Offshore Sailing legend and Rocna inventor Peter Smith.
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- Опубліковано 1 лют 2024
- #sailing #Learningbydoing #sailor
Sailing is this mans passion and Sailing is what he's done, a lot of it! Peter Smith has sailed over 350,000 miles in the boat he designed and built himself. For a lot of these miles he has been sailing in the high latitude regions, in the ice, ferocious winds and difficult anchorages. This led him to want the best anchor possible and after trying everything on the market he just designed his own. This anchor, the Rocna is now regarded as one of the worlds leading anchors.
I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with Peter aboard Kiwi Roa, his 52ft Aluminium sailing boat and hear some of his story.
Enjoy this interview.
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Oh my God, what an amazing interview! Thank you!!!
Stoked you enjoyed it.
This is my second watch of this episode and it is equally as fascinating...
"Nobody else ever worked on this boat but me" - that alone is hats off. Someone builds something from top to bottom and sails the seven seas with it is Tier1 in every possible definition of the term. Hats off.
Well technically someone else built the engine, winches, mast and boom, made the sails etc but Peter installed all. I find it incredible that he did all the welding, joinery, electrical work, refrigeration
Magnificent. What a interesting, informative interview. So much applied knowledge, that boat is a masterpiece. Beautiful. Thank you very much for sharing.
You’re very welcome Rod. It was really a pleasure to interview Peter.
what a great interview, so well done and smooth flowing too, the man , the boat, the anchor.
Never heard a life fall into place so perfectly .
Ah thanks! There was many hours of editing to make it this way as Peter has so many stories he often went off at a tangent. I had about 3 hours of footage talking to him, would have loved to use more of it but decided to keep it tight. 🙏
Great interview, you did a very good job of getting the valuable hard won experience of building and sailing from Peter Smith. Cheers Jim
Thanks! Peter was happy to pass on some of experience to me.
Classic..... had the pleasure of bumping into this gent on a couple of occasions when he was stopped at Westhaven..... sitting on a 20kg stainless Rocna, probably 5 kg oversize for the boat.... best anchor out there......cheers from Waiheke....
Ah nice, always good bumping into a guy like that with endless series to tell.
As salty as they come - worked 94 hours per week for 4.5 years to build that wonderful boat.
Got it right first time too, thats what was interesting to me. amazing
Didn’t want that one to finish. Amazing
Well I had about 3 hours of talking filmed and cut it down to this. Maybe I’ll meet Peter again and do another episode. Thanks for watching.
When you look around you and there are never other sailors around where you are sailing.
You either made a huge mistake, or are born sailor in heart and blood.
Great interview, i love stories about adventures and achievements, cheers to you both!
Well said! Thanks
I know Peter Smith since 2018 when he and many other sailors were forced to abandon crossing Northwest Passage. He was one of the last to do it.
As Peter wanted after all to make it I suggested to him try to sail from Alaska. He made it through Caribbean, Panama to Alaska in 2020. It was a fateful
year for many sailors as Pandemic exploded. Nevertheless he used provision of original Transport Canada ban that was “ambiguous”, saying the ban allowed for foreign vessels to exercise the right of “innocent passage”. And he proceeded. I was not aware at that point of his plans when of sudden received Email from him at about mid point of Northwest Passage.
He complained of being tailed by Canadian Coast Guard who didn't stop him but warned him of restriction. So I quickly guided him through last leg. Consequences of this crossing ended up in Court of Canada and cost him a lots of money. Interesting he made Northwest Passage single handed non-stop.
Victor
Oh wow! While editing this video I spent many hours online researching Peter, looking for images etc. I read many articles about this northwest passage crossing, it really seemed to divide people. Those were strange times though
What a great interview. Learnt more in the last 30 minutes than all the other sailing vids combined. The thought that went into that boat is just unbelievable. My Ovni 370 delivers next year and I will set about on my circumnavigation. Disagree a bit on the solar. It has come a long way in the last few years and along with LiFePO4 can substantially reduce the reliance on fossil fuels. But what a legend. Sir, you really inspire me!
