We're quite often asked for our specific feedback after spending some time cruising on Rush. Here's a download - probably mainly of interest to those considering or commissioning a boat. Overall performance  Rush is comfortably quick.  We recently sailed a fat upwind leg in 18 TWS, at 10 + boatspeed and a week later absolutely horizon job’d a well sailed (albeit slightly smaller) monohull on a beat. We sailed bigger angles and tacked on a few shifts in idyllic, 13 TWS, conditions.  In a demonstration of passage speed, in July we sat in a café at the top of Lakka bay on Paxos, waiting for signs of the afternoon breeze. They appeared at 12.00, so we paid the bill, took Derek back to Rush and lifted him, raised anchor and negotiated the hundred other boats in the bay, hoisted, trickled down the lee of Paxos and then smoked the rest of the passage to Lefkada swing bridge, making it with 10 minutes to spare for the 17.00 opening. Under five hours from drinking coffee in the café to completing the almost 40 mile passage, in 10 to 15 knots of breeze.  All this, of course, fully loaded with our cruising gear, water, diesel, spares, food etc. Meaningfully different from typical boat-test set-up.   One of the best attributes, is that Rush has great motion upwind. Never slams. Pretty exceptional for a cat, we gather. It's a sharper motion than most monohulls, but that seems easier on my stomach than wallowing. Being level, and with the pilot steering, we just hang out while keeping an eye on the numbers. Downwind is smooth. No water on deck – not even on the forward cross-beam. If the bows go into a wave, they’re so fine the boat decelerates gradually and then the increasing buoyancy from the “chamfer” panels (upper areas on the inside faces of the topsides) lifts them again.  Boat handling It has taken time to get that efficient, well sorted feel that sailors from a racing background are accustomed to. A new boat inevitably needs minor tweaks - and we've also been gaining multihull familiarity. We’re enjoying it coming together – albeit there’s definitely more to learn, especially in bigger conditions. Multiple tweaks add up to a big difference – here are a few we made: Line stowage – line lengths – swapping one or two to more flexible rope.  Stowing deck equipment in relevant places for quick access when required. Marking the main halyard and reef lines so we know set points.  Acetyl wear strips to reduce line friction over the side-deck. Solent furler line re-lead for cleaner exit from the drum.  Antal rings on Karver 2:1 halyard swivels – see below Working out our procedures (manoeuvres – hosts & drops – reefing etc) Rush’s decks are big and flat so moving around and working the boat feels safe and uncluttered.  Towards the end of Mark and Liz’s time with us, we turned downwind - opened a bridge deck locker…

Walkthrough video of Rush, shot in Knysna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIapf8GRkfU

Maybe we shouldn’t be the ones to say it but… we just have to… Rush is stunning. She looks fast, is fast, turns heads and is remarkably comfortable. Phew! And so exciting!! Everyone wants to come sailing. Everyone that comes aboard (and, trust us, everyone wants to come aboard) says the same – the uncluttered layout and 360° visibility make Rush feel spacious, exceptionally spacious for a 46’ skinny, truly high performance cat. Set-up and commissioning have been a process… Nearly there.  Anyway, all you really want are photos, so here they are:      

Rush is afloat! She was launched on Tuesday 6th Feb. All went smoothly and, despite the fact it was mid-day in the UK, we shared the moment with our great friends Justin and Polly in our conservatory at home; opened Champagne and toasted the good ship. Amanda cried. Here are a few photos from the launch and soon after. Rush is no run-of-the-mill production boat. She looks fabulous and, once the rig, equipment and all the graphics have been added, we think she’ll be very special.    This was a true milestone for Julian, Renay, Rod, Adrian, Lindsay and the whole CM team (wish we could mention them all). A demonstration of perseverance and overcoming adversity. We truly appreciate it - thank you.    

