Newbie questions - Tiki 30

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Anonymous (not verified)
Newbie questions - Tiki 30
Hi all, I've been searching for a boat to build for a little while and only recently started to give catamarans serious thought. I have the Design Book on order, but I'm chomping at the bit for more info. Would someone be able to answer some of my newbie questions? 1. I know that [i]any[/i] boat [i]could[/i] be used to cross oceans, but how well suited is the Tiki 30 to doing so? 2. How well suited is it for 2 people to live on? 3. In cooler climates does the wide-open cabin make sailing (or living on) too uncomfortable? (By "cooler", I mean summer in places like Maine, the PNW, New Zealand or Europe. Or winter in the sub-tropics or Mediterranean climates. Where night-time lows and/or cold fronts and storms can really lower the temps.) Would I be crazy for even considering a T30 for doing the things mentioned above? Should I skip right to the T38? I just think a T38 may be a bit too rich for my budget. Not to mention more than double the build time. I kinda wish there was something in-between... a T34 sounds about perfect. (I'm not a fan of the T31 because of the center cockpits in each hull. It seems they would really eat away at the belowdecks living space, no? The schooner rig looks beautiful, but the added cost... uf!) Thanks, Greg
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Newbie questions - Tiki 30
We sail a Tiki 30 out of the UK, originally with the open cockpit and now with a pod. We usually sail as a couple but have had between 1 and 3 extra people on board on the odd occaision. Tiki 30s have crossed oceans successfully and we have not had any worries in sailing her in nasty seas during F6+ winds in the North sea (there have been some articles in the Sea People about the Tiki 30s PHA and Anna Sophia). We decided to add the pod as we found the cabins a bit tight for 2 people to share a bunk, though neither of us are large, and also when the weather was bad it was an OK place for 2 people but pretty unsociable for more than that. We have been away sailing for 7 weeks since relaunching with the pod and it has been a big success as in addition to the better living accomodation it gives shelter for the helm and the winches etc. are better positioned for single handed sailing. The downsides are that you lose the good weather party space and when sailing with more than 2 in poor weather the cockpit is a bit cramped and also you lose the nice safe low space behind the mast for sail handling. We plan to enhance it further with a deck tent over the cockpit for harbour use. We plan to use her for living on for extended periods and belive this is more viable with the pod. Depending on where you are sailing having a smaller boat is also a plus: the places we have been this summer on the English NE and South Coast and France may have been problematic to get into with Tiki 38 because of the extra size. If we decide to go liveaboard then a Tiki 38 would be on the cards, otherwise the Tiki 30 meets our needs.
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Newbie questions - Tiki 30
re newbie we sail a tiki 30 on the gippsland lakes in victoria south east australia. we launched it 18 monthes ago and we are glad we built the pod version. last feb. myself and a couple of friends sailed it from lakes entrance to the kent group of islands in bass strait. about 100 n.m. it started out with winds of about 10 to 15 knots but after a few hours increased to 30 to 35 knots with 3 metre cross seas. the tiki handled conditions extremely well except for spray continually coverinc the boat and solid water over the bows. without the pod it would have been pretty miserable. with our wet weather gear on it was not to bad behind the pod in the cockpitand the two friends off watch coud relax in the pod rather than go down into the hulls. rob sewell
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Newbie questions - Tiki 30
I agree with the opinions above. We had a Tiki 30 with the full open cockpit sans pod and it was great for day sailing with a lot of friends. When we took even short coastal hops we were wishing we had more shelter for the helm. At this point in my life, I can't imagine living aboard a T30 (although there is a gentleman in Brazil who has been living aboard a Tiki 21 with his wife and son for many years!!) If I were single, kid-less, and about 20 years younger, I would put a pod on a Tiki 30, set it up for single-handed cruising and be off. Rory (on this forum) circumnavigated in a Tiki 21, so I think the designs (any of them) will get you where you want to go if you have the requisite skills. "Not the boats, but the men(and/or women) in them".
