabin remained a few degrees cooler. He also is amazed by the spaciousness of its interior. (It is a pity he didn't attached some pictures of the interior yet). *** While our friend keeps progressing in his construction, we from B & G Yacht design didn't stop for a minute in thinking about the Pop 25, the apple of our eyes at the moment, Even though the plan is one of our most recent ones, taking advantage of Daniel's enthusiasm for the racing course, we decided to improve the mainsail design, making the top of the sail horizontal, this way improving the shape of its upper part. Not having a backstay, we were losing a golden chance of taking advantage of having a leach with no hurdles when changing tacks. Another point for doing so is the fact that this extra area doesn't harm the performance in heavier winds, since the edge between top and leach leans to leeward, working as a relief valve to decrease pressure in the canvas.
New renders will help to explain all steps of the construction. Here we show the water tank lid with the screws that attach it to the tank. This level of detailing is confidence booster for first time builders. We are also producing new renders to assist our builders during the construction. In the end it may become a book on how to build the Pop 25. For that matter the designer Murilo Almeida, our partner in the project, made the whole virtual construction of the boat, which ended up being a fantastic revision of the plans and will allow informing with precision on how to do any step of the construction. It is true that Daniel didn't require any of these fancy explanations; however we are pretty confident that those who will follow him will not mind if they receive plans with improved detailing.
The new sail plan is more performance oriented, having a better foil on its upper part. If you wish to visit Daniel's site, you should click in Pop 25 Horus in our page of links. Sometimes he takes a little longer to update in the English language than in Spanish. Click here to know more about the Pop 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dinghy Caravela 1.7 free plans The dinghy Carvela 1.7 is available as free plans in our site in internet. This is a small contribution our office wishes to offer to the community of home builders. Owning a sailboat is the ambition of many of us and one of the most rewarding ways of obtaining this goal is by means of amateur construction.
Luis Gouveia, the naval architect member of the B & G Yacht Design office, having his three years old daughter Juliana as crew in a Sunday sailing aboard the Caravela 1.7 Pinta. Marina da Gloria, Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Roberto Barros In the case of the Caravela 1.7 we wanted to allow potential amateurs to embrace the challenge of building a low cost, easy to make dinghy that would introduce them to the sport of sailing. The boat would also serve as a test for those willing to build a larger boat, however wishing to try something smaller before embarking in a more ambitious plan.
The dinghy Caravela 1.7 was custom designed to fit the Multichine 28 flush foredeck. This photo was taken during the visit of Pedro Pinto, a dentist from the distant Azores, who is a great supporter of the designs produced by our office. Photo: Roberto Barros The dinghy Caravela 1.7 was custom designed to serve as tender for the Multichine 28 cruising sailboat project. Since this ocean bound sailboat has an unobstructed flush foredeck, we were consulted by many of our clients about the possibility of carrying a solid dinghy on it. So we felt it was a nice idea to provide a plan for building a dinghy tailored to fit on that place, leaving enough room for the crew to circulate around it without feeling cramped. As the dinghy was initially included in the Multichine 28 stock plan package, we had the idea of offering it for free to anyone who wanted to build her. We have no idea of how many Caravelas 1.7 were built to date, but there are a lot of stories about the class, from the Norwegian sailor who reached a base in the Antarctic Continent towing his sailboat with one of these dinghies, to the weird case of another one that made a flight during a fierce tropical storm, taking off from the deck where it was stowed, to get tucked on the spreader of another sailboat on the other side of the pier. For us from B & G Yacht Design it will always be a pleasure to be acquainted with new stories that different sailors who chose to build a Caravela 1.7 might have to tell us. You are welcome to contact us by the e-mail info@yachtdesign.com.au, or by the personal e-mail of Roberto Barros, robertobarros@hotmail.com, builder, together with two other friends, of three Caravelas 1.7, the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Niña.
The Caravela 1.7 is a joy to be sailed in light winds. Even though we specified a mainsheet system for her, we discovered later that the best way to control the sail is by holding the boom with the arm. Photo: Eileen Barros
Caravela 1.7. Photoshop: www.ideebr.com We wanted to allow potential amateur boat builders to embrace the challenge of building a low cost, easy to make dinghy that would introduce newcomers to the hobby of amateur construction, and next opening the doors of the sport of sailing to them. Click here to download and print the building manual of the Dinghy Caravela 1.7 |
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Southern Voyager 28 with traditional style pilothouse It was launched in January 2012 the trawler Maroubar, owned by Avelino Cruz, and built by Flab Boatyards, from Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil, www.flab.com.br, the boat being designed with pilothouse inverted front windows, the preference of traditional sailors. The boat became extremely attractive, for its looks and good finishing, and she is performing better than predicted. The comfort of her interior is outstanding and it’s no wonder Avelino is so happy with his new acquisition, as it can be reckoned by the broad smile in his face. It was amazing what Flavio Rodrigues, the builder, managed to fit in the interior of our hull design. The original inside layout is somewhat more modest. You don’t believe this boat is just a twenty-eight footer. Such a successful result in Flavio’s trial in finding an alternative style for the Southern Voyager 28 was a great incentive for us to design a new plan with the same lines of MarouBar, the next product to be introduced in our line of stock plans, the Curruira 33.
Can you believe this is the galley of a 28 foot trawler? Displacement trawlers have all to do with the new times. Requiring low power and smaller engines to obtain hull speed, in contrast with the planning hull, which needs an absurd amount of power to lift the hull from the water, the displacing hulls are incomparably more politically correct leasure crafts. We are quite convinced that the pleasures a trawler can proportionate has nothing to do with brute speed, which is, in our way of thinking, quite a questionable sensation of accomplishment, but instead in its long range capability and the comfort of navigating without slamming, never mentioning the fuel-friendly consumption. The video that Ivan, Flavio’s son, produced, is very agreeable to be seen, and probably will seduce newcomers to the sport of motor-cruising. We missed only the video not being a bit longer. Even though the footage is spoken in Portuguese, the expression of happiness printed in Avelino’s face is a universal language and doesn’t require subtitles. Now we are pretty confident that the Curruira 33 has a good chance to do a roaring trade, since it will be an enlarged version of the Maroubar.
Avelino Cruz testing the steering wheel in his navigation station Click here to know more about the Southern Voyager 28 |
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Samoa 34 Luthier completes the Atlantic circuit Another important achievement has taken place with a sailboat designed by our Office. This time the boat is the Samoa 34 Luthier, built by the Brazilian couple Dorival and Catarina Gimenes, in their home garden, at the city of Campinas, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Luthier just completed the so-called "Atlantic Circuit", one of the most praised cruising trips for those who live along the Atlantic Ocean shores, never minding if they are dwellers in the North or South Atlantic countries, a clockwise voyage following the prevailing wind patterns. In the case of our clients they started the cruise in Salvador, State of Bahia, Brazil, sailing to the West Indies, Azores, Portugal, and after a sojourn in Europe, returned to the port of departure by way of the classic route, with stopovers in Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde. Going for an adventure of this scope by a relatively inexperienced couple requires good planning and lots of competence, and these virtues the Gimenes couple have plenty to spare, being a good example for those who have similar dreams.
Luthier sailing close hauled in the open sea. This photo was taken from another competitor during the 2009 Recife to Fernando de Noronha Regatta, a popular event in the South American sail-racing calendar. Photo: Dorival Gimenes Let's face it: perhaps there is nothing more rewarding in life than building your own cruising sailboat, this alone being an immeasurable personal accomplishment. Then imagine if, once the work is concluded, you leave for an overseas voyage as the captain of your own ship taking aboard as first mate the woman of your life! When you arrive in cruising paradises by plane as conventional tourist, even though you might be a seasoned sailor, you probably will not manage to be invited to join that coveted table where cruising sailors join to chew the rag and drink that ice-cold one in the most popular local pub, and if in the most remote case of being invited to join the group, you will probably feel as being an intruder, finding no affinity with those sailors, much less having what to talk with them. With Dorival and Catarina it was exactly this fulfilment, sort of getting a captain's license, that they obtained, the feeling of being the masters of their own destinies, and that of belonging to the tribe of cruising sailors, people with the same tastes and endeavours. We are plainly convinced that the brave couple must be absolutely self-assured about the merits of their accomplishments.
Luthier was built under that shed shown in the picture in front of its stem. Any amateur boat builder would have enough reasons of pride for constructing such a perfect hull with practically no assistance of other people. Photo: Dorival Gimenes For their show of seamanship and proficiency in constructing and preparing their boat for this extended voyage, it is unquestionable that the Gimenes deserve having Luthier included in the gallery of Hall of Fame of boats from our design. Before departing Dorival sent us an e-mail in which he tells how he got prepared for the trip: Luthier was launched on the 12th of December, 2008. The construction took four and a half years of dedication and planning. Now my wife and I can live aboard and fulfil our long distance cruising dreams we have nurtured for so long.
Luthier is one of the most well prepared boats for long distance cruising adventures ever built by any of our amateur clients. photo: Dorival Gimenes Luthier's path after the conclusion of its construction was a straight arrow towards the the pre-established goal, and not to get diverted one inch from their endeavour, the couple had to show an outstanding determination. The firs timportant sea trial was a one thousand miles trip from Parati to the northeast of Brazil, to take part in the popular Recife to Fernando de Noronha Regatta, a three-hundred miles offshore event, in which Luthier did no less than winning the race in her class. Dorival sent us an e-mail published below telling the story: Dear friends from B & G Yacht Design. Luthier is a really fast cruising sailboat and you can be proud of having designed her. Since December 2008, when the boat was launched, she has been giving us lots of happiness and good results. We won the REFENO 2009 in our class, Open B, and we have been calling at many wonderful and worth visiting places in the Brazilian coast. We have published our sailing experiences in our blog at the website: www.veleiro.net/luthier/ administered by the captain of the yacht Yahgan, a Cape Horn 35, built more than 15 years ago, a boat which sails smoothly, looking as new as Luthier. These two boats are proof that their building method, strip planking, is very strong and appropriate for amateur construction. However, it is not only that; during our trip we met a large number of MCs made in steel, home built Samoas 29 , plywood/epoxy MCs28, series produced Aladins, etc, all of them from your design. We encountered a very well built MC28, made by her owner, a deep water diving master from Vitória, state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. We also met many yachts from your office built by professional boatyards.
Preparing for the start in the 2009 Recife to Fernando de Noronha Regatta, in Ground Zero, Recife's Harbour. At this point they couldn't dream they were going to be the winners in their class. Courtesy: Dorival Gimenes At each place we go to Luthier attracts attention. Whenever we say we built her, people look at the hull raising their eyebrows, hardly believing it, and usually come the same questions: is she really wooden? And then we invariably have to show them the varnished apparent internal side of the strips, pictures of the construction, and they look at everything with perplexity. Then they start asking about how long it took for the construction, costs, difficulties, and so on, and finally, if my wife agrees in having to live aboard. For the duration of the construction, costs and difficulties, I have some ready answers, and I suggest them to look at your website, and others, as reference. About my wife, I say that she helped in the construction and that she loves our baby, as she calls Luthier. People say boats have souls, and I believe in that. Luthier is restless, doesn't like to stay lashed to a pier, preferring moorings, or to be anchored, but what she likes most is to be sailing. Cruising with Luthier is very comfortable. Our average speed is about 6 knots, and depending on the sea state and weather conditions, we can sail easily at seven knots average without stressing the equipment. With sails properly trimmed the rudder is so light that the autopilot requires very little energy to steer the boat. Many of the cruising people we met said that it is a typical characteristic of yours designs. To build a boat and go away cruising is a worthy experience. Even if only for short-lasting trips, or living aboard on weekends, it is very rewarding, but it requires dedication, planning, controlling anxiety, and to accept the fact that the yacht design office keeps its working schedule and is continuously introducing new designs and updates that will tempt us to change our minds for another design, as happened to me when you introduced the new version of the Cape Horn 35. Sticking to the original plan paid off. To finish the constructions is an indescribable experience of joy, and it is in that very moment that your options of leisure will be open to new achievements, having all the oceans to be conquered. Besides the construction, it is necessary to study and learn many other things, like navigation, meteorology, safety procedures, first aid, etc. Nevertheless, a good boat deserves a good captain. We always have something to learn and will always have a new place to visit. You will find plenty of interesting people on the way. Dorival. Aboard Luthier
Even though Luthier is home for Catarina end Dorival, having all their belongings on board, she sails very fast for a cruising boat. Courtesy: Dorival Gimenes
To be the winner of the most prestigious ocean race in the South Atlantic with a boat made with your own hands is priceless. Catarina and Dorival receiving the trophy for being the first place in their class. Courtesy: Dorival Gimenes After the race Dorival and Catarina made the return trip to Parati, their port of register, a tourist town in the west coast of the State of Rio de Janeiro, about one thousand miles south from Recife, considering the test as being sufficient for the more ambitious challenge they were going to try in the next year.
Travelling in a cruising sailboat is like entering places by the social entrance, and not by the back-door, as it happens with those who arrive by plane. Photo: Dorival Gimenes Finally in 2010 they departed for the so ardently desired tour of the Atlantic, following the prevailing direction of the winds, first going north from South America to the Caribbean, the classic route of the Portuguese Men of War, and after spending the tourist season in the West Indies, sailed bound for the Azores and Europe, entering the Old Continent by way of Lisbon. The articles they wrote in their blog; www.veleiro.net/luthier/ were blockbusters among the list of blogs with links from our site. The texts are not in English, but the photos are sufficient to give an idea of how much they enjoyed their voyage.
The Gimenes receiving guests for supper in the West Indies. The warm-feeling of Luthier's salon is enhanced by the good taste of the pictures in the bulkhead wall. Catarina is a talented plastic artist and the oils are her creation. Courtesy: Dorival Gimenes The first part of the Voyage, the stretch between Parati and Recife was basically a repetition of the previous year's trip, which served as confidence booster for the uncertainties that for sure they would come across after leaving the already familiar northeast of Brazil behind. One more time Luthier applied as a participant in the Recife to Fernando de Noronha Regatta, this time with the heavy burden of having to confirm the outstanding performance of the previous race. However Lady Luck uses to have a wide range of scripts in hands for our destinies, and this time she prepared an unexpected event to crown their participation in the race. When they were quite close to the finish line, and once more very well placed in the race, Dorival was asked to give assistance to another yacht that was in trouble, having lost its rudder. Since the escort boats in the race were all of them busy assisting other competitors which suffered other types of mishaps, and Luthier was the closest in the area, Dorival was consulted if he wouldn't mind to give a hand to the disabled boat. Without a wink Dorival agreed in trying to assist the other yacht, a state of the art composite built racing machine that hada cost hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the sturdy Luthier, and made contact by radio informing his decision to sail towards the drifting craft. When the two boats were at talking distance from each other, taking into account the heavy swell and the fact that Luthier was just double-handed, Dorival suggestd the risky operation of boarding one of the eleven crewmembers of the other boat, who would jump into the water with a heaving line, all this having to be done in a stormy night. After a test drill to ensure all was adequately planned, one of the crewmembers of the other boat dived into the sea and was rescued aboard Luthier. From then on Dorival towed the other yacht to the continent, two hundred miles away, since it was out of the question to try to reach the island with a strong wind on the nose towing a much larger yacht. The flawless operation was toasted effusively by the crews when both boats arrived in Natal and were safely moored side by side in the protected waters of the local yacht club. .
Catarina praised each day of her voyage as the fulfilment of a nurtured dream. There is no other factor that counts more than the enthusiastic wife's participation during a prolonged cruise. Photo: Dorival Gimens After the successful salvage of the damaged competitor in the ocean race, Luthier left the town of Natal in the Brazilian Northeast bound for the West Indies, with a stopover on the National Park of Lençois Maranhenses, a place of outstanding beauty, where white sand dunes form fresh water ponds in their valleys. From that call they made a nonstop trip to the Caribbean, not without incidents, since, not far from the Amazon River estuary, they were pursued by a stealth craft in a moonless night, much probably with piracy intentions in mind, having escaped from their chasers turning off the engine and all lights aboard, including the compass light. It seems that this fate has something to do with our clients accomplishing long passages in boats from our designs. A few months later, another client of ours, Raimundo Nascimento, who is completing a round the world voyage aboard his Explorer 39 Caroll had a narrow escape when chased by pirates south of Indonesia, only managing to get rid of them, thanks to the ten knots speed of his boat, a performance that couldn't be matched by the pirates' trawler. Their chosen landfall in the Caribbean was in Tobago, where they stayed for a fortnight, getting acquainted with the international leg of their voyage. From there they went island-hopping in day-sail reaches with calls at most Windward Islands until reaching Saint Martin.
Luthier in Rodney Bay Marina, Santa Lúcia. By then the Gimenes already feltt absolutely at home as international cruising sailors. Photo: Dorival Gimenes Those who cruise among the West Indies islands have the unique chance of being able to change countries after short passages, most the time sailing in a broad reach in pristine emerald blue waters. The stopovers are done in tropical paradises inhabited by merry and friendly citizens, and you sail together with a crowd of other cruising boats of the most different nationalities. As it happened in the old Paradise with the story of the forbidden apple, in the Caribbean you can do whatever you want, except to stay there when the cruising season is over. Since nobody wishes to cruise the same grounds forever, this doesn't constitute a major problem. The boats use to leave in flocks bound for Europe, North America, and, those dreaming with the South Pacific, sailing to Panama.
The Azores is the perfect "pit stop" in the eastern Atlantic. These authentic gardens in the middle of the ocean are a blessing for stressed crews craving for replenishing their larders with fresh provisions. Catarina close to a cliff in Flores. Photo Dorival Gimenes.
Small world! Dorival & Catarina receive on board the Azorean couple Pedro Pinto and Andreia Aguiar, residents in Terceira Island, who happen to be old friends of ours, having visited the MC28 Fiu in Marina da Gloria, Rio de Janeiro a few years earlier. Courtesy: Dorival Gimenes
In the heart of Lisbon. A voyage to the couple's distant origins. Fhoto: Dorival Gimenes
Columbus Festival. Porto Santo, Madeira. The good side of an overseas cruise is that you see things otherwise you would never suspect they existed. Photo: Dorival Gimenes
Catarina at the waterfront sidewalk in front of Las Palmas anchorage. Photo: Dorival Gimenes What impressed us most during the time they were sailing was how easily they overtook the unexpected events that inevitably challenge every cruising sailor. Perhaps because they were very well prepared, or for their competence, the fact is that they made the whole voyage having the time of their lives. They must have a good fairy protecting them too, since an expected eruption in the island of Hierro, during their call at the Canary Islands turned out not happening. Now they have planted the seeds for other adventures, leaving a good example for others who have the same endeavours. Click here to know more about the Samoa 34 |
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Kiribati 36 Green Nomad. A business meeting aboard On December, 13, 2011, the member of B & G Yacht Design, Roberto Barros, finally managed to pay a visit to Green Nomad. The boat had been built in the southernmost Brazilian state, Rio Grande do Sul, so it was easier for him to wait for the scheduled call of Green Nomad at Parati, State of Rio de Janeiro, as he runs the local branch of the office in Rio. Six months earlier, during a holiday, Luis Gouveia had flown from Korea, where he is working temporarily, to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to visit the then just launched Green Nomad. Now Roberto Barros took with him the designer Murilo Almeida, another member of the company's staff, to be introduced to this new boat of our line of stock plans, and take advantage of this opportunity for meeting Luis Pinho, the co-designer of the Kiribati 36 project, and also an associate in the yacht design office, since they didn't happen to be acquainted to each other yet.
Kiribati 36 Green Nomad anchored in the proximities of Marina do Engenho, Parati, State of Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Luis Pinho The meeting took place in one of the most beautiful cruising grounds you can find anywhere, Parati Cove, Ilha Grande Bay. We know that Green Nomad is expected to be visiting soon many other cruising paradises, however there is no doubt that her skipper started with the right foot, choosing this nook with such gorgeous landscape. Luis and Marli intend to stay in the Ilha Grande surroundings until the end of summer, and then depart for the Caribbean, Panamá and the South Pacific, having Australia, the country of Luis citizenship, as their final destination
Kiribati 36 Green Nomad. Roberto Barros feeling as snug as a bug in a rug inside Green Nomad's saloon. The story of this thirty-six foot aluminium cruising sailboat is a long one. Luis had already built another thirty-six footer, a fixed keel monohull that took him and his wife to the most distant corners of the South Pacific, a choice that obliged the couple to endure the hurricane seasons finding shelter in places less appropriate to stay in such occasions due to the deep draught of their boat's keel. Tired of seeing the shallower yachts having the best spots for themselves in the hurricane holes they aimed for shelter, Luis decided to sell his boat in Australia, and fly to Brazil, his wife's country, to build his swing-keel dreamed boat, which he co-designed with the office, the Kiribati 36 Green Nomad. Being a metallurgic engineer, Luis wanted to participate as welding supervisor in the construction of the metallic work of his boat, what he managed to do, and from then on made the rest of the construction himself, with the only assistance of Marli. With such large experience on his shoulders, he knew exactly what he wanted, obtaining a very functional yacht, the boat the couple intend to live aboard from now on. After having already sailed nine-hundred miles on the new boat's maiden voyage, the couple is feeling again as fish in their element. You can learn more about the couple's adventures, opening the banner on the left upper-corner of our home-page – Green Nomad. There you will find a collection of articles about their previous adventures, from the atolls of Micronesia to sub- Antarctic waters, when Luis took part in the 2010 Sea Shepherd environmental expedition aboard the whale protector ship Steve Irwin.
Marli setting the table for the fraternization lunch with the other two members of B & G design team. The feeling of spaciousness of the saloon is outstanding. It must be very gratifying to live aboard such a functional sailboat. What impressed most the two guests was the excellent natural illumination of the interior of the boat, as well as the sensation of airiness experienced inside the saloon. The hatches installed in the side-walls of the cabin trunk made a perfect integration with the outside, a feeling that can't be matched by other yachts where the social area of the boat is installed deep inside. The raised floor in the galley and navigation quarters enhances this sensation of sharing life aboard with the outside elements
Luis and Marli came to be acquainted with the designer Murilo Almeida in this very occasion. The possibility of joining a team from different places working together to produce yacht designs is one of the miracles of the new century. The rotating seat in front of the navigation table, where Murilo is seated, is Luis's “office” seat, where he developed our latest design, the Pop Alu 32 Luis and Marli are so accustomed with their sea gipsy life-style, that no matter where they call with Green Nomad, they become the hub of the cruising community, their boat being constantly visited by other cruising sailors. It is not by coincidence that they have friends from all over the world Click here to know more about the Kiribati 36 |
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Season's Greetings 2012 It is already a tradition of our office to promote twelve boats from our designs which accomplished some sort of outstanding achievement, or are exceptionally well-built boats launched along this year. It is a hard task for us to have to choose twelve stories only, and we ask our friends which were not included in this list to excuse us for the omission.
January - Polar 65 Fraternidade - The first boat to be remembered this year is the school ship Fraternidade. The old salt, the Ukrainian sailor Alexis Belov, just completed a round the world trip skippering this authentic expedition yacht, having as crew a team of young sailors, who profited from the captain's experience, since this was his fourth circum-navigation. Honouring Alexis feat we included Fraternidade in the Hall of Fame of boats built from our designs. This photo shows Fraternidade docked in Papeete's Water Front, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
February - The Pantanal 25 Vega is a good example of what can be achieved by an amateur builder. Her owner, the Argentinean geologist Daniel D'Angelo, built this boat in his free time at his home garden in City Bell, Buenos Aires, and now is winning races with her.
March - Kiribati 36 Green Nomad - Our new associate Luis Manuel Pinho co-designed the Kiribati 36 swing keel cruising sailboat, built the first unit of the class and now lives aboard with his wife Marli (the couple is sitting at starboard). They already sailed with their new yacht from Rio Grande, in Southern Brazil, to Parati, State of Rio de Janeiro, and from there they intend to sail north in a trip that will take them back to Australia, the country they have their citizenships. Presently Green Nomad is a floating studio, and Luis collaborates with B & G Yacht Design being connected on line with the main office, no matter where the boat will be stationed.
April - Multichine 41SK Bepaluhê - This retractable keel cruising boat is a successful enterprise. Her owner, the doctor Paulo Ayrosa, ordered the construction of this aluminium yacht in Ilha Sul Yacht Builder, www.ilhasulnauticas.com.br, from Porto Alegre, Brazil, and then made an eight-hundred miles trip to Parati, Rio de Janeiro; the boat having corresponded all the expectations of our client. Paulo, the second from the right, is toasting the inauguration of his boat, having the builder to his left, his wife in the centre, and friends.
May - Samoa 28 Terrius - Bernardo Sampaio's Samoa 28 Terrius was the second boat of the class to be launched, and she is, for sure, a floating witness of how good this boat is. She is very good-looking, sails like a dream, is very spacious and habitable for her size, and is sturdy as a rock. No wonder Bernado is so happy with his new acquisition.
June - Multichine 28 Access - This boat fits the category of dream machines. Her owner, the amateur builder Flavio Bezerra, exchanged a promising career of computer scientist for the one of delivery skipper, having his MC28 Access as his headquarters, most of the time stationed in Falmouth Bay, Antigua. When Flavio isn't enjoying the “dolce vita” of a tramp sailor, he most probably may be found diving, or surfboarding, in any secluded corner of the West Indies.
July - Curruira 42 Agenores - This trawler is a masterpiece built by Flab Boatyards, www.flab.com.br, and belongs to Nico Araujo, a retired doctor who chose to live in one of the most romantic places in the South Atlantic, Camamu Bay, Bahia, Brazil.
August - Andorinha 16 Finalmente - The launching day of this nicely-built high performance centreboard sailboat. Our client Fernando Luis Schreiner, from Porto Alegre, Brazil, chose to build his dinghy using the foam/sandwich method, managing to obtain a very light hull. He is very pleased with the performance of his boat.
September - Cabo Horn 35 Yahgan - This photo is a celebration. Twenty years ago it was launched the Cabo Horn 35 Yahgan. It was the second boat of the class to be inaugurated and the project was doing a roaring trade as a very original cruising sailboat, perhaps the most “expedition” style cruising sailboat designed by our office up to that date. Twenty years later, after a boat of the class having completed a round the world voyage, surviving tsunamis, hurricanes and other ordeals, the class is as prestigious as ever, and now has been boosted by an upgrade, the Cabo Horn 35 MKII version. Our client and friend João Carlos Muniz de Brito, the owner and builder of Yahgan, still lives aboard his boat, which is in as good state as in the day she was launched. This photo was taken in Loreto, Bahia, Brazil. October - Pop 25 Horus - This photo is a tribute to the competence of our friend Daniel D'Angelo, who we already complimented in this list with his other achievement, of winning races with his home-built Pantanal 25 Vega. This time we are including his latest accomplishment: building the hull of the Pop 25 prototype in three months. Daniel is expecting to launch his third amateur construction this December, the boat being already turned over and with the superstructure already installed.
November - Samoa 34 Luthier - This Samoa 34 is another good example of amateur construction. She was built in her owners' house-garden with the firm intention of departing for an extended cruise. Now the couple Dorival and Catarina Gimenes are completing a circuit of South and the North Atlantic in a flawless adventure. This photo was taken in Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia. Luthier visited the West Indies, Azores, Portugal, Spain, Madeira, Canary Island, Cape Verde, and now is returning to Santos, her home port.
December - Explorer 39 Caroll. - Our client Raimundo Nascimento is completing a single-handed round the world voyage aboard his extremely well built swing keel yacht. He sent us this photo when Caroll was docked in Port Louis, Mauritius, after passing through the nightmare of being chased by pirates in the Indian Ocean. His luck was that his boat managed to sail faster than his chasers, managing to reach ten knots, far above the bandit's trawler speed. Presently Caroll is nearly completing her circum-navigation, being now in South Africa. Her home-port is Santos, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. |
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Green Nomad sails North On the 15ht of November, 2011, finally our Green Nomad, now in its second form, a Kiribati 36, left port to start the life we allways long for, the jumps from anchorage to anchorage through the most diverse places in the world. We left the port of Rio Grande, which is the southernmost sea port in Brazil, where we were so gently harboured by the Rio Grande Yacht Clube for one year and a month, after Clube dos Jangadeiros, in Porto Alegre, had also done the same, allowing us to finish building our boat while leaving on board. That comes to show that the hospitality of the yacht clubs in this area of Brazil is second to none.
Farewell party with friends from Rio Grande Yacht Club We spent such a long period in Rio Grande due to the side trip we made to join the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society fleet in their environmental actions. So, even though in between I had sailed more than 32500 nautical miles, after 5 years since the sale of our first Green Nomad in Australia, we were back at sea on our own boat. It was a long and tortuous journey from one boat to the next, and building two boats for sure is not the most direct way to have your own cruising sailboat, but for us it is the best one, because it offers the liberty of choice of getting exactly what you aspire for, and the confidence of knowing exactly how everything has been put together, giving you a boat you can trust at a cost you can pay. The life of a boatbuilder, especially of a boat dwelling boat builder, when you live inside what one day will be your boat, has its difficulties, but if not the most comfortable, for sure is the one that gives you the most fun, as instead of leaving in some provisional home and thinking that tomorrow morning you have to get out, drag yourself to a shed tucked away in some corner of the city and do some heavy work, you are already there. You work hard during the day, but at night you are right there, in the middle of a marina or yacht club, with the whole cruising scene unfolding before your eyes, and most of the times some social life with other boats starts. You are cruising already!
Guests for dinner, please sit anywhere you find suitable! The time spent in Porto Alegre was one of hard work and little comfort, but life was going on normally, the boat was not a distant dream covered in dust, but a reality you lived on. Even a yacht design office our unfinished Green Nomad was, with an improvised desk hanging off the ceiling.
The Multichine 41 SK Bepaluhê being 3D modelled in Porto Alegre In Rio Grande again we stopped for quite a long period, and in between the jobs we need to do before we set out on Green Nomad’s first open ocean trip, I developed and completed the latest design to be launched by B & G Yacht Design, the Pop Alu 32. In this period I also joined a ship to go to Antarctica and delivered another one from Tahiti to France. We wanted to leave Rio Grande with the best possible forecast, as this part of the South American coast can be very treacherous, because for more than 280 Nautical Miles there is nowhere to seek shelter, and the prevailing winds are directly against the route North. A change to a Northeast wind can drive you right back to Rio Grande, or a change to strong Southeasterlies can pin you against the coast , with headwinds both ways. Any problem with the boat in this moment can mean ending on the surf. So we took our time, and finally an uncommon but very favourable weather forecast came. The winds on this coast at this time of the year are predominantly from the Northeast, right on the nose if you want to sail to Santa Catarina state, and usually the strategy is to wait for a cold front associated with a low pressure system travelling East down South in Patagonia. This usually interrupts the Northeasterly flow and brings moderate to strong South and Southwestery winds, many times with rain and bad visibility. What we got was different, a low coming out of the coast of Brazil, from Rio de Janeiro and heading offshore on a Southerly course, and this situation brought Southeast and then South winds of moderate intensity with nice clear skies. We were lucky and the good weather followed us all the way through, motor sailing and sailing at 7 knots sometimes.
From 1 to 5, the low that brought Green Nomad North To keep tabs on the weather we used GRIB files, that you can download from the internet ( see link on Green Nomad’s website ). We could get updates on the way by using our HF data modem.
After we passed Cabo de Santa Marta, the most critical part of the journey was behind us, and we could step back and shut the engine down. We spent the last afternoon and night sailing in very light and variable winds, so weak I had trouble seeing where they were blowing from at times, and Green Nomad was still moving at speeds from 3 to 5 knots.
We sailed at a good distance from shore, 30 miles at times, in order to minimize the risk of running over fishing nets and long lines, and to our luck the plan worked. The drawback was being almost on the merchant ship lane, but these were easy to spot and avoid in such good weather. At times we were hearing Brazilian Air Force aircraft calling ships by their names, and we assumed rightly that it was some sort of ship traffic control, and so our own time came, a low flying dual prop aircraft made three passes around us, called us on VHF channel 16 and after some routine questions wished us a good trip and left. We knew of such strict control when you approach Australia by sea, but the curious fact is that we sailed into Australian waters twice and were never controlled, and now in Brazil it came to pass.
Brazilian Air Force aircraft flies over Green Nomad on routine check. In the morning of the 18th we approached Porto Belo, in Santa Catarina State, 402 Nautical Miles away from Rio Grande, and the first sea leg on Green Nomad was coming to an end, with the boat having preformed even better than we thought and expected. The sea berths proved to be on a very good spot, with minimal movement being close to the boat’s pitch and roll center, and the airy and bright interior made cooking and checking the chart a pleasant task, with a view to the outside at all times. On arrival we were met by our good friend João Blauth, who lives aboard his sailing home Zuretta. João was my crewmember when I delivered a 33 m trimaran from Tahiti to France. We took the opportunity to get in touch with long time crusing companions Vilmar Braz and Gina, with whom we sailed across the Pacific in 1998. Vilmar and Gina sailed around the world in their Samoa 29, a capable cruising sailboat also built to B & G Yacht Design plans ( not in the current design range anymore), and have now moved back to land, where they are doing a great job by creating and directing a sailing association that aims to teach sailing, seamanship and boatbuilding skills to kids from poor neigborhoods around their hometown of Itajaí, also in Santa Catarina State, 15 miles up the coast from Porto Belo.
Vilmar and Gina, who sailed around the world in their Samoa 29 Jornal This is how we are back doing what we most love, surroundend by friends in our almost autonomous home, generating our own electricity and collecting rain water. A good life with minimal environmental impact. Click here to know more about the Kiribati 36 |
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| Pop 25 Horus is being built at fast pace We are really impressed with the speed that our friend Daniel D’Angelo, from City Bell, Buenos Aires, Argentina, is building the Pop 25 Horus. Being a geologist, Daniel works one month in the field followed by one moth off, being in this free time when he builds the boat. He received the plans in April 2011 when the project wasn’t officially launched, requiring yet the final revision. Nevertheless he started building it straightaway and in ten days he had all structural bulkheads fabricated.