Time to fire up the blog again - Rush is nearing completion!  She is on the launch trailer and the Coppercoat antifouling has been applied. You’ll see from the photo, Coppercoat was a choice of function over aesthetics… As mentioned in an earlier post, it should last for many years and can be regularly cleaned while the boat is afloat, without wearing it away - and it’s sustainable. Once in the water, the initial brown colour should soon change to a greeny black, making it slightly more on-brand with Rush’s colour scheme!    There are a few jobs remaining on the boat which are being ticked off at pace and, while the new mast requires a bit more work, it should be ready very soon.  The lithium batteries had been held up during freight but the ship was scheduled to dock in SA at the end of January so just customs clearance to be negotiated.  Launch is close. There will be a protective caution in our minds until Rush is afloat - and we’re on board with stiff rum and cokes in hand. That said, of course we’re excited. We’ll soon head out to Knysna. Fortuitously, we’ll be in the UK long enough to also share a toast with our lovely friend Alison, who finally moves into her new home on February 2nd, after nearly two years of a bumpy ride. Perfect.  We’ve assembled a range of gear at home to take with us when we travel back to SA – some domestic items that we particularly like but are not available out there – lots more technical gear, such as Starlink and Iridium sat comms equipment. Packing everything, so we know how many bags to book onto the plane, has begun. Think we ‘re gonna need a bigger boat plane…!   Once Rush is rigged and ready, we’ll spend several weeks based in Knysna and Cape Town while we learn, sail, de-bug and (cannot wait) bimble our new boat. For those whose first language is not Sailing English, that means splicing, tweaking line lengths, marking halyards and reef lines at clutch points, creating specific stowage places, etc etc etc. It never ends and, while it can be an enjoyable indulgence, it also makes the difference between a boat that works OK and a boat that works smoothly, hopefully every time. Most sailors, especially racing sailors, are on it.  Between them, Knysna and Cape Town are home to CM, Clarence the electronics guru, the Nanni engine distributor and most other SA marine equipment suppliers, so they’ll be great places to refine the boat as required and obtain the spares we want to carry when we head off. The current plan, when we do set off, is to head up the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. This passage demands a circuitous route due to the North Atlantic trade winds that blow inconveniently the wrong way - from Europe, down the African coast, towards the equator.  First stop will be (a dot in the middle…

Well, this is an overdue update we never expected to post… and have put off for a long time. Four months ago, as Rush was nearing completion, there was a fire in Current Marine’s factory… Our beautiful boat sustained some localised damage which was incredibly sad, but is fully repairable. She will be perfect again - although it will take some time.  The fire started one evening in the section of the factory used for manufacturing masts, booms, daggerboards and other carbon components, plus the stores and offices. The bigger part of the building (mainly separated by a wall) where there are four CMs in build was, fortunately, largely undamaged. You couldn’t make it up really… Rush had been loaded onto the launch trailer a day earlier, ready for Coppercoating the next day and launching a week later. Mark, who runs the business that launches all the Knysna built cats, was nearby and fortuitously one of the first to spot the fire. He forced open the doors, hooked up his truck and towed Rush out of the factory. Seun Julian, another guy nearby, also went way above and beyond in helping get Rush out. THANK YOU, to you both. Julian called us soon after and when we arrived Rush was sitting across the road, lit by flashing lights. That was the first time we’d seen Rush out in the open, not hemmed in by walls and boats in build. It was such a mixture. Amid the scene, she looked amazing. One edge of the coach roof had been badly scorched and Julian decided to remove the cabin top and fit a new one. CM had a roof made for another boat so they used that. Luckily the interior was undamaged – not even effected by smoke because she was so quickly pulled out of the factory. Most of the “loose” components (tables, stools, sliding door, antenna posts etc) that would have been slotted in just before launch were in the stores area and destroyed, so new items need to be built. CM also need to make us a new carbon mast and that requires making a new mould first. As you’ll understand, the fire was tough for everyone. Us, of course, but far more so for Julian, Renay, Rod and the whole CM team. They’re remarkably resilient and are pushing on. The following morning Rush was moved to Knysna Yacht Company around the corner, who generously offered space so she could be kept away from the dust while CM’s factory was cleaned up. Composite work on the other CMs resumed within literally a few days. We spent a few weeks in Knysna after the fire, hopefully giving a little moral support. The Knysna boatbuilding and yacht club communities were fantastic - supporting CM, heart-warmingly lovely to us. They were also unswervingly enthusiastic about how great Rush will be.  We headed home in May and arrived as the UK spring weather turned glorious, with our garden in full blossom and the…