Great to hear that you enjoyed the video. I think some of you are taking Peter’s comments about alternative energy in the wrong context. Maybe he should have been more specific. In the places HE mostly sailed solar was of limited value. Sail around the world by the trade wind route and solar will be all you need. In the Falkland Islands not so much. Also, in the huge seas Peter has faced a solar arch is a very vulnerable thing, waves will rip the solar right off. I disagree with him about lithium though, I’ve had it on both my last boats and it’s a massive step up from lead-acid in all areas. Good luck with your new boat, I love the ovnis and might be lucky to own one someday.
I agree with him about the solar and wind turbine. He's boat built for storms with sustained winds exceeding 50kts+. Those things fly overboard or breaks in those conditions and then you are on your backup system. 2 liters of fuel/day to generate his energy needs with a generator is a no brainer.
@@SailingLearningByDoing Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. Decades of experience dealing with the limitations of lead-acid would make one quite comfortable with what you can and can't do...and if it ain't broke.
@@phillipdelatour7729 yeah exactly and that’s where I think Peter is at.
Nice vid mate. Why aren't all yachts designed like that? The engine room and all design features are way ahead of the times.
The obvious answer is COST! This boat would cost at least double what a 50ft Bendytoe costs. Also, the majority of cruisers stay in the warm climates and as Peter said, want big open salons. Amazing boat and it will do its job perfectly for another 50 years I reckon
This interview could have been 3 hours and I would have lapped up every minute. What a wealth of knowledge and experience this man has. Hopefully he will write his memoirs.
Thanks! Good to hear that. He has kept a dairy and ships log all this time and spoke of a possible memoir book
G. Peter is a reall thing. I feel like a 5y old, when i listen to this man. Everything so well thought off, so able with hands, tons of knowledge. Thx for the oportunity to glance into his life. What a legend. 👍I got my algae streams foto in black and white, it's a masterpiece! As soon as i have it framed i'll send u a pic of it. Amazing photo, thank you again. 👍👍👍
Awesome, glad it arrived! Yep, most every sailor could learn a lot from Peter.
Great bloke. Very intuitive to how things work.
Yeah exactly! Had the ideas in his mind and made them reality.
I love how this legendary sailor documents his miles made good on a cheesy blow-up vinyl globe. and I want to know where he got that, LOL
Well it’s a great way to visualise the routes for sure, what I’m surprised about is that it lasted all these years.
What an incredible story. Quite a man. Thanks for sharing the story
You’re very welcome
What a legend, well done with this, it’s really inspiring to listen to the pioneers of cruising for us dreamers. Love the post shearing … hair cut, less windage!
Thanks!
he has that thing dialed in!
Indeed
What a hard working guy who had a dream and lived it
Yeah I respect that hugely. It’s one thing to talk about things but to just go do it is quite another.
Great interview. You could talk for hours and hours..I could listen for hours and hours. What a great bloke and a purpose built boat to go anywhere just beautiful
Thanks. I did listen for hours but only scratched the surface
You’re a heavy hitter eh Vernon! Wow There’s something about these old time true sailors... it feels like they’re connected deeply with “something out there”, feels like they mastered their craft here knowing that this is just a passage port, and that life isn’t worth if you don’t learn your stuff and enjoy what you do... I can’t wait to hear what Peter has to say (Vernon always being a great host, of course). See y’all tomorrow!
Thanks for that mate. I could have spent days listening to Peter, so many experiences. Tell ya mates.
Had quite a few dealings with Peter Smith over the years and have nothing but respect. We built a Cav 32 from hull and decks and the team at Cavalier yachts were hugely supportive. Also met up with Peter and his wife in the Bay of Islands on Warchild a Cav 36 he owned at the time and watched the build of his own Cav 39. I think at the time he did have a wee accident falling off that boat and possibly breaking an arm ? Later on I met him again at Westpark marina where he was very generous with his time and advice over some concerns we had with some boat building we were having done there. Peter also gave me a tour of Kiwi Roa which as shown in the video is a testament to his skill and knowledge. Peter also advised on a suitable Rocna for our Lidgard 42. Either the 20kg or 25kg. As we did not at the time envisage high latitude work we went with the 20kg and have found it excellent. In 50kts in Breaksea Sound Fiordland we did not move unlike a large charter boat that dragged out of the bay. All the best Peter and thanks for everything.