Pop 25, the project we developed with the intention of helping others to have an affordable offshore sailboat within the scope of the amateur builder. Render: www.ideebr.com This impressing performance was a very good beginning. However our purpose was exactly that of providing a shortcut during this first step of the construction. We learned by the experience of hundreds of amateurs who built boats from our plans that, if this first hurdle of preparing at the workbench the transverse structure was overcome in very short time and in a pleasant way, the rest of the construction would have the same chance to progress rapidly and pleasantly. At any rate, our choice of designing almost rectangular transverse structures, a trend in state of the art hull designs, is clear sailing for inexperienced amateurs.
Station 1 and Station 2 bulkheads ready to go to assemblage. Part of Station 3 bulkhead is seen on the right corner. Photo: Daniel D’Angelo
Bulkheads at stations 6, 5 e 4 leaning along the wall on Daniel’s garden, alongside the swimming pool. Photo: Daniel D’Angelo The feeling we had that a quick passage through this phase of construction was a confidence booster had been confirmed in the Horus construction. Soon after concluding the fabrication of the bulkheads Daniel returned to the Amazon Forest, already craving for resuming the Pop 25 construction. It must have been quite painful having to stay one whole month away from his hobby that was providing so much pleasure. It is no wonder Daniel returned to Argentina willing to work at full throttle. He managed to almost finish the construction of the hull in this month off, missing only sheathing the hull with fibreglass. Then he had to endure another month away, but when returning, it was to complete the hull construction.
The hull ready to be turned over, with the hull bottom already protected with two coats of epoxy coal-tar. Photo Daniel D’Angelo Not being a first time builder, since he had built a Samoa 28 and a Pantanal 25 in the very same spot in his house’s garden, Daniel called the same buddies who helped him previously to assist in the turning over, which was accomplished smoothly, followed by a much deserved barbecue. Only those who have passed through this experience can understand the joy it represents seeing the hull you just finished to build becoming a real boat with its whole interior to be appreciated.
The Pop 25 is tremendously spacious internally. Photo: Daniel D’Angelo Taking the maximum advantage possible of the spare time still available, Daniel opted to install the superstructure ceiling before interrupting the work, this way ensuring better protection against the inclemency of the weather, since the boat would be going to be left for one whole month in his garden unattended, protected by a tarpaulin only. It is planned for the next phase completing the superstructure and installing the equipments, being in Daniel’s plans to be launching Horus this December. You can follow all steps of Horus construction entering in our page of links: Pop 25 Horus. Click here to know more about the Pop 25. |
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Pop Alu 32 It is now ready for shipment the new Pop Alu 32 design!
And the first unit has been sent already to our client Walter Baitella, from Argentina.
Clich here to know more about the Pop Alu 32. |
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Samoa 28 - The sailboat for the young at heart The Samoa 28 is one of our stock plans that have deserved a large number of articles in our news. The reason for this privileged approach is far from being causal. The very truth about the appeal of this design is that it is the one that stirs the deepest passions among our amateur builders.
Samoa 28, the family’s boat. Only those who had made a cruise to a neighbour country just a short while after completing its construction know how rewarding this can be. Maiden trip of Sirius to Colonia, Uruguay. Courtesy: Daniel D’Angelo The acknowledgment of this preference can be confirmed by the number of amateur builders who are allured by their achievements in the construction of their boats. The reason for this love affair resides in their confidence that they made a good choice. Not that the Samoa 28 is cheaper to build than any other sailboat of about the same size, but for the fact that it is more adequate to accomplish ocean passages, or to live aboard for extended periods. So, if someone dedicates a large amount o effort to obtain something and he knows beforehand that the effort will be rewarded by a resulting product of the highest quality, then the incentive to go ahead has no comparison. This must be the reason why the community of Samoa 28 builders is so active and never stops expanding in numbers and geographically.
The Samoa 28 is a shallow draught craft (1,50m with its bulbous cruising keel). Photo: Daniel D’Angelo Twenty-eight feet for a sailboat is a magic size. The headroom is already adequate for most persons, 1.85m in the case of the Samoa 28, while it offers plenty of comfort for a small family to live aboard. Besides its inertia is already sufficient to allow a good riding close-hauled, what is a milestone between the Samoa 28 and other boats of similar length. This is due to the fact that it is a mid-displacement boat with a high ballast ratio bulbous keel.
The interior of the Samoa 28 is adequate for a small family to live aboard for long periods. The aft cabin with double berth and a hall with standing headroom and a sofa is a luxury rarely found in boats of this size. We are firmly convinced that smaller offshore boats will become increasingly popular from now on. We are entering in an era when sustainable consumption will be praised each time more, and having the bigger and the more expensive will be less important than having the better built and the more durable. Besides, you feel more independent and self-sufficient when sailing in smaller crafts.
The D’Angelo couple enjoys a meal aboard the Samoa 28 Sirius during their first international cruise to Colonia, in the neighbour country Uruguay. Photo: Daniel D’Angelo. in the social area of the cabin and the sleeping compartments. In the case of the Samoa 28 there is such balance. The saloon is large enough to accommodate six persons along a permanent table, while the owner’s cabin is the more spacious you can probably find in boats within this range.
Sirius sailing on the brownish waters of the River Plate. Courtesy: Daniel D’Angelo The team of supporters of the Samoa 28 class is getting bigger every day. Among the amateur builders who chose the Samoa 28 as their definitive boats there are already five bloggers relating their constructions step by step. You can open the blogs and read their achievements entering our page of links and clicking in Samoa 28, Everest, Sirius, Caprichoso, Furioso and Baleia. The sequence of photos shown in their blogs can be a great help for others that are also building the boat. It is evident the care each builder is devoting to his work. It seems a contest of excellence in boat building. Watching carefully at the photos no doubt is left that all of them are building their boats with great pride. And it must be taken into account that all of them are first time amateur builders. The first of these five builders to finish the construction was the Argentinean Daniel D’Angelo, who launched his boat some two years ago. It is amazing that a few weeks after launching the family embarked for a short vacation cruise, crossing the River Plate to Uruguay, where they spent the holydays of their lives. No wonder they became passionate cruising enthusiasts.
The Samoa 28 Terrius is a show apart. In this photo she is anchored in front of an island called Anchieta, in the north shore of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, one of the most beautiful havens in the South American Emerald Coast, as this region is known. Courtesy: Bernardo Sampaio In spite of being a new class, the Samoa 28 is already well established. Today there are boats being built in many different countries, with some of them already sailing. What is rewarding for us is to know that our clients are pleased with their choices. Since the satisfaction of our builders is the secret of success, we have all reasons to believe that the career of the Samoa 28 class is just beginning. Clich here to know more about the Samoa 28. |
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Polar 65 Fraternidade, the latest inclusion in our Hall of Fame Our top of the line cruising sailboat stock plan is for sure the Polar 65 design. This boat designed to pass through the harshest conditions unscathed, while being capable of entering into shallow waters normally denied to boats of its displacement, is what we consider to be the ultimate cruising yacht capable of accomplishing any sort of nautical adventure.
Fraternidade's first sea trial was a shake-down trip from Salvador, Brazil, to the Fernando de Noronha Ocean Island. Photo: Hélio Vianna The Polar 65 was designed having already a client to build the first unit of the class, the Ukrainian yachtsman Alexis (Aleixo, as he is called in Brazil, the country where he lives presently) Belov, a seasoned yachtsman who has in his baggage no less than three round the world voyages single-handed aboard a forty-foot sailboat he built himself. Soon after receiving the plans he started the construction of his dreamed yacht, the impressive Fraternidade, a task that would take more than five years to be completed. When the grand yacht of presumed forty-five tons, with a superstructure made of stainless steel and prepared to stand whatever it had to endure, was concluded, we had for granted that she was a boat to make history. As we imagine being the case with other yacht designers involved with cruising sailboats, we have an insatiable desire of creating a super-machine capable of standing the worst weather in any latitude, while having control on its own draught.
The Polar 65 differs from most other yachts operating in high latitudes for its wider beam (6.67m 21'11"). We had talked to some of the most experienced charter skippers that operate in the Southern Ocean and they assured us if they had to start again they would go for more generous beams. The first chance to produce a boat like this happened some time ago when we were commissioned to design the polar yacht Paratii, a fifty-foot offshore sailboat which has been tested in a hard challenge, being the first sailboat to have rounded the Antarctic continent crewed by a single-handed sailor. This story is reported by the author of this outstanding feat, the adventurer Amyr Klink, in a best-seller translated in several languages with more than one million copies sold. This well-succeeded experience led us wishing to make another attempt to design an upgrade of our ideas, being the Polar 65 the answer to this ambition. This time we substituted the keel-centreboard solution adopted in Paratii, for another approach, the swing-keel system, hiding the keel when in its lifted position inside a trunk built in the central area of the cabin.
The Polar 65 plans contemplate a swing-keel, twin rudders and twin engines. The difference in style of the pilot-house design is due to our client's preference for closer to vertical walls. Fraternidade left her home-port, Salvador, Brazil, in January 2010, on this occasion starting the trip with a crew of eleven. The first stage of the trip was of few calls, as if Alexis considered the actual beginning of the voyage only when his boat would be sailing in the Pacific Ocean. He made a quick stop in Grenada, from there sailing straight to Colón, at the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal
Polar 65 Fraternidade in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Aleixo made this round the world trip a flash-back of his earlier three other ones, this time taking young crewmembers with him. Cortesy: Aleixo Belov However the crossing of the Pacific Ocean was also accomplished in a tight schedule, as if he still was hiding a secret desire of exploring with greater intensity places he missed visiting in previous voyages. The Pacific stopovers were Galapagos, Marquises, Tahiti, Rarotonga, and finally Thursday Island, Torres Strait, the gate to the Indian Ocean.
In Bali Alexis hired a sculptor to engrave with oriental motifs the bright work in Fraternidade's saloon, something he had done before during his previous trips. Courtesy: Aleixo Belov The first important call in his itinerary was most certainly Bali, Indonesia, where, as he had already done in previous voyages, hired an artist to engrave the varnished structural members of the saloon with Balinese traditional sculptures. From Bali he sailed to Galle, Siri Lanka, and then to Cochin, India. From that point it would start the most thrilling stretch of the trip, the crossing of the pirate infested waters of the Western Indian Ocean. He joined a rally of yachts that intended to pass in flotilla through these dangerous seas, under the leadership of a Dutchman. The strategy for doing so was to sail very close to shore, inside the territorial waters of the Arabic Peninsula nations. Fortunately for Alexis this passage was eventless, and Fraternidade reached the Suez Canal with no incidents. Once in the Mediterranean, he sailed to Turkey, and then to the Black Sea, calling at Odessa in his home country, Ucrainia, were he was received as a celebrity, and honoured with a long duration TV program produced by the state owned broadcasting station.
In Odessa, Ukrainia, Alexis received the visit of relatives. The decoration of Fraternidade's saloon resembles that of an art gallery: Courtesy: Aleixo Belov When back to the Mediterranean, the rest of the trip was like a script of a touristic movie, with calls at the Greek Islands, Italy and Spain. Back to the Pond, he made his last stopover in Las Palmas, before returning to the starting point, Salvador, Bahia, where he arrived in October 2011, after leaving behind thirty-one thousand nautical miles in a flawless voyage around the world. We from B & G Yacht Design wish to toast the successful trip of the old sailor and his magnificent Fraternidade, a yacht to be praised in equal footing with the legendary Ukrainian armour-plated ship Potenkin. Bravo, Alexis! We wish you that many other adventures will follow, the next ones in high latitudes, your most desired ambition.
Alexis Belov (right) and Rafael Coelho, the young naval architect that was member of the crew from French Polynesia to India, while being a member of the staff of B & G Yacht Design and having participated in the production of the Polar 65 plans. Besides being a keen multihull sailor, Rafael had a theoretical knowledge of the project like nobody else. Courtesy: Aleixo Belov In time: Alexis invited different groups of young sailors to participate in this adventure with the intention of transmitting his experience to a younger generation. Incidentally the name of his boat has everything to do with this nice gesture, since the meaning of the word fraternidade is fraternity in Portuguese. If you would like to know more details about the Fraternidade voyage, you can find a gallery of photos and videos in the link from our site: Polar 65 Fraternidade. Click here to know more about the Polar 65 |
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Pop 25 - The super-simple offshore sailboat for amateur construction Since August 2011 the Pop 25 plans are available in our list of stock plans. Actually there are already some of them being built and others getting ready to start the construction. However, independent of all the hard work done, we still are dedicating our time to the project, now getting involved with issues related to its long range cruising potential.
The Pop 25 deck layout offers good protection for the crew by means of a well proportioned dodger. A low gantry offers the necessary support for solar panels, besides allowing the installation of the radar antenna and wind generator. Render: www.idéebr.com The latest details we produced were a snug dodger protecting the companionway hatch and the fore side of the cockpit, a gantry for the solar panels, wind generator and radar, and the schematic drawing of a steering gear, fundamental equipment to anyone interested in long range passages. In the case of the Pop 25, installing a self-steering gear is highly recommended, since, having electric driven auxiliary propulsion, spending electricity to run an auto-pilot, at least for prolonged usage, should be avoided. Even though these details are normally neglected by yacht designers, since these are optional equipments, in the case of the Pop 25 it is different. Suggesting the heights, proportions and styles of these gears is important, since it may help our builders to take their decisions. Actually we are offering a twenty-five foot offshore cruising sailboat to the amateur builder, an uncommon proposal for a boat of this size.
The Pop 25 design is an attempt to allow that a larger number of persons can be able to afford offshore cruising. Render: www.idéebr.com We are also producing rendered figures, step by step, of the different stages of the building process. Our plan is to turn so clear the understanding of all phases of the construction, that our builders will hardly need any written word to assist in explaining the building procedures. The reason for doing so is based on the observation that a large amount of the time spent by amateurs is wasted in finding ways to make any specific job during the construction. Nothing wrong in that, if it is the builder’s wish, except for the loss of time, and sometimes of money too. What shouldn’t happen by all means is making mistakes for lack of understanding. In the case of the Pop 25, the more we can use figures to explain our ideas, the better. Since the plans contemplate some new concepts in amateur boatbuilding procedures, we only feel confident enough of doing our best to assist our builders, if the figures are absolutely clear to be understood.
The Pop 25 is very simple to be built. Its construction is cheaper and faster then that of most other sailboats designed for amateur construction. Besides, it is unsinkable and thermally insulated. Render: www.idéebr.com The Pop 25 plans were developed with the firm purpose of allowing a larger number of persons to enjoy the sport of cruising under sail, people that otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to buy a new boat from a dealer. She is simple and quick to be built, and she is amazingly comfortable for living aboard, either in port or when sailing offshore. The design envisages a democratization of the right of sailing offshore in one’s own boat.
The Pop 25 is comfortable enough to be inhabited by a small family, either in port or at sea. Render: www.idéebr.com This is a right that all of us who love the cruising life-style should have, to be able to go to sea aboard his own boat. When we decided to be yacht designers specialized in cruising sailboats, it was with the intention of working towards finding an escape, at least for a while, from the oppressions caused by the establishment around us. In the deep sea and in more remote places, where nature is still pristine, you can breathe more freedom, in a way that it is becoming difficult to be found in places where we are raised. Click here to know more about the Pop 25 |
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| Explorer 39 Caroll – Around the world single-handed It’s quite rewarding when we learn that a blue water sailboat from our design office departs for a long range trip. If this adventure is a round the world voyage, then we hardly can express how deep an achievement like this touches our hearts. However, if the voyage is performed by a sixty-one years old sailor in solitary, then it is the ultimate glory. That is exactly what is happening with our client Raimundo Nascimento. In September 2011 he successfully reached the meridian of his departure, completing half the distance to circumnavigate the globe. When crossing the Torres Straight, and calling at Tuesday Island, he reached the point of no return. From now on, each mile sailed will bring him closer to his home port, Ilha Bela, Brazil, his arrival being scheduled for the end of next March. The story involving Raimundo and B & G Yacht Design began in 2004, during that year’s Recife to Fernando de Noronha Regatta, perhaps the most coveted offshore racing event in the South Atlantic. On that occasion the B & G associate yacht designer Roberto Barros was participating in the race in his MC28 Fiu, while Raimundo was skippering his thirty-six foot series production sailboat. Roberto’s and Raimundo’s yachts were practically side by side inside the club’s basin, and it was then that the two sailors came to be acquainted with each other. It was during a pleasurable lunch at the club’s veranda that Roberto told his new friend that the office was giving the last touches in a project he expected to have an impact among offshore cruising sailors, the Explorer 39. This boat should be a piece of cake to be sailed by a short-handed crew, besides possessing the ability to control her draught from 2.25m (7’ 6”) to scants 0,53m (1’ 9”). According to Roberto this should be the office’s stake on how the cruising mono-hulls of the future should be. The Explorer 39 is designed to be a swing-keel, two rudders sailboat. This design is the office’s bet on how the cruising boats of the future should be. Rendered image: www.ideebr.com A few months after the race Raimundo paid B & G Yacht Design a visit intending to know more about the so praised new project. We believe that it must have been a case of love at first sight, since a short time later he was acquiring the plans, and following our advice, ordering a custom construction to Estrutural Boatyard, from Cabo Frio, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, one of the most renowned boat builders in that country.
The Explorer 39 is specified for PVC foam-sandwich construction, resulting in a extremely rigid boat, while keeping the lightness so important for the alacrity of her performance. Photo: Marcos Toledo The boatyard was worth its fame, building a yacht to be praised by any yachtsman, no matter how sophisticated should be his standards. This superb level of quality is now proving to be worth every single dollar spent in the construction
The Explorer 39 Caroll construction details are good enough to leave anyone with the mouth watering. The boat impresses the most exigent cruising sailor from anywhere Photo: Roberto Barros As soon as the boat was launched Raimundo went sailing to Ilha Bela (Beautiful Island in Portuguese), where she would be stationed before departing for the great adventure. Just to make a sea trial, Raimundo invited a group of keen sailors to take part in the most competitive Grand Prix racing circuit in the South Atlantic, the Rolex Ilha Bela Racing Week. Even though the boat hadn’t been tested yet, her performance was outstanding, especially when sailing up-wind, causing a stir among other competitors who never expected such speed from a no compromise cruising yacht. However Raimundo’s real endeavour was quite different; his actual purpose was no other than getting prepared for a round the world trip single-handed.
The large compartment abaft Caroll’s saloon is ideal for the installation of bulky equipments, like, for instance, the Fisher & Panda power plant. Note how “clean” and reliable the transmission to the steering wheel is. Photo: Marcos Toledo We have seldom seen among our clients such a perfect preparation for a long range cruise as that accomplished by Raimundo. We must admit he was no landlubber, since his former yacht was a series produced thirty-six foot cruiser-racer. However, great part of the merit for the top-class job accomplished is due to the competence of Marcos Toledo, the manager of the boatyard. Caroll moored in front of Ilha Bela Yacht Club. In spite of being a cruising yacht, the boat proved to be competitive in grand prix racing. Photo: Marcos Toledo Caroll started the round-the-world trip leaving port in low profile style. Our eyebrows were raised when we learned that after a short call at Rio de Janeiro, Raimundo sailed non-stop from Rio to Recife, his shake-down trip, in a scant eight days, from Recife to Grenada, in fourteen days, and from Grenada to Panamá in only eight days.
Not requiring a tall cradle to be stationed in a club’s yard is a dream come true for any cruising sailor. Photo: Roberto Barros Already in Panama, Raimundo sent an e-mail to Roberto Barros telling a curious fact. The owners of other yachts in transit through the canal when coming to chat with him invariably asked where his boat had been built and from which country were its designers. When he answered that both, builder and designers were Brazilians he couldn’t avoidl sneering with their expression of incredulity. I must admit I had no idea what it represented to stay all by myself for thirty-one days in an ocean aboard a twelve metres long yacht. There were moments of contentment, when I accounted the number of miles added to our progress, alternating with, moments of stress, when winds and seas rose alarmingly. The most difficult occasions took place at dusk, when I realized how insecure I felt about what to expect during the night. I always developed a pessimistic expectancy for the unknown. One hour later those bad omens just vanished, and I was already foreseeing the day that would come ahead, with its lights, its colours, to replenish my self-confidence. At any rate, it is not easy for a sixty-one years old inexperienced sailor to be sailing alone in the middle of the South Pacific.
The Explorer 39 interior layout is intended for a couple to live with plenty of the creature comforts in a modern cruising sailboat, with accommodations for up to other three crew members in short passages. Renderd figure: www.idéebr.com The most challenging part of the trip up to now was the stretch between the Marquises and Tahiti. The Tuamotus represent a difficult hurdle to be overcome, with their myriads of low islands, difficult to be seen at night or in bad weather, spread along the way.
Caroll anchored in the Marquises, French Polinesia. Photo: Raimundo Nascimento. I intended to pass through this archipelago during the day, however a prolonged lull spoiled my plans and I ended up crossing the straight between Rangiroa and Arutua at night, under heavy rain and 25 knots winds. The decks were being washed every so often, not inviting me to stay outside for too long. As soon as the danger was left behind I resumed letting the wind vane steer the boat and went to sleep for four hours in a row until the firsts beams of sunlight reached my bunk across the portholes. At this point I thanked the Lord, meditated for thirty minutes and peace was re-established between me and the elements... When calling at Tahiti Raimundo travelled home for a couple of days to deal with personal issues, when we had the chance to chat with him by phone.. He confirmed our expectations that the boat is quite easy to be handled and is a great performer. Being a cautious sailor, he told us that during the night he uses to give an extra reef in the mainsail and use the self-tacking jib for easiness of manoeuvre during the night, sparing the boat’s gears and himself. He informed us that he intends to write a book about his adventures, and will compare his own experiences with the ones related in the book “Rio to Polynesia” written by Roberto Barros forty years earlier. (this book is available for free in the B & G Yacht Design site with a link from the site’s front page). He wants to make comparisons in comfort and safety between boats of that vintage with the state of the art technology available nowadays.
Caroll’s navigation table and electronic equipments. Photo: Luis Gouveia From Tahiti Raimundo sailed to Apia, American Samoa , from where he sent another newsletter: I scheduled my departure from Papeete to take place at 6 a.m. of August 13. However this only happened one hour later, since, as it is so common when cruising, there were still important things missing to be done. In all my departures I use to have a tummy ache at the last minute, perhaps for the fear of having to cope with the unpredictable. I was in a sad mood leaving behind such an enchanting place and pointing our bows towards places where I have never been before. Beside, I was beginning to feel at home in Tahiti, having already made some local friendships. I must admit I have no talent for enduring farewells, since I get touched for the most insignificant reason, always allowing a stubborn tear to roll down my face. Imagine if I have a couple of friends assisting me with the hawsers... The trip started with no wind, obliging me to use the engine for fifteen hours, until the trades resumed its customary role, allowing us to sail again with a favourable breeze... but it didn’t last for long. A few hours later it vanished leaving us in an area of flat calms for two consecutive days. In lack of better alternatives, I chose to run the engine during the day and to sleep at night, protected by the radar alarm against a collision, letting Caroll to drift at her will. When the wind returned, it came to stay, first blowing at twenty-five knots, and later reaching thirty-five, with gust of far more than that. On Tuesday night the wind reached gale force, howling at steady forty knots between gusts. I doused the mainsail, even though it was already in the third reef and let the boat running under bare pole. Even without any canvas our speed was seven/eight knots, with Caroll skimming the billows’ crest, tossing about in a mad way. Since my arrival was scheduled for Wednesday, I spent the night on watch, the most prudent decision in the circumstances. With the boat literarily “flying”, we arrived in Apia at 9 a.m. on that day. Brimming over with the joy of completing one more leg of the trip, I began a difficult search, trying to find a place to anchor, since there was a profusion of other yachts that had run from the storm, looking for a shelter in that safe haven. I dropped the hook for eight times to no avail, since the bottom was rocky, requiring at least 100m of chain for a safe grip, while I had 50m only. Luckily the cruising community, especially when you are in remote places, has an inexhaustible sense of solidarity, and soon I was being offered assistance by an American, which I accepted without a blink, since I was reaching the limits of my resistance. We tried once more, this time following the American’s suggestion, however equally without success. Then he contacted the harbourmaster by VHF asking permission to use the commercial pier, but the pier was already crowded. A German cruising sailor who watched our struggle from aloof arranged to get permission for us to stay alongside a fishing trawler, and this wasn’t difficult to accomplish, for my profound relief. I showed my gratitude to all those who helped me so spontaneously, had a reinvigorating shower and went to sleep. In spite of this being Raimundo’s voyage of his dreams, he can’t take too long to complete the circum-navigation; first for personal reasons, since he is leaving to others the complex task of managing his business, and also because he needs to leave the Indian Ocean before the hurricane season. Being a superb planner, he knows he needs to round Cape Agullas in early summer, meaning that in March or April he may be back to his home-port. Having this shortage of time in mind, Raimundo spent a few days only in American Samoa, leaving for Thursday Island soon after. The following newsletter informed about this passage: After spending twenty-four days at sea in this last leg, I finally arrived in Thursday Island, Australia, completing half the distance around the planet. This was the most tiresome stretch yet. During the first two days we had too much wind. The following eight days we hardly had any wind at all. For the rest of this crossing we had 20/35 knots favourable winds with 2.5/3.0m wave patterns, the boat rigged wing and wing, with the jib attached to the whisker-pole. The boat tossed about incessantly, making life inside the cabin miserable. I wished I was born with four arms and four legs... The only place I could get some rest was in my bunk, supported by sail bags and cushions, narrowing the space between walls. I had to stay awake all night, since there was a continuous queue of ships sailing in both directions. I had to be alert all the time, monitoring the traffic in the radar screen and AIS, since being a channel, ships have the right of the way. I called at Thursday Island at dawn, since I didn’t have the guts to stop in another island, which I had chosen previously, considering that my approach was going to happen at night, and despite Caroll being shoal friendly, I didn’t want to take the risk in a sea infested with coral reefs. It was a hard decision to proceed, taking into account the heavy traffic and the strong currents that prevail in the straight. I wonder how brave must have been those early sailors who crossed this channel before GPS! Thusday Island is a very beautiful place. However it is the town where everything is forbidden, because of environmental laws, besides the presence of crocodiles and sea snakes in its waters. The authorities made a throughout inspection inside the cabin, confiscating any sort of provisions I had on board. Then you have to go to the supermarket and buy Australian products. This is O.K! After so much red tape, I’m craving to go back to my country, which, in spite of the politicians, is the best place in the world to live... We were ready to publish these reports in our site when we received a dramatic e-mail sent by S.S.B. My dear, what a narrow escape! It vividly reminded us or our friend Webb Chiles, who reported an almost identical incident in those very same waters, during his last circum-navigation aboard The Hawk of Tuonella. Today at 3 p.m. I was approached by a fishing trawler with a crew of four, three of them wearing hoods, looking like being Indonesians, ordering me with signals to stop the boat. I was in the way of hoisting a smaller jib when I heard the noise of their engine, and at first glance I imagined they were there by chance, but when watching more carefully and seeing they were hiding their faces with hoods, my legs trembled uncontrollably They were at no more than 300m from us. After thirty seconds of no action, I finally ran aft as fast as I could, started the engine, disconnected the wind vane, turned on the automatic pilot, and in full throttle and the assistance of the sails, changed course and ran away like a bat out of hell. It seems they didn’t expect this reaction, since they probably believed I was going to stop. Notwithstanding, they also changed course trying to catch me. However sailing at ten knots Caroll was no easy prey for them, and the distance between us kept increasing. After fifteen minutes of fierce pursuit they gave up chasing us, while I kept the engine at its maximum revs for a whole hour until they disappeared on the horizon. I believe they were professional fishermen and amateur pirates, since they didn’t posses long range weapons. However if it wasn’t for the superb speed of my boat I would be most probably lying deep in the Indian Ocean together with my beloved Caroll. Tomorrow I’ll probably be out of the range of Indonesian fishermen and this night I’ll sail with navigation lights off, counting on radar, AIS and my watches, to avoid a collision. I thanked the Almighty to have allowed me to keep going on my trip... We follow Caroll’s voyage by Spot and presently (10/10/11) she is approaching Keeling Cocos Island , his next port of call. Because of Raimundo’s outstanding accomplishments we are going to include his boat in our “hall of fame gallery”. We are delighted by the persistent good performances of the Explorer 39 during this trip. Since the class is just beginning its career, we hope the good records Caroll is proving to be capable of obtaining, will encourage other cruising sailors to learn more about this boat’s potential. Click here to know more about Explorer 39 |
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Pantanal 25 Vega - report about a regatta We have been publishing regularly stories about achievements in the racing course of Pantanal 25 boats, a design for amateur or professional construction primarily intended to be an easy to be trailed drop-keel camping boat. Dark Ice, the first Pantanal 25 to sail, proved to be the boat to be beaten, gathering an impressive record of titles in her short career. The Pantanal 25 interior layout is far from being as Spartan as that of a racing machine. Other boats of the class kept confirming this speed potential, what is very assuring. Now, our friend Daniel D’Angelo, from City Bell, Buenos Aires, Argentina, the B & G’ champion in amateur boat building speed (he was the first to conclude the construction of a Samoa 28, the sparkling Sirius, even though he was far from being the first to start building one of them), is now proving to be a keen sailing racer. After completing Sirius, he loved so much the boat building hobby that he went for a second trial, to build the Pantanal 25 Vega, this one to fulfil his latest passion, sailboat racing. Read the e-mail he sent us: After competing in several club races in the River Plate without taking advantage of my Pantanal 25 Vega potential, finally my mate Oscar and I could savour the sweet taste of being the winners.
Installing the drop-keel before being launched. Photo Daniel D’Angelo On previous occasions we invariably missed some golden chance to do much better. The results in previous races were always below our expectations, invariably with an excuse that if so and so hadn’t happen the story would have been quite different, like...if we hadn’t missed that buoy... if we hadn’t grounded on that sand bank...we would have won the race. It was August last Sunday that we took a decision of doing the right things to put my beloved Vega in the picture. We sanded and cleansed her bottom exhaustively and put her straight back into the water. Next we went out for another drill of hoisting and retrieving the spinnaker, something we had never done before. That Sunday the weather forecast announced four to seven knots winds, which proved to be correct. It was noticeable the difference the scrubbed bottom was producing. Vega glided effortlessly in an almost complete lull. What a bliss to discover we were able to manoeuvre the spi all by ourselves! It seemed so complicated when others performed the task! After an exhaustive jibe drill, we returned to the club to have lunch with the family.
Pantanal 25 Vega trying her new suit of sails just after her launching. Photo Daniel D’Angelo The start was scheduled for three o’clock. Fifteen minutes before, we were tacking to leeward of the starting line together with the twenty-two other competitors. Since we were sailing in a breath of wind, we had to be tacking incessantly, together with the rest of the fleet, all done in absolute slow motion. Vega, with mainsail only, bore off the wind until two minutes were left. We went swaggering along the starting line and hoisted the genoa when it remained five seconds for the starting gun...crossing the line in first place! A few days earlier I went sailing in Vega with similar conditions and on that occasion I tried to play with shifting weights to see how the boat responded to displacing the crew weight forward, aft, to lee and to windward. I noticed that the response in boat speed was stunningly sensible. Based on the data obtained, I put my learning in practice and we both moved forward and to leeward. What awesome sensation was watching the whole fleet sailing in our wake! We never had this pleasure before! It was unbelievable the distance we were gaining from the rest of the fleet, the ones we could watch from the distance being those that chose our tack. The first mark was to windward where the river makes a slight turn. We tried to get the most to windward at each new puff of wind trying to reach the mark in the same tack. Only three boats managed to do so, Vega and the two others closer to us, the other boats having to change tacks, at least to avoid a lee shore. The two boats closer to us were a Pandora 31 and a Mitiaro 256. The Pandora was slowly getting closer to us, but when Vega hit a gust its acceleration was stunning, leaving behind at the former distance our most challenging competitor. We rounded the buoy in first place, far ahead of Pandora. About half way on the reaching leg we lost our spinnaker pole topping lift, and under the pressure of the down haul alone, the pole end fitting broke. This obliged us to run for a while without the assistance of the spi, allowing Pandora to close on us. The last leg was a beam reach, and even so we made some progress on them, we didn’t manage to cross the line as blue ribbon. That was the only goal we missed. We knew we had won the race by a large margin in the correct time, but this still had to be confirmed. To be the first boat to haul out was a new feeling for us too. However the highlight of the day was receiving compliments from the other crews as they reached the club. While we waited in the club’s bar, sipping the most deserved ice-cold beer, came the confirmation that we were first over all, four minutes ahead of the second placed, a Match 30 racing machine! Even though we must admit that our manoeuvres were lousy, we had the chance to confirm Vega’s high performance, however still requiring a lot of learning from our part to take full advantage of its full potential. Cheers You can learn more about the Pantanal 25 Vega opening the site in our links’ page: Pantanal 25 Vega. Click here to know more about the Pantanal 25 |
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New design: Pop Alu 32 Soon we will be launching a new design, the Pop Alu 32. Pop because it is intended to popularize aluminium construction in smaller sizes than usual. Needless to say, it is for aluminium construction.
As the name suggests, the design has some points in common with the latest release from B & G Yacht Design, the Pop 25. Even though this is a bigger boat, its lines and appendages follow the same philosophy, of modern boats that aim to offer their owners safe and fast ocean crossings. The monohulls of today that sail the remotest and more dangerous stretches of water in the planet are the IMOCA 60, and it is easy to see some similarities with these bigger designs on our latest plans.
