TABU is built to Farr design # 89 plans but we used design 100-1 scantlings for the hull.
What that means is that instead of stringer frame construction we used strip plank/double diagonal veneer. This gives a much more pleasing look to the interior and also avoids all the stringers that are difficult to keep clean and varnished. The strip planking and frames are all Alaska yellow cedar, the veneers are Kahya (the true African mahogany) and all the bulkheads and interior joiner work are of B.S. 1088 light weight marine plywood by Jobert. All interior trim work is of quarter-sawn teak. The cabin sole is bamboo veneer vacuum bagged onto the same B.S. 1088 plywood, this gives an attractive light colored surface. All interior surfaces are epoxy coated and then varnished right down to the bottom of the bilge.
We have opened the transom and made a few other profile changes that make TABU current and a beauty on the water.
What that means is that instead of stringer frame construction we used strip plank/double diagonal veneer. This gives a much more pleasing look to the interior and also avoids all the stringers that are difficult to keep clean and varnished. The strip planking and frames are all Alaska yellow cedar, the veneers are Kahya (the true African mahogany) and all the bulkheads and interior joiner work are of B.S. 1088 light weight marine plywood by Jobert. All interior trim work is of quarter-sawn teak. The cabin sole is bamboo veneer vacuum bagged onto the same B.S. 1088 plywood, this gives an attractive light colored surface. All interior surfaces are epoxy coated and then varnished right down to the bottom of the bilge.
We have opened the transom and made a few other profile changes that make TABU current and a beauty on the water.
This is the second Farr 44 that Sheri and I have built so the interior plan is modified to suite our short-handed sailing style. The original plans called for 9 berths, the boat now has 5. A double berth forward, a single berth just aft to port, a pilot berth and an aft double. This arrangement works great at sea and in port for us. At sea we sleep aft for easy communication with the cockpit and in port we use the V-berth for more light and ventilation. Two doubles and two singles makes for a nice arrangement for two couples or for a small family. There is one head amidships to starboard and the Nav station is in the sea berth cabin aft.
By eliminating the starboard aft berths from the original design, we were able to put in large fridge and freezer boxes and also added a small bump-out to the sink area to help keep you steady while cooking.
On deck TABU is laid out for easy handling by two people. There are 6 winches in the cockpit. Two on the cabin top for control lines, 2 primary winches and 2 secondary winches on the combings. The secondary winches control the double ended main sheet and the traveler through the use of custom combing blocks with lock-offs. Aft of the mast on the cabin top is the reefing winch and on the mast are 2 halyard winches. All deck hardware is Antal and it is all the lightest weight gear they could supply. The roller furler and main sail track system are Facnor. The furler is set below the deck and the mainsail has 5 full battens. The main and the jib are made by Ullman. They are Custom Axis Laminate and new as of October 2011, the fractional spinnaker is 2 years old but looks new and the Solent jib and Storm jib are almost unused.
You cannot save weight in the base structure of a cold-molded boat so we made every effort to keep her light thru the gear we outfitted her with. We molded the wheel well, the life raft well and the fridge and freezer in carbon fiber. Her spinnaker pole, reaching strut and radar post are also carbon. Her rig is anodized aluminum built for us by our friends at Sparcraft who put a lot of extra care into its construction as they know us and how we sail. I still don't trust carbon for a true cruising boat.
All stantions, pulpits, chain plates and bow roller are custom titanium. The wheel is 59" and it and all the steering gear was built for TABU in Denmark by Jeffa. The cockpit is standard T shape with access to a very large lazarette through the starboard seat top. The cockpit is laid in teak and this is the only exposed exterior wood. The rig is modified from the plans through going from a single spreader to double spreaders and we have gone from 13/16 to 15/16 fractional so as to be able to use masthead spinnakers. We also moved the chain plates as far outboard as possible and now have no overlapping head sails so this gives a nice wide side deck.
In our experience TABU is a little faster that a J130 both up wind and down to give a comparison.
You cannot save weight in the base structure of a cold-molded boat so we made every effort to keep her light thru the gear we outfitted her with. We molded the wheel well, the life raft well and the fridge and freezer in carbon fiber. Her spinnaker pole, reaching strut and radar post are also carbon. Her rig is anodized aluminum built for us by our friends at Sparcraft who put a lot of extra care into its construction as they know us and how we sail. I still don't trust carbon for a true cruising boat.
All stantions, pulpits, chain plates and bow roller are custom titanium. The wheel is 59" and it and all the steering gear was built for TABU in Denmark by Jeffa. The cockpit is standard T shape with access to a very large lazarette through the starboard seat top. The cockpit is laid in teak and this is the only exposed exterior wood. The rig is modified from the plans through going from a single spreader to double spreaders and we have gone from 13/16 to 15/16 fractional so as to be able to use masthead spinnakers. We also moved the chain plates as far outboard as possible and now have no overlapping head sails so this gives a nice wide side deck.
In our experience TABU is a little faster that a J130 both up wind and down to give a comparison.