Category Archives: Young Sun 43

About, ramblings, Tiki, Young Sun 43

Tiki – what’s in a name?

1 Comment

We have attended a few naming ceremonies and heard of superstitions surrounding the changing of a boat name.  In our case we bought our Young Sun 43 already named Tiki and saw no reason at all to change it, actually we embraced it and who wouldn’t?  Tiki or a Tiki hut conjures up images of turquoise waters, white sands, palm trees, tropical flowers and plenty of rum drenched cocktails complete with umbrella sticks.  Mai Tai anyone? Oh yeah…

On a more spiritual side (no pun intended) Tiki is revered and honoured with magnificent carvings, statues, masks and ornaments throughout Polynesia and the Pacific.  I was fairly ignorant of this and after lots of on line searching for a definitive meaning, settled on something between God and Creator.  This may not be accurate but it is my take any hoot.

In Maori there are many Tiki progenitors – one each for the birds, fish, mankind and even the kumara.  Yes, kumara as in sweet potato. Being a nature & plant and food loving freak I’m very cool indeed with this side to our Tiki name meaning.

We were so lucky to be able to meet the original owners who (over lots of rum, lime and sugar-based cocktails!) told us they named Tiki from the 1960’s TV series “Adventures in Paradise”.  Three seasons and over 90 episodes took viewers aboard the 85’ schooner ‘Tiki’ with Captain Troy – a Korean War vet cruising the South Pacific looking for various ways to make ends meet in order to finance the live-aboard sailing dream.  Paul and Gise had acquired her in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Hugo hit in 1989 and demasted her ketch rig. After re-rigging her as a sloop they named her Tiki and proceeded with their own adventure in paradise, working as delivery skippers and cruising the Pacific for 8 years.

Well that sealed it, she really was meant to be ours – original name and all.

 

Do you have a story to tell about the name of your boat?  We’d love to hear it!

an aside…

The beautiful carvings or lucky charms often worn as neck pendants are called Hei Tiki.

Kon-Tiki was a raft built in 1947 by Norwegian Thor Hayerdahl for an amazing 100 day journey across over 3,700 nautical miles of the Pacific.  

Contiki is a tour operator for 18-35 year olds with the great motto #NOREGRETS.

Advertisement
Life onboard, Young Sun 43

Tiki picture showcase

2 Comments
IMG_1763IMG_1143109DSCF0042-2DSCF0050-2DSCF0051-2
IMG_1705DSCF0126DSCF0103IMG_1767IMG_1986IMG_1983
IMG_2050IMG_1994IMG_1995IMG_1999IMG_2004IMG_2005
DSCF0097IMG_2012IMG_2030IMG_2034DSCF0019IMG_2001

Tiki showcase, a set on Flickr.

Everyone has been asking for some more Tiki Pics so here she is – enjoy!

About, Sailing, Young Sun 43

Young Sun 43 – our version

1 Comment

I came across a good review of Young Sun 43 yachts by TalkoftheDock. My SY Tiki was a ketch rigged centre cockpit, twin cabin version of the Young Sun 43 built for a US owner. She survived a de-masting in Hurricane Hugo Sept 1989 and is now cutter rigged and with some ballast removed weighs a mere 20 tonnes – a lot lighter that the original specs. Her revamped rig was designed so she sailed like a dream in the lightest of winds (view the superb results of our light wind Parachute trials) She also has a refurbished Perkins 4.236 engine located under the centre cockpit and accessed between the galley and workstations.

When researching her history it was difficult to sort through all the conflicting posts of information and the review has certainly shed some light and helped clarify a few things.

A lovely Young Sun 43 pilothouse cutter

The first Young Suns were designed by Ron Amy, built in 1978 in Taiwan and sold into both the US and Australian markets under different names. It was available as either a center cockpit cutter or pilothouse cutter and there were four interior layouts available. The little sister was the popular Perry designed Young Sun 35.

In the US market the design morphed into similar versions built at the Formosa Boat Builders yard. She had at least three cousins – the Formosa 44, Spindrift 43 and later, a Hampton 43 that was built in China.

via Young Sun 43 Review.

Sailing, Young Sun 43

Downwind sailing with a Parachute – lightwind trials in Platypus Bay

Leave a comment

Setting off from the anchorage the wind was light and right behind us, the sun was setting gloriously in front of us – what better time to trial the new parachute sail?
We obtained a standard 28ft ex-army parachute from the US and set it up for the first trial sailing by dividing the lines equally and tying them off onto two steel rings.
One ring was attached and raised on the spinnaker line towards the top of the mast. The lower end was attached to a line and ran it through a shackle on the bowsprit then back to the cockpit.

The results were fantastic! Without a breeze to mention we were being gently pulled along at just under 3 knots. The type of breeze from behind and changing direction that would require lots of work using a spinnaker or any other poled sail was a wonderfully relaxing event with the parachute. We both lay on the foredeck with our arms folded behind our heads, looking up as the parachute changed direction with the wind as required – and it looks so peaceful.

The current setup which requires some tweaking causes it to manoeuvre with a jelly fish like motion. Meaning the vertical sides accordion in and out and a bit of maths is required to calculate how to alter the various cord lengths between the top and bottom sections of the chute.

We will adjust as we go to see the best setup – but a wonderful result for first trial.

Boat Maintenance, Young Sun 43

Tiki and her Perkins 4.236 diesel engine – Part I

Leave a comment

When it won’t fire up here’s the drill.