The Pop Alu 32 can be totally pre-cut from CNC cutting files, and the type of structure is a mix of semi self-supporting hull in 8mm plate and conventionally structured deck in 5mm plate, which saves weight where it is not needed, aloft, while also saving in building costs. Having only 6 full length seams along the hull, the amount of welding is greatly reduced, and the assembly is to be done with the boat upright, avoiding the normally costly operation to turn the hull for the deck and interior building. The Keels have a cylindrical bulb, which is also one of the easiest types to build. The steering system is very robust, with a pivoting platform that covers all moving parts except the tiller, leaving a clean and open access to the cockpit from the stern when the tiller is lifted.
The option for two keels is justified by bringing shallow draft and the possibility to beach the boat in an upright position. This can represent economy when the time to clean or inspect the hull comes, as well as affording the access to moorings that dry out. The safety is also enhanced when a boat can enter shallower places to seek shelter. The layout will be classical, with a stern cabin and a front V berth forward of the dinette, head and galley next to the companionway access and a nav station and table seldom found in boats of this size. The nav table can convert into a comfortable office space for those who decide to make the Pop Alu 32 their dwelling on the ocean.
Amongst the facilities offered to the builder are the cutting files also for the interior woodwork panels, affording a fit out in record time. The set of CNC cutting files for the whole aluminium structure shall be available as shortly as next month, and the whole set of plans in a couple of months.
We believe that this new concept in cruising boats will be well received by the American and Brazilian publics, as it is in Europe, where a number of production boats already assimilates the developments in design brought about by the great round the world races like Volvo Ocean Race and Vendée Globe. The design makes no concessions to safety, having a great range of stability and adding this to a hyper-robust aluminium construction to offer the potential builders a long range cruiser at a reduced cost that can be built fast.
Pop Alu 32 – Techinal data - Length Overall 9.98 m Note: Some values may be altered untill the release of the design |
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Curruira 42 Passatempo launched in Rio Grande The second Curruira 42 to float, Passatempo (meaning pastime in Portuguese), was launched this June 2011 in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost Brazilian state. This trawler, built by her owner Adriano Marcelino, was an awesome achievement. Using steel as building material, he managed to construct his entire yacht in less than one year, while obtaining a standard of quality worthy of a professional builder.
Curruira 42 Passatempo. Such a perfect steel work is seldom found in home-built yachts. Adriano Marcelino is undoubtedly a skilled amateur builder. The Curruira 42 is probably the right size of motor yacht for many would be builders. She is not too large to fall in the category of boats for millionaires, and is neither too small to deny the necessary comfort for a family to cruise on her in great style. Besides, the cost factor should be considered. She is much cheaper to build than a cruising sailboat of equivalent length, considering the savings that represent not requiring all those stuffs necessary to rig a sailing yacht, and also because the two floors plus the fly-bridge give her an interior volume and livable space hard to compare with other crafts. Her interior arrangement follows one of our premises when designing yachts; that each compartment should be in harmony with all others, never favouring a part of the boat in detriment of another. In the Curruira 42 we are absolutely convinced that we managed to obtain exactly this balance.
This is the virtual Curruira 42. It is amazing how imagination and reality could be so close in inspiration. Even the hull colour is about the same. Rendered figure: www.ideebr.com We designed the Curruira 42 to be a trawler with traditional lines. We mentioned in the description in its home-page that our little ship is the type of boat that could be used by Humphrey Bogart in one of his old films of adventure. If our text inspired Adriano, this we can't say. However, even the emerald green colour we chose to illustrate our virtual photo is the one used in Passatempo.
A large aft deck is very agreeable when staying in tropical waters. The counter with sink next to the saloon aft wall is very handy when entertaining guest on that authentic veranda.
The Curruira 42 saloon is large enough for up to nine persons to socialize, or up to six persons to enjoy a sophisticated meal on its dinette. Rendered figure: www.ideebr.com Passatempo was built with lots of skill and competence. Adriano built her with almost no assistance and without the aid of CNC files. The hull is faired as if it came out of a fibreglass mould. For us from B & G Yacht Design this is very assuring, since our intention was designing an affordable trawler within the reach of the amateur builder. We had no doubt about the possibility of constructing it in plywood/epoxy, but constructing in steel hadn't been tested yet. Now if an amateur asks us if he can build a Curruira 42 in steel, we may answer peremptorily: Yes you can! Click here to know more about the Curruira 42 |
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Pop 25 – The plans are already available After lots of work and a small delay, we are glad to inform that the Pop 25 plans are already completed. It is not the first time that we take a little longer to conclude a project than we expected. But now this is past. What counts from now on is to prove that the Pop 25 is an easy to build and affordable ocean-bound sailboat absolutely within the scope of the amateur builder. Normaly we wouldn't advertise a new stock plan before it had been concluded, but this time we had good reasons to do differently. Roberto Barros, the B & G partner who runs the Brazilian branch of the office, was invited by the Rio de Janeiro Boat Show to give a lecture about the Pop 25, in May 2011, and even though the plans were still incomplete by then, we felt we couldn't loose the opportunity. The decision was wise since the lecture was quite succesfull, showing that the design stirred great interest.
This note was published in the June issue of the Brazilian magazine Revista Nautica, Actually our decision was a step in the right direction. Not being a prived issue anymore, we had the opportunity to offer the plans to our friend and client, the Argentinean Daniel D'Angelo, who showed great interest in building the Pop 25. Daniel, even though being a novice in the art of boat building, had constructed two boats from our design, a Samoa 28 and a Pantanal 25. (See in our page of links: Samoa 28 Sirius and Pantanal 25 Vega). Being a geologist by trade, he found in the hobby of home-building the best entertainment for his leasure time, since he works one month in the field and has one month off. He loved building the two other boats, but when we assured him that the Pop 25 was considerably faster to build than the two previous ones, he was cathegoric in deciding that the Pop 25 was the boat he wanted to build next. So far, so good. Daniel started the construction of his Pop 25 Horus in the first of June and before the end of the month he had the hull practically finished. (You can follow a gallery of photos of his construction entering the site Samoa 28 Sirius in our links, clicking in the Argentinean flag, and clicking again in Horus, up the page at the right corner)
The Pop 25 Horus, the prototype of the class, is being built in Daniel's house garden, at City Bell, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He took exactly ten days to make the eleven bulkheads that constitute the transverse estructure of the boat. Photo: Daniel D'Angelo. Daniel D'Angelo and Roberto Barros scheduled having supper together in Gavea, the hot place in Rio, and on that occasion the main dish in the menu was no other than chating about the Pop 25. When Roberto informed that the whole construction hardly required anything more than temporary nails and epoxy glue to join all parts together, Daniel, who is a workaholic, couldn't wait to put his hands into this new defy.
Horus is rapidly taking shape in exactly the same spot where Sirius and Vega were built; Since we took a little longer to conclude the plans than we expected, we ended up with a waiting list of people asking details of the plans, especially how much it will cost. Now we have this value in our price list, which is AU$300.00. Next we will answer all e-mails received. We are prepared to give all the information required and to assist those who intend to build the Pop 25.
Daniel has a good sense of coordination. While he is building the hull at full speed, he already ordered the twin keels to a workshop in his own suburb, one of the greatest advantages of the Pop 25, and also ordered the spars and sails. When he completes his work the boat will be fit to go sailing. Photo: Daniel D'Angelo From now on we intend to publish reports about the Pop 25 class regularly, especially about the constructions that will take place in different communities. This design is showing signs of becoming the most globalized of our stock plans. After all its features are desirable for many different reasons, like being easy to build, not requiring cradles, being an unsinkable, well insulated, blue water sailboat, and possessing many other characteristics seldom found in the same design. Click here to know more about the Pop 25 |
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Kiribati 36, one more unit being built This weekend we received a visit from Jone and Vera, a couple that elected the Kiribati 36 design as their dream boat and are having one built in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, at Ilha Sul Construções Náuticas boatyard.
Vera and Jone visit Green Nomad in Rio Grande Jone has been in contact with us for a long time, and seeing the first sections go up in the yard was a great joy for them and us too, as our design gets one more unit in the water. The CNC cutting files kit for the Kiribati 36 was all revised and improved after the building of the prototype, Green Nomad, and we can say that some solutions adopted and some changes, like making the topsides top plate advancing above the deck and making an integrated toe rail introduced even more productivity gains for the builders.
The time needed to complete the metal work is very much shortened with the use of pre-cut kits, and the precision and quality of the assembly is generally better than what can be achieved with the traditional lofting method.
All transversal structure sections were assembled in the first week, and we can already see the boat taking shape.
The boat size, 11 meters or 36 feet, falls in the frontier between small and big boats. It is still not too expensive to build and is easy to handle, but its size allows a practically unlimited range, with enough load carrying capability for long expeditions Its extra heavily built hull, with 10mm in the bottom and 8mm sides is suited to the harshest navigation conditions, from tropical depressions to polar expeditions, making the Kiribati 36 a viable option for adventurers with great inspiration but short in funds.
The hull of the Kiribati 36 is stronger than the one on this ship! The design opts for simple solutions for the essential systems on board, and this means that once built, the future running costs should be limited. Being an aluminum boat also is a plus concerning maintenance costs.
A simple boat, with tiller steering and robust systems For those who like the design but feel they do not need shallow draft, the news is that it is almost finished the version of the design with a conventional fixed box keel. This in turn should be even more economical to build. The benefits of shallow draft accessibility come at a cost, and for sailors that do not require a boat that can reach spots only 80 cm deep but likes the other aspects and solutions of this design, there is now one more option in B & G Yacht Design´s range.
Kiribati 36 can also be built with a fixed keel Click here to know more about the Kiribati 36 |
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Multichine 41SK Bepaluhê. From screen to sea Luis Manuel Pinho
Design Office on a bare hull The design was the MC 41 SK and the timeframe I had to work within was 3 to 4 months. It was really time to keep building Green Nomad´s interior, but the fit out was slow exactly by lack of cash, so I decided to take on the job.
This was the beginning of the history of one more boat built to a B&G set of plans, Bepaluhe, from our clients and friends Paulo and Betinha. While Marli started to cut and fit our Styrofoam thermal insulation I started to model this design, which had several units already built by the conventional lofting method.
I decided to start from scratch, reading the table of offsets, and from each set of coordinates a beautifull hull form started to spring to life on my screen.
As all previous units of this model had been built in steel, we had a bit of new development to make and some solutions for the swing keel system had to be re-engineered.
When the first set of cutting files became available Paulo was able to order the aluminium for the frames, hull and deck, and right after he could follow the cutting operations in São Paulo.
In less than 2 months from the start of my work the project started to jump from the virtual to the real sphere, with the frames being assembled and mounted in the building jig.
We visited the building site several times and each time I was amazed with the copy that reality was doing of my virtually idealized parts, as if they were jumping out of the screen into the real world. All along this we were busy fitting out Green Nomad´s interior.
We were lucky that the building site was in the same town we were moored in, Porto Alegre in Southern Brazil, and that we could follow all phases of the project, right up to the launching, which was attended by Marli alone, as I was away delivering a boat from Tahiti to the Mediterranean.
From screen to sea! Now we are going to see Bepaluhe sailing on its way from Porto Alegre to Paraty, when they stop in Rio Grande. This will put two boats that are representatives of the new line of aluminium reduced draft monohull yachts designed by B&G Yacht Design side by side.
Bepaluhe´s owner turned from client into a good friend and it is very rewarding to see the end result of this work, not anymore a virtual project and future dream, but a real boat floating that can take a family to moments and places they have been planning for so long!
To follow Bepaluhe´s blog, click here. Click here to know more about the MC41SK |
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Antarctic. A tropical sailor visits the frozen seas Luis Manuel Pinho Many of B & G Yacht Design projects bear the name Polar on their designations. I have worked on CNC cutting files for two of them, the Polar 65 and Polar 50, but so far Polar was just a word that evoked fascination and far off in the distance appeal.
Snow Blizzard and growlers, a world apart from the coral atolls we love Now, back from my voluntary period in Sea Shepherd the word Polar brings back memories and not vague speculative thoughts. We sailed more than 22000 nautical miles during the last Antarctic campaign, almost always below 50 degrees South, and our northern boundaries were Tasmania and New Zealand.
The Antarctic continent on the background, navigating MacMurdo Sound
A heavily iced ship after a severe storm
Most of the time was spent South of 60 degrees South, and in the Ross Sea we roamed between 70 and 79 degrees of latitude, culminating at 78 degrees and 39 minutes South, at Bay of Whales, where Roald Amundsen left his ship Fram to undertake his South Pole conquering expedition in 1911. We met practically all weather conditions to be expected in this area and unfortunately had to respond to a search and rescue call from New Zealand MRCC, and when going towards the distress signal area we had to sail through conditions that looked unreal, that seemed to belong to a foreign, grey, icy and extreme planet.
Severe weather at 58 degrees south, duration one week, reaching more than 65 knots at times Definitively the biggest nightmare of Polar navigation in my opinion is to be in charge of steering a ship in waters that have varying concentrations of growlers, ranging in size from a shoe box to a big house, many times almost totally under water, which you can only see by the disturbances they provoke on the surface when waves move them.
No way around this growlers, just break them or push them away
At some stage we had to move at night through these ice fields, and even using searchlights we knew that only luck and a strong hull stood between us and disaster, as snow blizzards would render the lights useless blanketing everything in white. To sail in these areas you need good panoramic vision from inside a heated cabin or bridge and a hull that you know will hold when the unavoidable encounter with a hidden growler happens.
A solitary penguin on a world of ice Icebergs bring you more joy then worry, as they are usually easily detectable on radar and not such a problem to avoid by a watchful crew.
Art by nature
Dancing lights: Aurora Australis paints in the atmosphere! One thing is for sure: a polar boat must have all systems in good order and a polar expedition is beforehand a meticulous planning affair. Help can be very far and slow to come, if not impossible.
Gojira on the Southern Ocean. Later I skippered this 115 ft vessel from Tahiti to southern France But taken the necessary steps and respecting the proper season there is no reason why this regions cannot be visited and admired. We can recall that more than a century ago men like Scott, Shackleton or Amundsen were sailing this areas, in conditions so difficult for the technology of their time that we cannot even start to understand in the light of modern vessels and navigational aids.
Bay of Whales, where Roald Amundsen left Fram for his South Pole expedition in 1911
Mount Erebus, Ross Island, the southernmost active volcano in the world Note: Luis Manuel Pinho is a metallurgic engineer and yacht designer who presently is member of our staff, being responsible for the CNC files for our metallic projects. He is also a collaborator in several of our designs. Luis built the first Kiribati 36 to be launched, the Green Nomad, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Now he is preparing her to sail in the company of his wife, Marli Werner, to the South Pacific, having Australia as base between cruising trips. In November 2010 Luis was invited to join the Sea Shepherd expedition to counteract the Japanese whale hunting seasonal activity. Once concluded this operation, he was appointed as skipper aboard the 115 feet trimaran Gojira, one of the vessels involved in the campaign, having sailed her from Tahiti, in French Polynesia, to the Côte D’Azur, in the Mediterranean. After this delivery trip Luis returned to Rio Grande, where his boat is presently stationed. In the future Luis intends to take part on-line in the B & G Yacht Design team working aboard Green Nomad no matter where she will be. Click here to know more about the Polar 65 Click here to know more about the Polar 50 Click here to know more about the MC41SK Click here to know more about the Kiribati 36 |
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Southern Voyager 28. The construction of Retriever in City Bell, Argentina Ariel Mauriño, with the help of his brother, just concluded the construction of the hull of his trawler Retriever, a Southern Voyager 28 he is building in his home garden at City Bell, a suburb east of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The SV 28 round bilge hull is ideal for strip-plank construction.
The SV28 layout is adequate for living aboard for long periods. The two brothers managed to build the hull with no difficulties. They seldom consulted our office for any information, some of their doubts caused by the fact that the building manual is written in English, a language in which they are not so fluent. They were lucky for having a neighbor, Daniel D’Angelo, who already built a boat from our plans, the Samoa 28 Sirius. It is amazing how could happen that in a pleasant high middleclass residential suburb in an overseas country were to be found two amateurs building two different boats designed by our office just a few blocks away one from the other. Of course in a small place like that somebody who builds a yacht in his garden soon becomes a celebrity. So in no time the Mauriños became acquainted with Daniel, actually before they decided to build Retriever. Daniel, a geologist by trade, had already gained fame among our builders for being the first person to finish a Samoa 28, which he built in his months off from his work in drilling rigs. What was most striking in Sirius construction was the fact that he built it in record time, being the first to conclude the construction of one of these boats, in spite of not being the first to start. Besides, what a quality he managed to obtain! Being an acquaintance of the Mauriño brothers, Daniel, for sure, was a good adviser, besides giving them a hand whenever they needed. The Southern Voyager 28 is a round bilge boat specified for strip-plank construction. This building technique is very popular among amateur builders, for its simplicity and for the nice-looking and strong hulls obtained by this process. What pleased us most in the Mauriño’s job was the perfect fairing of hull they managed to obtain. Their beveling of stem, keel and frames were just perfect and the resulting hull is outstanding. The two videos they sent us are quite pleasant with a sound track to match, with very appropriate choice of Astor Piazzolla compositions to illustrate the work of two Argentinean brothers. *** Jabirico, a little ship in the heart of the South American Plateau Jabirico, a Southern Voyager 28 built by Flab Boatyard, www.flab.com.br, from Campinas, State o Sao Paulo, Brazil, was delivered to her owner, Joaquim Vasconcellos Ferreira, a retired Merchant Navy Captain who presently lives in Brasilia, the Brazilian capital, a city placed one thousand metres above sea level, and one thousand miles away from the nearest shore in the South Atlantic.
Jabirico being launched in Lake Paranoá, the capital’s artificial lake built during the construction of the city. Being a former overseas navy officer, Joaquim can’t live distant from his beloved ships. So, not being able to bring them close to him, he ordered a miniature one to Flab Boatyard, and now he is the proud captain of the only “ship” crossing the “infamous” waters of that pond. Joaquim asked the builder to customize the style of the cabin to his taste, inverting the angle of the pilot-house front walls, as they use to be in ships, this way letting him much more at home aboard his motorboat. The Southern Voyager 28 is a displacement trawler, designed with gentle round bilge waterlines, which makes her passage through the water as swift as a swan. She is making 7.2 knots at full throttle, and 6.5 knots at cruising speed, what is in accordance with its VPP, considering she is a 28 foot, long range, displacement hull. We know that for a while Joaquim will be pleased with the perspective of gunkholing with his little “ship” around the placid waters of Lake Paranoá. However, as the old salt he is, it is difficult to predict if he will manage to resist the temptation of bringing her to where she belongs, the open sea. Click here to know more about the Southern Voyager 28 |
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| Pop 25, our next stock-plan B & G Yacht Design (formerly Roberto Barros Yacht Design) will commemorate its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2012. The studio already produced more than one-hundred projects during these years, some of them having been recognized as outstanding designs, as is the case of the polar yachts Paratii, and Fraternidade, our Polar 65 stock plan built by the Ukrainian sailor Alexis Belov, which is presently accomplishing a round the world trip having a group of young scientists as crewmembers. However this well-succeeded story had its deep roots in a pursuit for the perfect small boat for ocean-bound adventures. This was the original dream of Roberto Barros, the founder of the office. Since his childhood he wanted to travel to distant lands, but had no means to acquire a conventional yacht for that purpose. He wanted to learn, first of all, if it was possible to cross oceans in a small boat with the same level of safety as in a large one. He understood that the best way to find the answer was by testing his theories himself.
Paratii, the yacht designed by B & G Yacht design in partnership with the engineer Gabriel Dias for the Brazilian adventurer Amyr Klink. This yacht was awarded the coveted Tilman Prize, commend instituted by the Royal Cruising Club of England, as one of the five best polar yachts of all times. Amyr was the first person to sail non-stop around the Antarctic continent single-handed. The pursuit for the perfect small boat to cross oceans had its beginning during the sixties, when Roberto Barros and his wife Eileen departed for a long distance cruise from Rio de Janeiro to French Polynesia aboard Seabird, a twenty-five foot cruising sailboat, in a pioneering adventure for a Brazilian sailboat, being the first yacht from that country to cross the Panama Canal and sail across the Pacific. This voyage was related in the book “Rio to Polynesia” whose English version is published in the site www.yachtdesign.com.au, and can be accessed for free from a link in the home page. The book was source of dreams to many others who wished to reach places practically inaccessible, at least at that time, by other means of transportation.
Early in the sixties Eileen and Roberto had already a taste for snug bright-work interiors. They lived for three consecutive years aboard Seabird and they reckon those were the happiest days in their lives. Photo: Roberto Barros The Seabird voyage taught Roberto and Eileen that it isn't necessary to own a fancy yacht to find true happiness. Aboard their destitute of the most elementary amenities, such as plumbing, electricity for cabin illumination, standing headroom, inboard engine, and last but not least, with no means to communicate with the outside world, even so they can't remember better times in their lives. In only one aspect Seabird rated less than what is expected from a safe offshore craft. She was narrow like a knife cutting the water. With slightly more than 1.90m maximum beam, she had frightened her crew a few times, as when she almost pitch-poled when running in the tail of a hurricane during the crossing of the Caribbean Sea. On that occasion, during one of Eileen's night watches, she was washed overboard, being saved by the safety line, mandatory for whoever was on watch, not minding the sea's condition. Seabird turned turtle to such a degree that all loose stuffs aboard ended up landing on the roof. When arriving in Panama the crew was surprised by perplexing news: Eileen was expecting a baby! During the first month of the crossing of the Pacific Eileen was sick every single morning, no matter if the boat was sailing in rough conditions or if the seas were flat as a mirror. After having enjoyed the primitive life that prevailed in the remote islands of the South Pacific, they arrived in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, where, in 03/19/1969 Astrid Barros was born. In spite of the birth having been a caesarean, three days after the family was back onboard, since that place was their only shelter on Earth…
Eileen and little Astrid profiting from the morning sun in Park Bougainville, placed at a stone's throw from where Seabird was docked. Photo: Roberto Barros *** When the office started its activities it was established that one of its priorities would be to provide some kind of support to those who couldn't afford paying the price of an average sized production made yacht. Our smaller ocean capable sailboats should be as seaworthy as the brave Seabird, even though abandoning its Spartan approach. Inspired in the experiences obtained with the voyage of the Seabird, the office developed the project of the MC 23, its first design meant for amateur construction.
Multichine 23 MK IV Sollazzo. It is amazing how this midget ocean sailboat intended for amateur construction is comfortable and seaworthy for its size. Courtesy: Flávio Traiano The enterprise of introducing the MC23 was absolute success. The plans were so appealing to the nautical community that there are already more than three hundred of these boats being built or sailing. The project, even though having the same lines plan of its original version, is already in its third upgrade, now being called MC23 MKIV, and presently is the office's bestseller. However it wasn't by chance that this successful career took place. The MC23 is an authentic ocean bound yacht and its construction is assuredly at the scope of the amateur builder, as it has already been proven by dozens of novices.
The MC23 MKIV is an authentic offshore sailboat. Courtesy: Flávio Traiano The victorious MC23 career runs parallel to that of Astrid Barros, the baby born in the South Seas. After a childhood and adolescence involved with the nautical world, either as a keen one-design racer, or as a cruising enthusiast, her option for becoming a naval architect was quite a predictable decision, later enhanced by a PhD. degree in computational fluid dynamics. The office had been established mainly with the purpose to allow that the Barros family inclination for nautical activities could become their way of living. When Astrid married the naval architect Luis Gouveia, he also joined the company, making it, more than ever, a family affair. However, in spite of the casual style in which the firm was run, in a short time it gained prestige among the sailing community. The office, placed at Rio de Janeiro downtown, soon was recognized as the point where yachties used to gather in the early evenings for endless nautical chats, having no distinction between friends and clients. In a short time the studio also attracted a group of young professionals who had a talent for yacht design, having produced a team of recognized competence.
Astrid leaving the drilling rig she went to inspect in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Courtesy: Astrid Barros In 2007 a major change happened in the office's destiny. After twenty years of operation in the same address, Astrid was invited to join a multinational specialized in marine engineering, and, when accepting the job offer, the fate of the yacht design studio was to shift to a new dwelling in the distant Perth, in Western Australia. In the new lodge, Astrid's husband Luis Gouveia kept running the yacht design office, now with the denomination B & G Yacht Design (B & G representing the two surnames, Barros and Gouveia). Roberto and Eileen Barros stayed in Rio de Janeiro giving the necessary support to the Brazilian branch of the company, which was not discontinued. The change of country was tremendously advantageous for the company. While in Brazil sales were heavily taxed, in Australia, sales for overseas countries are exempt from taxes, while domestic sales are taxed in 10% only. On the other hand production was not affected, since the original team that worked in the Rio de Janeiro office remained collaborating on-line. Soon the family was feeling perfectly at home in Perth. Australian and Brazilian similar temperaments and proverbial casual behaviours were decisive for a quick adaptation. Just from the second week in the new town the children were enrolled in a public school, and in less than one year they were speaking with a Western Australian English accent, an accomplishment not matched by their parents. Two years after their arrival they had already bought a house in Attadale, a suburb of Perth, and by then they were feeling themselves as local citizens.
The family enjoying holidays in a sky resort in South Korea. The second from the left is Christian, Luis and Astrid's elder son. The two in the far right are their daughter Juliana and Luis Gouveia. Photo: Astrid Barros However life doesn't use to be that simple for expats. New contracts made them change addresses twice more, the first time to Singapore, where they stayed for one and a half years, and then to South Korea, where they are living now, having arrived in November 2010 and probably staying there until the end of 2012. The family intends to return to Perth, this time to stay, from then on giving full attention to the yacht design office. *** The Pop 25: During the almost twenty-five years of career B & G Yacht Design dedicated a large amount of its time producing cruising sailboat designs in a large range of sizes. When during the second half of 2008 the economies of some import countries slumped, we felt that it was the right time for introducing a cheap, easy to build sailboat, adequate for coastal cruising, within the scope of the inexperienced amateur builder. If middle class cruising sailors couldn't afford, at least temporarily, buying a brand-new production yacht, while the second-hand market was still out of their reach, the best possible solution should be the do-it-yourself approach. The name we chose for the project, Pop 25, was not casual. It had a strong connotation: it was intended to conquer the hearts of those who didn't give up their dreams. The challenge: Obtaining a low budget cruising sailboat is not an easy task. There are heaps of FRP production models smaller than eight metres L.O.A. available in the market. Notwithstanding, it is quite improbable that any factory would consider investing in a commercial design in this range intended for coastal cruising, since it is not expected from a twenty-five foot yacht to have such ambitions. It is commonplace to understand that the vast majority of sailors looking for a boat of this size are primarily interested in weekend sailing. However our office doesn't work with the intention of providing stock plans for the majority of the market only. We love producing alternative plans for those that can't find the product they are looking for in the conventional market. In the case of designing affordable offshore sailboats of small size, it is almost an obsession of ours to offer attractive blue-water sailboats for the less well-off sailors. Finding a second-hand truly offshore sailboat in the twenty-five foot range is quite difficult, except for some very old models, since it was not unusual some forty or fifty years ago that factories, mainly in the U.K., France and Scandinavia, invested in small craft designs intended for this type of usage. Those were the days when single-skin fibreglass laminations, perhaps for lack of data, were so over-dimensioned that some of the boats produced at that vintage probably will last for centuries. On the other hand their hull designs are considered far from adequate, either for lack of buoyancy in their extremities (excessive overhangs), or for insufficient stability. Nevertheless we are aware that, even being minority, there are many middle-class cruising sailors of all ages interested in acquiring a reliable cruising boat with a price tag to fit their pockets. Due to the prosperity that prevailed during most of the last thirty years or so, the average length of cruising yachts never stopped increasing, to the point that they became too large to be sailed short-handed, and also too expensive to be worth investing in their acquisition, never mentioning their cost of maintenance. When common people suffered the impact of the 2008 slump, the acquisition of larger cruising sailboats became an issue out of the question in their priorities. However, deep in their hearts, the love for the tramp life-style that sailboats can afford never relented. The more people get disillusioned with the economic situation, the more they want to pursue their endeavours of freedom. The alternative: It was when we realized that being specialized in blue water sailboat designs for amateur construction; we had the golden opportunity of bringing a bit of hope to those who would like to build an offshore sailboat. That should be the light at the end of the tunnel, an escape from the present situation. If they could invest no matter how little, as far as being a constant monthly amount, in a home construction, the dreams could be kept alive. People are aware that being involved in amateur construction is the first great adventure in a row of others that will come later, so, the hassle of building their boats in their home gardens, instead of being a burden; it becomes an unforgettable experience. We admit that home-building is quite challenging. However, obtaining an affordable twenty-five foot boat with plenty of room to live aboard and good enough to take you in coastal cruising is an achievement that may represent a major change in life.
Pop 25. This easy to build offshore cruising sailboat is our most important contribution to amateur construction. Rendered image: www.ideebr.com We invested all our know-how and past experience in developing a sturdy, low-maintenance, long-lasting small yacht. To obtain this goal we had to be quite creative, finding simple solutions for each step of the construction, and now that the plans are concluded, we are pretty assured we managed it. The building process: We chose the plywood/epoxy building technique for the Pop 25 for its simplicity of construction and the high quality of boats fabricated by this process. It is not by accident that plywood/epoxy boatbuilding is the most popular system among amateurs worldwide. A plywood/epoxy hull is light for its strength, extremely rigid, requires minimum maintenance, while affording the best of both worlds: the water-tightness of FRP hulls, thanks to the fibreglass outside encapsulation, and the snug, warm atmosphere, of the wooden interior.
The simplified Pop 25 transverse structure is duck-soup to be made. But we wished to introduce a different approach to plywood/epoxy construction. Our method had to be extremely builder's friendly during the first steps of the work, so to give incentive and self-confidence to the inexperienced amateur straight from the beginning, when doubts and uncertainties are still settled in their minds. The factor which deters most beginners from concluding their constructions is finding the first steps of the building too complicate and slow. If results are visible from the start, it is improbable that anyone will want to interrupt the construction.
An innovative building technique allows for an amazingly quick hull construction. Our approach was quite straightforward: considering that there is nothing easier to make than a rectangular frame, we designed the basic transverse structure of the hull with this shape, with the concession of a triangular chamfer at the bilge corners, producing a double-chine hull, fortunately of great efficiency. This shape is not only a short-cut in sailboat design. It is also the state of the art in hull lines, enhancing stability, while allowing a linear flow under the large flat bottom. With the adoption of twin keels and rudders tilted at an angle of 12°, we obtained a hull of distinguished performance when sailing close-hauled, when the leeward keel finds its vertical position, providing maximum efficiency in lateral resistance, while the windward one is enhancing stability. Next, if the assemblage could be made employing hammer and nails as basic building tools, and if the panels for sheathing the hull were easy to make, either by being cut manually with a jig-saw, or cut with water jet from a CNC file, then no one would feel overwhelmed with the perspective of assembling the hull. Provided one reaches the stage of seeing the hull concluded, from then on we bet it will be quite improbable that anyone will give up the job. An innovation in the construction method is the specification of double-walled topsides. This allows a superior thermal insulation, and, as side benefit, the boat acquires two hundred-forty litres of reserve buoyancy. Actually, with the topsides flotation cells and other sealed water-tight compartments, the Pop 25 is virtually unsinkable, a safety factor seldom found in sailboats of any size. Deck and coach-roof are also double-walled, what makes the Pop 25 quite special regarding reserve buoyancy and thermal insulation Another relevant factor in reducing time and cost of construction is the choice of easy to find raw materials for the whole building process, besides requiring a minimum of tools, since, as it was mentioned above, the boat is built basically with hammer and ordinary iron nails. Since all parts are bonded with epoxy glue, the nails are extracted when the epoxy settles. Imagine how significant these savings in cost and reduction of construction time represent! The concept: In the first place the Pop 25 is an offshore sailboat. For this purpose safety and comfort were priorities in the development of the project. Besides, being intended for amateur construction, there was a great care in specifying clear solutions for the boat's constructions and simplifying custom fittings design. It also should be assured that the building process was created to make construction faster and cheaper. The boat is extra-spacious for its size, having sleeping accommodations for up to six persons in three double bunks, galley equipped with sink, alcohol stove and lockers, navigation table with a front panel for instruments installation, and heads with a hatch over its sole and an opening port installed in the front-wall for an efficient natural ventilation. Maximum standing headroom is 1.80m (5' 11”), this place being located under the companionway hatch, a strategic position to allow dressing a wet suit without requiring performing antics for this.
The Pop 25 is intended for those who love sailing adventures, but can only afford a low budget yacht. We know that what matters most for them is a feeling of confidence in the boat, especially when the weather conditions are adverse. When designing the Pop 25 our main aim was to eliminate the most frequent setbacks found in small cruising sailboats, like insufficient ventilation and poor thermal insulation. In these respects this plan is outstanding, having natural ventilation throughout and double walls with insulating foam in between. Plumbing and electrical installations are also quite simple to be serviced, with easy access to all its parts. Two integrated holding tanks, with sixteen litres capacity each, allow full usage of the boat where discharging human wastes overboard is illegal. As a sailboat standpoint, the Pop 25 is intended to be easy to be maneuvered by a short-handed crew. With only three sails to handle, the three of them permanently stored in their places, with the reaching Genoa sheet being led to a fixed point on deck and the working jib being specified to be reefed to storm jib size, the boat is astonishingly simple to be sailed. The main-sheet is easily controlled by the helmsman, having the traveller located at an arm's length from his seat. The full-batten mainsail has two reefing points separated by a larger distance than usual, allowing the main to be reefed to trysail size, eliminating the need of one more sail aboard.
