Unconventional rigs... from Maranhao, North of Brazil

Yesterday I was posting about the unconventional CrabClaw rig on Wakataitea. The Crab Claw is thought to be a rig originating from the Southpacific Islands. Minutes later I was reading a post about traditional boats from the North of Brazil, the State of Maranhao. I was astonished to suddenly note the resemblance between the rig used on the traditional cargo and passenger transport vessels, and the rig used on Wakataitea! Look at the lovely shot above, from photographer Emilio Russell.

These beautiful boats are used to this day to make transports between the Capital Sao Luis, and the town of Alcantara, and other nearby centers. Maranhao has a rich nautical heritage, with a variety of boat configurations and rigs. Also multihulls. ... These however, brought in later, by a Portuguese sailor who arrived there after crossing the Atlantic. Multihulls were widely accepted due to their advantages in these treacherous tidal estuaries.

Fotos: Emílio Russell.

Meeting Wakataitea

Last weekend I was so lucky as to meet Hans and Isabelle, from Wakataitea. Having arrived from their last stop in Santa Helena, coming from South Africa, they dropped their anchor in front of Urca Beach. Hans and Isabelle have built their Tiki 46, designed by James Wharram, in New Zealand, in 2009. They have since sailed together through the Pacific and Indian Ocean. You can find their story and lovely pictures on their website: www.wharramsailing.com 

After we met in Urca, I invited them for a tour, and so I had the privilege to introduce them to my town, Rio de Janeiro, and show them around a little bit. Hans who sailed out of Germany 16 years ago, and Isabelle, who also lived on a boat before meeting Hans, are very pleasant company, and have many a story to tell. Their boat, Wakataitea carries a unusual Crab Claw sail. People who read this blog for a while know, that I take a lot of interest in unusual boats, and specially in multihulls with unusual configurations and rigs. Hans carries beautiful carved proa models on his boat too... Due to this, we had an immediate starting point to chat away. 

Gunboat G4 changes the game

Gunboat has launched its brand new G4 last week, and is now testing the boat. It is an awesome weekender, which will surely change the game in the sailing world. Foiling is a real option now, which opens a variety of new possibilities. I'm really curious how this is going to look in 10 years time.

With a price-tag of more than 2 million USD, cost is still an issue. But I am sure that with time, cost will decrease for such high end products. Advanced design capabilities, better knowledge about foil profiles and construction techniques will play in favor of greater audiences, as benefits start to trickle down.

It seems like a good idea to buy shares of carbon fiber producers.
GUNBOAT G4 from Gunboat on Vimeo.

PlaneSail - From 1992

I had seen drawings for such boats, but actually newer knew that they had actually been built and even sailed across the Atlantic. These are not quite my cup of tea, but, I have to admire the out of the box thinking and boldness. And I thought my boat, Arpex, was kind of whacky...

See the boat at 3:50min. I wonder how it actually performed, ... and is it still sailing?

Top Gun

When it comes to sailing, the mainstream is not my cup of tea. I am attracted to out of the box thinking. And here is one nice example of it. Gun Boat have developed the next generation of catamarans. The model is named the "G4", which is heavily inspired by the AC72. I'm very curious to see this boat perform on the water. Hope it gets built soon.

Tiki Rio is floating!

Tiki Rio, a Tiki 30 built by Rogerio and Fred, has found its natural element. Yesterday, around 12:30, it floated for the first time on the coming tide. A great moment, which made two proud owners and builders. The boat was later transferred to the Botafogo Bay, where the mast will be stepped, and last adjustments be executed.  

My congratulations to Rogério and Fred! They have built their boat in something more than 2 years, and they did a fine job. Tiki Rio is sensibely built, looks good, and will last for a long time.

I would have loved to joint the crew for its first transfer to Urca. However, I had an important family lunch to attend. On the other hand, my brothers apartment offered a vantage point to watch Tiki Rio approaching its first mooring, for the night in Botafogo Bay.