Perry Kostanich
Awesome to read this. Peter has such a long history in the sailing industry I guess there are many people who has positive encounters with him.
What an awesome guy and awesome boat!
👍
Wow what an amazing man. Could learn so much from just listening to Peter's stories.
Couldn't agree more, certainly did.
What a guy & fit as a fiddle for 75 > Sailing the healthiest way of life for mental & physical well being from a 76 year old sailing freak .... Love it .
Yep for sure. I know of plenty of younger men in half as good a shape.
Great interview, thanks very much. He’s a humble guy, very little documented on what he’s done yet he’s approachable and generous with his time
Couldn't agree more!
Met him in Namibia, near end of our circumnavigation. He was on his way from South Africa to Greenland. Had a good tour of Kiwi Roa. It is an incredible vessel. A bit of an iconoclast, but that is fine. He was not pleased that we used a Manson Supreme anchor. Thought it was a total rip-off of his anchor. On his way from the Falklands to Cape Town he was rolled 180° (came back up the same way). Broke one shackle.
Oh wow, so cool.
What a story and character. Thanks for doing that for us.
youre very welcome, it was pleasure to have the chance to hang out with Peter
This guy is simply amazing wtf ❤. I am doing up a 36ft davidson this was very helpful. Im trying to convert it a bit more for offshore. It is not as elegant as his yacht by a long shot.
Glad you enjoyed it Jabob.
Thank you for sharing, what an amazing story! My 1977 Cav32 would have been one of the last to be built in Auckland, I bought it because of its tough reputation and my proximity to Cook Strait. It's lovely to see Kiwi Roa has a similar timber slatted headboard to mine.
Very cool!
Greetings Peter, Read you have been in Oz; am in Sydney, Safe travels Graeme Clark - your Moth mate!
Thoroughly enjoyed this interview. What a remarkable man, a modern day legend!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed that one.
A man among men -A wonderful life leads to the fullest rewards. Great Q&A. Thanks, Epic result. SV Skoiern IV
Thanks mate.
That's cool. And of course our anchor looks like deja vu
Hello Vern
Yes this was a very interesting video. I have never heard of this man before and of his sailing accomplishments. After watching this video now I know a little about him.
The design of his Monohull is absolutely amazing. I could go on and on about his sailboat, but to much to type in. Just all around a fantastic build. And where this man has sailed South Pole, North Pole and the miles he put into his journey of life on the open Oceans is incredible.
And yes this video was different as it wasn't all about you this time lol. Just joking my friend.
Well looking forward to next video take care and hope Marie and the baby are doing well as well as you of coarse.
Thanks and glad you liked it. A lot of info and I wish Id have had more time to film details on the boat. Pretty incredible that he built the entire thing and did it right first time. Some people are good at welding but have no idea about electrics for example but Peter took care of it all. About the only things not made by him would be the mast and sails.
Fantastic interview, Thanks
You’re welcome.
jess that was good as a man who thinks of sailing to see that as far as sailing goes he is a legend thanks de well happy and safe 😀😀😀
Thanks Shayne
Wow what a story and what a person, being 75 it’s not easy but he’s in good shape ,I think he needs a companion for sailing the next 15 years .
Yep, not easy to find someone that would fit I guess.
At this point his boat is so perfectly set up for him, other people are probably an inconvenience
@@Angie-in8wc yep probably right.
@@SailingLearningByDoing Yes, as impressive as he is I bet he''d be insufferable to live with, especially on a boat. Strong, capable people are often like that.
Amazing life.
Yeah for sure. Epic.
I once had the honor of meeting him and getting a tour of SV Kiwi Roa in my late fourteen (2023) in New Zealand.
One of the Great Sailing Legends!!!