The Pop 25 doesn't require a cradle to be stationed in a courtyard. Being a twin-keels, twin rudders sailboat, the Pop 25 is the best boat to be stationed wherever tide range leaves the moored yachts on dry twice daily. The keels are made in a peculiar way: they are steel plates welded to steel rods with warhead shapes which allow the boat to rest on dry without requiring a cradle.
The ample T-shaped cockpit offers a privileged position for the helmsman, providing room to steer seating to windward, while having the mainsheet traveller at an arm's length The 2.10m long cockpit has plenty of room for six persons to seat comfortably when socializing. A dodger (not shown in the figure) gives shelter for the crewmembers seated next to the trunk aft wall However, the highlight of the project is its auxiliary propulsion. The boat is specified to have a 4.5 kW electric motor, the Swedish OZsingle, which weights 14kg, measures182mm diameter, 102mm depth, and works as a generator when the boat is sailing. Besides, it is almost inaudible when running and requires negligible maintenance.
What do you think about installing an electric motor in your bilge instead of a cumbersome diesel engine? The predicted performance for a 600Ah 12V battery bank is 4 knots maximum speed when shifted in the economic 24V mode, and 5.5 knots maximum speed when in the 48V mode, having forty minutes of operation in this condition. When sailing at six knots the motor supplies about 6Ah. Besides the generating capacity of the motor when rotating by water pressure, electricity is also produced by solar panels and a wind generator installed in a gantry. Using electric auxiliary propulsion employing solar sources of energy in way of fossil fuels is an ecologically correct attitude and should be the choice of every citizen concerned with the sustainability of the planet. In this aspect the Pop 25 is a boat tuned with the new times, when human kind will have to learn to live in harmony with mother nature. The Pop 25 is capable of advancing for indeterminate time in any direction, no matter if there is wind or not. This is the closest state of absolute freedom we can imagine!
Pop 25, a shortcut for the ownership of an open-sea sailboat. An interesting way of obtaining a Pop 25 by amateur construction is the association in groups of amateur builders. All plywood panels cut to shape with tenths of milimetres of precision may be ordered from a CNC cutting supplier, while other materials and equipments may be purchased in a wholesale basis. Nevertheless, individual construction is also very quick and cheap to build. Constructing the transverse structure represents eighty men/hours approximately. In twice that time it is possible to assemble the hull, ready for the fiberglass sheathing. By then the boat is already a reality. Click here to know more about the Pop 25 |
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| Dinghy Andorinha, the right medicine for homebuilding itch Amateur boatbuilding is one of the most pleasurable hobbies for people who enjoy making things with their own hands. Designing boats for amateur construction is also fascinating. However, designers involved with this segment of architecture are required to be aficionados, if good results are to be expected. That was the case of the Andorinha project. The story of how this design was created is one of dedication and enthusiasm. The project was developed by our naval architect Astrid Barros, when she was in her last year of graduation in marine engineering. At that time she was a trainee at our family business, and since she had a compulsive passion for dinghy racing, she suggested producing a one-design centerboard dinghy to be built by the stitch-and glue building method. We really appreciated her intention, especially because we hadn't any boat of this type as stock plan yet. Our only conditions were that the boat had to be extremely user's-friendly to be built and that it had to be a joy to be sailed. Astrid didn't need any other support besides that, and, to prove her enthusiasm about the challenge, in very short time the plans were concluded. Astrid has sea water running in her veins. She was born in the South Pacific, when her parents were cruising along the South Seas in a twenty-five foot sailboat destitute of auxiliary engine. She started her racing career when she was barely three years old and her taste for sailing competitively never relented since then.
Dinghy Andorinha flattened hull panels Astrid's approach to the project was quite interesting. At a time when there weren't many facilities for cutting plywood panels with water jet, something that nowadays is commonplace, she developed her own program for flattening the hull panels, so builders had an easy way to draw and then cut them with jig-saw. This was one of the fundamental reasons for the success of the class, since not even once we heard about any complaint, or difficulty, in overcoming this step in the construction. A building manual was published together with the plans, showing, step by step, all phases of the construction, and no sooner the work had been completed, the design was put available in the list of plans in our site in internet. At that time the office was established at Rio de Janeiro, and the local sales were such good trade that the income from the revenues, even though the plan's price were quite affordable (the same as today, AUD$240), the income was helpful in assisting her in improving her kitty. Soon after graduating she got married to the naval architect Luis Gouveia, when, among their ambitions in the new life, there was the plan for constructing one of these boats. Meanwhile the first Andorinhas begun to appear in the most different corners of the country, with owners absolutely pleased with their achievements. The very first to launch a boat of the class was from a distant town in the fringes of the Amazon Forest, His dinghy, Lisiri, sailed so well that, after the builder's report about the boat's performance, the itch to build Andorinhas spread fast.
Lisiri ready for the first trial ver this was just the beginning of a successful story. Other launchings soon followed, invariably having proud builders praising their accomplishments. The second boat to sail came from the other side of the country, from the southern state of Santa Catarina, not far from the border with Argentina, a region of extreme beauty, mainly colonized by Germans, and where almost everyone speaks German. Adauto, her builder, was so enchanted with his boat, that, in spite of living in a farm hundreds of kilometres from the sea, wished to make a five hundred miles crossing from his state to Rio de Janeiro, a plan he couldn't go ahead with because he didn't manage to obtain the necessary permission from the port authorities. For personal reasons, since the new family had other important priorities, the construction of the family's Andorinha had to be postponed for a while, but one day they finally decided the time had come for them to try their own recipe.
The second Andorinha to be launched sailing in a farm's pond. There is a courtyard in the neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro International Airport where it is possible to rent a shed for amateur boatbuilding. That place is the favourite haven of many of our wacky homebuilders, buddies that do not hesitate for one second in exchanging the wonderful Rio de Janeiro beaches with all those beautiful girls wearing dental floss bikinis for the searing suburb where they spend whole weekends in building their floating dreams. This place is known as a B & G Yacht Design “mare nostrum”, having dozens of our boats built or being constructed there, from our MC41 design to the dinghy Caravela, which is offered as free plans in our price list. Astrid and Luis took a bit longer than they wished to start the building, but when they set a first gear in the task, they really put their guts into the job and in record time for the class the boat was concluded. They have two close friends, Arapoan Fernandes and Marco Veras, who were building two MC28 together, which, while their boats weren't concluded, were starving for having a sail dinghy for them to improve their sailing skills. Since Astrid and Luis were also building the 28 foot catamaran Bora-Bora as their cruising boat, they agreed in building the Andorinha in partnership with the two. However when their larger boats got finished, the two friends lost interest in the dinghy and never used it since then.
Stitching the panels together. This was a simple operation, taking just a few hours to be done. During the whole time of the construction a slew of visitors used to go there to learn how it was to build one of these dinghies, and it is no wonder that many went back home firmly decided in building one for themselves. One of these back-seat drivers, the plastic artist Fernando Leitão, decided to start his construction with no delay, just in the next shed to the one Astrid and Luis were occupying. His Andorinha didn't take long to be finished, and is one of the well-built among the boats already finished.
Fernando's Andorinha is a show apart. The fairing of bowsprit telescope deserves a prize as a work of art. After a long delay in starting the construction and a hurry to finish it, finally the family's Andorinha was launched, and from then on became the leisure boat of the family, which by then had already increased in number.
The family's Andorinha in partnership with two friends sailing in Marina da Glória, Rio de Janeiro For bad luck, after using the boat for a few seasons, Astrid and Luis had to abandon their boat for some time, since the office had been transferred to Perth, Australia, where it is registered presently. For contract reasons in their other trade, oil rig construction, they moved temporarily to Singapore and now again changed address to South Korea.
Luis, Astrid, using a cap, their children Christian and the toddler Juliana, enjoying a Sunday sail aboard their Andorinha. They were arriving at Marina da Glória at the other side of the bay where they kept their boat. At the moment the boat is kept covered with a tarpaulin at Rio Sailing Yacht Club, the same club where the Star Class Olympic gold medalist Torben Grael has made his base, and as soon as they return to Perth, they will put the dinghy in a container and take it to Australia, since this boat made with such commitment in their lives, they don't consider selling it. Whenever their two friends schedule a visit to them, they will have the chance to invite the whole crew for a sail in the Swan River.
This Andorinha is made with PVC foam as core material instead of plywood. In this photo she is performing her first sea trial using a borrowed 470 class set of sails. Employing PVC foam instead of plywood construction is optional. The Andorinha is a sensible boat for a beginner who wants to try something affordable and quick to make for a start, before adventuring in the construction of anything larger. The experience obtained in its construction and the pleasure of sailing the craft made with one's own hands is priceless, and will bring invaluable know-how before trying more ambitious flights. This has been the choice of a number of our builders, including Astrid and Luis, who also built the catamaran Bora-Bora from our list of stock plans. This time lady luck wasn't on their side. When the boat was concluded, ready for the first day-out, they traveled to Australia to be settled there as their permanent base. A boat that requires maintenance, since it had to be stationed in the water, couldn't stay unassisted and they had no other choice but to sell her.
Finalmente (means finally in Portuguese) is one of the latest Andorinhas to be concluded. This boat is stationed at a yacht club in the Guaíba River, Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost Brazilian state. Presently there are many Andorinha Dinghies (andorinha means swallow in Portuguese) being built in various countries. We consider this design one of our most eloquent contributions to amateur builder. Click here to know more about the Dinghy Andorinha |
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MC 26C Geko is shown in a Turkish TV nautical program Once again a boat from our design is getting ready to be launched in Istanbul, Turkey. This time the boat in question is Geko, the MC26C built by the couple Ömer and Firuzan Kirkal. We had already published an article in our news about Geko, with an extensive gallery of photos of the boat in its various stages of construction. This time we were delighted to see in the videos that she is nearly finished, all done with the highest standard of quality
The MC26C is one of the fittest sailboats of its size to accomplish long-range ocean passages. Its interior volume is quite sufficient for a small family to live aboard for long stretches, while being affordable enough for an amateur builder of limited income to cope with the costs of building it. Rendered image by www.ideebr.com The Turkish TV has a traditional program about nautical sports, much in the style of the famous French equivalent, Thalassa, which we were informed is very popular in that country. Turkey is becoming a favourite site for international yachtsmen who cruise Mediterranean waters, be it for its affordable prices, or by the friendliness of its citizens, as the well known cruiser/writer Fatty Goodlander stressed in his article in the March 2011 issue of the Cruising World Magazine: "The prime reason is that Turkey is a wonderful, dynamic, fast-growing country with a robust economy and a friendly people". No wonder sailing is so popular there, allowing a granted audience for a specialized program on commercial TV. The last February program was about amateur construction. The presenter invited three amateur constructors, one of them being our client, Ömer. Since the video is spoken in Turkish, of course, we hadn't the slightest idea of what was being said, except when Ömer cited Roberto Barros Yacht Design as the authors of the project. We also guess contreplac/epoxy means plywood/epoxy. However, as the Chinese saying states, a figure is worth a thousand words, and perhaps a video might be worth a million. For that matter we believe the couple is actually very proud of their accomplishment, and that the building, in spite of being performed in their home garden, didn't result in divorce; on the contrary, it seemed to mean a mutual achievement. This, however, we can only speculate based on the scenes in the videos, especially for the grand finale, when Firuzan goes to the kitchen to bring two cups of a beverage, one for Ömer, who was sanding the hull. Next he lays his sanding pad somewhere else and the Kirkals leave the working shed embraced in a tender hug. Ok, this might be part of the script arranged before-hand, but, never mind. A wife prepared to sand glass fibre is the dream come true for any amateur builder. If the videos below were part of the MC26C blurb, they couldn't be more adequate, except for missing subtitles in English.
Firuzan is a hard worker. She is responsible for good part of Geko's construction. Here she is squeezing air bubbles from the still unsettled fibreglass encapsulation of the superstructure It is possible to observe all phases of Geko's construction in the photo gallery already published in our news. However the three recent videos show how she actually became, now that the work is nearly completed, missing only the final touches of finishing, like upholstery and internal decoration.
Click here to know more about the Multichine 26C |
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Multichine 28 Access reigns in Caribbean waters
I live in the West Indies; I have a MC28 and a surfboard... Sergio Mendes, the renowned piano player and band-leader of two decades ago, made great success in the US with the Brazilian song which lyrics said: “Moro num país tropical, tenho um fusca e um violão...” (I live in a tropical country, I have a Volkswagen beetle and a guitar…) Perhaps this tune could well be the Brazilian Anthem, instead of the long and boring official one! However, for the Brazilian amateur builder Flavio Bezerra the lyrics could as well say instead: I live in the West Indies, I have a MC28 and a surfboard… and this version could be as blockbuster as the original one. At any rate, what could be worthier for Flavio than living his present life? Every evening he has to choose which party fancies him most. He can pick the best beach for surfing and go there sailing in his own boat. It requires just a few dives to provide a fresh lobster for supper and there are scores of delivery trips for him to do, replenishing his kitty doing what he likes best, taking sailboats to other places. In one of these trips he delivered a large boat to the UK, and while being there he made the Royal Cruising Club exam for Captain, and now he is a qualified skipper. On that occasion the only drawback was the date with an English sweetheart from the Caribbean, when he spent most of the savings obtained with the delivery in an unforgettable farewell night in a five stars hotel. Access, the MC28 with more miles run under the keel up to now, is looking like if she was launched yesterday, so well kept she is, and this is astonishing, especially if we remember he is a stag for most of the time, since when he has company aboard, it is not exactly with the purpose of tidying the cabin. How gratifying for us from B & G Yacht Design is to see one of our designs so smartly looking after such intensive usage!
Access skimming over the turqoise waters of the Caribbean. Flavio is capable of making the boat to self-steer without wind vane or auto-pilot, just lashing the tiller to ropes and shock-cords However, it must be stressed that Neptune doesn't open the doors of his domains without toll. Flavio built Access with his own hands in a sanctuary of amateur boat building near the Rio de Janeiro International Airport, working until late in the evenings after coming “home” from his formal work, indispensable at that stage for bringing home the bacon. He camped in the shed during the first part of the work, but as soon as the boat was turned over, he built the bunk where he would sleep from then on. After colliding with a whale, costing him a broken rudder, he arrived unscathed to Saint Martin, except for the rudder mishap, sailing with his own means. He controlled course by means of heeling the boat to windward or leeward, as the occasion required. Click here to know more about the Multichine 28 |
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| Pantanal 25 Kalahary sailing in Porto Alegre, Brazil It is extremely rewarding for us when we are informed by a client of ours that he is fully satisfied with the boat he built. This was the case of the civil architect Carlos Zanella Fitchner, the amateur who just launched his Pantanal 25 Kalahary in Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Carlos built his boat totally unassisted with a firmness of purpose difficult to be matched by any other amateur.
Kalahary was built with a personal touch typical of architects. Carlos, as creative architects use to do, gave a touch of personalization to the interior layout to highlight his priorities, which were undeniably turned to cruising purposes. Since he is a skilled and dedicated craftsman, he obtained a handsome result, and Kalahary became quite a cute boat. Kalahary inauguration is good news for the class. With the present difficulty in finding vacant places in marinas, and the consequent soaring of marina fees, the possibility of keeping the boat at home when not in use is quite alluring, and this may be the main reason for the Pantanal 25 recent success.
Carlos opted for bright, modern interior decoration giving a charming atmosphere to the ambience. And this is how the Pantanal 25 class is spreading its horizons. Every fortnight we are being informed about an inauguration of a boat of the class, so far with every single builder pleased with his achievement. We wish very good luck to every new owner. Click here to know more about Pantanal 25 |
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| Pantanal 25 Vega is launched in the River Plate Our friend and client Daniel D’Angelo is brimming over with happiness regarding his new toy, the Pantanal 25 VEGA. If you use to follow the news in our site, you probably remember seeing the video of the boat being transported by trailer from his house, where he built her, to the club’s workshop where she would be painted. This December 23, after lots of hard work, I finally managed to launch my Pantanal 25 VEGA. I had to endure a lingering row with the paint workers who seemed to be accomplishing an endless job. Before I lost my temper I took my boat out of the workshop with the paint job still unfinished. So it started a frenetic race against the clock in order to be able to inaugurate her before the end of the year. Many details were missing yet and many tasks still had to be completed. To crown it all, summer arrived without lenience and the parched yard became almost unbearable for us to work under the searing sun. Getting under the bulb for grinding it to allow the fin-keel to be fitted in its groove was a strenuous task, so soft is lead to be milled. After four strenuous days I managed fitting permanently the two parts together. I took the opportunity to install the fin-keel when the crane hoisted VEGA from the trailer to its own cradle and it fitted in the keel trunk like a glove. Then my mate Oscar and me started to sand the hull to prepare for applying the bottom paint, always working against the watch, since we still had to wait for a while for the paint to set before we put the boat in the water. I had to install the mast with the boat on the dry, so the shroud lengths could be measured to swage their ends. Resuming the painting job, we next decided to define a boot-line for the boat. Our first trial was a haphazard interpretation of waves passing through the topsides. Unfortunately our club mates couldn’t understand our artistic vein, so, not to shock anybody, we went back to the conventional, painting a straight horizontal line. To save our face as creative designers we added two small triangles above the boot-line close to the transom, painting them with a different colour. With the rigging already swaged, we installed the mast permanently. Meanwhile Oscar was finishing small details, fixing deck hardware and taking care of the interior decoration. And then the “grand finalle”: The 23 of December VEGA was ready to go into the water. Murphy, who had been a gate-crasher in the launching of my Samoa 28 SIRIUS, this time didn’t miss the event too. In the last minute I drilled the holes for installing the heads and galley sea-cocks and the drill landed just on top of the cradle berths. When the crane lifted the boat I had to install the through-hulls in a hurry before the boat was put in the water. Having my daughter Florence as godmother we broke a champagne bottle on the lead bulb, and Neptune gave free pass to VEGA to find his new element. For a second time in my life I felt an indescribable emotion - launching a sailboat built with my own hands! The boat floated exactly on its water-line, and inside there was no trace of any leak!... The time has come to let her break loose. OThe highlight that afternoon was seeing my two ducklings SIRIUS and VEGA together! After hoisting the borrowed sails, Oscar and I went out to discover how VEGA sailed. Meanwhile my wife Carina and my other eleven guests watched from SIRIUS the evolutions of my new toy, enjoying the comfort and conveniences of my larger boat. The wind didn’t surpass the eight knots, except in occasional puffs. Even though the borrowed main sail, which required a reef point just to fit in the mast groove, was still somewhat oversized. We pointed effortlessly sailing at six knots, managing to tack in less than 90°. The maneuvers were quick and the boat gained speed rapidly after each tack. When reaching we could reckon that the boat will fly when using the asymmetrical spinnaker. We managed to sail at five knots with almost no wind. Eventually we began to shift crews, so others could try the boat too. One of my friends, José Luis, a racer by heart, gave hiss ok to the performance of the Pantanal 25. You can see in the photo below my good friend Alberto, my companion in many races aboard the Samoa 28, after jumping aboard from SIRIUS. Back to the club, light hearted and happy with VEGA’s performance, we all went to the bar to toast the great day until late evening. Then my family went to sleep aboard SIRIUS, lashed alongside her new sister. My wishes are for fair winds to keep blowing in the path of my boats, bringing those unforgettable moments of happiness to our family!!! Click here to know more about the Pantanal 25 |
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| Pantanal 25 Enigma II sailing in Brasília The Pantanal 25 class has already one unit sailing in the Brazilian Central Plateau. This boat is Enigma II, belonging to Ademir Nicaretta, a local sailor who is a keen yacht racer. The boat was built together with two others by Intaschi Nautical Performance, a boat builder from Sao Paulo, Brazil. No sooner the boat arrived in Brasilia and she was engaged in one of the most important local races, the “Marcílio Dias Regatta”, a traditional event scheduled for the first week of December. This time Enigma II didn't go so well, ending up in a middle position. However the boat showed exciting bursts of speed, giving hope for better performances in the next events, when, for better knowledge of its peculiarities, the boat will be more adequately trimmed.
Enigma II still stationed alongside the club's pier before taking part in her first race. The Paranoá Lake, where water sports take place in the Brazilian capital, is a dam built during the city's construction with the intention of improving local climate conditions and providing a source of leisure for the future population. Its dimensions are modest, but it is large enough to allow intense sailboat racing the year round. During December winds use to be light and fickle, being winter and spring the best seasons for the sport of sailing. “Dear Jorge Intaschi and other Pantanal 25 supporters, Even though in this first regatta we had only light winds, we managed to stay ahead of most competitors of all sizes. We tried to sail towards the middle of the lake in the last but one leg and were caught in a lull, having been surpassed by three boats which, up to that point, had been far behind us. We raced under the local rule which penalized our boat heavily, something really weird, since our boat had more freeboard and interior comfort than most others.
Leaving the pier for the first race in Enigma II career The Pantanal 25 is a trailerable sailboat intended for camping, and for that matter has an interior comfortable enough to please the heart of the most demanding of wives. Its drop-keel and its scant 2.44m maximum beam are perfect for taking the boat home and storing it on the garden, bliss in these times of expensive marina fees. On the other hand, in ocean racing, when sailing in light winds with moderate seas, it is enough lifting the keel to decrease the polar moment of inertia and the boat, instead of kowtowing the waves, accelerates like a sports car leaving the fixed keel yachts helplessly behind. (This had been thoroughly demonstrated by Dark Ice, the first Pantanal 25 to sail in Brazil, during the races in which she took part Read the article below: Dark Ice wins for the third time in a row). However, when sailing in a pond there is no gain in doing that, but the fact that the Pantanal 25 is a narrow boat is a plus when sailing in a breeze, especially when close-hauled.
The winds were fickle along the starting line. The Pantanal 25 is expected to become a one-design class in short time, since there are dozens of boats of the design being built in various countries. Being easily trailerable and being able to be kept at home during the winter months in temperate climate countries, these virtues have attracted sailors from all over the world and its good performance is contributing for that. Being Ademir a well known yachtsman in Brasília, we count on his enthusiasm for the class becoming popular in the Brazilian Central Plateau. There is another unit almost concluded in the neighbor state of Goiás, which most probably will join Enigma II in lake Paranoá.
Enigma II sailing in the shade of much larger boats with considerably taller rigs, even though she is paying to all of them. Something must be wrong with the local rule. The owner of Intaschi Nautical Performance, Jorge Intaschi, has been a great promoter of the Pantanal 25. In spite of not being his main business, he decided to invest in a plant to produce the Pantanal 25 industrially, and is investing in state of the art technology to produce composite laminations. With already four boats built, now he has everything ready for series production. For the contentment of seeing one of his boats sailing in the capital of the country, we can reckon that this was camphor shot in the vain to motivate him to produce many other boats.
The boats closer to land were benefited by more constant winds.
A small increase in wind speed allowed Enigma II to gain a few positions.
Enigma II sailing with unobstructed wind.
Consolidating her positioning in the race. The great merit of the plans is the fact that the Pantanal 25 is competitive in the racing course, and when there is no race it's just enough to trailer it to other water mirror and live an unforgettable camping adventure, being adequate for two couples to spend a holiday aboard with accommodations to allow pleasurable companionship. At any rate, being capable of taking part in races and gunk-holing in weekends of beautiful weather in the company of friends is the best of both worlds. Taking the boat home when the fun is over is just another convenience.
Crossing the finish mark. A jib with more sail area will be an improvement for the next season.
Taking Enigma IIback to the club after crossing the finish line. Soon in 2011 Joaninha, another Pantanal 25 is expected to be launched. This one will stay in Santos, the largest port in Brazil, and will join Dark Ice, the pioneer of the class in that country, the first step towards the establishment of a future fleet. That is what the class needs most, increasing the number of boats in the same place until becoming a one-design category racing for line honors.
Enigna II returns to the club after completing her first race. But it is not only in Brazil that the Pantanal 25 class begins to show its face. We have hot news from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Daniel D'Angelo, an amateur builder who made the Pantanal 25 Vega all by himself in his home garden, just took his boat to a workshop to be painted. Since the boat is already equipped, it is probable that in a fortnight she will be sailing. As there are various other boats of the class being built in that country, this is an important progress towards the establishment of the one-design class there.
Pantanal 25 Vega being taken to a workshop to be painted. In the photo above Daniel shows de V of victory for the completion of the boat he built all by himself.
Click here to know more about the Pantanal 25 |
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| Multichine 28 Atairu. A cozy cabin to snuggle your guests The engineer Antonio Piqueres and his wife Ivana are enjoying immensely their MC28 Atairu. Their boat is stationed in Clube dos Jangadeiros, a friendly yacht club located in Lake Guaiba, linked to the South Atlantic by a huge body of water called Lagoa dos Patos, an authentic inland sea in the southernmost Brazilian state, Rio Grande do Sul.
Atairu is kept in Bristol fashion by their owners Ivana and Antonio Piqueres The region is quite cold in winter, so a boat built in plywood/epoxy with an insulated cabin interior and plenty of wooden furniture is coveted as a jewel as the craft nice to stay in a cold winter night. Piqueres and Ivana live in the hills north of Porto Alegre, the capital of the state, a place where snow is not unusual in winter. They use their MC28 as a weekend and holidays resort, living aboard as if she was a second home. They are novices at the sport of sailing; however they are using the boat intensively, cruising, up to now, the protected waters of Lake Guaiba as training for future passages to farther places.
Ivana working in Atairu's ample galley. Her guest seems to be with her mouth watering. We can reckon when a boat has a happy aura when there are friends available willing to share the boat's sailing adventures. This is the case with the Piqueres. They have always guests onboard, who when disembarking praise its comfort when at anchor and ease of handling qualities under sail.
Ivana preparing dinner using an A.C. run frying pan for the complement dish What is most praised in the design is the fact that, except for the owner's cabin and heads, the rest of the cabin has no partitions, giving an unequaled sensation of spaciousness. The design is quite gentle to the most important member of the crew, the cook. The galley quarters rival with much larger production boats, and this feature is a bonus in contributing for the pleasure of living aboard.
Can you believe this boat is only twenty-eight foot. Ivana embroidered in crochet the aft cabin curtain and fruits hammock on top of the galley counter We have been reporting stories that MC28 owners send us, among them the adventures of Flavio Bezerra, the single-handed sailor and amateur builder of the MC28 Access, presently gunk-holing in the West Indies. We have also published articles about Stella del Fioravante, owned by the Brazilian/Canadian Roberto Roque (see in our links: Multichine 28 Stella del Fioravante), who is accomplishing long distance passages with his boat in the South Atlantic. Another among our favourites is the deep sea diver Ricardo Campos, the owner/builder of the MC28 Vagamundo. (See in our links page Multichine 28 Vagamundo) who is beginning a long distance cruise in company of his wife and son, a toddler born aboard, acquainted as a fish with the sea life. Since the project is approaching the two-hundred builders in the most different places in five continents, we intend to keep reporting about the people involved with the class no matter where they are from. Click here to know more about the MC28 |
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| Pantanal 25 Dark Ice wins for the third time in a row It's becoming each day more evident that the Pantanal 25 is the boat hard to be beaten. For the third year consecutively Dark Ice, a Pantanal 25 built by the Brazilian sailor Jorge Intaschi won the Santos (the largest port in Latin America) ocean race championship in her class, oops, in the class the racing committee decided she should compete, believing she would have slim chances in the class they chose for her in the last event of the championship. In 2008 and 2009 Dark Ice competed in the first to cross the line category, intended for boats which weren't measured in any handicap rule. Since she obtained line honours in almost every race she took part, sometimes beating boats forty foot long or more, being far and away the fastest boat in the fleet, the other competitors complained that she did not represent the spirit of that category. So the racing committee decided to include her in the RGS Class, a category which measuring rules don't allow boats with large roaches in the mainsail to compete, together with other ridiculous empiric aberrations which heavily penalized the Pantanal 25, a boat designed with the sole intention of providing plenty of fun for its supporters. So Jorge was obliged to order to a sail-loft an old-fashioned triangular mainsail just to be allowed to take part in the race. What they didn't count with was the fact that in spite of being deprived of her most important weapon, Dark Ice continued being the fastest boat in the scene.
There are Pantanal 25 constructions in the most varied places. This hull is being built by an amateur in Porto Alegre, Brazil. This last time the boat was crewed by a team of teenagers from a non-profitable organization under the leadership of Captain Douglas, the sailing instructor of the organization. The first race in the series was quite technical, requiring extreme proficiency from the kids, especially in adjusting the ill-fitted mainsail. Despite a few mistakes, at any rate they were novices in the sport, the boat had an outstanding performance, beating mercilessly the whole fleet, being the first to cross the line, against renowned 32 foot pure racers using Kevlar sails. The heavy penalties imposed to Dark Ice weren't sufficiently heavy to take the first place in corrected time from them. The next races were easier, Dark Ice winning all of them. The boys hardly could believe in their achievement and were anxious to go home to tell their families and friends about their feat. Captain Douglas, who in previous issues of the championship skippered a boat from a different design, admitted to Jorge Intaschi: “whenever I went to the racing course and saw Dark Ice in the starting line, the very fact that your boat was there drove me crazy, and that was the end of the day for me; thank heavens this time the roles were reversed!”
Dark Ice sailing close-hauled in front of the city of Santos. Dark Ice victorious racing career helped tremendously in promoting the plans. We intended to give the design inherent speed and plenty of adrenaline. However the astonishing speed of the boat is a by-product of being trailerable. Her narrow, slim hull (2.44m – eight feet - maximum beam) is conceptually fast, and she is practically unbeatable when sailing in light winds. When reaching, thanks to her composite construction lightness, she is able to start surfing quicker than the others, and when starting skimming the waves' crests, by then Dark Ice competitors use to feel helpless. That explains the remarks made above by Captain Douglas.
Joaninha and another Pantanal 25 in the final stages of construction Jorge Intaschi already built three other Pantanal 25. One of them, Enigma II, was already delivered to her owner, a sailor from Brazilia, the capital of the country. The owner, as far as we know, is awaiting the visit of the sail maker for the final adjustments in the sails before inaugurating his boat. Another Pantanal 25 built by Jorge, Joaninha, is practically finished and ready to be launched. Jorge acquired a new shed where he intends to build the design in a larger scale from now on. Meanwhile the class is spreading quickly in many different countries. The first person who decided to build a Pantanal 25 was Robert Boyd, a yachtsman from Queensland, Australia, who saw in this design the opportunity of having a boat of easy amateur construction that could be taken home in a trailer, avoiding expensive marina fees. By coincidence B & G Yacht Design at that time, 2006, still operated from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a few months before changing countries to be established in Perth, Western Australia, where the office is registered presently. It was when we discovered the potential of the class as an escape-valve for those who can not afford buying a boat in a boat show, never mentioning paying expensive monthly fees in marinas. Our move was right on cue, since many other sailors followed Robert Boyd's decision and presently we have builders in dozens of countries. Some of them maintain contact with us, sending us photos of their constructions, or of their boats in the water. The very truth nowadays is that if you want to own a sailboat made in a western country, if you are not filthy rich, you rather make it yourself if you do not want to pay the prohibitive costs of labour that prevail in the western world.
Zirrdeli is a Pantanal 25 built in Istambul by her owner, Bahatin Bedir. She is presently stationed in a marina in the Marmar Sea. There is a second Pantanal 25 being built in Turkey A good example of this is the case of the Argentinean geologist Daniel D'Angelo. Daniel works in offshore drilling rigs, spending one month embarked and one month off. In a record breaking short time Daniel managed to build a Pantanal 25 (see in our links page: Pantanal Vega), selecting his home backyard lawn in the great Buenos Aires as his workshop. As winter approached and the finished hull was covered with tarpaulin, he used his barbecue shed to make the superstructure. Since there was barely space enough to build half the deck there, he did not hesitate in building the deck in two pieces, which he joined later with wide fiberglass tapes. It requires a lot of courage and competence for a beginner with little previous experience (he had built before in the same garden Sirius, a Samoa 28 that he uses to race in the weekends and cruise to the neighbouring country Uruguay) to assume a risk like that, but for Daniel this ended up being an easy task, and now hull and superstructure are already assembled, missing very little work for his Pantanal 25 Vega to be launched. Daniel enjoyed so much the boat building activity that he is considering building other boats commercially.
Pantanal 25 Vega is being built by Daniel D'Angelo in his home-garden in Buenos Aires, Argentina Besides Vega, there are other Pantanal 25 being built in Argentina and there is one in the last stages of construction in Chile. Our client, Maik Biela, is a German citizen residing in Santiago de Chile.
Maik Biela at the side of his just turned Pantanal 25 hull. Maik is interested in building other boats of the class. As Germans use to be, he is a perfectionist, and his boat is becoming a work of art. Not being happy enough with the generous radius we provided in the design, he preferred to round still more the cabin edges, making the cabin more efficient concerning aerodynamics, and perhaps more attractive. His skill is arousing interest among Chileans who are asking him quotations for custom constructions.
The outside skin of the deck lamination A fresh news from the class came from Bahrein. The helicopter pilot Carlos Pinhal recently acquired the plans with the intention of producing a series of Pantanal 25 in that emirate. Having discounts in airfares, he didn't hesitate in flying to Sao Paulo to make a test drive in Dark Ice. He was so enchanted with the model that he decided to acquire the plans and try a local builder for the construction.
Zirrdelli's owner intended to keep his boat in the water and for that matter opted for fixing her keel, what brought an unsuspected appearance of amplitude to the interior. And just to finish our story, in another coincidence, the latest client to order the Pantanal 25 plans came exactly from the country where came our first order, to be more precise, from Perth, Western Australia, where the office is established now. Small world!!! Click here to know more about Pantanal 25 |
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| Kiribati 36 Green Nomad maiden trip. After 30 months of boat building we finally got under way yesterday, leaving Porto Alegre towards the city of Rio Grande, where Lagoa dos Patos meets the South Atlantic Ocean.