Eagle 44 - Modern classic

I should be in the boatshed again, today, to get the last touches on the boat before painting. And part of this is task is to motivate Valmir to do his job, which is yet unfinished...

However, I got a very tempting invitation to sail a regatta on a very good looking boat, with an interesting crew. And you guys know how I am attached to beauty. I couldn't possibly resist. But the weather is not very kind on us today, and the whole thing might be called off because of rain.

Construction of a modern classic - Fairlie 55

Superyacht in Rio

A lovely superyacht has found its way to Rio. The boat has been an imposing sight in the bay of Botafogo for the last fortnight, or so. It is not often that the big ones find their way down to our South Atlantic coast.

Classe Brasil 40 in peril

This is an S.O.S. call!

A Class Brasil 40, which has been sitting in the Iate Clube de Ramos for a few year now, protected in a shed, waiting for a renovation, has now been put out into the weather. Since the hull is scrapped and open, it won´t last for long, now that it is exposed to the elements. I´m afraid that the clock has started ticking on a terminal countdown.

I hope the owner reverts the situation. Otherwise, I suppose, the only hope is that it finds a new owner, willing to bring the boat back to life. If you are willing I´d be glad to intermediate the contacts.

The lovely Aida

Right in front of my hotel I found the lovely yacht Aida moored alongside a dedicated pier. The yacht was built in 1930, in Stockholm, Sweden. Its hull is karvel planked with fine mahogany, which has also been used  in the deckhouses. The decks are planked in Oregonpine. Its first owner, Gösta Tholin, member of the Royal Swedish Sailing Club, undertook extended trips through the Baltic, among them destinations such as Danzing, Helsingsfors, Tallin, Riga and Kiel.

The yacht has received a full restauration in 2000 and is now used as a charter vessel for sightseeing through the channels of Berlin. 

For contact call: Yacht Aida 030 399 20 790

Fifty-Fifty

A pretty cool, and fast double rigged catamaran.

Tiki Rio in the making

Today I payed a long overdue visit to Rogerio and Fred, the builders of Tiki Rio. They are doing a very fine job in building a Tiki 30. They also advance in a swift and consistent way, which gives great pleasure to watch and read about in their popular blog: Tiki Rio. 

The moment for the visit was well chosen, because they are just now building their mast. And this is a task which is not too far ahead in my building schedule. So, this was a great opportunity to see the job being done. As with their boat they are doing a fine job with it. They are using good Freijó wood for it. 

Thalassa 21 from Vitória

Thalassa, from Vitória, is a lovely example of a Class Carioca. Specially its rig shows how radical this boat was for its time. It carries a full battened main, and a distinctive, wooden forestay foil. Interestingly, it works also as support for the mast, acting to hold the mast standing without a backstay.

The Carioca is a very light boat, with a very shallow draft, as can be seen above. It is equiped with a centerboard and lifting rudder. Considering that the design was created in 1938, one should acknowledge the advanced design features. Being a very light boat, the Carioca had a tough standing in the 25 knots of wind we had in Búzios.

Brazilian Classics - continued

The light blue colour suits the 42 ft. Cangrejo. It is not a traditional colour, though. Apart from originality, it it makes a fine looking boat. In combination with th black carbon sails, she was a strange mixture between classic and new. Can't say she didn't look nice. The decksweep is enhanced by the lack of lifelines. ... I'd like to encourage you to see the images full size by clicking on them.

Chestnut Tree in action in a strong breeze.

Chestnut Tree lying alongside The schooner Dalia.

Chestnut Tree fit nicely in the coastline of Búzios.

Lady Lou gives Cairu II, in the backround, hard competition in the beauty contest. It`s dark blue colour with a fine yellow stripe, and varinshed wood as a caprail to the teak decks is striking.

The open whaling boat Teimosa, with Admiral Bernardo José Pierantoni Gambôa on the helm, is from 1915. She runs fast with a vast amount of sail.