Quick update - Rush is nearing completion!There are several key pieces of equipment that won’t arrive before mid January and we'll head out in January to get under the skin of the systems, make a few last-minute cosmetic decisions and add the graphics before the boat is splashed.The trailer used to transport the boat to the slipway will arrive at the yard a few days before launch and lift the boat under the bridge deck. Then the chocks can be removed giving clear access to the hulls for application of the Coppercoat – five coats in total, I believe.The mast will be stepped after launch and we’ll get a hands-on understanding of the set-up. The plan is to do initial trials from Kynsna before sailing round to Cape Town where we’ll spend a period of shakedown sailing, living aboard and getting to know the boat. Key suppliers, such as North Sails (David Rae) and CYS (Clarence Hendricks) the electronics guru, are based in Cape Town so we’re hoping this will give a great opportunity for them to spend some time with us and we’ll learn a lot.It all feels very real now. Counting down the weeks and not sure whether our pre-departure jobs list is getting shorter or longer…!

If you’ve been thinking about a yacht installation, you’ll already know it has to deal with multiple issues, including: Shading from the rig Heat build-up  Low light conditions Restricted space  Curved surfaces Durability / walk on capability Weight Solar technology is evolving and the solution arrived at with Julian is currently towards the leading edge, without getting into unproven territory.   MiPV Solar Panels After investigating many solar panel technologies and brands we settled on CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide) thin film technology by a British manufacturer, MiPV (and, by the way, we didn't get a special deal - this isn't an ad!). The technology differs from conventional crystalline based solar photovoltaic systems and seems to have real advantages for yachts.  Check their website https://mipvsolarpanels.co.uk for full details.  Perhaps the most useful thing I can add is an assessment of how these panels deal with the typical yacht installation issues: Shading from the rig Definitely one of the greatest challenges and it results in the output from many systems being dramatically below their theoretical maximum.  Solar panels comprise a grid of multiple cells and if a panel is built, for example, with just one diode per row of cells (a common configuration), when one cell is shaded the output from the whole row is cut off. Worse, if there is only one diode on the whole panel (not unheard of), then any shading shuts down the whole panel! Panels with multiple diodes are quite rare – and usually expensive. The MiPV panels have a diode on every pair of cells so, if a panel is affected by shade, then only the output from the actually shaded cells is lost – the others keep working. This makes it possible to maximise the panel coverage on, for example, the roof – and just accept that some cells will get shaded. We’re not worried that some cells will be shaded by lines routed directly to the cockpit – it’s better to cover the roof with panels so that those losses are more than compensated elsewhere. If we’re anchored for a while and want to maximise the output, we can tidy lines away from the cells and swing the boom out to a shroud. Heat build-up It’s a huge irony that the output of most solar panels drops dramatically as they get hotter in the sun! Talk about Catch 22… The problem is particularly acute on cabin roof installations - davit mounted arrays fare better due to airflow underneath. There are ways to reduce the problem somewhat (eg. bonding panels onto hollow plastic sheets) but this adds weight and cost while impairing robustness. CIGS thin film technology, however, is completely unaffected by temperature (within the range the solar panels will face) so their potential output remains at maximum. Major advantage. Low light The MiPV panel’s output curve rises significantly faster in lower light conditions than conventional panels so they produce more power at the ends of the day (which happen twice every day) and on cloudy days (which…

