Building Wildling
On this page, I will provide links to posts, and videos that detail the purchase process and construction of Wildling. I thought it might be easier to put links to all this info in one place, rather than having to search through the different blog posts.
Outremer 5X specifications & standard inventory
Links to photos taken during construction
Here’s a video I took of my test sail of 5X hull #1, Addiction
THE PURCHASE & CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
The first step in the purchase process was to decide what kind of boat we wanted. Robin, the kids and I went to the Sanctuary Cove boat show in Queensland Australia in May, 2014 where we met Brent Vaughan, from Multihull Central the Outremer representatives in Australia, and took a look at the Outremer 49, which was the newest Outremer model in Australia at the time. Take a look at our About Wildling page for more information on why we chose the 5X.
Once we decided to buy an Outremer 5X, we spent quite a bit of time via email and Skype with Brent from Multihull Central and François from Outremer Yachting in France to decide on the initial features for our boat. This resulted in a contract that listed the initial feature selections and an estimated price, so we could lock in our build dates. I paid a deposit of around 30% of the estimated cost to activate the contract, but I had them add a clause that the contract was contingent on me test sailing a 5X in France to make sure it was what we wanted.
The test sail went really well, so the next day after a tour of the factory, we amended the contract to remove the contingency and finalize the build dates. Because we have school and work commitments throughout 2015, we decided to schedule the completion date to be December 2015, which means construction will begin in March.
There are many, many decisions to make regarding the features, sail options, engine configuration and systems aboard Wildling. Some of these are easy, because we know from prior experience what we want, and perhaps more importantly, what we don’t want. There other options that are not simple at all, and require a lot of research of the tradeoffs in order to make a decision.
I am detailing these decisions in the blog, and will keep links to the specific posts here, to make it easier to follow.
Wildling – major options decisions
- Mast – rotating or fixed? Aluminum or carbon?
- Sailplan – self tacking jib or genoa? What headsail configuration? What fabric for the sails? What options will work when it’s just Robin and I onboard? What about sailing in gales and storms?
- Helm Positions – How many helm stations? Do we want the tiller steering option? Hydraulic rudder linkages or cable? How do we protect the helmsperson from the weather?
- Electrical systems – Lithium or AGM batteries? How much do we need? How do we charge them?
- Engines – 55HP (standard) vs 75HP (option) which is better and why? How do we setup the helms for easy docking?
- Weight saving – Carbon everywhere? Carbon in some places? How low should we go?
- Onboard appliances – Is air conditioning worth the price? Do we need to wash clothes at sea? Should we bother with a Microwave?
- Making fresh water – how much capacity do we need? How do we keep it light and simple? Where should we locate it? Which brand is the best and why?
- Entertainment – Do we need a TV? Where should we put it? How will we watch movies? What do the kids do when they want media in their cabins? What about music onboard? How do we keep a family of iDevices connected and charged at sea?
- Communications – How do we stay in touch with family and friends at sea? How do we get news and weather reports? How do we contact someone in an emergency? How do we let people track our location?
- Instruments and Navigation – What features do we need? Which systems will work best for us? How do we see what’s happening at the helms, in the salon, and off watch in the bunk?
- Sleeping arrangements – Orienting the berths, making room for guests, being comfortable on watch
- Personal touches – Deciding on graphics, choosing colors, fabrics, shades, screens and finishes