The Sailing Doodles Podcastvideo

The New Boat Is Almost Done… I’m Flying to Thailand

February 1, 2026 · 15 min · 85K views

What this video covers

Hull number five of the Island Spirit 525 catamaran is nearing completion at the Thailand shipyard, with a splash date pushed to late February or early March due to shipping delays.3:29 The delay stems from salvaging standing rigging, winches, and deck hardware from hull number one — the boat that washed ashore in Malaysia and was totaled when the salvage company filled the hull's holes with expanding foam rather than patching them, making the underwater sections unrecoverable.1:03 Island Spirit sent an inspection team to Malaysia and confirmed the standing rigging and mast are sound; those components will be shipped to Thailand to reduce build costs.2:50 The 52-foot catamaran has its deck on, non-skid paint applied, countertops installed, and plumbing and electrical conduit run; remaining work includes teak-effect decking, lifelines, stanchions, running rigging, and the hard top.7:55 The owner flies Dallas–Frankfurt–Bangkok on Lufthansa around February 24th, with two dogs traveling as cargo through Frankfurt's pet concierge layover facility via AEPets.4:21 Hull number six, a six-cabin charter-configured Island Spirit 525, is available for purchase, targets a July completion, and will appear at the Annapolis Boat Show; bareboat charter rates are projected at $14,000–$18,000 per week.13:35

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Boats in this video

Island SPIRIT 525Their boatTa Chaio Shipbuilding Co. (TAIWAN) Ct-56Their boatIsland SPIRIT 525Reviewed

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