Check the stop valve is in the off position and open the throttle to full.
Check the fuel supply – like have you got any?
Before we go pulling everything apart, check the belt is turning the Fuel Injector Pump (IP).
Use the electric pump to check the input to and output from the primary filter is clean and air-free by disconnecting & reconnecting each point.

Working along the fuel line, switch to manual pump and push through to the secondary filter and again check in and out is clean and air-free.
Now we’re at the IP.
Disconnect supply at entrance and check as above to ensure it is not blocked.
Bleed (loosen them open until they drip) IP at the valves  and let them run to ensure clean fuel.  This is the Low Pressure section of the IP.
Crack (same as bleeding, different name..) the injector nuts -fuel should run clean and air free.  This is from the High Pressure area of the IP.
Check the internal “spline” is turning (ie able to create the pressure) by removing the plate cover and watching as you turn the engine over.

are you still with me?  Try turn it over again and if still no good then you will need to return at another time for Part II.   Good luck and please keep us posted on the outcome!  As for us, we’re stuck at the injector nuts as no fuel is coming through.  Good news is the spline does turn.

Coast Guard are towing us into the Marina where we’ll get a professional second opinion and probably end up having the IP bench tested.  We suspect the stop valve mechanism inside the IP has failed somehow – Neil’s money is on a spring-like component..

We’ll keep you posted.

Boat Maintenance, Sailing, Young Sun 43

Finally ready to get sailing – an update from Captain Neil

1 Comment

an update from Captain Neil

After what has been a huge amount of effort over the last month the boat is finally in a decent enough condition to get ready to depart for Brisbane. Over the last week in the Marina the engine has moved to a state where it can be sea trialled. This afternoon we went out in the bay and ran the engine for an hour to make sure it works okay. All seems well and Brett left with advice for further work and maintenance over the coming weeks. It will take some more attention on my part to make sure the Perkins becomes reliable after a long period of neglect.
We are back at the Marina for the evening and planning to leave at first light in the morning. This is the culmination of a lot of sweat and effort. I have lost at least 8kg in the last month, that was definitely needed and we have reinvested at least $12k in Tiki, that was also needed.  And and I have learnt huge amounts about yachts which was also needed. Next step is to start the 600nm journey to Brisbane and find out how she handles at sea.

About, Young Sun 43

Yacht Tiki – ours!

1 Comment


This buying a boat malarkey is pretty stressful. The emotional pull of a potential new home that has all the credentials to make our blue-water cruising dreams come true adds to the excitement, and to the level of impatience.

I am amazed at how quickly this boat grabbed hold of us and continues now to engage us entirely. We had looked at so many – over 30 in 3 months. There was an immaculate Ganley, a beautiful Morgan 38, run-down William Gardens, several Roberts refurb projects, Swanson 42’s, a long list of custom built steel and ferro varieties and even a selection of multihulls to balance us… we even got to placing offers on a couple which thankfully did not eventuate as, well, our hearts were definitely not in them.

And then there was Tiki, a Young Sun 43. Described by Greg in the Brokers office as “not on the market yet but nearly finished – fully refurbished just waiting for the new cushions that have been ordered”. “Let’s go take a look and see how she looks” says Rachael our Broker and we jumped in the car to add another to the long list viewed over the Xmas week.

The rain was falling and the tidal creek which cut the boatyard off from the road was rising as we pulled into Edge’s boatyard situated in the depths of the mangroves in Airlie Beach. There on the hard-ground was a beautiful double-ended canoe hull complete with full cruising keel, cutter rigged with sexy bowsprit and, well, what more do you need?!

We climbed the work ladder leading up tyro the centre cockpit to find a slightly different boat to the one we were expecting. She was nowhere near completed and our hearts sank. The timber decks had been removed and left unfinished. The teak railings had been smashed during transit in several places. There was abandoned rubbish and rusting tools everywhere we looked. Oh lordy-me what a mess.

the aft deck contained piles of mooring lines, fenders, detached bimini covers and various boat debris

The hatches were rotten and unsecured so it was easy to open her up and look inside. The rain was as torrential inside as it was outside due to the number of large leaks. It was like exploring a magical wet cave, with rainwater filling the bilges up to the solid teak floorboards which were all exposed. There was tropical mould everywhere and the spoils of the previous owners belongings which had succumbed to a “submerging event”, including the galley supplies so various critters had happily moved in and made the place their roach-ey new home. Nice.

This is where I re-iterate the part where a boat ‘grabs you’, as even in this terrible state I thought she felt absolutely gorgeous and I couldn’t get the smile from my face. I could see through the superficial to what was truly important to us. Her spacious sleeping areas forard and aft each with their own heads, a light and airy space to relax in the saloon, a great galley, amazing solid teak carpentry, she even had a separate workshop area crying out to store dive tanks and more.

Forard has a basket of rotting / wet food left on deck, the purple basket has broken glass and there is a spare portable toilet by the mast. There were actually 3 portable toilets onboard in addition to the 2 plumbed heads

Here is where Neil would add in the important observations about engine / sail inventory / seaworthiness etc which were duly noted as we rushed around trying to take it all in. Heavy rain and rising creeks and the realisation that this boat was nowhere near ready to be on the market meant the visit was very short. I never thought that it would be exactly one month later we would make an offer to buy her, and a month after that before she was all ours.

How amazing!