Te Mana

Consider the following design brief: “Experienced sailing couple desires strong offshore auxiliary sailing vessel for all latitudes; must be dry, easily managed by crew of two in all conditions, and fast under sail or power. Spacious accommodations for additional crew of four, amenities comparable to a waterfront apartment required. Must have spacious living room with view.”

Image Credit: John Snyder Te Mana’s spacious cockpit is well protected.

These are complex and somewhat contradictory requirements, yet owners Martin Burzynski and Annie Lannigan may have achieved them all in Te Mana, the latest collaborative work of C.W. Paine Yacht Design of Camden, Maine, and Kanter Yachts of St. Thomas, Ontario. According to designer Mark Fitzgerald, the very successful Bougainvillea series of Paine/Kanter yachts was the point of departure in this project. An inherently spacious hullform, (readers may recall Dawnbreaker profiled in AYR ’02-’03), the Bougainvillea 62-foot hull design was stretched and deepened, and beam increased aft to accommodate the wider superstructure. Fitzgerald tentatively has dubbed the resultant Te Mana-class yachts the “supersailer” series.

Fabricated by Kanter of 5086 aluminum plate, Te Mana is built to withstand hard service in all climates. The hull is insulated with fire-retardant foam and coated with an Awlgrip finish. Forward and aft collision bulkheads ensure hull integrity in the event of a mishap. In profile Te Mana is essentially a flush-deck boat with minimal sheer, having a moderate blind deckhouse running aft from the foredeck anchor locker to just past the mast partners, giving way to a pilothouse enclosure.

The port and starboard helms are protected by massive bulwarks either side and aft, which constitute the cockpit, but an opening on the centerline to the afterdeck permits crew to walk from helm to foredeck on one level. Topside finishes are low-maintenance Awlgrip-finished aluminum, the only wood being the natural teak helm deck, seat lockers and cockpit table. Crew safety is enhanced by the continuous stainless-steel pipe railing and stanchions, in lieu of wire lifelines, which completely surround the main deck. Stainless tube grab rails are placed at strategic locations on the pilothouse as handholds in a seaway.

Ten knots under sail

Te Mana’s tall sloop rig (82 feet 3 inches) has plenty of power to move the yacht at a maximum design speed of 10 knots. The aluminum mast and boom carry a fully battened loose-footed tri-radial-cut Kevlar/carbon laminate mainsail that has three slab reefs, and a 120 percent genoa of the same material on a roller furling drum. In heavy conditions the rig goes to cutter mode on the jib staysail and third reefed main. A 1.5-ounce cruising spinnaker in a sock is rigged for moderate off-the-wind work.

This big rig has power-assisted trim control in the form of dedicated self-tailing electric winches that handle the mainsheet, genoa and staysail sheets. The various halyards and mainsail controls at the mast are isolated by rope clutches and can be handled by an electric winch on the deckhouse, which is controlled from the helm or at the mast via an extension wire remote keypad. Attitude of the forestay, mast and boom are controlled by hydraulic backstay and vang. Steering gear is a Kanter-designed custom hydraulic system, which has a dead-helm feel but can easily control this big boat without strain on crew or autopilot.

The advantage of Te Mana’s generous hull depth and beam is evident in the accommodations, which essentially incorporate two levels below the main deck. Topmost of these is the pilothouse, accessed from the helm station via a two-tier watertight door and sliding companionway hatch that can be secured in wet weather. With standing headroom for a 6-foot-plus person and maximum outboard visibility, Te Mana can be conned from this space via remote control to the autopilot. Navigation is aided by a multifunction GPS/radar displayed on the 32-inch flat-screen TV, raised by hydraulic lift from its stowage in the forward bulkhead. Video of the engine room and other belowdeck spaces aid in watchstanders’ boat checks.

Sailing instruments, depth repeaters and a Kanter systems-monitoring display located in pop-up consoles concealed above the starboard settee complete the helmsman’s picture. The pilothouse’s generous glazing suffuses much of the interior with natural light. Upholstered settees port and starboard, a small folding table, and a video/sound system provide relaxation, dining and entertainment space for crew and guests.