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Re: Seeking: outrigger sailing canoe / bali style
By:Chip Sandresky
Date: 3/6/2002, 12:58 pm
In Response To: Seeking: outrigger sailing canoe / bali style (Tony Bridges)

: I am looking for some plans for a sailing outrigger canoe prefrably bali or
: Melanisian slyle

I know the feeling, could be really fun. I don't know about the specific styles you mentioned but "Pacific Proa" is the type that comes to mind. Todd Bradshaw has two of them in his book "Canoe Rig" (published by Wooden Boat). There are beautiful drawings but unfortunately no plans. He does give you (almost) enough info to design your own which I have a perennial desire to do. I looked around for plans about 12 months ago and didn't come up with much. You might do a Google Advanced Search http://www.google.com/advanced_search for "Pacific Proa" and "Plans"... it looks like some may be available.

I enjoy this subject so I'm going to keep writing :) A Pacific Proa's outrigger is weighted and always stays to the windward side of the boat. That makes it impossible to tack (turn into the wind)... so a Proa "shunts" (zig zags forward and backward). The rudder (and in some cases the mast) is transferred to the other end of the boat every time you want to shunt.

I'll probably never build one but if I do (and I can't find plans) I'll take plans for a standard wooden canoe; a regular canoe is said to plane under sail. I would modify the ends to have a nice Polynesian look and I'd beef up the hull to probably 3/8" strips will extra glass. Then I'd design heavy duty tie-ins for the outrigger and add a daggerboard (or two). I guess I'd have to do a little trial and error to get the outrigger just right.

A boat like that (and multihulls in general) will boogie so build it solid.

Good luck with it,
Chip

Messages In This Thread

Seeking: outrigger sailing canoe / bali style
Tony Bridges -- 3/6/2002, 12:52 am
Re: Seeking: outrigger sailing canoe / bali style
Chip Sandresky -- 3/6/2002, 12:58 pm
Re: Seeking: outrigger sailing canoe / bali style
Eric -- 3/6/2002, 5:39 am