Ah that’s cool and a great experience I bet. Tell your friends to come watch this video tomorrow
@@SailingLearningByDoing For sure mate!
Good to watch an interesting life story . I enjoyed the video. 👍
Thanks for watching
Great interview he's a very down-to-earth person. Thankyou!
Yeah he is, very approachable and honest.
Great story. I own the Meta Dalu 47 that Peter completed for Gerry Noel in Petersborough. I don’t think the pictures you included were that particular Dalu.
Ah that’s interesting! No for sure, I just googled Dalu and those were the only pictures that came up.
I met Peter last year in POW Bay marina, Hobart. He looks and acts 15 years younger than his age. He has great energy. His boat is quite different to most: it's very high volume, very high freeboard and very focussed on high latitudes. He is clearly very happy with it.
Being happy and satisfied with your lot will do that too you. Greed and envy will age anyone.
Obviously very knowledgeable and arguable a genius of his craft. Reminds me of Les Paul of Gibson guitar fame and legendary cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman ....... they were rude pricks too.
And Frank Zappa in music composition or Donald Trump in strategy, the rude-r the better sometimes
I didn’t appear rude to me, just straight up and no Bs. I got the feeling he wouldn’t suffer fools and was careful not to ask dumb questions. I like someone who calls a spade a spade.
@@SailingLearningByDoing I didn't mean Peter was rude! I guess we were noticing most top guys in their fields become rude when they become famous... and old I guess. We all get there, at least the old bit 😄
Amazing interview. I love my Rocna Mk1, but loving the look of the Mk 2.
thanks
Great interview! A sailor's sailor.
Wow just wow
Great interview/chat, good on you Vernon and thanks! 👍
Cheers guys.
Wow, legend, what a phenomenal interview, loved it. After being anchored in 50-65 knots for 15 hours last season definitely makes you appreciate the work that goes into designing a quality anchor.
Thanks mate. Yep for sure, being able to trust your anchor and sleep well at night is pretty important.
Thanks another great episode ..Geeze he certainly was bit of a hard case ..the stories he could tell. What a great yacht 🤙
Thanks! Sailors who sail solo a lot tend to say what’s on their minds in a straight and uncomplicated way. You’ll get zero BS from Peter.
I just bought my second Cav 32, lady Moana. Still a solid boat, great sailing
Nice interview, liked your editing so that he told his story. A great example and role model for what the individual can do and persevering through the ups and downs of life.
Thanks. There was a lot of editing needed as he got side tracked often with other stories. Would have loved to show it all but there was about 4 hours worth.
Aweinspiring
Another great video Vernin, thanks very much. Fascinating.
Thanks Sam.
A really great interview ... good job ... and what a boat he has, a clever guy
Wow..Peter is a inspiration, thanks for the story Vern.
You’re very welcome, thanks for watching.
My Rocna is the best anchor I have ever used-by a large margin. 👌
Wow, big fan here mate, I read all your books when I had my first boat and was debating if I had enough experience to go offshore. On a previous boat I had a Manson Supreme that I really liked but it was basically a replica of the Rocna.
Wow
That was a great video Vernon, well shot, what an amazing man, a fantastic story. Thanks for sharing
Thanks, my pleasure
Really enjoyed this post!
👍
I’ve got a ton in common with this Pete. To think this guy is rich and could have any boat instead he stays humble.
Peter is not rich by western standards. He makes enough from licensing Rocna to sail,explore and maintain his boat.
Excellent interview and what an achievement in life to have done all that he has done. That boat of his is just incredible. I wonder if he sells plans and what improvements he would make. I also wonder how that large dent to the forward edge of his keel happened. Those hatches are the same basic design as what Tim Mumby designs which I believe are the best type of hatches you can use. I love how all of the exit ports are just above the waterline so they won't leak. That's what Onboard Lifestyles did. How many of these boats were made and does he have plans available?
The dent was a rock he ran into at 5kts in Greenland. Thanks, glad you enjoyed this video.
This is an incredible interview 🎉
Thanks.
That was mind opening ,thanx⛵️⚓️😇
👍🙏
Wonderful
🙏
Thank you for making this video!!