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Newbie questions - Tiki 30
After deliberating for 2 years over which Tiki to build and listening to advice from all quarters of the globe.I have decided to go for the T30. I think it is going to best suit my needs here in the tropics. I would like to hear/correspond with anyone who has already built or is in the process of building this model. For those who have already done it ,i have a question . Is any part of the design questionable and did you deviate from the original plan to make any usefull modifications. Having already launched and started using it ,would you do anything differently in the build ,knowing what you know now :?:
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Newbie questions - Tiki 30
We completed our Tiki 30 in late 2008. We lengthened the mast 3' for bimini clearance, we changed the cockpit from fabric seats to hard storage lockers, we moved the motor well to the center of the cockpit. We don't care for the wingsail rig at all. Difficult to raise and lower and cover and trim. Won't use it personaly again. We used an 8 hp yamaha, will use a 20hp next time. We have been overall VERY pleased with the boat. We have cruised the Florida Keys and the Exumas in the Bahamas and the boat has exceeded our expectations. Wewould like a higher performance rig. We like to go fast, sailin light winds as opposed to motoring, don't mind reefing. We have been unable to get a hull to even consider leaving the water in 30 knots of wind. We have had some very nice sails with speeds to 17 and runs of 6-8 hrs withaverage speeds of better than ten. You may visit a blog detailing the building and sailing of our Tiki 30 at [url]http://tiki30.blogspot.com/[/url] David http://www.boatsmithfl.com
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Newbie questions - Tiki 30
I would not put the full size windows in the hulls. Windows just mean leaks, weight and compromising the strength in my world view. I would be more inclined to put in a hatch in the deck oer the forward part of the cabin to allow in light and give good ventilation when it is hot (a hatch in the deck lets in far more light than the same size window/portlight in the side of the boat. Having said that it is good to be able to see out when you are down below to monitor what is going on, especially when anchored in bad weather, but it is suprising how small a window you can get away with to do so. The standard hatches do not work well, the thing I would consider is something I saw on another wharram: fit the standard foredeck hatches you see on monohulls, e.g. lewmar, over the opening in the deck with the hinges outboard or forward and either arrange it so you climb up out of them or cut out the inboard side of the hatch after fitting to allow the use of washboards as per the plans. This would work well combined with the small hatch forward in the cabin to give plenty of light down below and would also give a good watertight seal, especially if the washboards were not fitted.
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Newbie questions - Tiki 30
[quote="boatsmith"]We don't care for the wingsail rig at all. Difficult to raise and lower and cover and trim.[/quote] Can you elaborate a bit on this? Do you think the concept itself is flawed? I remember reading favorable opinions somewhere. Does anyone else have any opinions on this?
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Newbie questions - Tiki 30
Many folks like the wing sail rig. I prefer an aluminum mast (lighter,no rot issues). I've read all over the web about the various techniques for proper rigging for easy hoisting of the wing sail. It still ain't easy. A full batten big roach mainsail with marelon slugs at each batten can be hoisted hand over hand by my 11 year old son. With full battens and lazy jacks and a boom you simply release the halyard and the sail drops down onto the boom and is mostly stored. The wing sail needs to be pulled down and when you get it down you then have a gaff flailing around and no simple way to flake the main and put a cover on. A boom offers out haul control on the clew of the mainsail as well as better leach tension when the sail is eased for a reach. These are my opinions and others have their own thoughts. Next week we will have one of our new Tiki 8ms sailing with an aluminum mast and boom and full batten mainsail.We will also have our Tiki 30 with the wing sail and will be able to do some side by side comparisons. Our Tiki 30 with the wing sail has actually performed pretty well for us but the boat does not require reefing at 25-30 knots of breeze. This leads me to believe that she could carry more sail area if one was willing to reef down at 15. I am and would prefer the low end horsepower. My nickles worth , David http://www.boatsmithfl.com