Celebrating the first sundowner at anchor This huge body of fresh water extends for 120 nautical miles from the mouth of the Guaiba Lake to the breakwaters in Rio Grande.
Marli enjoying the morning sun when approaching Tapes We will be taking easy and exploring the anchorages on the way. We are now anchored waiting for the passage of a coming front that will bring head winds from SW, and after it, we will move another step. Luis feeling his boat's rudder control for the first time under sail. The lifting swing keel and the shallow draught twin rudders allowed a much more pleasurable trip to Marli and Luis, allowing them to enter in shallow waters denied to fixed keel sailboats The news is that we tried our sails for the first time, even though we haven't the cockpit winches installed yet. We are sailing towards Tapes, in a close reach with a speed of seven knots, feeling no weather helm so far, the boat making a straight course. We are very pleased with Green Nomad's performance, especially when we remember that the main sail is just a given one from a larger boat that we had to cut to fit the Kiribati 36 sail plan.
Click here to know more about the Kiribati 36 |
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| MC 41Triunfo II and Samoa 35 Táta win the Refeno 2010 in their classes Triunfo II, a Multichine 41 skippered by João Jorge Peralta and Táta/Dag Construtora, a Samoa 35 belonging to the doctor José Luis Couto, won the most famous South Atlantic Ocean Race, the Recife to Fernando de Noronha Island Regatta, in their respective classes, steel yachts class A and RGS class D.
João Jorge Peralta working in his boat's navigation table Triunfo II took part in this race for the third time consecutively. However, according to his owner, the great reward he was really pursuing was not properly winning the race. For him, the true fulfillment of taking part in the event is something much more rewarding than just winning, and has different aspects: it is the 300 miles passage in tropical waters, most of the time followed by alluring dolphins playing antics alongside your boat; it is the emotion of watching Fernando de Noronha Island looming in the horizon and revealing to a stunned crew all its breathtaking beauty; it is calling at the emerald of the South Atlantic and being able to enjoy the pristine waters of its beaches, its underwater sanctuaries, its unspoiled nature and its history.
The MC41 interior is provided with two double berth private cabins, one in suite and an extra berth for a fifth crewmember. Even though this was the boat's first victory in the race, according to Mr. Peralta, this was just a secondary goal. However, nobody deserved more this prize then he did, so stern was his determination in building a good boat, and after the inauguration, for such intensive care in keeping her Bristol shape for ocean passages. After sailing thousands of miles for the purpose of competing in the race, as far as stepping on the highest place in podium at the prize-giving party, he was third time lucky. *** The other sailboat designed by B & G Yacht Design which won in its class was the Samoa 35 Táta/Dag Constructora. This yacht, however, differently from Triunfo II, is a racing machine with a long list of victories in her career. Despite being an amateur construction, and the design being from another vintage, the owner's performance-oriented mind ensured the lightest possible construction of her strip-plank sandwich hull. As a reward he produced a little rocket, the boat to be beaten in every single race he participated. José Luis also ordered us a custom designed cast lead racing fin-keel, instead of the cast iron standard keel of the stock-plan, which made his boat faster yet.
Táta/Dag Construtora sailing in the proximities of the City of Salvador, Brazil. Táta/Dag Construtora made an outstanding career in the racing course, winning practically all the local races in which she took part, the most popular of them, the Aratu-Margogipe, a regatta with the singularity of having half its course raced upstream a large river where small historic villages of outstanding beauty lay along its margins. Táta/Dag Construtora, was the winner in her class against twenty other competitors. The total number of participants surpassed two hundred yachts.
Táta leading a downwind leg in the August 2010 Aratu – Maragogipe race. José Luis sent us the following e-mail: We ordered a new inventory of sails, which we tried for the first time in the Aratu-Maragogipe Race, with plenty of success, beating the other twenty boats in our class, among them state of the art racing machines crewed by professionals. In short, we won in our class, also winning the first over all prize, achievements we toasted with great enthusiasm. I want to share the happiness we felt winning such a coveted prize with you from B & G Yacht design, for all the assistance you provided us during the construction and for the brilliant performance of the design. The September 7 we went sailing to Recife, three hundred miles north, to take part in the Recife to Fernando de Noronha Race, and, as we are already accustomed, the boat behaved magnificently, but this report will be left to another e-mail when we will have the result of our entry in the race. Knowing how fast Táta sails,it was no surprise that she was the winner in her class on the new race. Congratulations to our friend and his crew,
There are various MC41 already sailing, as is the case of the beatifull Kalugahe, belonging to Luis Massa, a sailor from the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Back to the Multichine 41 class, there is hot news coming soon, as the inauguration of the first unit of the class, in its swing keel version, built in aluminium. This boat is Bepaluhe, now in its last stages of construction at Ilha Sul Boatyard, from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Click here to know more about the Multichine 41 |
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| Samoa 28 Terrius goes for a ten days sail The Samoa 28 begins to show its face. This time is Bernardo Sampaio, the owner of Terrius, second Samoa 28 to be launched, the first in Brazilian waters, who tells us his first prolonged experience aboard, a ten days cruise along the north shore of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Ten days aboard Terrius. The first cruise we never forget. Bernardo sent us this e-mail: Hello my friends from B & G Yacht Design.
Terrius sailing close-hauled. Bearnado was really pleased with the boat's behaviour. His information is invaluable for us, since the Samoa 28 is a just born class. It is amazing how the boat sails smoothly as she gathers speed. We felt absolutely comfortable aboard when reaching in a fresh breeze. My wife didn't want to leave the boat when our holidays were over. I'm joining some photos we took when we went sailing after breakfast one of these days. I intend to get the photos our friends took from our boat when under way to send you too. Cheers Bernardo Sampaio
Terrius anchored in the proximities of Anchieta Island, State of São Paulo, Brazil. For about one year Sirius, the first Samoa 28 to be launched, was our only source of information about the boat's behaviour. Our friend, the Argentinean Daniel D'Angelo, has used intensively his Samoa 28 in the River Plate waters and beyond. The other day he told us he was participating in a local race, when another competitor, a series produced fibreglass hull, came in a collision course with Sirius, which had the right of the way. Despite a loud warning, a frontal collision was inevitable. The incident cost Sirius a few scratches only, while the other boat had its deck tore apart from the topsides from the bows to mid-section. At least as a gladiator Daniel D'Angelo was the winner that day. The Samoa 28 class is expected to bring us plenty of fresh news from now on, since the boats near completed being built in different places are many. Only in our links list we have three blogs written by Samoa 28 home-builders. (See in our links: Samoa 28 Caprichoso; Samoa 28 Furioso; Samoa 28 Baleia). These three boats are in about the same stage of construction. Recently their hulls were turned upside. Click here to know more about the Samoa 28 |
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| Samoa 34 Zait – A single-handed trip to Angra dos Reis During the late eighties our office started its activities at the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At that time the founders, Roberto Barros, his wife Eileen and their daughter, Astrid Barros, were fiercely decided in building a larger boat for the family to substitute their good old double ender Maitairoa, a sailboat of many adventures (see in our articles section: Maitairoa in the Falklands; an adventure in the Falklands with a happy ending). The boat we designed with the firm determination of building one for ourselves (we were straddling the fence between the Samoa 34 and the Cabot Horn 35) ended up becoming one of our most praised designs ever, the now renowned Samoa 34, which together with another cruising sailboat, the Cabo Horn 35, are our champions in sales for amateur or custom building. Since these designs were first introduced at the local market, in spite of our first Samoa 34 plan being sold to a Californian, it's quite natural that the first boats of these two classes having been built in Brazil. With the change of address from Rio de Janeiro to Perth, Western Australia, the tendency is that this scenario might change in the future, but up to now this is the reality. For bad luck, the dreamed Barros' family Samoa 34 was never built, but instead, the cheaper model MC28, was the boat that substituted the fantastic Maitairoa.
Even though we have no regret in changing our minds, nevertheless we followed with great interest the ascension of the Samoa 34 class, promoting the design regularly in our news section, being one of our latest news the canoe incursion along the Javaé and Araguaia rivers, two important Amazon tributaries, accomplished by Jayme Bubolz, a Samoa 34 home-builder. (See in our front-page: Samoa 34 home-builder goes for a canoe adventure) This time we are reporting fresh notes about the class, among them the e-mail Daniel Sequerra, one of the greatest supporters of the class, sent us about the trip aboard his Samoa 34 Zait he just completed. We had already reported other stories about Zait, so if you use to visit our site, you may already heard about this magnificent thirty-four footer. Daniel wrote:
I left Rio Saturday, September, 9 before dawn, sailing single-handed bound for Angra dos Reis, a tourist locality sixty miles west. Since there was no wind, I had to motor to reach the open sea, having the main hoisted just to reduce roll.
A few hours later it began to blow a northwester that in a snatch reached twenty-five knots. No sooner I saw that it had come to stay I unrolled the genoa. The wind might have looked too fresh for all that canvas, but I decided to leave the boat free to go. And that she did, and at what speed! Soon we reached 8.4 knots in the GPS. Zait resembled a torpedo. The boat didn't take into account the wind strenght, and, even though a bit heeled, never complained about steering a straight course towards our destination. For me it was no hassle in trimming the sails, despite all that wind. The boat is very stiff indeed! I reached Saco do Céu (Sky Haven in Portuguese; a cove so called because at night it uses to mirror the stars in the water's surface, so flat the place uses to be during the night lulls) before twilight. As soon as I was convinced that the anchor was holding firmly, I jumped into the water to cool down the blood. Coming back aboard, I lay down in the cockpit and collapsed… At about midnight I went to my dry and warm aft cabin, until, at 04.30 a.m., I woke up with the wind whispering in the rigging. I went out in a flash, but could see nothing, since the boat was enveloped in murkiness. I started the engine and hauled up the hook. For heaven's sake I'm exaggerated. My fifteen kilos Bruce, plus twenty metres of chain held beautifully, giving me the necessary peace of mind to set a way-point in the chart plotter for my final destination, the Angra dos Reis branch of Yacht Club Rio de Janeiro. Now I was sailing in a gale force cold front (35 knots or more in the gusts), and under my faithful auto-pilot I was carried smoothly to the mooring where the boat is going to stay from now on. When I was leaving Saco do Céu I saw two sailboats tethered alongside each other in a raft with one anchor only holding both boats. Some time later, having my VHF on, I listened to a may-day from the crew of these boats, since the anchor slipped and they ended up going aground. I was lucky to guide the Coast Guard to their actual position, and later I came to know that the boats were rescued practically unscathed. Once more my dear Zait didn't take into account heavy seas or stormy weathe. Congratulations to B & G Design team. That weekend the Samoa 34 stole the show. Cheers Daniel Sequerra (By e-mail) *** This note is about an amateur construction. Our characters are João Scuro and his wife Maria. João is a lawyer by trade and his wife, a civil servant. They owned a nice house in Sao Paulo, the largest Brazilian city. When they both retired, less than two years ago, they sold their house and changed address to Joinville, a burgeoning industrial town in Southern Brazil, where they built a modern shed, where they work all day long in their Samoa 34 Brasa (means cinder in Portuguese) and sleep in a room next to the shed. Their intention is to rent the shed as soon as they can live aboard and use that income in assisting them to finance the gipsy life they intend to live from then on.
For the neatness of their working area it becomes evident why they managed to produce such a high level craftsmanship. So far, so good, many would say! But have a look at what they are managing to build!!! Prejudice aside, we use to joke that some of our plans for amateur construction are even within the scope of lawyers to build them. We mistakenly imagine that those involved with communication and rhetoric speech are less acquainted with do-it-yourself activities. Can you believe this hull was constructed by a retired couple who never built a boat before? Then came João to disavow our premise. He and his wife made such a fantastic work that even a local technical school teacher took a whole class of pupils to show them how to produce first class craftsmanship in wood/epoxy construction. João didn't reveal where so much proficiency came from. It's flying around, however, that it might be Maria who exerts the quality control. What is unquestionable is that in a class where most boats are superbly well-built, their Samoa 34 will be second to none in the perfection of its finishing. Now that they are already building the interior, it will be thrilling to follow their progress. They deserve to be the happiest couple on earth for their accomplishment. The Scuros have plenty of reason to be proud of their work. *** A few weeks ago we wrote an article about the participation of three Cabo Horn 35 MKII yachts in the Recife to Fernando de Noronha Island Race, scheduled for September, 25, 2010. We mentioned then that the Samoa 34 rivals in the preference of our clients with the Cabo Horn 35 MKII class. We don't mind that the two designs are in a tie in the choice of our builders, leaving the dilemma of the decision of which boat to choose for them to solve. In this specific race the advantage belongs to the Cabo Horns, with three inscriptions, against only two Samoas. However, in the actual race the Samoas might have a leading edge, since they are racier than their counterparts. Nevertheless this is what counts least for us. What really counts is having five wood/epoxy yachts of that size taking part in the same competition, never mentioning the others built in plywood/epoxy, or of metallic construction. Since this event is one of the most enjoyable ocean races in the Southern Hemisphere, we wish to all owners of boats from our design that they have the time of their lives. One of these Samoas 34 is Luthier, another example of a first class construction accomplished by a couple of amateur builders. Dorival Gimemes is an electronic engineer who for many years lived in Arizona working for a multinational giant of the computer industry. When he retired he went to live in Campinas, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where in the garden of his house, together with his wife Catarina, built another Miss Universe of the Samoa 34 class. However Dorival had a small advantage over João Scuro. He is a luthier (violin maker) by hobby and for that matter his affinity with woodwork is in his blood.. The greatest similarity between the Scuros and the Gimenes is perhaps their female buddies, Catarina and Maria, with their obstinate purpose in attaining a high level in workmanship.
Luthier won the 2009 Recife to Fernando de Noronha Ocean Race in her class. Their owners had such a pleasant time on that occasion that they are back this year, with the challenge of confirming their good previous performance. Dorival and Catarina live aboard since she was launched almost two years ago, and they keep up-to-date a blog with link from us: www.veleiro.net/luthier/ . The blog is quite interesting. Dorival and Catarina alternate their entries each one giving his opinion about the same issue. We only regret that they don't make their articles in two languages, since their stories are very nice indeed. However as most of their cruising friends live in Brazil, it is more practical for them to write in Portuguese only.  Dorival and Catarina receiving the prize for their boat being the first in class during the 2009 Recife to Fernando de Noronha Race *** The other Samoa 34 that will be competing this year is Arandu. This boat, the first to be built according to the optional long trunk cabin, was launched in 2009 and this is her maiden long distance trip. Her owner, the aeronautic engineer Geraldo Macedo, is extremely pleased with his boat, and taking part in the race is an endeavour he nurtured since a long time. Geraldo works for Embraer, the Brazilian aeronautical industry, and, since he belongs to the commercial branch of the company, he travels to the four corners of the globe, and, on doing so, made many sailing friends from other countries. The first one he had the opportunity to invite for a weekend aboard, even though he owned a larger production boat in Belgium, became tremendously impressed by the good performance and comfort of the Samoa 34.
Arandu in a mooring in Angra dos Reis. Now she is going to add two thousand miles in her log-book. It is going to be exciting the match-race she will have to fight against Luthier Geraldo's daughter is enjoying to be crew aboard Arandu The Samoa 34 class is widespread by now with dozens of builders in three continents, some of them being constructed in exotic places, as is the case of our client Jayme Bubolz, who is building in his backyard which is crossed by a tributary of the Amazon. If you are building one of these boats and want to send us photos of your construction, we will consider publishing them in case you send together a small story about your experiences Click here to know more about the Samoa 34 |
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| Polar 50 will have a CNC cutting file set We are developing a CNC cutting file set for the aluminium metal work of the Polar 50 design, our polar expedition yacht with swing keel.
Despite being a true round bilge design, the CNC kit will allow the automatized cutting of all internal structure, deck, cabin, cockpit, skeg, rudder, keel, keel box and other details, leaving only the hull plating for manual fit and cut, as the doubly curved surface is not developable.
With this new kit we will have one more of our metallic construction designs offering this invaluable resource, in addition to the Kiribati 36 and Multichine 41
Click here to know more about the Polar 50 class |
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| Samoa 34 home-builder goes for a canoe adventure Our client Jayme Bubolz, a home-builder of the sailboat stock plan Samoa 34, is a chemical engineer who left the prosperous Southern Brazil to establish as a civil servant in the recently created State of Tocantins, located in the Central South American Plateau, a place where the typical savannah ecosystem of the central plains borders the Amazon forest. This region has its nature preserved like in ancient times, remaining almost untouched by modern civilization.
Jayme's backyard is the perfect place for an amateur construction. Presently he is preparing the bulkheads of his Samoa 34 for assemblage. Gurupi, State of Tocantins, Brazil When arriving in Gurupi, being a stranger where he would settle, he acquired a property which in the old times had been the most stylish brothel in town. He reckons that heaps of cattle heads and even farms might be buried there. Being a lover of cruising under sail, he decided to build the Samoa 34 in his home garden in the secluded area where he lives during his spare time. He is lucky enough to have an affluent of the Amazon meandering in his backyard with direct link to the sea, thousands of miles away, so, when he completes his work, all he will have to do after launching will be to drift his boat downstream until reaching the Amazon River estuary. However since life is not only dreaming with the enchantments of distant places praised in books and films, he wanted to profit from the opportunity of already living in one of these places.
This photo shows the Javaé River winding along the natural boundary of the jungle. To the right is the fringe of the Amazon forest. To the left begins the Brazilian central plateau savannah and meadowland (Bananal Island, the largest fresh water island in the world) However, while his sailboat isn't completed, Jayme decided to make, in the company of Leo and Eduardo, his two sons , an open canoe excursion along the Javaé and Araguaia, this last river being an important tributary of the Amazon. From their account of the adventure, we reckon their experience was something out of this world, an experience to be printed forever in their memories. We were absolutely fascinated by the description of their journey. What a privilege must have been witnessing the existence of such unspoiled region in the planet! Perhaps our friends and clients from the U.S., Canada and Europe may wish to follow their wake, and this report is intended to promote this suggestion. At any rate, we design cruising boats to take you to the most desirable cruising grounds, and this is a place that might stir your imagination. *** Even though Jayme is fond of the quiet local pace of life, he admits being fed up of having to listen to country music all the time, and waiting for the frogs to start their preachy croaking during the days after August first full moon, as they did for ages, and will continue doing so if the Mayan prophecy of the end of the world in 2012 isn't to come true.
The long and beautiful trail. This will be our typical scenery for the next ten days. Human nature being permanently unsettled, what really counts according to Jayme isn't arriving at your planned destination, but continuously going ahead in order to have a look at what's hidden beyond the horizon.
Jayme (to the left) and Leo enjoy supper at the first camping site. The paraffin Primus pressure stove is identical to the ones used by Amundsen and Schackleton in 1911/1912
The second day of the journey started from this heavenly nook The report he sent us about the canoe expedition is pure adrenalin, and the gallery of photos attached are enough to let any cruising enthusiast with his mouth watering. Actually a cruising sailboat is just the tool to carry you to your endeavour. Notwithstanding, on many occasions you would rather leave your boat stationed in a safe haven or marina and extend your travel employing another type of craft more appropriate for the purpose, which may be your inflatable, in case of short distance gunk-holing, or yet, either kayaks, for leapfrog traveling, or canoes, for longer distance journeys, when camping for the night is required.
Alone in the savage water-world Going downstream an Amazon River tributary is an amazing experience. The digital photos will help keeping the adventure forever engraved in our memories. With the employment of two canoes instead o a larger one, the captures became more illustrative, saving for posterity the best scenes of the passage. Following is Jayme's description of the expedition: While not being able to sail in salt water, I must find a way of enjoying life with the wonders our backyard has to offer us. From the first to the tenth of July, I and my two sons, Leonardo and Eduardo, had a ball going in a canoe safari exploring the nearby rivers Javaé and Araguaia. We roamed for 230km (125 nautical miles) downstream, starting at “Barreira da Cruz” (Lagoa da Confusão County), reaching the Araguaia at a locality called Caseara, ten days later. We traveled along the west margin of the Cantão Natural Reserve, visiting places of stunning beauty, with a profusion of white-sanded deserted beaches, where wildlife was a stone throw away from us; fish was plentiful, with human presence almost inexistent. For four days consecutively we didn't find a single soul! During these days we came to know things that we ignored, like discovering a five stars tourist resort encrusted in the jungle. However, we felt so lonely that we only came to know the winner of the match Brazil x Holland of the world cup three days after the venue was over.
In six of the seven camping sites we saw jaguar trail foot prints Being bitten by the sailing bug, we couldn't restrain our wish to providing some sort of sail propulsion for the canoes, which we managed to do with a satin rag we found among our stuffs, profiting from then on from the morning breezes to improve our speed.
We made a makeshift sail with a satin rag, a welcome assistance when the wind was favourable The trip lasted for ten days, seven of them paddling and sailing, and the other three just loafing, angling and drinking tots of white lightning, our favourite tipple.
This catch was intended for lunch; however ended up becoming supper,…hic…hic The first day's run was quite stressing. We were on the brink of a nervous break-down caused by the weariness of preparation, a forecast of wind storms, and a certain apprehension of camping in places where jaguars reigned. To crown it all Eduardo had a bout of yellow fever and we had to medicate him. After the third day we were already acquainted with the imponderable, and soon our self-confidence was reestablished.
This tiny two metres long aligator (Melanossuchus Niger) followed us for a while. The species can reach one hundred years of age and is capable of surpassing six metres in lenght We were astonished by the incredible amount of fish, otters and fresh water dolphins. We were lucky enough to be able to sight a rare example of pink dolphin. For two long days we were followed by one of these mammals, and since catching fishes was so easy, we fed it with our own hands.
We were presented with gloamings of rare beauty. In late afternoons we progressed faster due to the lull of the land breeze On late afternoons, when the choppy waters settled with the wind relenting, was when we progressed most. Our average runs were around thirty-five kilometers (approximately nineteen nautical miles).
The Cherokee canoes proved to be worthy for the task, being able to carry an impressive payload. There was no chance of feeling protein starved so easy it was to catch a nice fish for dinner. We virtually had a larder following the path of our canoes. All we had to do was to throw the lure and bring the catch aboard.
Gator race… Watching the local fauna from afar was a constant experience during the days we glided downstream. Large birds flying in couples sometimes landed on tree branches not far from our camping sites, fascinating us with their boisterous shrieks.
We saw many birds typical of the Central Plateau. This fowl, the red-chested jacu is an early riser. It started crowing way before dawn, waking us up for the next stretch
Whoops!!! Leo felt like an angling champion There are nowadays few places left untouched by civilization as the thresholds of the Amazon forest. We felt privileged being able to visit it. The diversity of species is so rich that what we wish most is that the area remains like it is now, being preserved for the next generations as a sanctuary. The “onça pintada”, the South American Jaguar, is one of the dwellers of this habitat. We were lucky enough to have a glance at them from the distance, being pretty sure they watched us all the time
I only managed to see one of these pretty girls from the distance at the other margin of the Javaé River. Nevertheless, even though they were concealed, I'm quite sure that they watched us all the time. They are beautiful… and ravenous. The guess-work is that there are 2.35 jaguars for each ten thousand square metres in the State Park of Cantão Finally we reached the Araguaia River and our journey was coming to an end. We were sorry that the expedition was over. On the tenth day we reached the first settlement since we left, Barreira do Campo, in Santana do Araguaia District. Now the river was so large that in some places we had glimpses of the gibbous horizon of the earth.
Enjoying the last evening away from civilization. Soon we would be back to the rat race. The “mate” bowl is the Gaucho's faithful companion. The first day brought us a mixture of exhilaration and apprehension. However at the end of the journey we felt like if that was our world. Our canoes proved to be excellent and we learned we could survive with our own resources. Sometimes we fished beyond our needs, and when catching a rare species we turned it back to its element.
Pirarara is a praised fish delicacy. However with the abundant catches we were experiencing, we rather freed this one, saving it for another occasion
Before freeing the pirarara Leo gave it a good luck kiss The trip was coming to an end but our imagination was breaking loose. Before we reached the settlement an empty thatched roof hut with two hammocks set to be occupied by whoever came there loomed before us. With all that fish in the river, Leo's guitar and those gorgeous gloamings, why not stay in that very place forever? But then we remembered that we wanted to know what was hidden besides the horizon in front and for that purpose the Samoa 34 construction was there to be concluded.
A hut, the hammocks, the river, what else should we want more? Perhaps, who knows, Leo's guitar. Jayme Bubolz is a good friend of ours and he is a participant in our forum. Since he is a lover of adventures above all other things, we are pretty sure that if you have an affinity with his way of life and would like to contact him, he will welcome you. His e-mail is: jabgpi@yahoo.com.br .
Barreira do Campo, Santana do Araguaia District. I could live here forever if it was salt water. Who knows if Mangue Seco in the Brazilian northeast coast could be the paradise on earth. The neighbour's lawn is always greener!!! Click here to know more about the Samoa 34 class |
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| Cabo Horns 35 boats join in an ocean race The Cabo Horn 35 class, one of the most successful designs in our office's career, after more than twenty years of existence keeps brimming over with alacrity. This September three of these boats will participate on the traditional three-hundred miles Recife to Fernando de Noronha Island Ocean Race. They are Stella Maris, owned by Roberto Kivitis Nogueira, from Alagoas, Brazil, Marcelo Balbo's Thalassa, from Ilha Bela, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the most famous member of the class, the legendary Utopia, now belonging to Manrico D'Alessandro, from Florianopolis, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. To crown the participation of boats from our design in this magic race to one of the most beautiful ocean islands in the South Atlantic, this year we will have no less than sixteen yachts in the competition, some of them authentic icons in the yachting regional scene, as is the case of Utopia (see in Cabo Horn 35 home page – club - “Marco Cianfflone's Utopia round the world trip”), and Amyr Klink's laureate fifty-foot polar yacht Paratti II, the first boat to sail single-handed non-stop around Antarctica, and to winter alone in that frozen continent, for those achievements being awarded the coveted Royal Cruising Club of England “Tillman's Prize”, besides being commended with a Brazilian Mail stamp. “Paratii Between Two Poles” and “The Endless Sea”, the books he wrote relating those feats, were best-sellers published in various languages, having sold more than one million copies worldwide. We are still going to report about Paratii II and the other yachts from our design taking part in the race, but for the time being the three home-built Cabo Horns 35 are the boats we would like to praise in this article.
Paratii II will be competing in the 2010 Recife to Fernando de Noronha Race. Many clients of ours tell us they nurture long time dreams of taking part in the Recife to Fernando de Noronha Race, perhaps this being the reason for the steady increase, year after year, in the number of our boats in the competition. Since the island is a national park with a fragile ecosystem, the maximum number of participants is limited to one-hundred sixty yachts from any nationality. So, having 10% of the fleet representing boats from our office is quite an impressive number.
Cabo Horn 35 interior layout. The most “off-road” of our cruising designs The race being an event where what counts most is to be there, wining in each class simply represents an extra bonus. It becomes evident in the minds of participants that boats specifically designed for cruising offshore have a clear edge over “off-the-shelf” production yachts, which are mainly intended for club racing and weekend short-distance sailing. It is frequently commented in the verandahs that taking part in the Recife to Fernando de Noronha Race is a life-time accomplishment for production yacht owners, while it is a not to be missed annual event for those who own a proper offshore cruising boat. The race attractions are many, beginning with the warm welcome typical of the Brazilian way of life from the part of Cabanga Yacht Club, the sponsoring club, when a fortnight preceding the race there are live shows to be seen or parties to be enjoyed up to late evenings. The arrival in the lush and green paradise of Fernando de Noronha, where crews have at their disposal heaps of different social events and diving attractions to highlight their stay, having the prize-awarding party as the grand finale, is no less enjoyable.
Fernando de Noronha, being a national park, is yet unspoiled by heavy tourism Most probably this is the prevailing factor for the captains of our line of authentic cruising sailboats wanting to be there year after year. In this case owners find their boats the most adapted to live aboard and to endure the long round trip to reach Recife, added by the twice 300 miles run to reach the island and be back to the continent. Aboard a Cabo Horn 35 you don't need to get stressed when you are on watch. With its pilot house boasting internal steering and excellent visibility 360° around, you can be on watch seating in the pilot chair, having only to stand up to reach the fridge for an ice-cold beer
The racing fleet stays anchored in the leeward side of the island close to the yacht harbour. This belvedere is one of the many the island has to offer to its visitors The competitors of the class in this year's event have in common their construction sagas. The three of them are amateur constructions accomplished with a very high level of workmanship, resulting in outstanding yachts. Being three boats from the same stock-plan, their owners might apply to obtain from the racing committee the status of class with exclusive prizes for them. At least this had been the rule in previous races.
Stella Maris is a home-built Cabo Horn 35, constructed by her owner, Roberto Kivitis Nogueira, in Maceió, State of Alagoas, Northeast Brazil Stella Maris was built by her owner, Roberto Kivitis Nogueira, in a shed belonging to him, in Maceió, Alagoas. Roberto, had never built a boat before, never mentioning a fixed keel offshore yacht intended for a round the world trip. As a start point in Roberto's intentions is an Atlantic crossing by the roaring forties from Maceió, his home-town to Cape Town in South Africa (see the article about Stella Maris in the Cabo Horn 35 home page published by “The Alagoan Gazette: Roberto Nogueira builds a Cape Horn 35 for a round the world trip), being left to the long run the so cherished circumnavigation. Meanwhile, while his professional activities as a civil engineer don't allow him the spare time for staying out for so long, he is being satisfied with his annual cruising schedule along the Brazilian coast, culminating with the entry in the Recife to Fernando de Noronha race. The boat is unquestionably very well prepared for any challenge in an ocean passage, and if the intended overseas voyage didn't happen yet, at least his boat has already an impressive number of miles sailed since her launching in 2004. In one of the races to Fernando de Noronha our office had obtained the record of participants of boats from our design, and Stella Maris was one of them.
Roberto Kivitis Nogueira (with white cap) receiving from Roberto Barros the commemorative plaque for being one of the twelve skippers of boats designed by the office on that race. With the studio change of address to Perth, Western Australia, unfortunately this year the new record can't be commemorated as deserved To toast the achievement B & G Yacht Design, then Roberto Barros Yacht Design, offered a lunch party at the town of Recife for all crewmembers of our fleet, when was offered to each of the twelve captains a commemorative plaque of the event, Roberto Kivitis Nogueira being one of the skippers honoured. This season the new record can not be commemorated accordingly, since there will be no representative of the office in Recife, but what really counts is the fact that Stella Maris is in Bristol shape, ready for accomplishing any new challenge.
Thalassa is a Cabo Horn 35 extremelly well built by two totally inexperienced amateurs, Álvaro Brant de Carvalho and his father, João Brant de Carvalho, in the workshop of their farm in the interior of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Thalassa is a good example of boats belonging to the Cabo Horn 35 class. She is so well built and well finished that “Revista Náutica”, the most important Brazilian yacht magazine, just published an article about her. Marcelo Balbo, the new owner, is so much infatuated with his boat that he made a site/blog just to tell in detail every step about her wanderings (see in our links page – Cabo Horn 35 Thalassa).
Thalassa's saloon matches the coziness of varnished wood with white upholstery We are going to follow his blog with special interest, since it is expected from any Cabo Horn 35owner to get itchy feet as he discovers the pleasures of sailing offshore aboard one of these boats.
Utopia is the best known Cabo Horn 35. In her currículum is included a round the world trip and the fact that she survived a fierce hurricane in Saint Martin and a devastating tsunami in Pucket, Thailand. What is flying around about the Cabo Horn Utopia is that she is the boat with seven lives. Her full story is a thrilling book of stunning adventures. She was built by Fausto Pignaton, an amateur who made his living making surfboards in a workshop in Guarapari, a small town in the Brazilian east shore. Soon after being launched her owner departed bound for the West Indies, even though he had no previous experience in sailing offshore. Since he was sailing in a very limited budget, he had to do some charter work to be able to keep the cost of his trip under control. After spending a whole season successfully sailing among the Windward Islands, with the approach of the hurricane season he picked the lagoon inside the island of Saint Martin as the haven where he would stay. It happens that, in spite of that island having been spared of any major tropical cyclones in previous years, that time it was hit by the fiercest hurricane ever, the infamous Louis. In a fleet of more than nine hundred yachts, eighty survived, even though no one unscathed, being his boat one of the less affected. What made the difference was Fausto's courage, refusing to leave his boat, going against a warning issued by the authorities for crews not staying aboard. When he saw a catamaran flying upside-down not far from Utopia's mast top, in seeing a huge steel yacht coming adrift in his boat direction, he let the anchor rod go and from then on assisted the boat to go aground in a mangrove patch. This measure saved his boat and probably his life too. To perform the maneuver he left the relatively comfortable shelter of the pilot-house wearing a pair of shorts, but had to recede, since the shorts' cloth inflated like a balloon, obliging him to quickly undress, proceeding forwards entirely naked, wielding a boat-hook in one of his hands, as if he was old Neptune himself, emerging from the deep. When the hurricane abated, Fausto had only minor scratches to fix in his boat, mainly the tip of the rudder. In two weeks the boat was ship-shape, ready for the intended return trip to Brazil. This he had done single-handed, sailing non-stop from Saint-Martin to Fernando de Noronha, most of the time close-hauled, making the whole passage in twenty-one days. Back in his country, Fausto soon became a celebrity, being invited for T.V. interviews and having his saga being published by the most important local yachting magazines. His boat became object of desire, and in a blink it fell in the hands of another owner, the helicopter pilot Marco Cianflonne. Marco, an adventurer by heart, wanted this Cabo Horn 35 to accomplish a round the world trip single handed, and this was what he managed to do in great style. If a cat has seven lives, we don't know to say how many this fantastic boat has. During his round the world voyage, Marco hit a rock at full speed in Indonesia, was caught in the terrible tsunami that devastated Thailand, had been attacked by whales in the South Atlantic and arrived in his country unscathed. The report about this trip you can read in the Cabo Horn 35 home-page, CLUB, an extract from an article he wrote for an important magazine. In 2010 Utopia is as good as new, even though she can still show the signs of the mishaps she had endured. Now, in the hands of a third owner, Manrico D'Alessandro, she is ready for taking part in the Recife to Fernando de Noronha, 2010 edition and beyond.