Brazilian Classics

Eduardo Hamond Regua steering Cairu II, a Class Brasil, designed by Sparkman & Stephens. I participated on the Classic Boat Regatta in Búzios following his invitation. Cangrejo, another Sparkman & Stephens design is sailing in the backround.

Thalassa - A Carioca Class in prime condition, with a lovely wooden cabin.

Cairu III, designed by Sparkman & Stephens in 1953. She is an example of th great genious of Sparkman & Stephens. The boat is a brave and prized participant on many regattas.

Chestnut Tree was built in Italy, in 1965, to plans by Sangermani. She was brought back to life after almost going beyond repair.

 Chestnut Tree

 Dalia is actually not a classic but a 2003 recreation, according to plans from 2003. She is a shooner.

Froya II -  The gracefull yawl, which has been just re-launched last month. It was her first outing, and she looked superb. She was built in 1965, to a design by Phillip Rhodes, as a bermuda yawl. She was built in Norway, and has a colorful story. She has also carried the names Saga and My Hobby.

  Froya II

Froya II

Lady Lou, Torben Grael's lovely boat. She is a Cal 50. The teak deck was added during a recent, thorogh re-fit at the renomed Kalmar yard. The additions make the fine lines looke even better, and she is in prime condition.

Froya II velejando em Búzios

Crewing on Cairu II

This is the lovely Cairu II, the Class Brasil 40, which gave us crew formidable sailing, and provided gracefull   competition on the field. On the second day, when we had sorted some problems out, Cairu II was flying on the beam reach.

I find it particulary pleasurable to sail on such a yacht. I'd say there is a parallel to the saying that one eats with the eye. On also "sails with the eye".

Owner Eduardo Hammond Regua, was having great fun on the tiller. Eduardo's sailing career started on the regular tonner classes of the 70'ies and 80'ies regattas. Eduardo later pioneered the racing, cruising an building of multihulls. He still owns a fast catamaran. As patrner in a boatyard, he produced a few of the most advanced trimarans in Brazil. His calm command makes for happy sailing, even in stressfull situations.

Classic Boat Regatta in Búzios

The weather last weekend was rainy, windy and wet. This came in very conveniently for me, because I didn't need to feel guilty for skipping boatbuilding in favor of sailing. And also for sailing the weather was fine. With winds gusting up to 25 knots, crews had their hands full. And breakages spoiled the fun of several participants. Also on Cairu II.

During the second regatta, on Sunday, while Cairu II was sailing fast on a beam reach, and in excellent position compared to the oposition, we discovered a bad crack along the hull, right under the short bulwark, under the shroud attachments. We immediately tacked, to release the pressure from the shrouds, fearing that the mast could come down, and ripp off the deck in the process. The boat will have to go to the yard to be examined and repaired. The cause for the failure failure is not yet quite clear.

Coincidently I was just filming moments before we discovered the failure. You can see it in the video below...

The crew was obviously disappointed. We were beautifully positioned against a strong competition, and we were eager to show a nice figure. But this was not our day, so we headed back to port.

Spero - A 10 Metre by William Fife

I had the chance to go back to the Polo Náutico, and take another look at the beautiful classic, which I saw there back in August. I also got more information about it. It is a classic 10 Metre Yacht, designed by William Fife. It was built in 1909, on a yard in Scotland.

At first I thought it might have been built, maybe, at Alexander Robertson & Son's yard, just as the Cisne Branco, ex Tritonia. But that would have been too much of a coincidence. After a little research at the good Wikipedia site, showed that this was not the case. Eventhough, they are boats of the same golden yacht era, built in the same region.

The good thing is that the yacht is being worked on. The layer of glassfiber, which had puzzled me during my first visit, was applied to protect the wooden hull, to help it maintain its shape, while it waits for restauration. It will later be removed.

Unfortunately, I'm not aware whether the current name is the original one. I'd sure like to know. It is good to see such a boat slowly comming back to life. It even has a well preserved wooden mast. Not the original one. But one which was built in 1930. A hollow pine mast.