kailani
heavenly seas
Our home on the ocean is a Deerfoot 63, a world-class ocean cruising sailboat designed by Steve Dashew and built in 1990 by Salthouse Brothers in New Zealand. With a waterline of 60′ she is fast as well as sea kindly and safe. She is without a doubt a sailor’s boat first and foremost. Her light helm, deep keel and rudder and well thought out cutter rigged sail plan make her a joy to sail. Off the wind, daily logs of 200+ miles are common. She has surfed at 26 knots in the Indian Ocean, turns almost within her length, can heave-to under staysail and never fails to bring a smile to the face of first timers at the helm.
the meaning of 'kailani'
Upon becoming her fifth owners back in 2010 we christened her Kailani, a Polynesian name that means “heavenly seas” or “sea and sky”. We wanted to pay homage to her South Pacific heritage, as well as to our first boat Manu Kai. The name Kailani is harmonious with the sense of peace and fulfillment we feel living as sailors.
proven design
Commissioned as a blue-water ocean cruising yacht by an experienced racing skipper back in 1988, she draws heavily on Steve Dashew’s Deerfoot design, which culminated in the Deerfoot 61. This proven design includes the safety features of three watertight and separate compartments: the 15′ stowage locker on the bow (aka the “garage”), the 8′ engine room at the stern containing all her key machinery systems, and the 40′ living quarters in the center section of the hull. Kailani enjoys a little extra turn of speed due to the 2′ waterline extension from her sugar scoop, while her deeper draft and taller mast makes her stiffer to windward than her forebears.
safety and comfort
All design aspects account for both the safety and comforts of the long-term cruising sailor. Her cockpit is designed for at-sea practicality and safety. Large cockpit drains, a battleship wheel and full-length cushioned benches under a waterproof dodger and bimini make for easy and dry watches.
short handed sailing
With all control lines led aft to the cockpit, and three electric powered winches, including the two large Lewmar 55 electric primary winches, she is easily handled by a shorthanded crew. The engine room is accessed through the cockpit lazarettes, and maintenance work can be facilitated without the typical invasion into the living quarters found on most smaller cruising sailboats.
extras
In addition to adding waterline and hence speed, the sugar scoop also makes life at anchor easier by providing safe and secure dinghy boarding while providing access to the steering quadrant and propane lockers through custom designed hinging lazarette swing doors.
systems
To make it all work, we have a generator, solar, wind, lithium battery bank, a 100 hp Yanmar diesel engine, autopilots, SSB and VHF radios, sat phone, AIS, and radar. We comfortably carry our 9′ Dyer Dhow dinghy up on deck under the boom on passage, as well stowing it there at night while at anchor. Our workhorse dinghy is an 11′ roll-up hypalon that stows up in the garage while crossing oceans, and gets deployed during our cruising times when speed and cargo loads are a priority.
down below
Finally, the living space down below. A frequent response from visiting fellow cruisers and landlubbers alike is “Wow! It’s like an apartment down here!”(okay, maybe it is mostly the fellow cruisers from smaller boats …). We find we have most of the creature comforts we enjoy at home, minus a fireplace, bathtub, and rows upon rows of bookshelves. Kailani is essentially a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, just really shrunken down. She has refrigeration/freezer, washer dryer, A/C, heat and a water maker.
We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.
john f. kennedy