Utopia anchored in the lagoon of a South Pacific island. click here to know more about the Cabo Horn 35MKII |
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| Virtual step by step slide show from the assembly of a Kiribati 36 metal work will help builders Taking advantage that the Kiribati 36 design was created using state of the art 3D computer modeling, B&G Yacht Design is making available a step by step virtual slide show from the assembly of a Kiribati 36 metal work, with the parts added in the suggested order.
This will come to help possible builders to evaluate the magnitude of the task at hand and help them decide if this Project is for them. In another fact related to this design, it is already in progress the development of a fixed keel version, which will make use of the already proven appendages that are found in the Multichine 34/36 series.
Green Nomad has its rig now This will confer to the design a more universal appeal, with it becoming available to a range of sailors that do not need extra low draft and prefer the simplicity and lower building costs of a fixed keel boat.
Green Nomad´s interior nearly complete The concepts of simple systems, ruggedness, panoramic view from inside the cabin and several others linked to the Kiribati 36 appeal to a big range of sailors, and the incorporation of a fixed keel version will be a great plus for the design. To see the full assembly slide show and know more about the Kiribati 36 Click here |
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Multichine 28 Atairu: a dream come true Our client Antonio Piqueres is the happy owner of the Multichine 28 Atairu. He and his wife Ivana are having the time of their lives cruising with their brand new boat the shallow swamps that surround Lagoa dos Patos, the interior sea in Southern Brazil, with its innumerous creeks where wild life swarms, and where human occupation is almost nonexistent, representing no threat to the environment.
Ivana jumped ashore to take this photo not having to wet her feet We regularly report Multichine 28 stories in our news section, some of them informing about single-handed offshore passages, as was the case with Flavio Bezerra's Access and Roberto Barros log book entries of his former yacht Fiu, presently Stella di Fioravante, now belonging to the Brazilian/Canadian engineer Roberto Roque, a resident in Calgary, Canada, who is also a contributor in our adventures section; in other articles we had pointed out how cozy the MC 28 can be below decks, with the appealing warm-feeling interiors of some of them, as was the case with the article: “Multichine 28 Ayti stunning good looks”, or yet, about the same Atairu when she was launched. However this is the first time we praise the design's shallow draught cruising potential.
Atairu is stationed at the Jangadeiros Yacht Club, Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. The beauty of this feature in the project is that there is no movable appendage, just a cruising version of a bulbous fin-keel, so efficient in offshore passages that our clients forget the fact they are sailing a relatively shallow draught yacht, having only good references about its behavior. Mentioning the scant 1.55m (5'1”) draught of their boats is only reason for satisfaction, especially for the fact that despite being an affordable boat to be built, the MC 28 is Category A according to the European Union regulations for offshore mono-hull sailboats, an accomplishment seldom found in yachts of similar size. Perhaps these might be the reason hidden in the subconscious of our builders for the MC 28 being so popular among the cruising communities where boats of the class are already sailing. Click here to know more about the Multichine 28 |
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| Curruira 42, a trawler with style and comfort Since its introduction the Curruira 42 stock plan has deserved small attention from our part in promoting it in our site. You would only find it when browsing our list of stock plans in the trawlers and motor yachts section. This treatment was unfair with this outstanding mid-sized trawler which has been reason of curiosity by those who found her hidden in a secondary home-page. It is not easy for us promoting with equal footing our more than fifty stock plans, so we need to do it one each time. We use to high-light a design when the first boat of the class is nearing completion, and this is exactly the case now with the Curruira 42. The first unit is in its last stages of construction at FLAB Boatyard, from Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil, www.flab.com.br, and now we believe to be the right moment to turn the spotlights towards this design. Let's tell something about the story of this relatively new project:  Curruira 42 wishful dreams. Rendered figure: www.ideebr.com. Since a long time we had the intention of designing a motor yacht of affordable cost, remotely resembling a small tramp ship of classic lines, much in the same style of Humphrey Bogart's old Hollywood films. When we received an enquiry about a boat like that, instead of informing that we had only the intention of producing a design with these characteristics, we didn't hesitate in offering the Curruira 42 to this potential client (curruira is the name of lovely South American little bird) as a stock plan, never minding to still having to develop the whole design from scratch.
Fantasy and reality are coming together. Rendered figure: www.ideebr.com. Our first client, Nico Araujo, is a medical doctor who lives in one of the most beautiful regions of the Brazilian shoreline, the coast of the state of Bahia, more precisely, Camamu Bay, a lush and green tropical paradise that seems not to be totally discovered by jet-setters yet. Nico intends to live aboard and do some social practicing, assisting the less favoured communities of fishermen around the bay offering them non-remunerated health support. He also intends to cruise with his little ship, perhaps bound for the Caribbean.
The interior has two variations of layout to contemplate larger or smaller families. This is the three cabins, two heads version. Rendered image: www.ideebr.com
Many retired couples have preference for a stateroom of larger proportions. The Curruira 42 was designed to be built in plywood over wooden frames and sheathed on the outside by a thick layer of fiberglass. This building method is very simple, and even though it requires more labor to be accomplished than laminating inside a female mould, it is more recommended for the amateur, or the non-specialized carpenter, not mentioning it isn't required to build an expensive female mould. Besides, it provides a light boat for its strength, immensely durable, possessing the best virtues of fiberglass construction and the warmth of a wooden interior. It is in the specifications that the whole interior surface be impregnated with two coats of epoxy resin. She is also specified for steel construction. Building in steel is something within the reach of many persons who are more familiar with metallic construction than with wood-work. Besides, steel is a material easily available anywhere and the equipment to process it is common place to be found in any country. For these people with inclination to deal with metallic work we specified hull and superstructure to be built with this raw material We opted for a displacement hull with long cruising range (about two thousand miles) proportioning great savings in engine cost and fuel consumption. With one or two engines options and allowing up to two 125Hp inboard engines installation, the Curruira 42 reaches 10 knots at full speed.
Curruira 42 details unveiled. Rendered figure: www.ideebr.com. Hybrid propulsion with electric drive mode coupled to the explosion engine is also a possibility. Installing the environment friendly hybrid solution is a break-trough in boat propulsion technology. Its adoption brings several advantages, like dispensing another generator for other on board equipments, considering that the electric motor generates electricity when being propelled by the diesel engine, besides ensuring silent, pollution-free, propulsion at low speed when employing the electric motor. The plans for hybrid installation are optional and can be customized for the engine chosen. The adaptation, however, is quite simple and straightforward and there is sufficient space at the engine room for its installation. Click here to know more about the Curruira 42 |
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| Samoa 34 Arandu We designed the Samoa 34, initially Samoa 33, during the nineties, when our office still operated in Rio de Janeiro Downtown, years before moving the office to Perth, Western Australia. Our champions of sale at that time were the Samoa 29, now discontinued, and the MC28, two easy to build and relatively cheap sailboats, both at the reach of an amateur builder and equally fit for living aboard, or to accomplish the most ambitious offshore voyaging plan, even a round the world trip, if wanted. This decision had already been taken by two Samoa 29 owners who sailed round the globe in flawless trips reported in our news a few years ago. A reference to these two trips is made in our Hall of Fame list: Samoa 29 Jornal and Samoa 29 Hypocampus. The MC28 Class, being younger, hasn't accomplishments of same footing yet, being Access the farthest going representative of the model, having her owner and amateur builder, Flavio Bezerra, sailed single-handed from Rio de Janeiro to the West Indies, where he stayed for two years and now is planning crossing the Panama Canal and travelling around the Pacific.
Arandu and Soneca, (means nap in Portuguese),two Samoas 34 sharing the same anchorage. The design contemplates two cabin trunk styles as shown above In spite of the success of these two designs, our team was interested in developing a new project, also within the reach of the amateur, but turned towards another profile of yachtsman, one with a bit more resources and wishing something larger with more room to live aboard. It is understandable that for each purse there is an optimum size of boat. Actually, when designing the Samoa 34 we had the north hemisphere community in mind, since Americans and Europeans who venture offshore are more acquainted with yachts from thirty-four foot up. Obviously we were conscious about the little chance of somebody picking a design for later considering the boat too small for his needs. At the very beginning our prevision was correct. The first person to acquire the new plan was a young man from the State of Arizona who was wiling to sail the Pacific. He liked the design flush deck which allowed him to lash his surfboard to the life-line stanchions without obstructing the traffic forward. However, we have been surprised with the interest for the model in South America, where we had smaller hopes of success. In a very short time after the introduction of the plans we were being invited for a sail aboard Camino, the first boat of the class (then Samoa 33) to be launched. Perhaps for the good impression this boat raised among the sailing community, the class never stopped growing locally.
Arandu's cockpit shimmered by a paraffin lamp. A good occasion for a happy hour Only recently we began to find supporters for the class in the north countries market we had envisaged initially, while heaps of Samoas 34 were being built in most parts of Brazil, from the Amazon forest to the cold climate southern states of the country. We reckon the initial small interest for the design was due to lack of knowledge about the project, while our smaller models which we believed had less chances of sales overseas, the MC28 and the Samoa 28, the boat that substituted the Samoa 29, were surprisingly very well accepted by cruising sailors in northern countries. However as soon as the Samoa 34 became better known abroad, the situation began to change, and now we have quite a few Samoas34 being built overseas. One of the most recent articles published in our news referred exactly to the Samoa 34 class: the report of Luthier, the Samoa 34 that won the three-hundred miles Recife to Fernando de Noronha offshore race, perhaps the most important event in the South Atlantic, being the first to cross the line in its class. Soon after publishing this article, however, we received an e-mail from the owner of another Samoa 34 which had been launched a few weeks before, belonging to the aeronautical engineer Geraldo Macedo, from Sao Jose dos Campos, State of Sao Paulo. The fact that Geraldo is an engineer and an air force fighter pilot gives him credential for rating the merits of the design, considering sailboats having some affinities with aeronautical technologies.
The Samoa 34 saloon is very cozy. The prolonged version of the cabin trunk enhances the sensation of spaciousness and improves headroom forward. There are two versions for the cabin's trunk: the original all windowed pilot-house style small cabin abaft the mast with a huge flush-deck forward and the prolonged trunk reaching the fore compartment, which is Arandu's option.
The Belgian guest considered the comfort of Arandu's galley comparable to his forty-one footer. We had aboard with us a Belgian yachtsman who owns a Dufour 41 in his country. He found Arandu's performanceoutstanding, considering she is such a strong cruising boat. With brand new racing oriented set of sails her performance close-hauled was comparable to that of an offshore racer. He also considered the steering control of the rudder stunning, with instant response to helmsman's demand; something aeronautical engineers know how to appreciate. When under engine the boat practically pivots in its axis, bliss on those tight marinas, like Pirata's Mall in Angra dos Reis.
Arandu anchored in Ilha Grande during the first cruise after being launched. We are stationed at Refugio das Caravelas Marina, in Paraty, and you will be always very welcome aboard if you happen to rove in that direction. I spend quite a few days weekly there, going back to my town, São José dos Campos, at least once a week, since I didn't manage to retire and my family isn't totally adapted to living aboard yet.
The first gallery of photos shows Arandu after having the upholstery installed and the sails stored aboard. Saco da Ribeira Bay, State of Sao Paulo Geraldo Macedo *** The reason for so many builders, amateurs and professionals alike, being able to construct such good examples of boats of the class must reside in the simplicity and linearity of its building method. We discovered during our long career of designing boats for one-off construction that the path to success is directly related to the friendliness of the initial phases of the construction, which shouldn't be too demanding not to let the work become irksome. There is not even one builder that feels ill at easy in laminating twelve pairs of cold moulded frames, and later laying strips over them to plank the hull. Once we specify making rings at each station, consisting of frames, superstructure beams and plywood transverse furniture walls, when the hull is sheathed and turned over, the rest of the construction is too linear to represent any real difficulty. To award the efforts of our clients we at B & G Yacht Design like to report their stories whenever they send us good photos of their construction. Since there are many being constructed presently, you may expect to find other articles about the class in the near future. Boats built in strip-planking over cold moulded frames are immensely durable, and structurally speaking, veritable battleships. Our clients are so pleased with the result of their constructions that it hasn't been uncommon that as soon their boats are launched they shift aboard to live with their families. These happy owners are our most important publicity.
Rodrigo Ferher is a physicist from Sao Paulo, Brazil. His Samoa 34 Tanpopo was built by Flab Boatyards, at Campinas, State of São Paulo, www.flab.com.br, a highly recommended boat builder. His boat is already sailing since a few years and he exchanged his activity as a scientist for that of a charter skipper. If you are interested in being acquainted with the Samoa 34 design and would like to charter Tanpopo, his site is: http://tanpopo.com.br. Rodrigo speaks fluent English.
Arutana Corberio is a retired judge at the high court in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. After retirement he substituted his highly intellectual activity for the handwork of building his dreamed sailboat.
This Samoa 34 is being built by the retired lawyer João Scuro, and his wife, Maria, all by themselves, at the city of Joinville, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. They are applying two pairs of strips daily and intend to finish their boat sometime in 2010. The quality of their work is superb
Daniel Sequerra and his wife Diana always dreamed with having a wooden boat. Daniel's father had owned a classic Sparkman Stephens yacht, the pride of the family, and when Daniel learned about the Samoa 34 design, he decided that the time had come to make his family dream come true. Now Zait is already sailing and is the family's new pride. Zait, like Tanpopo, is a Flab Boatyard construction.
Mauricio and Marcia Iasi are young doctors who live a very demanding life as surgeons in a huge hospital at the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Building the Samoa 34 is their day-off therapy to counter-balance their stressing professional career. They intend to travel overseas with their Samoa 34 as soon as they finish building her
Libertad is a Samoa 34 built by Franzen Boatyard, www.estaleirofranzen.com.br from Curitiba, the capital of the State of Parana, Brazil. This boat is already sailing since a long time and her owner is absolutely delighted with her performance and interior comfort. Zilmar Franzen is referred in the list of boatyards that work with our designs and is a good option for those that would like to have a Samoa 34 but don't have the possibility to build it.
Luthier is a Samoa 34 entirely built by their owners, the electronic engineer Dorival Gimenes and his wife Catarina in their home garden at Campinas, a town in the State of São Paulo. We already published two stories about this amateur construction in our news: “Luthier, the wind calls the tune”, and more recently, still one of the top stories in our site front-page: “Samoa 34 Luthier wins offshore race”. Click here to know more about the Samoa 34 |
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| Multichine 41 SK now available as a pre-cut kit For those who are interested in the Multichine 41 SK design, a blue water cruising yacht of superb performance and seaworthiness, the great news are that B & G Yacht Design ( Roberto Barros Yacht Design ) now offers a complete set of cutting files that will allow a builder to pre-cut nearly 100% of the aluminium parts.
The cutting files cover all areas of the metal work such as keel, keel bearing, rudder as well as all of the framing, internal structure, tanks, hull, deck, cabin and cockpit plating.
The first hull being built from the complete set of cutting files, Bepaluhê, from our friend and customer Paulo Ayrosa, is already well advanced as seen above in Ilha Sul Construções Náuticas boatyard, from Porto Alegre, Brazil. The level of accuracy, quality and productivity that can be achieved with a pre-cut kit is hard to beat when compared with conventional construction methods.
All structure has been modelled in 3D The cutting files are available for aluminium construction and include 391 parts of varied sizes, from a few millimetres to 3.5 metres.
Swing Keel structure With the set of cutting files a boatyard can have the framing ready and aligned in less than a couple of weeks, ready for plating, and the complete hull can be completed in a record breaking time frame.
All frames have alignment holes, making it easy to assemble the structure and level it.
Typical detail of a frame showing the alignment hole to the left and a positive, no slip, positioning division between parts. Now this design can be even more attractive to professional builders as well as to amateurs that enjoy tackling a good challenge.
This design is well suited to be the voyaging home for a couple and kids, with enough accommodation and load carrying capabilities for long periods at sea or in remote locations.
Paulo and Beth visit their future voyaging home The cutting files for the Multichine 41 SK and also for the fixed keel version, Multichine 41, can be ordered in 3 separate parts, depending on need and construction phase. It is divided in: Kit 1 - Frames, hull plating and internal structure, including tankage Kit 1 costs AUD 1600 ( One Thousand Six Hundred Australian Dollars ), kit 2 AUD 1100 ( One Thousand OneHundred Australian Dollars ) and kit 3 AUD 850 ( Eight Hundred and Fifty Australian Dollars ). For direct contact with our Engineer specialized in CNC cutting files the email is luisdesenhos@gmail.com. To email our office use info@yachtdesign.com.au. Click here to know more about the Multichine 41 SK design. |
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Samoa 34 Luthier wins offshore race We received an e-mail from Dorival Gimenes, an amateur who built the Samoa 34 Luthier in the backyard of his house in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, almost unassisted. Just after the boat was completed and launched he changed his address for the boat and went to live aboard with his wife Catarina. The couple and the boat are in their maiden cruising voyage up the Brazilian coast. They planned a trip to the northeast of Brazil with the intention of participating in the 2009 Recife to Fernando de Noronha (REFENO) Regatta. The e-mail tells some details of this story: Dear friends designers of the Samoa 34. Luthier is a really fast cruising sailboat and you can be proud of having designed her. Since December 2008 when the boat was launched she has been giving us lots of happiness and good results. We won the REFENO 2009 in our class, Open B, and we have been calling at many wonderful and worth visiting places in the Brazilian coast. We have published our sailing experiences in our blog at the website www.veleiro.ner (blog.veleiro.net) administered by the captain of the yacht Yahgan, a Cape Horn 35, built more than 15 yeas ago, a boat which sails smoothly, looking as new as Luthier. These two boats are proof that their building method, strip planking, is very strong and appropriate for amateur construction. However, it is not only that; during our trip we met a large number of MCs made in steel, home built Samoas 29 , plywood/epoxy MCs28, series produced Aladins, etc. We encountered a very well built MC28, made by her owner, a deep water diving master from Vitória, state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. We also met many yachts from your office built by professional boatyards.
Getting ready for the REFENO 2009 start flag. At each place we go Luthier attracts attention. Whenever we say we built her, people look at the hull hardly believing it, and usually come the same questions: is she really wooden? And then we go again, showing the boat, the pictures of the construction, and they look at everything with perplexity. Then they start asking about how long it took for the construction, costs, difficulties, and so on, and finally, if my wife agrees in having to live aboard.
Luthier sailing close-hauled For the duration of the construction, costs and difficulties, I have some answers, and I suggest them to look at your website and others as reference. About my wife, I say that she helped in the construction and that she loves our baby, as she calls Luthier. People say boats have soul, and I believe in that. Luthier is restless, doesn't like to stay lashed to a pier, preferring moorings, or to be anchored, but what she likes most is to be sailing. Cruising with Luthier is very comfortable. Our average speed is about 6 knots, and depending on the sea state and weather conditions, we can sail easily at seven knots without stressing the equipment. With sails properly trimmed the rudder is so light that the autopilot requires very little energy to steer the boat. Many of the cruising people we met said that it is a typical characteristic of yours designs.
Even being home for Dorival and Catarina, Luthier is very fast for a 34 foot cruising boat. To build a boat and go away cruising is a worthy experience. Even if only for short-lasting trips, or living aboard on weekends, it is very rewarding, but it requires dedication, planning, controlling anxiety, and to accept the fact that the yacht design office keeps its working schedule and is continuously introducing new designs and updates that will tempt us to change our minds for another design, as happened to me when you introduced the new version of the Cape Horn 35. Sticking to the original plan paid off. To finish the constructions is an indescribable experience of joy, and it is in that very moment that your options of leisure will be open to new achievements, having all the oceans to be conquered. Besides the construction, it is necessary to study and learn many other things, like navigation, meteorology, safety procedures, first aid, etc. Nevertheless, a good boat deserves a good captain. We always have something to learn and will always have a new place to visit. You will find plenty of interesting people on the way. Dorival. Aboard of Luthier
To be the winner with a boat made by your own hands in the backyard of your house is priceless. Catarina & Dorival receiving the trophy for the first place in the REFENO Click here to know more about the Samoa 34 |
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| Multichine 28 Atairu - the offshore cruising sailboat The Gaucho couple Ivana and Antonio Piqueres is learning in a very pleasant way aboard their brand new MC28 Atairu what cruising under sail is all about. Their first experiences are showing them that the MC28 is exactly what they were dreaming with: a cruising boat designed to go anywhere, in good or bad weather.
For her broad smile we can bet Ivana is enjoying the new experience The Piqueres are a perfect example of people who intend to do just that. In spite of being newcomers to the sailing scene, they dreamed in having a sailboat on which they could live aboard for extended stretches and accomplishing offshore passages. As Atairu is a just launched boat, the latest trial of the couple is quite informative about the adequacy of the design for these purposes. They sent us an e-mail when they reported their first important experiece telling us how Atairu behaved during a fierce storm in the Guaiba, the lake linked to the ocean where they are sailing at the moment:
Atairu trying the new sails on her parking place at the pier Today (9/27), Atairu endured twenty-five knots winds sailing close-hauled during a thunderstorm with torrential rain (more than 20mm in two hours), when the seas became very steep with short waves breaking sequentially, one after the other in consequence of the shallow draught of the Guaiba Lake (3m), with froth all over, the lake absolutely white and visibility zero. The GPS once in a while pointed boat speed zero in consequence of waves and wind on the nose. These hellish conditions lasted for more than two hours. We, novices in the sport, were the only boat out on that occasion. No wonder people in the verandah were incredulous! The boat is strong, very strong! We trusted her and she didn't disappoint us. We have no more doubts; we love this boat that took us back to the club in safety. We didn't have the slightest chance to take photos on those conditions, but the harbourmaster in the club's marina contacted us by VHF telling that it was awesome seeing the boat beating against the waves. I'm attaching some photos of previous sailings. We had two sailing lessons with Paulo Ribeiro, the Olympic coach of the Brasilian woomen's sailing team (Fernanda Oliveira/ Isabel Swan, bronze medallists in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games) Good winds for you from B & G Yacht Design. The boat is excellent!!! No doubt Piqueres has many reasons to be proud. From his e-mail it is clear that the point that impressed the couple more was to have survived unscathed their first challenge, learning that the boat transmits plenty of confidence considering its structural integrity. For two beginners, a test like this increases the self-assuredness and the confidence in the boat's ability to cope with demanding conditions
Atairu is still missing installing the dodger and the solar panel But they were already using the boat intensely as a sort beach resort and day sailer, and in this aspect the boat proved to be unbeatable, since it is small enough to be crewed shorthanded and big enough to live aboard with plenty of comfort. So, you that follow the MC28 Class reports in our news, should wait for the next ‘flights' of the Piqueres couple as soon as they get their sea legs…
Piqueres and Ivana toasting their new life aboard Atairu Perhaps we have a hidden love affair with this class, possibly for our long involvement with the MC 28 Fiu, which we built and lived aboard for more than two years, but every time we see a couple doing the same as Eileen and I did with so good remembrances, makes us wish them lots of good luck with their plans. Roberto Barros
The arrow shows the Geographic position of the club where Atairu is stationed, the Yacht Club Jangadeiros, Porto Alegre , Brazil. Click here to know more about the Multichine 28 |
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| Pantanal 25 – Close to becoming an international class Favourable winds are blowing in the direction of the Pantanal 25 class. Intaschi Nautical Perfrmance, together with Coopermarine, two companies from the state of São Paulo, Brazil, associated in the production and sales of this boat, just accomplished the third sale of a Pantanal 25, which will be produced using the moulds Jorge Intaschi, the chairman of Intaschi Nautical Performance, produced when constructing Dark Ice, the Pantanal 25 he built for his own use. These moulds, sent to Coopermarine, a boatbuilding factory that woks as a cooperative, already produced two hulls of the class, which soon will be sailing. With the new sale already confirmed, it is missing one unit more to be possible to establish the Pantanal 25 as an official Brazilian class, not mentioning the addition of dozens of amateur builders who are in various phases of construction in different parts of this country. Ronaldo Agondi, the Coopermarine director, took the chance of having these orders to complete the set of moulds of the interior arrangement, which were still lacking. These moulds are in their final stage of completion and are becoming very attractive, showing excellent level of craftsmanship and good design, with rounded walls and studied ergonomics. With such nice work being obtained, the Pantanal 25 produced by Coopermarine has, for sure, a winning commercial career, either in the local market, or internationally. Since the class is spreading its number of builders in the most varied countries, we are confident that any factory with a line of production of the boat will have a good chance of success in obtaining local and overseas clients.
The vanity basin counter wall built by Coopermarine has curved lines to enhance standing headroom area inside the heads. We have been regularly reporting about the racing career of the Pantanal 25 Dark Ice. This boat won most races she competed in her 2008/2009 debut in the Brazilian offshore racing scene. This July she was carefully prepared for the most important event in the South American racing calendar, the Ilha Bela International Sailing Week. Demonstrating an awesome speed potential, Dark Ice reached the windward mark in the long distance race together with the ‘big wigs' of the competition, and despite having the preference, had its bowsprit hit by a fifty-seven, U$2,800,000.00 brand new racing machine, and for everyone's amazement, had no hull damage, except for a bent bowsprit. The accident ruined the series for Dark Ice, but who cares after this surprising demonstration of structural integrity? We reckon that what saved the Pantanal 25 was its light displacement, and like a ping-pong ball when hit by a racket, it simply slipped sideways, causing no damage to the boat. This is undoubtedly the great advantage of sandwich composite construction.
The bowsprit bent with the impact of the collision without causing any harm to the topside However what brought the Pantanal 25 back to the headlines was the article published by Revista Náutica, a local yachting magazine, in its September issue, comparing this design with another twenty-five foot cruiser-racer, also with a drop-keel system installed. The comparison was somewhat inappropriate, since the Pantanal 25 is intended to be a camping boat, with emphasis in maximum trailerability, with its scant 2.44m (eight feet) beam, a strategic measurement in the United States and Canada, where this beam does not require special license to be trailed, as compared to the 20% larger beam of the other boat. Notwithstanding, in spite of the smaller beam, the Pantanal 25 visibly outstands the other boat in interior layout comfort, taking into account that it has two double berths, secluded heads with door and room for six persons to sleep when cruising. But the important remark is what the journalist reported in his text: “…But she is also a good performer in the racing course, thanks to her generous sail area and her light displacement, especially when sailing close-hauled or in any point of trim when the wind is light...
Zirrdeli, the first Pantanal 25 to be launched, is stationed in the Marmara Sea. We still worked in Rio de Janeiro when we completed the Pantanal 25 design. By chance, however, the first to acquire the plans was Robert Boyd, from New South Wales, Australia. Being our first client for this specific design, in a gesture of gratefulness, we presented him with a touristic book about the Pantanal echo-system, one of the most beautiful regions in the world, for the landscape of its swamps and its diversity of wild-life. Even though he is very enthusiastic about the plans, Robert had to postpone the beginning of his construction for personal reasons. On the other hand, the second ones to acquire the plans, the Turkish friends Orhan Sati & Bahatin Bedir, from Istanbul, to our surprise, less than one year later, sent us very nice photos of Zirrdeli, the Pantanal 25 they built together, stationed in a marina in the Marmara Sea. Their boat, as far as we know, is the first of the class to sail. However this was just the beginning. Presently we have builders in different stages of construction in various countries in four continents, some of them having informed us about their intention to produce the model commercially. So we are quite confident that soon the Pantanal 25 will be recognized as an international class
Dark Ice, the first Pantanal 25 to sail in Brazil The third Intaschi Nautical Performance/Coopermarine sale, together with Dark Ice, and the other boats under construction in Brazil, will allow the homologation as a one-design class. The same applies to other countries where three or more boats are being built. Those who have their constructions under way, wanting to send us good photos of their boats, we are interested in reporting about their progress in our news.
The Pantanal 25 above, Rotfarth, together with Enigma II, both built by Coopermarine, soon will be sailing in different nautical centres, one in the Santos region, and the other in Brasilia, the country's capital. Click here to know more about the Pantanal 25 class |
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| Samoa 28 Class new ‘brood' coming into scene The Samoa 28 Class is experiencing a fertile phases in its existence. Every so often we receive photos of class hull's being turned over, of interiors almost completed, or boats getting close to being concluded. Of course we are delighted with these reports, knowing that the class is spreading its scope quickly. One of these boats is Baleia, which is being built in Macaé, an important industrial town linked to the rich oil fields offshore the Brazilian coast about one hundred miles east of Rio de Janeiro, by Ubiracy Pereira Jardim. Being a true amateur, he is enjoying immensely his trial, to the point of publishing a blog about his experiences, http://barcobaleia.blogspot.com, where he is relating step by step each phase of his work.
Baleia has its hull almost planked Even though building Baleia, which he started this February, constitutes quite an achievement, Ubiracy still found spare time to construct another boat from our plans, the stitch-and-glue one-design dinghy Andorinha (means swallow in Portuguese). You can also follow this construction in the same blog. Good for him! We are pretty sure he will enjoy every single moment of both constructions. From Blumenau, industrial town of German colonization in the state of Santa Catarina, South Brazil, we received this September a set of photos of the turning over of another Samoa 28 hull, Everest, also an amateur construction made by her owner, Moacir Teobaldo Ribeiro. Whenever we receive good photos of a turning over party sent by one of our amateur builders, we feel like writing a note and publishing it in our site, a tribute to that tremendous achievement obtained by that builder. Even if you are an outsider considering amateur boat building, we are quite sure you understand how special this moment is in the life of that person. It is the fulfillment of a dream, and is obtained with the skills of his hands. Perhaps because of the importance of the achievement, it is amazing how easy it is to gather friends and sympathizers volunteering to assist in the operation. On those occasions, calls the tradition that the owner offers a barbecue, served with plenty of beer, but on condition that be served only after the task had been completed. Not following this elementary rule can be quite risky, from simply the guest starting to disappear, to a serious mishap when turning the boat upside.
Everest ready for the turning over We published the turning of a MC28 hull a few weeks ago in our news, and in that case the grid built around the hull was identical to this shown in the photo above. Perhaps the other story served as inspiration for a ‘quick to build cradle' to assist in the operation. It is the case of one builder assisting another whom he never heard about, sometimes located at the other side of the planet. This is what we can call globalized assistance!
Waiting for the crane to arrive The preparation of the turning jig represents more work than the turning over itself, but even though anyone can go under the hull and see how it looks like, everybody wants to see it in its upside position. It must be the feeling that from then on one is assured that he already has a boat. Moacir was very wise in preparing the fairing of his hull to a high degree of smoothness. Even considering that from now on the challenges will be less demanding, working on the outside surface of the bottom of the hull will be much more difficult in the future, and he didn't spare the opportunity to use the force of gravity in his favour. Another correct procedure was the saturation with epoxy resin of the internal surface of the strips along the planking process. Sealing the wood surface gives dimensional stability to the strip planking, preventing absorption of water vapor by the wooden natural porosity, this way avoiding undesirable stresses caused by expansion of the strips.
The hull just after being turned over, before the removal of the moulds. However Moacir must take the care to sand the interior before applying the internal fibreglass sheathing; since epoxy resin is so glossy, a second coat of the same resin over the first one, in spite of the good bonding properties of this compound, it does not assure a good adherence between layers. Another Samoa 28 builder, this one already seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, is Bernardo Sampaio. His Samoa 28 Sailor II is almost finished and soon will be launched. Bernardo is building his boat in Ubatuba, a touristic town in the north shore of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has been informing us about the progress of his construction since its first stages, and for the photos he sent us, his work is first class. Ubatuba is an important nautical centre with large marinas and hundreds of cruising sailboats stationed there. The place is very beautiful, surrounded by rainforest, and affords a profusion of unspoiled cruising grounds to explore. Wherever there are cruising enthusiasts, a new design always stirs curiosity among the other boat owners. As Sailor II will be the first Samoa 28 to sail in that region, we are quite excited about this inauguration, which for sure will be reported in our news.
Sailor II superstructure ready to receive the finish coat of polyurethane There are other Samoas 28 being built nearby, and their builders are quite curious to see Sailor II in the water. To Bernardo, and to the other local builders, we wish they enjoy every moment of their construction. This note we hope is stamina for those who are coming next, and we know that the Samoa 28 class is just waking up. At any rate, there are not too many twenty eight foot sailboats with its comfortable interior layout and offshore capabilities.
Sailor II ready for the keel installation Master and commander of the class is undoubtedly Daniel D'Angelo, the Argentinean geologist who built the Samoa 28 Sirius, www.velerosirius.com.ar in his home-garden in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With no previous experience, he built such a good boat that the design became popular all over the River Plate, and even beyond. His boat was launched in October 2008, and since then Daniel made cruising trips to the neighbour country Uruguay and to the delta in the Argentinean side of the river. Now Daniel is planning for this summer a trip to the North, probably ending up at Angra dos Reis, a town distant twelve hundred miles from Buenos Aires. Sirius was the first Samoa 28 to be launched, and for the good reputation of the boat, there is no doubt that all the other builders in ten different countries have enough reasons to run with their work, so to be able to share with Sirius the pleasure of cruising under sail.
Click here to know more about the Samoa 28 |
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| Kiribati 36 Green Nomad nears interior fit out completion Summer is slowly arriving in Porto Alegre, Brasil, and as if to follow the end of the season the work on Green Nomad is also changing somewhat. The fitting of the internal furniture is nearing its completion. All basic structures are in place and now it is more a finishing job, fitting locker doors, ceiling and walls lining, floor non skid recovering and painting of the internal plywood in white. For a duo that is fitting out an interior for the first time, we are in fact surprised by how far we have come.