Whoa… The header photo is CM46 #3, not our boat.  Our boat is now in the latter stages of build so it’s a good time for an update – on Rush and the other CM46s launched.  It’s worth explaining that, during the time we agreed for CM to take some moulds from our boat (mentioned in a previous post) CM46 #3 overtook ours in the build process. It was then best for the fit-out team to focus on #3 before cracking on with our boat, rather than juggle both. We understood this and must admit, with apologies to Mike the owner of #3, we thought there were bound to be a few new ideas sparked by another boat launched. We will, of course, mercilessly point out every tiny improvement to him while he’s sipping pina coladas in the Caribbean… and we’re still in the shed…  As I write, Nohea is in Cape Town with final jobs and provisioning being completed ready for the delivery trip to the British Virgin Islands. She looks stunning. I do hope Julian and the CM team are feeling proud.  During the trip from Knysna to Cape Town Nohea sailed, with full main and Code 65, at 11 kts boat-speed in 10 kts of breeze. Those kind of speeds often make it possible to choose the loveliest sea conditions and still make excellent progress. Now that's what we want.   CM46 #1, Levity, recently reported 22 kts boat-speed in 19 kts of breeze off Auckland, with one reef in the main and self-tacking jib. I also spotted these comments by Jason Ruger (Gypsy Yacht Deliveries) who sailed Levity half-way around the world, from Cape Town to Auckland via the Panama Canal. Hope he doesn’t mind me repeating them here:  “I’m so in love with this boat” “… this boat is going to take the world by storm!”  “Thank you for building her so strong!” (They hit a whale mid-way across the Pacific - fortunately it appeared, giving it nothing worse than a major headache) This is all good confidence-boosting affirmation for us to see and hear! Anyway, getting back to Rush – here are a few photos taken when the exterior was sprayed. Check out that finish. Everything you can see on the hull is reflection... Terrifying! We might order more and bigger fenders. For the interested nargs, the colour we chose is Awlgrip Chevy White (basically a very light grey) – same colour over the hull, deck and cabin-top. We want a light colour to keep the boat as cool as possible inside and, while Levity and Nohea's metallic paint jobs look pretty awesome, we're going for an easier to touch up finish... just in case! All the composite “components” are sprayed in satin black - spars, longeron, forward cross-beam, davits, bimini pillars, pedestals etc.  Fit-out is likely to be completed ready for launch before Christmas and our plan is to head out to Knysna to see the final stages come together and understand everything…

CM’s supplier of choice is the North Sails loft in Cape Town and we're very happy with that option. North need no introduction and a local loft is likely to be an advantage as the wide range of options means that each CM rig will, to some extent, be a prototype - the odd tweak may be needed after trials - a process that's not new to me! That said, North in CT made and tested the sails on the first CM46, so they have a head start. Fabric: Mainsail - Solent - Staysail We gave a lot of thought to our choice of sailcloth - trying to balance all the pros and cons. We’ve opted for North’s NPL Tour Xi. It seems a good compromise between 3Di (which probably offers the best combination of shape stability, light weight and durability… but is expensive) and a woven cloth (which is durable but heavy and lacks shape-stability). We had Hydranet woven sails on the Pogo and they were bullet-proof so we'd have liked to go that way, but they were heavy and began to loose shape after a few years - not unreasonable considering the 10,000 miles under the keel. Having opted for a carbon mast and textile rigging on the new boat, however, it doesn't seem logical to use heavy sails. Catamaran rig loads are higher than monohull's so, particularly on a cat with real performance potential, low stretch sailcloth is even more important to maintain shape, speed and pointing ability, especially as the sail ages. North's Tour Xi fabric achieves its stability through a laminate of mylar with aramid fibres, sandwiched between polyester taffeta on both sides for durability and UV protection. Lamination processes have improved significantly in recent years and North have confidence in the durability of this fabric, which they promise is well-proven, so we're embracing this advice!  https://www.northsails.com/sailing/en/sails/materials/npl/tour Mainsail The main will have a biggish square head, approximately 40% of the foot length. Square heads improve the efficiency at the top of the rig. Hard to sum it up in a sentence (I’m not a sailmaker) but basically you get better airflow because there’s more sail working beyond the turbulent area behind the mast (the top of a pinhead sail is largely in turbulent flow, especially on a non-rotating mast) and a properly designed square head helps the leech twist open in gusts, de-powering/reducing heeling moment automatically, powering up again as the gust eases.  The boom is low above the cabin roof to minimise the height of the Centre of Effort and maximise boat stability and efficiency. The low boom is possible because sail controls are at side deck level (keeping our heads below the parapet) - and there's no need for boom clearance over high helm spray hoods because the CM’s wheels can be swung down under the roof for shelter.  The main will have the usual three reefs and, less commonly, leech reef hooks. They’re popular on offshore race-boats but the hooks are expensive and…