The Winter 2010/2011 Sailing Outrigger Project
A couple of years ago I got the bug to go sailing. I spent a couple of days with friends on some rental Catalinas (22'-25') up on Stockton Lake and had an absolute blast. But, funds being tight and sailing lessons and rentals being quite expensive, I opted to go the home-built route.
I built a small plywood dinghy last winter, a Phil Bolger designed Elegant Punt, named "Anna Jane", after my late grandmother who I spent many a summer on the lake with as a kid. Eight feet of tubby, pokey, home-built sailing goodness. Easily cartopped, I sailed the heck out of that boat all last spring, summer and fall. Any chance i got, I was on the water. I sailed Springfield Lake, Fellows Lake, Stockton Lake and even made it as far as Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma for the first annual SailOklahoma Messabout. I met some really great like-minded small boat enthusiasts there.
This winter I decided to put together something a little more substantial and speedy. The EP sailed much like the turtle it resembles. I am currently working on a sailing outrigger design by NZ boat designer, Gary Dierking. It's called a Wa'apa, I'm building the 16' tacking version. Based on Hawaiian three-board canoes, it should be considerably faster to sail than my last endeavor.
Here are some pics of the build, to date. I hope to have it completed by May or June, given the free time.
First I built a model, the shunting proa version. Deemed to difficult to sail in shifty Ozark lakes, I have opted for the easier tacking outrigger version.
Getting started on the big one. Transoms and bulkheads.
I made one side panel, shaped it up a bit, then used it as a template for the other three.
Framed the bulkheads and transoms, applied the gunwales and chine logs and installed the inner stems to make it 3D.
Set it up in front of my house just to see how big it was.
Installed the bottoms and outer stems, then shaped them.
Made the plywood shear web for the ama float.
Where it pretty much sits at this point. I have done some shaping of the iakos (cross beams) and have glued on some locator blocks where the iakos cross the gunwales of the canoe. But have stalled on the build do to being busy with home stuff. I hope to get back at it this week and install the plywood doublers at all the iako beam tie-down points. Then it will be installing hatches, painting the inside of the floatation chambers, gluing up the ama float, glassing it, etc. Lots to do still. i like to think I'm halfway there.
For more build pics, go here...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12235211@N02/sets/72157625305053212/
I built a small plywood dinghy last winter, a Phil Bolger designed Elegant Punt, named "Anna Jane", after my late grandmother who I spent many a summer on the lake with as a kid. Eight feet of tubby, pokey, home-built sailing goodness. Easily cartopped, I sailed the heck out of that boat all last spring, summer and fall. Any chance i got, I was on the water. I sailed Springfield Lake, Fellows Lake, Stockton Lake and even made it as far as Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma for the first annual SailOklahoma Messabout. I met some really great like-minded small boat enthusiasts there.
This winter I decided to put together something a little more substantial and speedy. The EP sailed much like the turtle it resembles. I am currently working on a sailing outrigger design by NZ boat designer, Gary Dierking. It's called a Wa'apa, I'm building the 16' tacking version. Based on Hawaiian three-board canoes, it should be considerably faster to sail than my last endeavor.
Here are some pics of the build, to date. I hope to have it completed by May or June, given the free time.
First I built a model, the shunting proa version. Deemed to difficult to sail in shifty Ozark lakes, I have opted for the easier tacking outrigger version.
Getting started on the big one. Transoms and bulkheads.
I made one side panel, shaped it up a bit, then used it as a template for the other three.
Framed the bulkheads and transoms, applied the gunwales and chine logs and installed the inner stems to make it 3D.
Set it up in front of my house just to see how big it was.
Installed the bottoms and outer stems, then shaped them.
Made the plywood shear web for the ama float.
Where it pretty much sits at this point. I have done some shaping of the iakos (cross beams) and have glued on some locator blocks where the iakos cross the gunwales of the canoe. But have stalled on the build do to being busy with home stuff. I hope to get back at it this week and install the plywood doublers at all the iako beam tie-down points. Then it will be installing hatches, painting the inside of the floatation chambers, gluing up the ama float, glassing it, etc. Lots to do still. i like to think I'm halfway there.
For more build pics, go here...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12235211@N02/sets/72157625305053212/
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