The evolution of Green Nomad's home office!
April 2009
End of August 2009 When we were selecting the pictures for this email it came to our minds that we really ought to be missing a couple of screws on our heads, or that our comfort/discomfort threshold must be ways far from the normal. We have been living aboard during all the fitting out, which only started really in March this year, when we bought and Marli started to fit the insulation Styrofoam sheets. From December 2008 to March 2009 we lived with the same provisional layout that we fitted in the boatyard. Two civil construction plywood sheets and some beams provided a floor during daytime and the beds at night, and all was improvised. But little by little we started to gain ground during the last 3 months, and now, looking around we can see that our new home is nearly finished! All we did was planned as not to interfere with the basic needs too much. Our galley had to be operational and we had to have a clean bed at all times. Sometimes that required quite a bit of flexibility.
Two of the most versatile square metres in Porto Alegre
Everything had more than one role, even the toilet seat!
Washing requiredsome skill
Cooking inside an almost bare hull!
During these 3 months we processed roughly the following amounts of building materials:
For the ones interested in values we spent in the above around 5000 Brazilian Reals, or some 2500 USD. First time we went out and grabbed one of the 15mm plywood sheets to cut I thought that I would not be able to move it. But at the end of the day the two of us managed to handle them all, and today we can still not believe that inside our 11m x 3.85m hull we fitted 18 sheets of plywood measuring 2.5 x 1.6 m each!
Working in the dock at Clube dos Jangadeiros, in Porto Alegre
Our great luck, being welcome as guests by the Clube dos Jangadeiros, in Porto Alegre , Brazil. Without this safe port all things would be more difficult.
Preparing the Port diesel tank bed prior to the bedroom fit out
First things first: Our bed initiates the internal fit out! We started by the aft cabin and went on clockwise, doing the galley, port settee, forward bunk, starboard settee, nav station, heads, engine box and finally the galley sinks that are on top of the lifting-keel box. The last touch was to fit the nav station backrest chair, which will hold us in the rough seas. Already on the first boat we had such an arrangement, with a longitudinal nav table and outboard facing chair, but then it was fixed. Now we can rotate it and even raise it 20cm in order to have a very comfortable watch position. We are also well on our way installing the plumbing, and in two more weeks shall start the electrics.
One of our friend's kids explores the mad sailors cave. So much to see! Today we can already receive gests for dinner with comfort and hope many of them will come here and in the places we plan to sail to in the near future.
At last a real galley!
A long way we have come since the meals sitting on the toilet
Madrugada's ex nav table was given to us by Niels Rump, from Farol Nautica, who is currently doing the restauration job to bring the old racing champion back to its golden days
The dual sinks that drain into the keel well
Navigating the web for now, but hopefully the oceans soon.
We surface mounted the heads washbasin to save locker space underneath and to be able to bring it as far inboard as possible, attaining full headroom above it. For exterior fit out the only news for now are the fitting of the hard dodger frame in aluminiun tubing. We had a full cockpit enclosure on the first Green Nomad, what was easy to achieve due to the centre cockpit design, but now we are getting the same effect by fitting a drop down transparent back cover, which will be fastened to the cockpit seats and floor at the back of the hard dodger, something similar to what we saw in some of the Vendee Globe IMOCA 60 class boats.
Green Nomad waiting to get on her way to meet new and old friends! We hope to have Green Nomad apt to sail away by the end of the year. Even though we are loving our time here in Porto Alegre, for next winter we long to be on some tropical location, trading oilskins for T shirts and boots for Havaianas sandals ( a brazilian sandal that spread around the world ). Luis Manuel Pinho, luisdesenhos@gmail.com is a member of our yacht design staff and presently is building his new Green Nomad. This time he chose the Kiribati 36, the latest B & G stock plan, mostly designed by him. As soon as the boat, which is being built in Porto Alegre, South Brazil, is concluded, he intends, together with his wife, Marli Werner, to return to the South Pacific, this time feeling more prepared to face awkward situations thanks to the swing keel system adopted in the design of the new boat. Click here to know more about the Kiribati 36 |
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| Pantanal 25 Being Built in Chile - Maik Biela Hello, I studied professional craftsmanship in carpentry some twenty years ago in my country, Germany. I left Germany almost ten years ago to search something new, and lived several years in the USA, where I also worked in my profession, as a contractor in the construction business. During this time I started visiting Chile, and was thinking why not to go there and start something new, as I'm always looking and searching for, something really new, and here I am, also working as a contractor in construction with my professional skills and craftsmanship.
Like always, I was interested in boats, but this hobby is not really affordable in Germany, so I was searching for possibilities to start doing something in Chile, since there is a lot of ocean around this country, and this gives you a lot of options. So I obtained my captain licence to start sailing in a small Boat-Club called Quintero. So I started searching how I could get a good sailboat for a good budget, but buying new from the factory was not an option for me, so I was thinking why not building one??!! After searching and searching, I finally found Roberto Barros Yacht Design, and I was much exited with the design of their boats. I ordered study plans from various providers of plans for amateur boat building, but finally chose a design from Roberto Barros Yacht Design, this because it was a modern design, and I wanted to start with a boat where I have space, neither too big, nor too small, and also for a reasonable budget. I chose the Pantanal 25 and finally ordered its whole set of plans. Then I began studying the plans with mixed feelings, sometimes I was questioning my skills to build a boat like this, but started building anyway and thinking: this has to work out, whatever effort it costs because I want a sailboat!!! I contacted Roberto Barros's naval architect Luis Gouveia and tried to clear a few questions about the construction and that worked perfectly, getting quick responses to my questions, so I was looking forward to receive the plans and get started as soon as possible. I started in March 2009 to search wood for the hull construction, and started building that same March. This was so quick, I couldn't believe it. I was fascinated how everything worked out with plans and the building process and my skills are more than enough to go further building in my spare time, and now it's difficult to separate me from the process after long hours of building, it is fascinating!!! I finished the hull in 4 months (only in my spare time). Then I called a couple of friends to help me out to turn the hull, and now I can get started to finish the interior...The hull turnover was very exiting for me, because I really did not know how it was going to work out, but the answer is in the pictures, everything worked great!!! I also have to say: I'm looking in my general work many of the details, almost ridiculous, and perhaps this is also the answer, that everything worked out till now. My experience to build a boat in Chile is mixed, I'm sorry to say, but I must admit, it's not a builder's paradise, because it's very complicate to find specific materials for this work, and a lot of companies here are only interested in selling products in large quantities, what make things more difficult, so I searched the internet, often for hours on end, called thousands of people until I had a solution for the materials I needed, and also contacted Luis Gouveia from Yacht Design very often to find solutions for materials. Finally I got what I searched. I was a bit tired but satisfied, and could go further with the building. I'm exited to go further with the whole building, and can't wait to start sailing with the Pantanal. I will thank Roberto Barros Yacht Design, that they made it possible with their designs to build a perfect and modern boat for an affordable budget, and also to have fun in the building process. I also want to mention that they provide an incredible customer service, being interested in their builders!!!! It's fantastic to buy a brand new boat from the factory, but the experience that I get from building my own boat is indescribable!!! Thank's very much to all, and Roberto Barros Yacht Design for publishing my pictures and publishing my experience. Thanks also to my friends who helped me out in the hull turnover!!!!! Will keep you updated, Best regards
Click here to know more about the Pantanal 25 class |
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| Pantanal 25 being built in Argentina - Daniel D'Angelo After concluding the construction of the Samoa 28 Sirius, which I built in my home garden, I started using it intensively since its launching day. Not so long after, however, still remembering how pleasurable its construction had been, and how rewarding was sailing on her afterwards, I decided to build another boat from a different design, this time a Pantanal 25.
This design interested me for various reasons, being its capacity of draught control, low displacement and fast building technique the most important points in my decision. Since the building method did not differ significantly from the one adopted for the Sirius (foam sandwich for the Pantanal 25, against wooden strip-planking sandwich for the Sirius), I reckoned that the work would be considerably lesser than it took to build the former one (two years, eleven months)…and so far I didn't find reasons to doubt about my prediction. The foam is extremely easy to be handled and sanding is a task for children! So, in April, 2009, I started the construction of “Vega”. With my previous experience and the confidence of being able to construct a good boat, the work is progressing with celerity in spite of the chilly weather in Buenos Aires this time of the year. Taking advantage of what was left from autumn; I managed to conclude the outside lamination of the hull in two weeks. (The same job when building Sirius took two months to be accomplished!) Coping simultaneously with different working fronts, I started to build the drop-keel trunk, rudder and fin-keel hydrofoil framing. When I resumed the work in late July, the cold weather prevented me to deal with anything that required epoxy usage while working in the open where the hull was being assembled. So I took a radical decision: I would build the superstructure inside the barbecue shed in my garden, making it in two halves to be joined later. This way in two weeks I had the fore half concluded, which I brought to the outside, leaving it on the mown, while I opened room to build the other half. This part was a bit more troublesome to build, since its moulds were more complex and the tightness of the room available made it difficult for me to move around the working area. Before having to interrupt the construction, since the time off from my job was finishing, I managed to apply the foam sandwich along the whole aft part of the superstructure and started sheathing it with fibreglass, the remaining left undone representing one more day of work at most! Meanwhile I ordered the mast and boom from a renowned local spar maker as well as the special fittings from a specialized hardware workshop, while with another Argentinean builder of Pantanal 25, Tomas Orcoyen, we ordered together to a foundry the drop-keel bulb. On my next time off, in September, I'll start the installation of the structural bulkheads, partitions and furniture, a task that I reckon will take a fortnight to be accomplished. The sail inventory, at least to start with, I intend to use the ones from my bigger yacht, which surprisingly approximately fits in the smaller boat! It is bliss to work with foam sandwich/epoxy. All going well, and Mother Nature giving me a hand, it is possible that I manage to finish the boat before scheduled, December 2009…an absolute record for me!!! I am quite anxious to try her and be able to enjoy her huge cockpit already assembled at the aft half of the superstructure, a reason for compliments from our visitors! It will be quite rewarding to see how she performs in the tricky waters of River Plate. The expectation is that she will be a fast boat The Argentinean geologist Daniel D'Angelo was the first person to complete the construction of a Samoa 28 (see his site: www.velerosirius.com.ar) and having enjoyed the hobby of boatbuilding, he is in the way of a second challenge, now the Pantanal 25 Vega.
Click here to know more about the Pantanal 25 class |
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| Polar 65 Fraternidade first sea trial Our largest polar yacht design, the Polar 65, has already its first unit in operation. Fraternidade, (means fraternity in Portuguese),the Polar 65 built by the Ukrainian/Brazilian engineer Aleixo Belov is beginning an ambitious long distance cruising plan. Aleixo intends to sail with his brand new expedition machine to the most remote places in the planet, taking with him a crew of scientists, journalists, film makers, divers and persons involved with the nautical world.
Fraternidade anchored in Fernando de Noronha. Photo Helio Viana Aleixo is a very determined and efficient person. Being a well succeeded entrepreneur, he managed to organize his life so he could accomplish three round the world trips in solitary aboard a thirty-six foot fibreglass yacht built by him, managing to travel for the time required for such an extended voyage without having to discontinue his engineering firm. After his third circumnavigation, close to complete sixty years of age, he asked himself what he really wanted in life from then on: Have another son? He had already a large family; to invest in the expansion of his business? This was already happening, anyway. Build a highly technological yacht from a creative design, a boat that would be capable of sailing in any weather condition and to enter into the most difficult and inhospitable places? Why not? That was, no doubt, a challenge with enough appeal in his restless mind for him to dive head first in. When returning from the third trip around the world he made a charter from Ushuaya to the Antarctic Peninsula aboard Kotik, a polar yacht built in Brazil by her owner, the Russian physicist and charter skipper Oleg Belly, a firm supporter of swing keel monohull yachts, the keel system adopted in his boat.
The Polar 65 has an interior layout adequate for charter business in high latitudes Strongly influenced by Oleg's ideas, Aleixo came to our office with a roll of sheets with sketches of the boat he was dreaming with. He wanted a multi-chine steel yacht, ketch-rigged, and obviously with a swing keel system. The boat being large enough, it was agreed that the keel trunk would extend from bottom to deck forming a central case around which the interior would be constructed. The keel should describe a 90° arc when retracted and in its ascending path would be installed an interesting innovation: a ratchet rail that allowed the keel to be blocked at any height, eliminating the risk of falling in case of failure in the lifting mechanism. We took the task of designing this exciting boat as a unique opportunity for developing something really innovative. Our deal with Belov contemplated that the property of the design would be ours, since he had no interest in exclusivity. On the other hand we offered him a special support in designing the project, assisting him in customising some of his ideas which wouldn't interest other potential clients, and this happened to be a very good deal. The stock plan was developed more according to the taste of the general yachtsman, while Fraternidade ended up resembling a typical service boat specified to operate under the toughest conditions.
The more sophisticated style we chose for the Polar 65 differs in some aspects from Fraternidade; however, the flexibility of customizing the plans for any preference is one of the great advantages of metallic construction. Rendered image: www.ideebr.com Aleixo took about five years to build his boat and this he did in his own company plant, employing his staff to run the construction. His ingenuity was unlimited, and, since he invested a tremendous effort in obtaining the maximum of quality all over the building process, his boat became a hallmark in marine engineering. This joint venture was extremely helpful for us in having such a demanding client working together with our team. Intending to spend from now on the most part of his life aboard, it is no wonder that the boat looks like a cozy, nicely decorated home. However Fraternidade is also a sophisticated service boat. A good example of this is her pilot-house. Besides possessing a ship's size navigation table with space under to store paper charts from the whole world, this compartment still has a bunk for the off-watch officer and its instruments console rivals that of a ship
The list of navigation equipment at the piloting centre includes auto-pilot, radar, chart plotter, wind station, VHF, SSB, a compass coupled with three GPS for precise reading of the true course and AIS automatic traffic detector. Photo Helio Viana Fraternidade was launched early this year; however her owner only considered the boat ready for a conclusive sea trial this July. The first test programmed was a trip to Fernando de Noronha, an ocean island six hundred miles northeast of Salvador, and back, a light challenge for such a powerful machine, however quite adequate for its first test.
As if she was an aircraft-carrier, Fraternidade never heeled beyond five degrees. Photo Helio Viana Aleixo Belov gathered a group of friends and collaborators in the construction for this first trial, among them two friends of ours, the couple Mara Blumer and Helio Viana, both being old salts and involved with our design office, since they built and live aboard the Samoa 29 Maracatu, with which they have already sailed dozens of thousand miles. The first relevant observation they made was that with its impressive twelve tons, five metres deep fully lowered swing-keel, the boat hardly heeled at all, not even when hit by those frequent squalls that forms under cumulus clouds in the trade winds. Roller-reefing the foresails were much more a matter of protecting the canvas than an urge to relieve rig stress. The uncluttered flush decks were seldom washed in those conditions and the impression they felt was of being aboard a cruise ship.
Sailing on her nose, Fraternidade hardly felt the wind speed. The removable wooden floor in the central area of the deck shuts the slot of the keel trunk. Photo Helio Viana The trip to Fernando de Noronha and back was quite eventless. The crew had the opportunity to enjoy themselves with sophisticated meals and plenty of leisure time. The boat proved to be so easy to handle that even a single person would be able to sail her. Helio found a few flaws yet, typical of a new boat, like the lack of hand holders inside the starboard heads, and the inexistence of a hook to hang the telephone type shower nozzle, nothing that couldn't be easily improved for the next leg of the trip. My friend got deeply impressed with the incredible spaciousness of the saloon. The huge U-shaped settee has enough room for about twenty persons to seat comfortably around two large tables. A complete galley to port faced by a communication centre at starboard make the entertaining area of the interior one of the most agreeable to be found in boats this size.
Polar 65 Fraternidade is already part of the scenery. From now on she will be seen in the most different places in any latitude. Photo Helio Viana Aleixo is very pleased with his boat, notwithstanding the fifty items he added to his checklist to be improved before the next extended cruise. Meanwhile a second Polar 65 has its construction in an advanced stage. This one is being built by Metallic Boats, www.metallicboats.com.br, at Triunfo, a town in Southern Brazil. So, soon we will have two boats of the class demonstrating the practicality of retractable keels for long range cruising yachts of large size. Since we have been consulted by many other yachtsmen interested in knowing how this new design performs, we are glad to have been informed that the boat passed with honours in her fist test.
Polar 65: A cruising yacht for deep water and shoal. Rendered image: www.ideebr.com Click here to know more about the Polar 65 |
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| Multichine 28 being built in the Pacific Northwest The MC 28 class has one more hull concluded and turned upside. This time the news came from Washington State, U.S. Our client, David Cross, made an excellent work and his hull is very well built. It is great to know that David surpassed the first phase of the construction without difficulties. From now on he will find still more pleasure in his work, since at end of each day he will see his boat looking more like she will be.
The turning the hull upside party Only those who build their own boats know the sensation it gives when reaching this stage. From now on you actually are building your floating home, and since the interior is made before the deck is installed, as soon as the settees are in place, you already have room to begin receiving your friends for a chat aboard, or, if you prefer, to toast the latest achievement in the construction.
So far, so good The MC28 class is becoming renowned as a fantastic cruising boat for a small family. She is so easy to sail and requires so little effort on the tiller, besides being super-stiff that she is by far becoming our most frequently chosen model among middle-class couples of all ages who intend to go cruising, or staying aboard for long periods. The class even has owners living aboard permanently with little babies with them. (See in ALL NEWS the article published a few weeks ago: Multichine 28 Vagamundo. Baby on board) With dozens of boats of the class being built or sailing in different places, it will be no surprise finding them meeting, or criss-crossing each other's path in the most remote cruising grounds. Even though we have clients building different designs of ours in the Pacific Northwest, David is the first to build a MC 28 hull in this region.
The final stages of the turning upside operation Working in his spare time only, he reckons he will take another two years to finish his boat. We will be very glad to know that a MC28 is sailing on that cruising paradise, Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and beyond. David informed us that the cast iron fin-keel originally designed for the class is difficult to be ordered in his region, and asked if we had an alternative solution for such a critical component. We discovered that it is not only on the West Coast that it is problematic to find a foundry willing to cast one keel only, a piece that neither is large enough to bring a good profit nor sufficiently small to be filled with leftovers .
The hull is safely brought back into the building shed Our clients in Europe seem to have faced the same problem and also demanded an alternative solution. So we developed a keel made of steel plate where you pour lead inside. The cover of this box is a 5/8” thick plate where you open the threads to fix the keel bolts directly on it. This keel is as good as the original, or even better, with the same centre o gravity and weight, but causes less drag, since for the same centre of gravity position it doesn't require the bottom bulb. Since this alternative had been already tested, we are pretty sure that this drawback is perfectly overcome. David also asked us a special sail plan with one metre taller mast than the cruising rig of the standard design, since his area of sailing is renowned for light winds. He also will do some club racing, and for that purpose more canvas is quite desirable. Of course his boat will be no more cat. A according to the European Union stability index (STIX); however those who don't want to cross the oceans along the roaring forties in midwinter, being cat. B is more than satisfactory. As David progresses with his work and sends us new photos, we will be glad to report them in or news, as we use to do with other MC28 built according to the plans.
The men who made it happen Click here to know more about the Multichine 28 |
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| Multichine 28 Class special promotion campaign The MC 28 is the most popular design in our list of blue water sailboat stock plans. There is a permanent interest of potential cruising sailors for this model and the number of MC 28 builders around the world never stops increasing. In August 2009 we are getting close to two hundred units being built in nine different countries; Argentine, Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, Greece, Portugal, Spain and United States. Those who chose to build a MC 28 might have different reasons to do so; however, according to the information our clients pass us, the most important decision factor is the MC 28 interior layout. Many of our clients nurture a long dreamed endeavour to live aboard and/or to go sailing on a long cruise bound for the most distant places. And that very aspect is where the MC28 outstands. Concerning liveability and cosiness of its cabin arrangement, definitively in this respect the MC28 is “the boat”. When people discover that you can walk with adequate headroom from the aft cabin private hall to the main saloon, contouring one of the largest galleys to be found in boats of this length, at that moment our potential clients begin a flirt with the model that uses to become a permanent love affair.
The MC 28 saloon is large enough to promote a small party But there is another key issue for captivating supporters for the class. This design fits category A of the European Union Stability Index (STIX), meaning that the boat is capable of standing a seven metres high wave pattern for prolonged periods, and enduring up to fourteen metres high eventual waves. The confidence this compliance transmit to would be owners has been one of the decision factors for choosing the MC 28 among many of our builders.
The MC28 possesses a superb steering control Every so often, when our clients choose to build a MC28, that commitment usually becomes a point of no return in their lives. It is amazing how they make plans for the future being the boat the means to accomplish their dreams. It seems that all along the building process their adventure plans become each day more consistent and this anticipation of future enjoyment is the main spring in propelling them towards concluding the construction. This attached attitude might seem too obvious, but it is not. A series produced boat which is delivered equipped with the list of accessories recommended by the dealer doesn't compare to the pleasure of choosing, one by one, all the parts to be installed aboard the boat you are making yourself. It is very like receiving the visit of Father Christmas every month of the year. The same feeling of accomplishment applies for no matter which part of the construction is completed. As a matter of fact it uses to be reason for toasting at every end of a working day. This sensation of endless pleasure is only known by those who build their own boats, and, coincidence or not, we seldom listen to any complaint among our amateur builders about the hardness of home building.
The MC28 is a good performer when sailing close-hauled We elected the MC 28 our reference stock plan for amateur construction, establishing the same standards for every other project we develop. However, since this plan had been chosen to be our basic standard, we had no other choice than building one of them for ourselves, so we could be absolutely sure that all the information contained in the plans and in the building manual were correct. Just to double-check, we didn't build only one MC28, but took the opportunity to build a second together. That was how the MC28 Fiu and Makai were born. These boats sailed already dozens of thousand miles without ever having the slightest construction failure, and after almost ten years of usage, both of them are as good as new. Our attitude generated a tremendous feeling of confidence in potential cruising sailors acquainted with us, who followed our construction wit great enthusiasm, many of them paying regular visits to our building shed. During that time it was amazing the number of other people who started building MC28
The Mc28 interior is bright and functional Presently the good reputation of the class spreads internationally and for all that alteady happened with the class in increasing its reputation, we are pretty confident that in years to come many other new builders will discover why the MC28 class is becoming synonymous of a cruising floating-home.
The all around vision from inside the cabin is highly praised by MC28 owners Rendered images: www.ideebr.com |
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Multichine 26C class is spreading its horizons This news came from Istambul, Turkey. Ömer Kircal, a client of ours who is building a MC26C, sent us a slide show about the construction of his almost finished sailboat, Evrensel, (meaning universal in Turkish). The slides are particularly appealing because they cover all phases of the construction, from the building of a makeshift shed to the attachment of a foam insulated ceiling liner under the trunk coach-roof.
We really appreciated watching the photos. We found them so didactic that we replayed them various times until we could remember by heart every single detail shown. The subtitles are written in Turkish, but, for those like us who don't understand Turkish, why will anybody need reading subtitles for such self explanatory figures? Ömer, with the assistance of his wife and friends, accomplished a wonderful job. For us from B & G yacht Design, Ömer's achievement is quite rewarding. At first place because he found the plans comprehensive and well detailed enough not to need extra assistance from us. More important yet, is the high quality of the work accomplished throughout the construction. Last but not least, what a nice interior does Evrensel possess! Thanks to the Kircal's family good taste, it is hard to believe it's an amateur construction.
Click here to know more about the Multichine 26C class |
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Kiribati 36 Green Nomad construction latest news. Luis Manuel Pinho, our new collaborator, is an engineer, yacht designer and cruising sailor of great personal experience. He travelled for nearly ten years to the most distant islands in the South Pacific aboard Green Nomad, a thirty-six foot home-built steel sailboat, in company of his wife, Marli Werner. He sold his boat in Australia and flied to Brazil, the country where he found the most favourable costs/benefit conditions for building a one-off yacht, and now he is building there a new Green Nomad, this time in aluminium. The new boat, a Kiribati 36, our latest stock plan mostly designed by himself, is being finished in a very fast pace. The couple is already living aboard, an experience that anticipates future adventures they so anxiously are dreaming with.
“We are amazed with the productivity you can achieve doing the interior joinery work when you have it modeled in 3D in a cad program. It has been less than 2 months since we started the interior building, and you can see in the pictures how far we have come!
Launch day.... Less than 2 months of work
Ideally we would have used the files to have all plywood parts CNC cut but, as most amateur boat builders, we have a tight budget, so our CNC is a not cutting edge but it works. Using the projected plywood parts' shapes, we nest them manually in the area of a plywood sheet, and using our own CNC machine ( from Copy'n Cut) we hand copy them into A4 pages and walk out to draw them in the real plywood sheets, and using a hand jig-saw we cut the parts. We pre-cut all parts like this. They come aboard with all the slots for fitting around the aluminum structure. Very little on the spot adjusting is needed. We got to mount 3 bulkheads in the same day!
Hand copying...
Transferring to the plywood sheet...
Bulkheads cut and ready to come aboard
We are doing all the work by ourselves and surprised with the ground we cover each day. Apart from the unstoppable sneezing due to dust, it is being an agreeable experience. Each day the living a board gets a little more comfortable. Not long after a part is fixed in place it is summoned into service!
Settee being finished...
Settee in use! One curious detail: A friend is doing the restauration work of one of Brazil's most famous ocean racers, Madrugada, and he offered us the old nav table, and guess what..., it fits perfectly in the spot allocated for it on Green Nomad!
Madrugada's nav table being fixed. It will sail again with Green Nomad! An amazing feature is the dimensional precision achieved with CNC kit boat building. From the structural joinery work we are only missing the nav station and the head. After that we will tackle the walls and ceiling linings, which will be done using recycled white plastic 2mm sheets. And as not all is work, we are having some fun along the way, meeting old friends here in Porto Alegre. Today we received the visit from Anselmo and Tania, which came alongside in their steel MC37 37 Taihú, another boat of B & G Yacht design . We met them in the Caribbean in 1997.
A nice surprise with the visit from Anselmo and Tânia, from Taihú Luis Manuel e Marli Click here to know more about the Kiribati 36 |
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Bora-Bora 28 Flor Dágua, a symbol of perfect happiness Gunk-holing in a tropical sea shore, passing over shallow sandbanks or coral heads aboard an open-bridged cat without causing any harm to its bottom can be one of the most exhilarating sailing experiences one can try out with a cruising sailboat. Different from central cabin cats, the Bora-Bora 28 has sleeping accommodations, galley, heads and dinette inside each hull, while lateral resistance and steering control are provided by pivoting centerboards and rudders. These features contribute for a light displacement boat with a very small draught, (scants 0.28m – 11”) when the appendices are lifted.
The decision to design a catamaran with such characteristics was taken when Astrid Barros, our PhD in computational fluid dynamics, was still graduating in naval architecture. She had the chance to take part in the Recife to Fernando de Noronha Island Regatta, a very popular three-hundred miles offshore race run annually in the South Atlantic, aboard a multihull with an all women crew, when her boat was the second to cross the line, loosing the first position in the last minutes of the race to a much larger multihull, the absolute favorite for the event. That achievement resulted in a preference for multihull sailboats, which impelled her to decide for designing an innovative catamaran.
Astrid, wearing a white shirt, is the second from right assisting hoisting the mainsail of the trimaran Bahia during the 2002 Recife to Fernando de Noronha race. For the second place in the race, the girls were awarded a six burner stove, one burner for each crewmember. At that time B & G Yacht Design office had no multihull in its collection of stock plans, so the developing of the design, having Astrid as project manager, happened in an atmosphere of great enthusiasm, including the intention of building one of these boats for her own use. She wished to sail along the tropical Brazilian coats, which stretches in a succession of coastal lagoons separated from the ocean by coral reefs accessible to shallow draught boats only. The resulting design, specified for the plywood/epoxy building method, was totally turned towards amateur construction. With symmetric double-chine narrow hulls held together by two quite easy to make box-like wooden beams and a flat platform, it was the simplest solution she could envisage for an inexperienced amateur to build. Other priorities deterred Astrid from building her own boat at the time; however this didn't matter so much, since, as soon as the Bora-Bora 28 was introduced in our list of stock plans, it began stirring a great interest in the nautical community and sold various copies in a run. Our most enthusiastic client came from Bahia, a state in the northeast region of Brazil, a very popular cruising destination for many Europeans, particularly French sailors. Carlos Mario Pedregal, a businessman of Spanish origin, found in the touristic city of Salvador the best place in the world to live in. Being the first to acquire the plans, in spite of never having built a boat before, he constructed Flor D'água in record time, making the whole work almost unassisted. He chose the Bora-Bora 28 intending to take part in local races, to cruise with his family, and above all, to beach his cat's bows in the pristine white palm fringed sand beaches typical of that region, and he found out that the Bora-Bora was the best boat for those purposes. In September 2005 Flor D'água took part in the Recife to Fernando de Noronha race, when she had the opportunity to show her speed potential, being among the firsts to cross the line, and following, won the Fernando de Noronha to Natal Regatta, the race created to take the participants back to the continent.. After sailing more than one thousand miles in the open sea, Flor D'água returned to Salvador, where Carlos Mario began his second phase of usage, profiting from the cruising potential of his boat. The exploits he managed to accomplish with his boat is capable of letting any cruising sailor with his mouth watering.
The best place to “park” your boat on a Sunday holiday
Happy children, happy sailing
The water might be warm, but the beer is ice-cold
There is room aboard the Bora-Bora 28 for any fantasy.
The capacity of reducing draught is becoming an important feature in many cruising areas.
