Kiribati 36, our next stock plan

Soon we will be introducing a very exciting new design, the Kiribati 36, an aluminium sail boat with a series of innovative ideas, which we are expecting to excite the imagination of many blue-water cruising sailors.

This new design has all the ingredients to make a successful career. The story of the Kiribati 36 began when our friend, now our collaborator, Luis Manuel Pinho, a long time cruising sailor, accepted our invitation to produce this design in a joint venture.

Luis Manuel was born in Mozambique. When that country obtained its independence, his family immigrated to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Luis Manuel obtained a degree in engineering. Soon after his graduation he built a steel boat with which, together with his just married wife Marli, sailed to the South Pacific, where they stayed for many years.

They established their base in Cairns, Queensland, and from there they visited many remote islands in the South Pacific. After four years of residence, Luis Manuel and his wife obtained the Australian citizenship, something important for us, since we also transferred our office to Perth, Western Australia.

Luis Manuel sold his boat in Australia and came back to Brazil to build his new yacht, since this was the country where he was acquainted with building facilities, based in his previous experience. Luis Manuel and his wife intend to sail back to Australia with the new boat, where they will resume to their former cruising life-stile, and he intends to remain as our collaborator in future projects.

The deal we made with him was beneficial for both sides. We used the Multichine 36SK as a base plan for the new design and he introduced the modifications he intended to accomplish, which we believe are shared by many other cruising sailors. The result of all his work is the Kiribati 36, which we are proud to advertise.

If you are interested in the Kiribati 36 and want to know more about this design, please send us an e-mail to info@yachtdesign.com.auor to Luis Manuel at the e-mail luisdesenhos@gmail.com.

Kiribati 36 Aluminium Swing Keel Yacht

Length Overall – 11.03m
Beam – 3.84m
Draft Keel Up – 0.72m
Draft Keel Down – 2.26m
Displacement Light – 7250 Kg (includes rig, winches, interior, deck hardware)
Displacement Loaded – 8750 kg (Full tanks, provisions, spares, dinghy, outboard etc)
Ballast – Fixed 1000 Kg
Swing Keel 1300 Kg
Water Capacity – 600 l
Fuel Capacity – 420 l

The main goals that the Kiribati 36 has to meet are:

• - To be a safe world passage maker with emphasis on tropical sailing. A shallow draught is desired to amplify the cruising ground possibilities and enhance the safety of anchoring in otherwise inaccessible shelters.
• - To be a permanent home for a couple with good view to the outside.
• - To be cost effective to be built by amateurs or by professional yards.
• - To have simple and reliable systems in order to minimize the possibilities of gear failure at sea and to keep the running and maintenance costs to a minimum.
• - To be a reasonable performer in light airs and be capable of motoring comfortably at 5 to 6 knots, with a 1000 Nautical Miles range under power.
• - To see how these goals are met with the minimum possible compromise by the Kiribati 36, we begin by its size.

11 m or 36ft LOA gives you enough carrying capability and can take its share of rough weather and the inertia for the proposed displacement still gives you gentle enough accelerations while this size still belongs to the small boat club in comparison to the current cruising fleet.

While 32 ft or 10 m can still be enough, the savings in cost will be not all that great, as a simply conceived 11m can be cheaper than an overbuilt, over-equipped 10 m long boat, and the trade off can be disadvantageous when you consider the smaller payload. You can benefit of cheaper places if you can carry more stocks and fuel.

Next we come to the building method, which is based on a pre-cut kit of all aluminium parts, numbered and identified in easy to read perspective drawings.

With this kit and drawings, and with the building manual supplied, an amateur with access to a shed and an aluminium welder (we recommend that an experienced welding professional be hired) can confidently put the boat together.

The hull plates are designed to be nearly 100% developable in a plane, so no great forces are required to bend them to shape and a minimum of stress and deformation is introduced in the material. This is assured by using dedicated software ( Prosurf 3, Rhinoceros ) that calculates and shows graphically the amount of curvature on the surface.

This hull is intrinsically very strong with the added advantage of the inherent dryness of properly built metal hulls. The 5086/5083 aluminium employed should ensure decades of trouble free cruising, as far as the hull is concerned.

The choice of twin rudders behind skegs with tiller steering is logical since you want to keep systems simple and still have low draught and good steering control. The twin rudders are 10cm deeper than the lowest part of the hull with the swing keel up, providing a stable 3 point base when sitting on the ground.

The option for a swing keel is dictated by the shallow draught requirement. With the keel up the Kiribati 36 draws scant 79 centimetres (2 ‘ 7” ) fully loaded. The ballast is divided between internal ballast and the ballasted swing keel. There is a very simple and low cost system to raise the keel, using an ordinary winch and a 4 to 1 reduction, pulling two 12mm spectra ropes.

The rig is a single spreader cutter in order to keep it simple and provide for enough sail area combinations for safe offshore passages. A mast height of 13 m and a sail area of 57 m³ to give a Sail area/Displacement ratio of 14.3 should power the Kiribati 36 well enough in the prevailing conditions of the trade wind belt. Slab reefing and mainsail handling by the mast is preferred to minimize line runs and keep chafe and costs low. A well protected working area around the mast is provided by back-rests on each side.

The outboard profile is dictated by the requirements of a good view to the outside and an easy transition from cockpit to cabin. A raised floor area just below from the main companionway hatch will provide a good view from the galley and navigation station area. Six 32x24cm  and  two 50x50cm hatches are installed around this cabin area, enabling integration to the exterior surroundings  and plenty of ventilation, while being safe and strong.

The Interior

A raised floor central section accommodates the navigation station, where a seated navigator can look out through the hatches, and the cook has full view of the outside, providing for a comfortable and ventilated working environment.

Forward and one step below there is a dinette with ample sitting room for six persons and a forward double berth.

The heads is located to starboard, aft of the navigation station, and behind it is the technical area, concentrating all through-hulls, except the main raw water intake, which is located on the keel trunk wall, being this the only underwater connection on the boat. A convenient space for electric equipment, pumps and all diesel fuel management is also located here.