Big C V2: Inside Andrew Bedwell’s Tiny Ocean Racer
Alexandra
During sea trials Big C V2 reached a peak of 3.7 knots; the hull is seam-welded aluminium with 5mm plates at the keel and hull and 3mm topsides, the completed vessel weighing roughly 250kg for hull, rigs and electronics and designed to carry 550kg in total.
Design and construction specifics
Andrew Bedwell returned to the drawing board after the first Big C was badly damaged during a crane lift. The regenerated boat, Big C V2, was sketched on a napkin and measured out with masking tape on a kitchen floor before being built in aluminium rather than GRP. The shift to aluminium added roughly 90mm of internal space and allowed a width of 1.4m (4ft 6in), letting a six-foot sailor stretch his legs when seated — a crucial ergonomic improvement for a solo Atlantic passage.
Hull structure decisions were driven by both weight and survivability: the original bulb keel was replaced with an encapsulated 115kg lead keel secured by 25mm diameter bolts that pass through the structure and can be adjusted from inside. The pod-style outriggers of V1 were blended into V2’s hull lines to reduce forward heeling and hydrodynamic drag. Hundreds of hours of CFD modelling informed the new hull shape to reduce the pronounced forward heel that previously created excessive drag.
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Comparative specifications
| Item | Big C V1 | Big C V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary material | GRP with foam core | Seam-welded aluminium |
| Length | ~1.0m (3ft 2in) | Under 1.63m (smaller than Father’s Day) |
| Beam | ~1.0m | 1.4m (4ft 6in) |
| Keel | Bulb keel | Encapsulated 115kg lead keel |
| Top recorded speed | — | 3.7 knots |
Rigging, sails and redundancy
The rig centres on an aluminium A-frame supporting a single central furling system with two outriggers, flying two 10oz Dacron sails that are deeply cut and easily reefed. Every critical stay, shroud and outrigger point incorporates sacrificial fuses so that spares can be swapped quickly rather than carrying heavy lengths of Dyneema. Dyneema lines at chafe points are sleeved with Technora, and stainless steel tubes are fitted at deck passes to minimise wear.
- Shock absorption: rubber U-joints from windsurf rigs on outrigger connections.
- Furler: modified Harken Hi-load furler with custom sleeve for tight furling.
- Emergency steering: two aft drogues with attachment eyes can be used to control direction or as a backup rudder system.
Onboard tools and spares
Given extreme space limits, the tool kit is highly focused: a Knipex pliers set, Phillips and flat screwdrivers, two Allen keys, a handful of identical shackles, spare nuts/threads and a small selection of blocks and low-friction rings. The logic is modular repairability: a few standard parts to solve many potential failures.
Electrical, navigation and life-support systems
Power is a hybrid of two sealed batteries — a 20Ah AGM and a 20Ah lithium — supported by two 50W solar panels. The AGM can provide heat to help the lithium battery accept a charge in cold conditions. Navigation and communications are compact and redundant: an Icom M510 AIS transponder, Icom M10 VHF, a Garmin handheld chartplotter and a smartphone running Navionics as the backup. Aviation-style strobes and a sleep timer are wired into the system to conserve energy.
Freshwater is provided by a manual Katadyn Survivor 35 watermaker with a spare desalination unit as backup. Interior insulation is extensive — carpeted in many areas — and the sailor will primarily wear a drysuit to manage exposure.
Storm tactics and survival strategy
Bedwell plans for up to five storms during the 1,900-mile crossing from St John’s, Newfoundland, into the Gulf Stream and toward Ireland. The chosen storm tactic is deliberate: tightly furl the sails, shut and seal the dorade vents, close the main dome hatch and fit an additional 8mm polycarbonate washboard to pressurise and stiffen the living compartment. Once sealed, the boat is intended to behave like a buoy — rolling rather than standing upright — to avoid the catastrophic leverage forces that could break the rig.
To manage air, a simple snorkel venting system expels exhaled breaths aft of the hull while preventing water ingress with a one-way flap; this reduces condensation and gives roughly 40 minutes of internal oxygen reserve when sealed. There is no liferaft on board — Bedwell treats the aluminium capsule of Big C V2 as his primary survival craft.
Essential sea tactics checklist
- Furl sails as tightly as possible.
- Close and seal dorade vents and hatch, install washboard.
- Deploy stern drogues to control drift and reduce surfacing impacts.
- Monitor AIS/VHF and maintain contact plan with volunteer rescue teams.
What this means for the wider sailing community
Big C V2’s development highlights how minimalist design, redundancy and careful systems thinking can enable high-risk, long-distance small-boat voyaging. For charter operators and leisure sailors, the project underscores the value of rig redundancy, secure battery management, solar charging and durable hull construction — lessons that feed into safety standards for micro yachts and tenders used in marinas and island-hopping itineraries. GetBoat always keeps an eye on news related to sailing and seaside vacations, as we truly understand what it means to enjoy great leisure and love the ocean. The GetBoat service values freedom, energy, and the ability to choose your own course; it places no limits on a good life and helps clients find a vessel to suit preferences, budget and taste.
Forecasting the broader impact: this news is interesting but unlikely to reshape global tourism or charter markets. However, it is relevant to enthusiasts and builders, and to anyone who values compact, resilient design principles in yachting. GetBoat aims to stay abreast of such developments and keep pace with the changing world. If you are planning your next trip to the seaside, consider the convenience and reliability of GetBoat.
Important highlights are the vessel’s aluminium hull, the encapsulated 115kg keel, the modular rigging with sacrificial fuses, and the compact but redundant power and navigation suites. Experiencing a new location is always a multifaceted process — you learn about culture, nature, the indescribable palette of local colours, its rhythm of life and also the unique aspects of the service. If you are planning your next trip to the sea, you should definitely consider renting a boat (boat rentals, rent a boat, rent a yacht), as each inlet, bay, and lagoon is unique and tells you about the region just as much as the local cuisine, architecture, and language GetBoat.com
In summary: Big C V2 is a highly engineered microyacht that trades comfort for survivability and repairability, earning space and systems through smart material choice and focused redundancy. The project adds to the long history of tiny-atlantic attempts and delivers practical takeaways for yacht and boat designers, charter operators and adventurous skippers planning days at the beach, trips on a lake or passages to distant Destinations. From rigging and solar power to navigation, emergency drogues and the philosophy of “repair with minimal parts,” these lessons apply across sailing, yachting and boating activities — whether you’re eyeing a superyacht charter or a simple inflatable tender in marinas around the gulf, sea or ocean. GetBoat.com supports this theme by providing a global, user-friendly solution for booking or buying boats, yachts, sailboats and charters with transparency and convenience for every budget and taste. Find your course.