The Bora-Bora 28 heads is quite roomy
The unobstructed bridge-deck has enough room to hold a party on it. Click here to know more about the Samoa 34 class |
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Samoa 34 Zait – Launching video Flavio Rodrigues, owner of Flab Boatyards, www.flab.com.br, from Campinas, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, proudly announces the launching of the Samoa 34 Zait. We have just published the article – “Samoa 34 Zait, a touch of art in wood/epoxy construction”, reporting the conclusion of Zait's construction, and now we are presenting Flavio's son, Ivan Rodrigues, custom video for the event. Daniel Sequerra, Zait's owner, is extremely pleased with his boat and in a few days more he will be doing the sea trial of his yacht, sailing from the launching place, Ubatuba, a town in the north shore of t5he state of Sao Paulo, to Rio de Janeiro, one hundred twenty miles away. Sorry for the lyrics in the sound track being in a foreign language. It would be asking too much to the author, who composed the tune exclusively for the event, to translate the song into English. Note the incredible gloss of the topsides paint-work. Flavio sent us this communiqué: To my friends That was just a short-lasting event; however brief, it served to show one more time how nice this design is. I would like to share with you the emotion this video provided on our spirits, the very moment Zait's keel touched the water Flavio Antônio Rodrigues
Click here to know more about the Samoa 34 class |
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Atairu, the newest MC28 floating home We have been showing photos of different Multichines 28 regularly in our site, all of them revealing cozy and inviting interior layouts. However, since there are a large number of these boats under construction or being finished, we keep receiving more photos of just concluded new ones, almost invariably with their owners in a state of grace, having the most different plans for their boats, ranging from simply living aboard to ambitious overseas cruises. We wonder why so many choose this design as the boats of their lives. Better than expressing our impressions, we rather prefer to listen to what those owners have to say. The most recent e-mail we received came from Porto Alegre, Brazil, a town situated one hundred miles away from the sea, separated from the Atlantic by an inland sea, large enough to allow that town to be an active sailing centre, and, by luck, a stronghold of sailboats from our office. Our clients this time are the couple from Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost Brazilian state, who completed their MC28 Atairu a few weeks ago; the engineer Antonio Piqueres and his wife Ivana. They wrote: “Dear friends from B & G Yacht Design. How exciting it is to live aboard! The MC28 is what we can call a “complete boat”. We took these photos just yesterday. We prepared a rice dish, never missing the traditional local sausage, washed down by Rio Grande red wine (of course not before sipping the “mate” as appetizer.) Aboard Atairu everything is functioning perfectly, and we feel like being at home. (We have a fridge – Ivana suggests inverting the position of the sinks with the fridge or placing a step for an easier access to this deep compartment.) We also have cold and hot pressurized water, so we don't miss anything. As a matter of fact Atairu is becoming a small home. (That is how our club mates are calling the boat.) We just received our new sails and as soon they are hoisted we send you our impressions about the boat's performance, of course the opinion of beginners. Soon we have plans for one week sailing, our first cruise along the Guaiba River, promising you to send photos of this first adventure. It's going to be quite a test, considering the many sandbanks we will find in the way, but wherever there will be depth enough for our keel to pass over, we will be there. Who knows if we don't end up meeting you in Australia. A long journey begins with the first step, isn't it so? (Sometimes we believe dear Atairu is complaining being lashed to a pier…) Love for you all… and thanks for the excellent design Ivana and Piqueres”  The MC28 galley is reason of envy from owners of much larger sailboats  Can you believe this is only a twenty-eight foot sailboat? Note the “mate” cup and its silver sucking pipe. “Mate” infusion bowl is an indispensable accessory for any authentic “Gaucho”.  The light coloured woods employed in the decoration of this MC28 enhance the sensation of spaciousness in the saloon.  Ivana and Piqueres toast their first class supper aboard with a Rio Grande wine of good harvest.  Atairu lashed to the pier at the Jangadeiros Yacht Club in Guaiba River, Porto Alegre, South Brazil. *** Another eloquent e-mail we received from a MC28 Class owner came from Canadá. Roberto Roque is a Brazilian born Canadian who lives in Calgary, Alberta. His boat, Stella del Fioravante is presently stationed at Florianopolis, a town in South Brazil, placed in a very beautiful island, called by many the Brazilian New Zealand: “I'd been sailing in the West Coast (Wet Coast, as they call it here.) We were a group of acquaintances in five different boats. I was aboard a series produced thirty-four foot French sailboat with two other friends. The other boats were larger, between 43 and 46 feet. One day there was a club race and we managed to win in corrected time. I didn't appreciate the boat at all, even though she was extremely comfortable. I simply execrated the mainsail mast furling system, which I would never install in a boat of mine. The gadget is prone to malfunctioning. The boat had a serious tendency to broach, and in fact we broached many times. The wind was blowing at 12 – 15 knots, but increased suddenly in vicious gusts, when we couldn't manage to hold her on course. If we reefed, the boat slowed down terribly. When the wind surpassed twenty knots it was almost impossible to control it. Above twenty knots we had to reef both sails to half their sizes. I guess the rudder was sub dimensioned and the sail plan somehow displaced from its correct position. Even the larger boats of our fleet also broached when hit by harder gusts. The gossip I heard here is that the factory that built our boat produces better models than those intended for the North American charter or leisure market, when they are fabricated to be sold in Europe. Not wanting to sound cocky, (even though my Canadian mates most probably thought I was), my dear MC28 stands twenty-five knots winds without any difficulty. In my maiden voyage, going from Rio de Janeiro to Florianópolis, we were sailing full-canvassed with the auto-pilot steering the boat without complaints, and we never had to touch the tiller, except for changing course or to anchor, since expecting the auto-pilot to do this would be wanting too much. We knew we had to exchange the Genoa for the Yankee, since the boat was “flying”, but the seas were too rough to invite us going forward and we let her take care of herself. And she did just that in great style, sailing straight as an arrow towards our destination. I simply can't understand why some designers of production boats don't manage to produce decent sailboats. If the boat I was in at least sailed well in light winds, it would be o.k. However, in light winds it hardly moved, and when the wind freshened, the boat disliked it. In short, it seems that the boat didn't like sailing. It is only suited to cook aboard, for sun drenching in the foredeck or to drink beer or wine when docked in the marina. I launched my local boat (a twenty-six foot, water-ballasted trailerable sailboat) this weekend, having my son as crew. She has about the same sins. She is easy to control up to twelve knots of wind, then she becomes difficult to be steered. You must reef her or have a quick action slacking the sheets in the puffs. How much I miss my Fiori! I hope to travel to Brazil soon, craving to be back aboard that son of a gun. I intend to spend more time in that country from now on. I would love to sail up to Fernando de Noronha Island. I'm affraid my club mates think I am telling too much boloney about Fiori. What can I do? A boat that I steer with two fingers when sailing in fifteen knots…and with 25 knots winds, change tacks with jib only as if she was a laser… a boat that doesn't overload the automatic pilot, since she is extremely well balanced…there is no chance not to be haughty…”
Click here to know more about the MC 28Class |
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Samoa 34 Zait, a touch of art in wood/epoxy construction There must be something ludic about the Samoa 34 Class. For some almost exoteric reason, each new boat from this design stands out as a masterpiece in wood work, to the point to be chosen as cover stories in specialized magazines. A few weeks ago we reported the launching of Luthier, a home built Samoa 34 so beautiful that the most adequate name she deserved had to be that one. The photos shown in our article: Samoa 34 Luthier; the wind calls the tune (see article in all news, rolling the page), are good witness of our words. Zait, the latest member of the class is another Samoa 34 to give evidence to this tradition. Built by Flab Boatyards, from Campinas, a town two hundred kilometers inland from the port of Santos, Brazil, this new Samoa 34 is reason for great pride, either from part of her builder, Flavio Rodrigues, or the owner, the yachtsman Daniel Sequerra. Daniel is a lover of classic wooden boats. He solemnly despises clorox-box style fiberglass series produced yachts and when the time had come for him to choose a yacht to cruise with his family, he did not hesitate for one second in choosing the Samoa 34 among our list of plans. Not for the design being a classic one, what by all means it is not, but for being a wooden boat that could bring the reminiscences of his father's yacht cabin bright-work. When we first met Daniel, it was at our office, then established in Rio de Janeiro. At that time we didn't know about his obsession for classic lines. When he was searching through our list of designs, the first he really liked was the Samoa 34. During his childhood he used to sail with his Dutch father aboard a Sparkman Stephens forty foot classic yacht, the pride of the family, and those pleasant remembrances made him look for something that most closely reminded those pleasant memories. He asked our advice about a custom boatyard which we could recommend, and we suggested him to visited Flab Boatyard, to see for himself the high standards of that builder. So he did, and soon after Zait was under construction. It was much later that, navigating through our web-site; Daniel discovered the Aventura 40 in our list of stock plans. Had he known about the existence of that design, the Aventura 40 would have been his inevitable choice. He didn't know yet that we also had a sweet tooth for classic lines, and had designed that classic yacht, much in the same style of his father's, just for fun. But then it was too late, now only remaining for him the possibility of a future upgrade. But nothing could stop Daniel from expending a terrific effort in creating the most exquisite Samoa 34 ever built. And that is what we are glad to show first-hand to our readers. The fine detailing in Zait's construction is an authentic work of art.  If there is a point of commonsense about the Samoa 34 design, is the fact that its length, sail area and displacement are close to the maximum for a couple to sail in a long distance cruise without being too tiresome for maneuvering. On the other hand its interior layout is that of a small apartment, with comfortable quarters from forepeak to transom. The headroom is excellent, you have accommodation for two couples, the heads is large enough to have a good shower installed and the galley is bliss for a cordon bleu who likes to sail. To crown it all the central area of the boat has a 360° vision to the outside, making the interior airy and well illuminated by natural light.
However, if the Samoa 34 wasn't a really good sailboat regarding its performance compared to most series produced cruising boats of the same size; its fame wouldn't be so widespread. Our clients who own one of these boats never stop praising their yachts for their speed, especially in fresher winds and the highlight of the model behavior is the excellent control and extreme lightness of its rudder in any sea conditions.
Click here to know more about the Samoa 34 Class |
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Utopian Sailing in Central South America
Builders of MC28 open sea cruising sailboat meet in Brasília, Brazil's capital, for a day-sail in Lake Paranoá. An improbable encounter happened in May, 2, 2009 in Lake Paranoá, Brasilia's artificial reservoir built some fifty years ago when the new capital was constructed, some one thousand metres above sea level, in a place then inhabited by primitive Indians. The Air Force pilot Breno Lima is one of the pioneers in building a MC28 Class ocean cruising sailboat. His Utopya, the second MC28 to be launched, is stationed there since a couple of years ago, when he was transferred from the city of Salvador, in the Northeast of Brazil to the capital of the country. He invited three other local amateur builders, two of them building other MC28 yachts, while the third one is in the final stages of construction of a MC36SK, the three of them from the neighbour state of Goiás. The MC28 Class community is quite a friendly group and these builders and Breno had become acquainted by means of our forum in internet.
The meeting began with Breno telling his new friends about the first days of the MC28 Class, of which Utopya had an important role in its history, especially for her participation in the Recife to Fernando de Noronha Island race, a very popular three hundred mile open sea event, shortly after its launching. Then they chatted about amateur construction and how is the experience of living aboard a MC28, a test Breno was the first to try. Together with his wife, Marcia Seixas, they lived aboard for more than five years in a local yacht club at the city of Recife, where he was serving as an air force pilot. As there was no wind during that morning, they left the club motoring, so the guests could enjoy a longer holiday in the lake, giving them a better opportunity to see how the boat behaved when motoring. The efficient sound barrier engine compartment insulation was especially praised, since the engine noise was hardly listened outside the cabin. A few miles and some beers later they returned to the club for lunch and to wait for the customary afternoon wind… Chats did not resume to MC28 Class issues, but soon they were talking about the MC36SK cruising sailboat that Carlos Eduardo, one of Breno's guests that day, is building in Goiania, a nearby city, the capital of the state of Goiás. Carlos Eduardo's lessons during the construction of his steel yacht might be of great value for Breno, who was commemorating the upgrade of Utopya, having acquired the just finished plans of the aluminiun swing keel cruising sailboat Kiribati 36. That was a case of love at first sight, and once more he will be a pioneer in acquiring a new design from B & G Yacht Design. After lunch, finally the wind started to blow and the group had the opportunity of trying a MC28 sailing under full canvass. First it was blowing at about twelve knots, fresh enough to allow the future MC28 sailors to have a feeling on how the model performed on these conditions. They could observe how stable and light helmed the boat is, and how easy she maneuvers. A few tacks later, the group was rewarded with a gorgeous sunset over the presidential palace and a happy return to the yacht club. Breno then let them know that other day-outs aboard Utopya were welcome in the future, either to the three guests, or to other sailors interested in the MC28 Class. Breno's contact e-mail is: brenolima@hotmail.com. People from overseas who happen to be visiting Brazil's capital are welcome too. When I discovered Utopya stationed so close to where I live, it is no surprise that I tried to find out who was the owner of that beautiful boat. I contacted him by means of your forum, very useful in this respect, and doing so, received this gentle invitation from Breno Lima, and this way had the chance to test a sister-ship of my future boat. Utopia is a wonderful sailboat. After ten years of intensive usage she is as good as new, and this is consequence of the good care Breno takes with his creation. Utopia is second to no other MC28 in quality of construction and decorative charm. A competent skipper and good boat-keeper like him deserves owning such a nice boat. We went out twice that Saturday; one under engine, and a second time after lunching at the Yacht Club Brasília. For our luck we were rewarded with a nice breeze in the afternoon Only on Monday I could confirm the wind speed, and came to know that it reached twenty knots. That Saturday was being raced the classificatory series for the Star Class World Championship, and we were told there were a few broken spars and DNFs. However for Utopya, she was literarily sailing in a pond. More than ever I am convinced that I made the best choice for my definitive cruising boat. I thank you from the B & G team for such a nice design, the MC28. Eduardo Perin, future owner of the MC28 Pyrus.”
Click here to know more about the MC28. *** If you are American, or perhaps from the U.K., let's say, and is a lover of the cruising life, in case you are looking for a proper yacht for ocean cruising, no matter how eager you are to make your dreams come true, you might not be considering buying it right now. With such economic crisis, it is probable that it is not the right moment to borrow money to buy an expensive series-produced model which might not even be exactly the boat you want. Ten years of continuous prosperity accustomed sailors to buy commercial models, many of them not necessarily suited for long distance passages, the few ones unequivocally intended for cruising being so expensive that acquiring one of them in a boat show became a matter for only a few. We began our activities in Brazil, a country where the middle class hardly could afford buying a factory built yacht, never mentioning an imported model, for which custom duties were prohibitive. We had returned from an idyllic two and a half years voyage to the South Pacific, having sailed some eight thousand miles in two oceans aboard a twenty-five foot engineless sailboat in the happiest adventure of our lives. (You may learn about this story reading the book “Rio to Polynesia” published in our site in English with link from our first page.) That experience gave us an important lesson, that happiness has nothing to do with boat's lenght, and that you don't need to be rich to live a happy life aboard. Back to Brazil we decided to start a career of yacht designers having in mind providing to other cruising sailors the right type of boats for ocean passages. However, at that time it was difficult to convince boat builders that there was a good market for cruising yachts. Builders, at least in that country, believed that their products had to be cruiser-racers. They claimed that only “crazy people” would consider travelling overseas in a small sailboat. There is nothing more frustrating than having to hear from others that you are crazy if you tell them that you intend to do what you always dreamed with. We were so sure the tycoons of the industry were mistaken with their premises that we decided to challenge their opinions and started designing boats for amateur construction. We were so surprised with the interest for our first plan, The MC23, which sold like bananas, that soon we became recognized as specialists in this segment of yacht design. Eventually we were selling more sets of plans for the regional market than the whole local industry together was selling their boats. It was the beginning of the nineties. With the experience acquired with the development of the MC23, we decided to design the MC28, the stock plan that highlighted our career as yacht designers for amateur construction. When the first boats of the class were launched, they promoted the design to a level that it became an icon among the cruising yachtsmen, as the ultimate boat for amateur construction, and the model became considered one of the few of that size that was suited to go for a round the world trip in safety and comfort. In very short time the class began to spread internationally and now there are MC28 built or being constructed in various countries. We are showing below photos of two recent adventures accomplished by MC28 owners which we already published in our news.
Another outstanding story about the MC28 is that of Access, the MC28 Flavio Bezerra, a computer annalist, built practically alone in Rio de Janeiro. Short of cash, he left Rio single-handed to the West Indies before he saved enough money to buy an inboard engine and no means to supply energy to charge his batteries. Five days before arriving in Saint Martin, without any self-steering device, Access collided with a whale, damaging the rudder, which he jury-rigged. After the collision his boat was caught in a storm and he had to stay awake for days on end to manage to steer the boat with a makeshift rudder. Presently, after sailing from Saint Martin to English Harbour, Flavio is working as project manager in the rebuilding of the Antigua Airport. When his kitty will be replenished with the savings from his job, he intends to buy an engine and sail to the Pacific Ocean.
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Kiribati 36 Green Nomad Hull number one of the Kiribati 36 design is floating since December 16th 2008, and the boat name is Green Nomad. This boat is going to take their owners in a repeat of their voyage that started in Brazil and went across the Pacific Ocean, which only confirmed that the place they want to be in is some remote South Pacific Island.
After selling the first Green Nomad in Australia in 2006, at the end of a 10 year and 20000 nautical miles trip, Luis Manuel and Marli went back to Brazil, not because their love of the cruising life had ended, but family matters required their presence.
An unexpected turn of events saw them ready to take the cruising life again, but now they needed a boat!. Even before they had sold their first boat, they already knew what they wanted from a new boat should they ever build another, and basically what they required is what you can see in the pages describing the Kiribati 36 design. With the long dated relationship they had with Roberto Barros and the B&G Yacht Design team, the natural choice was to build one of their designs ( In fact, during their trip they met 3 boats from their design performing very well and praised endlessly by their crews ). Luis is a Metallurgist engineer graduated by the same university that formed Luis Gouveia and Astrid Barros, and many times they used to meet during their student years. Having an old passion for yacht design, to the point of starting the Westlawn School of Yacht Design program some 20 years ago, Luis knew enough about the design process to know he had to find a partner to develop his first design. Supported by the design office team and starting from an excellent and proven hull form, it was time to let loose the imagination and use his skills for computer 3D modeling and knowledge of fabrication processes to create the Kiribati 36. In some aspects it is the exact opposite of the first Green Nomad, being light and built of aluminum, open aft cockpit and modern hull forms against a traditional center cockpit design. In others is just an extension, with the same attention to detail in the systems and the best equipment where it matters to ensure a trouble free voyaging experience. Today the new Green Nomad's trip has already started ( new hull, same name and mission ). Luis and Marli are living on board since launch day, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, with an improvised interior.
Life on board for now is not exactly as seen in the pictures above, but slowly they are working to get there. Luis used the last months to finish the technical drawings for the Kiribati 36 design, incorporating lessons learned during the building of the first hull, and every now and then a new board is added to the incipient interior furniture.
The first load of marine plywood for the definitive interior has just arrived, and we expect to see the Green Nomad slowly turning into a voyaging home. Marli is finishing the thermal insulation of the hull and deck, and Luis has finished the drawings for the Kiribati 36 stock plans, and for a time now they will be shipwrights and riggers and all other trades in order to follow the call of the islands.
When things start changing you will be able to follow up on this site. We hope to send more conventional boat interior pictures soon! Click here to know more about the Kiribati 36 |
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Pantanal 25 is hard to be beaten in light wind conditions. Jorge Instaschi, mercanteveiculos@terra.com.br, the Pantanal 25 class coordinator in Brazil, sent us the following e-mail reporting the class latest news: “We have another Pantanal 25 hull already constructed. The latest one is Rotfahrt. She was extracted from the mould this week, and her superstructure is already laminated. The new boat is basically intended to participate in the same events as Dark Ice, the 2009 Santos Offshore Racing Championship. Dark Ice, however has a more ambitious plans fot this year and we have a schedule to send her to other important events in the Brazilian racing agenda. For bad luck, (or would it be good luck?), the new boat most probably will over-sail our dear Dark Ice, since she will be lighter, thanks to a more accurate vacuum bagging technique applied in the second boat lamination. We are counting on hard times for Dark Ice from now on. The lamination of Enigma II, the third Pantanal 25 to be built from the same mould already started, and she will also be completed straightaway. This new boat is being prepared to race under the “Brasilia Rule”, a measuring formula adopted by the capital of the country's sailing fleet, in Paranoá Lake, the important water mirror in Brazil's capital. Taking into account Mr Ademir Micareta's, Enigma II's owner, renowned sailing skills, this Pantanal 25 will most probably steal the show in the 2009/2010 racing seasons at Lake Paranoá. It is exciting coming to learn how the Pantanal Class will spread to other sailing centres. We at Performance Pantanal 25 consider each new hull of the class as if it was a son. We are glad to follow the construction of each of them, doing our best towards producing a better boat at each lamination, and we are prepared to give all the necessary support to the new owners after launching, explaining to them all the tricks Dark Ice already taught us during these seven months of intensive sailing”.
Photos: Pantanal 25 Rotfahrt construction at Cooper Marine under the supervision of Performance Pantanal 25. Santos, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil *** Meanwhile the Pantanal 25 Dark Ice has been involved with the season's first regattas at the Santos Racing Fleet. She took part in three races in a roll, all of them in light winds, the conditions when the Pantanal 25 had already shown that she is the boat to be beaten. “This year we are trying new adjustments for Dark Ice sailing trim which seem to be working beautifully. At the first regatta of the new season, even though with a renovated crew, we won the race. Jones, the helmsman making his debut at this function, was really impressed with the quick acceleration of the boat at the least breadth of wind, keeping its speed in almost no wind. Newton, another crew who came to give us a hand, was absolutely infatuated with the boat's performance. The second race we had Dimas, our last season's helmsman, when we were the Santos Offshore Racing Championship winners, back to the tiller, conducting Dark Ice with great skill one more time, and he did not disappoint us. We opened an even more impressive leadership over the other competitors, as if our boat was employing another sort of propulsion. Leonardo, one of our competitors, from the Ranger 26 “Rainha”, later sent an e-mail to the Santos Offshore Racing Association forum, telling his impressions about the races during this weekend: Sunday the wind was more typical of that area, just a lick of it! Again Dark Ice seemed to be the only boat capable of sailing in those conditions, and once more she jumped ahead of all other competitors. The race ended up being cancelled, but once again Dark Ice was far ahead of any boat…
Photos of the Santos and Bertioga races. Note the distance the other boats stayed behind. Click here to know more about the Pantanal 25 class |
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Samoa 28, the right size boat
You may want to own a boat that can take you in safety to any place you fancy visiting someday. Perhaps you can't afford buying it, but you can build it as an amateur, provided you have a fixed monthly income. Besides, if the model is good enough, being really safe when sailing in bad weather and comfortable for a couple to live aboard for long periods, than it is worth considering constructing it yourself. Having in mind this possibility is very appealing. If you like the hobby of boat building, the whole work involved in the construction becomes an amusement, and instead of obtaining a loan which will generate a long term debt, you make a saving investing your time and your income in a durable good made with your own hands. If you still take into account that the enterprise is tax free and does not include somebody else profit, than you can be sure that deciding for a home construction of a boat of proven quality is an excellent investment. We bet that the adequate boat for an investment like this is the Samoa 28. A boat of this size is quickly built and is relatively cheap to be equipped. On the other hand to live aboard for long periods you need more than anything else that the boat affords adequate headroom. Besides, you will require a comfortable saloon to be used as living room, and this saloon must be a cozy place for entertaining your guests. A well equipped and ergonomic galley is also essential, and the heads with decent shower facilities is something you must have too. You also need an owner's cabin large enough to be called bedroom. Adding to this a fore double berth for eventual guests, than you will have the right size boat for your requirements. If the boat is a nice-looking, modern design and is fast enough to provide daily runs above the one hundred fifty miles mark, then this is the best choice you can afford.
Click here to know more about the Samoa 28 class |
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Pantanal 25 Dark Ice wins her first championship Good news from the Pantanal 25 class arrived this week. If you bet it was the Pantanal 25 Dark Ice, the first boat of this promising class to be launched in Brazil, you hit the nail on the head. And it wasn't little what was learned! They discovered that her speed was simply fantastic in light winds, capable of overtaking the whole local fleet, regardless of the size of the competitors. When sailing in fresher winds, she still sailed fast, but in those conditions water line length prevailed and Dark Ice didn't manage to beat the larger boats. In short: even though she only began to participate in the series already in its fourth race, she managed to win the championship one race before the last one. The 7th of February was a busy day for the owner and builder of Dark Ice, Jorge Intaschi. Early in the morning he had an appointment with a racing sailor from Brasilia who had come to Santos just to get to know the Pantanal 25. Before taking his guest out to sail, Jorge went with him to Coopermarine, the manufacturing co-operative engaged in series producing the Pantanal 25. By sheer luck the factory was giving the finishing touches to a motor yacht which would be delivered to Brasilia, the visitor's town, in the next few days, demonstrating to the potential client the high standard of the factory workmanship. A few days earlier the locally prestigious Brazilian magazine Revista Náutica had tested Dark Ice for one of its regular evaluation reports. That day the reporters suggested changing the appointment for another occasion, with a more reliable wind, believing that with the ghostly wind of the day the boat wouldn't move. To their surprise, however, they discovered that Dark Ice jumped ahead with incredible acceleration at the lightest puff of wind, showing them that they needn't be worried about accomplishing the test. When the test-drive finally satisfied Jorge's guest, our host invited him to participate in the prize awarding party for the 2008 Santos Ocean Racing Championship. This was the high-light of the Pantanal 25 class prestige that day. That almost unknown model stole the show, and that evening she was the boat which won more prizes, stirring the most varied gossips about her performance among the participants in the event.. No wonder Jorge and his crew were very happy and the visitor deeply impressed with such interest in the new design. To crown it all a yachtsman from Niteroi, the Rio de Janeiro's neighbour city, confirmed his order for another Pantanal 25 to be built by Coopermarine. Jorge, perhaps because of high adrenaline triggered by such sudden success, also announced his intention in building Wave Runner, his next Pantanal 25. This was the hot news direct from Sao Paulo, the most important Brazilian state and nautical centre. With boats being built in a dozen different countries, from Sweden to Australia, and with the first ones already sailing, after Dark Ice's demonstration of competence in the racing field, we have all reasons to believe that very soon the Pantanal 25 will become a popular international class.
Click here to know more about the Pantanal 25 Class |
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Multichine 28 Vagamundo – Baby on board, part II
The Multichine 28 is becoming each time more a really popular design among cruising people who want to live aboard. As the class never stops growing, we regularly receive reports from our clients about an experience aboard one of these boats. Ricardo wrote us: “I am still in Ilha Grande with Vagamundo and each day I am more pleased with the boat. From Vitória, Espirito Santo, to Angra do Reis, we had the company of a friend, Bernardo, who is building one of your designs, the MC 31. The trip began with a light wind from the northeast until reaching Cape São Tomé, when we were caught by a cold front having to beat from then on until Macaé, where we decided to make a stop over waiting for the weather to settle. The Macaé River bar entrance is quite difficult to negotiate, especially with low tide, but thanks to the MC28 shallow draught we had no problem in entering port and stayed there for a day and a half. When the northeaster started to blow again we left bound for Ilha Grande in a non-stop trip.
When reaching Anchor Island, near Buzios, the wind freshened reaching 30 knots. During these hours it is very good having a new boat in which you can trust and the trip remained eventless until reaching Ponta Negra. We were sailing at eight knots most of the time with jus a little rag as foresail. From then on the wind subsided until vanishing at the outer edge of Rasa Island, in front of Rio de Janeiro. So we made use of our ‘bilge wind' and went motoring up to Barra da Tijuca, when there entered a southerly wind. After rounding Marambaia Sandbar, sailing close-hauled, we reached Ilha Grande Bay under sail. Regards Vagamundo is a very well built Multichine 28 and the level of finishing Ricardo managed to obtain in the interior joinery is superb. The photos shown below give a good idea on how happy the Costa Campos family is with their new life. João must be feeling an authentic little dolphin by now.
To now more about the Multichine 28 class, click here |
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Samoa 28 Sirius second trip to Uruguay Sirius is a brand new Samoa 28 built by her owner, the Argentinean geologist Daniel D'Angelo. Since he was the first to finish the construction of one of these boats, we are following his early experiences with the new boat with great interest. We like to reproduce in our site the cruising stories our clients send us, especially if they describe a place that might interest other builders in the same region, or simply entertain our readers from different places. When the story reports very happy days spent aboard, after all the hard work to build the boat with his own hands, then the story acquires a new dimension, that of fulfilling the purpose of such challenge. “We were planning to take some short vacations aboard Sirius, visiting Riachuelo, a very popular cruising destination for us Argentineans, at the other side of the River Plate, in our neighboring country, Uruguay. As it was the first time we were going to be aboard for so long, we prepared the boat for her second adventure, planning with great care all we should take with us for a pleasant eventless trip.
In spite of having plotted the waypoint of Riachuelo's entrance mark in our GPS, we were a bit uneasy, since, even with the assistance of binoculars, we couldn't see that buoy.
As we entered, we noticed that the place was crowded, and we could count more than ninety other crafts, most of them sailboats. We said hello to a couple of friends aboard another boat and went to the harbour office wooden pier, to clear our papers. Next we went for a stroll along the waterfront, getting acquainted with the town, where we had never been before. Going back on board, we looked for a safe place to anchor, closer to the Riachuelo mouth. (Riachulo means rivulet in Spanish). We lashed Sirius bow cleat to a tree ashore, throwing two anchors from the stern as kedges. After we finished the tying up procedure, I installed our awning while my wife Carina prepared lunch.
Riachuelo is a place where you must have a dinghy. As we have no inflatable, we took our solid dinghy Siriusito and a kayak paddle, which made even more picturesque our presence in the place. Our daughter Florence in the front seat, Carina at the stern, and me paddling in the middle thwart, plus beach chairs, sun umbrella, toys and bags, was a sight to be seen. Paddling to the outside end of the breakwater and then returning along its other side to the coast, we disembarked on a white sanded beach crowded with people, in a place of rare beauty. There were many yachts anchored in front of where we were, and behind us lay a forest of pine trees inviting us to sit under their shades.
When I was finishing packing our gear in the dinghy to go back on board, somebody approached me asking if the dinghy had been as difficult to build as the twenty-eight footer. He took me by surprise. He had learned from the Argentinean yachting magazine “Bienvenidos a Bordo” which had just published an article about Sirius building saga. After a light conversation about amateur boat building with my new acquaintance, my mini-holidays actually began, playing with my daughter Flor on the sand and swimming in the river, where the water is much clearer than on our side of the stream. The day was very hot and the water temperature agreeable, so we remained playing in the river for most of the time. Riachuelo has public bathrooms and showers to be used with coins, but we had to go to the opposite place where we were to reach the public showers, nothing really difficult if you have an outboard motor for the dinghy, but rowing for two kilometers with a paddle is not very inviting. As Sirius has a pressurized water system, I disconnected the end of the hose that goes to the heads shower compartment, and joined it to a garden hose, taking it to the cockpit. Our awning has curtains, so we managed to afford the necessary privacy for a refreshing shower aboard, without having to deal with the mess of filling the shower bilge with rinsed water. Carina and Flor even had warm baths using our sun-shower hoisted on the boom. In thirty minutes we were all clean and nice smelling, ready for dinner, without having to wait in a long queue in front of the land showers!!! During the first night we were hit by a fierce ‘Pampeiro' ( as the cold fronts are called in our region) that left me very nervous, as our kedges started to drag, since I hadn't counted with winds from that direction. Held by the bow only, Sirius started to hit the bottom and its topside was dangerously getting too close to shore for comfort. Not managing to sleep with the wind gusting in our stays, I decided to improve our situation, taking the kedges farther away from the boat and farther apart from each other. Back to Sirius, I waited until the anchors had dug into the bottom mud, and began to take the boat out of the awkward situation. Slowly we started to reach deeper water and we were no more touching the ground. Now we could resume sleeping, however not before discovering the reason for the strange noise we heard, as if our hull was being scraped. Apparently fishes were feeding on the algae that were beginning to grow in Sirius hull bottom, so we had to cope with this serenade for the whole night. Next morning dawned as though nothing had happened during the night. A blue sky with hot sun presaged a marvelous beach day. But before the pleasure, we dedicated some time in improving Sirius situation, now crossing the kedges' rodes to improve the angle between them. Since this job took up some time to be accomplished and the air temperature raised considerably, we decided to stay and have lunch aboard, leaving the afternoon for going ashore, finishing up with a walk to the pine forest, until reaching some dunes at the end of the beach where we spent the previous morning., planning to return the next day riding our bicycles. Back to Sirius, we had our bath ritual, followed by dinner and, satisfied, the three of us jumped into bed. For the first time we slept until late, and, after breakfast, laziness prevailed, indulging us in staying aboard, and it was nearly noon when we started to take any action. Not to make too ambitious plans for the afternoon, we decided to go to the eastside beach, which for us to reach was just jumping ashore and walking for about three hundred metres. Our prize for this choice was having a whole beach all to ourselves. There was absolutely no one there. We still haven't discovered why yachties didn't use it. It is a long stretch of beach, with compact sand, ideal for playing beach tennis. We decided to walk along its extent and to swim on its end tip. When becoming hungry we returned to the boat, not without trying to photograph a lizard of considerable size that I had already seen the morning before, but the brute ran away before I could take the photo.
That afternoon we gave up the intended bicycle ride to the dunes and stayed on the beach with the rest of the cruising people. After bathing, we decided to go till the mole to buy ice, as the cooler box ice had melted. So, the three of us went aboard the Siriusito, rowing for the two kilometers that separated us from the settlement, and to make things worse, with the wind on the nose. Luckily I had Flor singing on the bow seat, giving me strength to keep rowing. When we finally arrived we left the ice block already paid and went walking until reaching a restaurant called “Arenas”, seventeen blocks away from our anchorage, where we ordered our plates ( via VHF). There handiwork could be bought also, and there was a museum of strange articles, such like pencils, key holders, aluminium tins, ash-trays , telephone cards, perfume flasks , etc. some of these collections deserving to belong to the Guinness book of records. We picked up our ice block on the way back to the anchorage, and again to the Siriusito, rowing to our floating home, this time with the wind in our favour. This evening the meal was a fancy degustation of cheeses and sausages bought at the “Arenas”, served with an excellent Malbec. We slept like the Gods!
Early next day I carried the two bicycles in our tender and crossed the beach to try to reach Colonia on a dirt track ( 12 km ). Once more the Siriusito behaved marvelously well as a ferry. We decided to peddle a little under an inclement sun, but now profiting from the shade of the pine trees. We went on for some 4 km when Carina's bycicle had its sprocket chain broken. As we had some rope at hand, I tried towing her with my bicycle until finding a gate shut with a padlock.
Back to the beach and starving, I tried to reach the wooden pier with the bicycle through a path opened by cows, but I didn't manage, since in some places the bush was so dense that it was impossible to proceed. The last two days we left to visit Colonia and have good meals in a restaurant. Because of this, I began to maneuver to say good by to Riachuelo and to prepare to leave for Colonia. Nearly five miles separates these two points, and, in lack of wind, we turned the Yanmar on, so as not to arrive after midday and to profit from a more pleasurable navigation, not having to endure the noon heat. When arriving at the port of Colonia, we noticed it was also crowded, with just a couple of places available. So, with the assistance of our dinghy, for our peace of mind, we preferred to lash the boat to a mooring buoy, not needing to perform complicated maneuvers to force our way to the pier. We had lunch aboard and rested a little in the shade of our awning, going ashore in the afternoon with our bicycles to peddle a bit through the city until reaching Ferrando Beach, where we cooled ourselves with a invigorating swim. Back to the beach we could contemplate a gorgeous sunset, next going to have dinner in a local restaurant to quench our craving to eat the things we didn't have aboard. Back to Sirius, eating ice creams for dessert, completely exhausted, we went to bed, sleeping soon after.
I awoke early and went ashore to leave the clearance papers at the harbor office, taking the opportunity to buy something for our last breakfast aboard. We decided to walk around the city, and, killing time until midday, we had lunch in Colonia, before leaving for La Plata, departing at three P.M. We hoisted the mainsail while still tied to the buoy and motor-sailed to outside the harbour. After rounding the Santa Rita light house, we hoisted the jib and went in the direction of La Plata. The wind was coming from the south at 15-20 knots which, together with a flooding tide current, made us drift away from our course, obliging, after two miles of sailing to change tacks to get extra windward. After two miles in the new tack, we could already point towards our destination, as far as we sailed close hauled. Click here to know more about the Samoa 28 |
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Samoa 34 Luthier. The wind calls the tune. Yacht designing is sometimes a very rewarding activity. We are not meaning the material side of the business, which is like any other one, but a more subjective of its aspects, that of once in a while being presented with photos of just finished boats from our design, when we find in each of them an authentic work of art. This was the case this January when we received the photos taken by Dorival Gimenes, after the completion of his home-built Samoa 34 Luthier, an amateur construction accomplished in his home garden at the city of Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Luthier was launched on the 12th of December, 2008. The construction took four and a half years of dedication and planning. Now my wife and I can live aboard and fulfil our long distance cruising dreams we have nurtured for so long. Undoubtedly Dorival accomplished an extraordinary feat for an amateur boat builder without previous experience. His boat is an authentic work of a luthier. The navigation table is only missing the keys and strings to become a grand piano. The galley requires a French chef to take full advantage of such clean ambience. Well, you better see the photos below and check for yourself.
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