I have a New Gen Rocna 20 on my N35 sailboat. Best anchor I own.
What a remarkable life, such humility and knowledge. Thank you for sharing this 🙏🏽
You’re very welcome
Fantastic interview. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
Had no idea the inventor of Rocna had such qualifications
I’m glad you learnt something.
i am completely in awe of this man and his achievements…his accomplishments are dizzying!…what an incredible yacht!…i have not seen another of this quality of design and construction…i have to believe that anyone who aspires to build a yacht to sail the northern hemisphere , would kill to retain this man for direction through the process…i can see this clearly in his future…i also don’t believe that he’s the type to mothball his boat quite yet…hats off to him, and you for sharing this extraordinary story….cheers brother!
Yes I think he could make some good money as a consultant on new builds. I spoke with Peter yesterday and he might have a new trip in the making.
why am i not surprised?…pretty sure he’ll be at it for a long time coming…i hope you manage to keep up with him and share his continued story…thanks again brother!
why am i not surprised?…pretty sure he’ll be at it for a long time coming…i hope you manage to keep up with him and share his continued story…thanks again brother!
why am i not surprised?…pretty sure he’ll be at it for a long time coming…i hope you manage to keep up with him and share his continued story…thanks again brother!
why am i not surprised?…pretty sure he’ll be at it for a long time coming…i hope you manage to keep up with him and share his continued story…thanks again brother!
an amazing interview! legion
That man has grit. I heard a few negative things about him on the forums, but this interview has changed my mind. Respect to the man. Salut
His trip through the northwest passage during Covid caused some uproar for sure.
He was held in panama for a while ,he wasn't happy about it! But on board he told me the rocna story !
I live on the West Coast of Scotland on my 1986 Moody 47. We get 60+ knt gusts almost every week in most winters. For example in the last week I have had 2 days of 65+ and 60+ gusts. Five miles away it was over 100. I use a wind generator all the time and have done for years without major issues. The video of South Georgia just looked like winter off the west of Scotland. I am full of respect for Mr Smith but most of my serious sailing friends have wind generators too and are delighted with them.
Thank you for the video and thanks to Mr Smith for sharing his experience and thoughts. The real deal!
Do you sail often in that sort of wind? Peter was crossing the Drake passage in huge waves and wind. I think he meant in general they wouldn’t handle the conditions he faced. Pretty sure he wouldn’t make that claim without first hand knowledge. Still, each to their own. I love my solar panels and don’t even have a generator onboard.
I totally avoid sailing in winds like that. Usually spend the 6 winter months in a marina, and sail and anchor out for the 6 summer months. Even in the marina the winds are blowing with these strengths. I am striving to be totally off grid, so the wind generator is a marvel particularly in winter when solar just doesn't cut it.
@@boatsandbits7091 well that would be the difference then. Peter could never rule out sailing in hectic conditions as there’s no marinas where he mostly went. 60kts with the accompanying waves is a lot different to being in a protected marina. The other big thing, where he was there was no way to replace broken gear so anything remotely fragile would be out of the question.
I am well aware of what he goes through in the places he sails. Describing the marina I am in right now for example as sheltered just reflects no knowledge of the situation. Last week I had waves breaking over the walkway beside my boat with white water between my boat and the walkway...hardly what I would describe as sheltered. The way in which the wind generator is attached to the boat is just engineering. My generator has withstood 80+ knot gusts without problems, but it is very sturdily attached. As for the generator itself, it has withstood these winds for 4 winters now and seems fine. What I am saying is I don't think the sea state would make any real difference. For a wind generator its all about wind strength, assuming it is properly attached to the boat. I am not trying to negate anything Mr Smith says, I am full of admiration and respect for the guy, but rather I am just pointing out my experience with a wind generator in conditions akin to the sailing Mr Smith sails in. I spent the last 12 years of my working life repairing sailboats professionally both in California and Scotland.
