Boating New Zealand - May 2018

96 Boating New Zealand

he boat’s parallel hybrid drive system was designed and

supplied by David Czap – owner of Dutch company Naval DC.

Waa’Qab, he says, is itted with lithium-polymer batteries.

“hese weigh 260kg (130kg per side) – conventional lead-acid

batteries providing the same amount of power would weigh six

times as much. hey provide 300 amp-hours at 48 volts or 1,200

amp-hours at 12 volts. Each of the four solar panels delivers

365-watts – around 700-watts per bank of batteries.”

he vaka also has two sail plans. here’s a conventional 58m^2

Bermudan rig – but she carries a second, much longer boom.

Using the same goose-neck itting, it converts the vaka to her

more traditional ‘claw’ rig – with an ‘upside-down’ triangular sail.

Average sailing speed is 7-8 knots, and the best apparent wind

angle is between 45° and 50°.

Modern technological aids include GPS navigation, a compass,

and VHF as well as safety gear such as liferafts, lifevests and lares.

he vaka is Cat 1-certiied.

DELIVERY TO YAP

Based in Auckland, Peia Patai is Okeanos’ Fleet Commander. He’s

charged with delivering the vaka to her home port, as well as training

the new crew (they’re all from Waa’Qab) to help sail her there.

Okeanos, he says, “is all about providing clean energy for

transporting locals around the islands in a sustainable way. he large

array of solar panels and the electric drives are part of that vision.”

he boat’s also itted with a watermaker. “It’s not so much for the

crew,” says Peia, “but rather to supplement water supplies for the

communities in the islands in a disaster-relief scenario. We will park

the boat at various spots and produce water for the locals.”

Okeanos Waa’Qab will depart for Micronesia in May. BNZ

RIGHT There’s
accommodation for
eight crew in her hulls.

BELOW Waa’Qab has
two interchangeable
rigs – a conventional
Bermudan as well as the
more traditional claw rig.