@@boatsandbits7091 umm nah. I ve read plenty of reports of waves washing away entire solar arches. I’ve seen something as simple as a broken reefing line wreck a set of propellor blades. Like Peter said, some people rely on perfection for everything to work, he doesn’t. And yes, any marina is sheltered compared to the drake passage, svarlbad or Greenland anchorages.
This chap, is an authentic gentleman and what a boat. Infact, that's not just a boat, that's a floating fortress. Personally, that's the ultimate boat, to get caught up, in a force 12 storm, or even a Category 5 storm, of winds of well over 100mph (160kph). These sh!tty flashy, plastic glossy boats, haven't even got a scratch on a boat, like this. Makes me angry, really. I want to buy a boat and I most certainly don't want to buy the flimsy sh!t that today's markets offer you, I want something like this Rocna yacht, with a full steel hull, proper keel, skeg/rudder (saw he recently took a fair old wak on that skeg and that's why I believe, a skeg, is seriously an important piece of necessity, especiallyon a world cruising, blue ocean cruiser, like this boat). That is, one awesome, tuff, long lasting, yacht and what a well travelled gentleman. He, clearly knows, what he's talking about!!! Only wish, he'd offer up his boat plans for retail, like Bruce Roberts do, cos' that is a mental boat. A truly awesome yacht. Also, good luck, to the gentleman Mr Peter Smith. It's sincere people like Mr Smith, that give others a good running chance, having a good go, in life, just by witnessing the existence of people like this & just witnessing their engineering, truly superb, solid steel, engineering. After all, good equipment, is key, to going forward, in life.
Running a genny 2 1/2 hours a day would drive me nuts.😄
lol I get it but not having any power generation would drive you nuttier,unfortunately we can’t live without it,well we can but I enjoy some modern conveniences.
Yep me too but as he explained, in the places he's sailed there's no viable alternative. With 50kt gusts you wouldn't hear the genny anyway😉
@@svthorasailing4868 exactly. He's provisioning for 2 years so his freezer is full to the brim, 7 cubic feet.
@@SailingLearningByDoing absolutely hear the rigging screaming in those winds,15000 btu diesel heater would be worth its weight for sure that he has on her,it’s miserable on a cold boat,been there fuck that.apologies.
@@svthorasailing4868 agree completely if it is only used for high latitude expeditions. Soler panels can be very securely attached.
Your best work yet.
Amazing interview! Thanks for sharing his incredible story.
You’re welcome guys
Pioneer sailor.Great informative interview.
Thanks!
Vern Outstanding interview. Where was the interview done and where did he leave from to sail to NZ?
Thanks Fraser. I met up with Peter when he was in Gold Coast marina. This was a few months ago now. He left from there and sailed to NZ
Great Video!!!
Thank you, great stuff
Great video, thanks 😊
I can only dream of a boat like this. Nowadays the cost this type of boat out of my grasp. Truly I would love a yacht that I could explore with really I’m into older boats. Mechanical construction worker so money always my issue Still the sea calls to me and I own a 1980 Pearson. Still I dream of world travel by a capable yacht.
You and me both mate. Kiwi Roa will be up for sale someday when Peter feels he can no longer justify keeping and not sailing.
Really great interview and what a yacht
🙏
Awesome job all around !!!!! Congrats
Thanks.
In 1997 I sailed my boat across the South Pacific in company with Kiwi Roa, and I have to say Peter is still as crusty as ever. At 79, I'm still crossing oceans, but I bring crew.
That’s amazing. Thanks.
Thanks mate, that was awesome 👌
Glad you enjoyed it
Legend
Peter
absolutely amazing vernon! you do such a good job at the interview style vids. what a boat, and what a sailor, how long was the boat ?
Ah thanks mate, bloody interesting for me to hear all the stories too. Kiwi Roa is 52ft I think.
I hope he writes a book!
❤🧿🍀👏👏👏🧜♂️🙏🥰 Lots of love from Türkiye 🇹🇷
he would be hard to sail with id say, knows everything and wont listen to other concepts
Could be right.
Z28.310
i would lov e to take it on
What?
What boat to buy great interview
A unique boat that will last for many years to come