Entries

First Flight

A working hapa model has finally been accomplished by Frenchman Luc Armant. It is the realization of the theoretically perfect sailboat: an airfoil and hydrofoil, tied together by a single line in tension. The massless sailboat has long been the dream of sailing pioneers from Bernard Smith's aerohydrofoil to D. Costes' chien de mer (seadog) to the hapas of J. Hagedoorn. The achievement cannot really be overstated, IMHO. Well done, Mr. Armant! The device is described in this (massive) PDF file. I look forward to the English translation.

Sealand

I've just read Sealand, over at Creed O'Hanlon's blog: Tiki in Thailand, and I highly recommend it. It's a great article - exploring the utopian ideal called "Seasteading" . Seasteading is the creation of autonomous floating villages on the sea, either legal or piratical, depending on the political leanings of the villagers. Seasteading is the natural reaction to civilization, as was homesteading 200 years ago.

Human civilization, no matter how noble the founding, is always eventually corrupted, and those of us who live in the former homesteads are the witnesses to that. At times the desire to start anew is overwhelming, and so people always have. The history of human exploration has more to do with fleeing Egypt (the stick) than finding the Promised Land (the carrot). Unfortunately, the carrot eventually always becomes the stick.

I'm personally not a big fan of the seasteading movement, although I understand the motivation. I read Daniel Quinn's Ishmael in 2002, with 911 still ringing in my ears. I'd check "anarchy" for my party, but somehow that party never seems to start. See Sail vs. Power.

For me (and most people), boats and the sea symbolize freedom, and seafarers instinctively understand that the ties of civilization eventually become the ties that bind, whether by land or sea. A few years ago I had this vision of myself paddling Westward in an outrigger canoe, seeking the PL, and I passed a Chinaman paddling East, seeking the same. Hah!

We have this notion that if only we could be free of government, we could be free. But wherever we move, no matter how pristine the initial environment, corruption follows. Eventually maybe we'll figure out that it's not the PLACE that is corrupted. When we finally do, there won't be any need to move, because then Everywhere will be 'Promised Land'.

Until then, may the sea remain free of the land.

Changeup

The slider is the best pitch in baseball. --Ted Williams

Changeup is a riff on Ray Aldridge's brilliant beach cruising cat, Slider. I hesitated to publish these drawings at first, since they are an obvious take-off on Ray's design, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I hope Ray takes them in the spirit intended, which is one of respectful admiration.

Slider answers almost every single desire of my beach cruiser fantasy: Twin hulls, shoal draft, simplicity, dock-like stability, ease of launching, usable space, cargo capacity, sailorman rig, and an aesthetic that reaches deeper than the latest multihull fad. The only problem - and this is ONLY a problem for my testosterone/adrenalin driven ego - is that it tops out at 7 knots.

OK, I admit I want it all - a beach cruiser that will outshine the Mona Lisa and outpace the Enterprise. But given my economic and scientific station, breaking warp (knot) 12 would suffice. The only way I can see to break that barrier is to get the whole crew behind the initiative, so when the breeze kicks up, all hands to windward!

Changeup is designed to accommodate both crew in the windward hull, when conditions merit. The idea is that sailing in light air (the predominant condition in my sailing range) will see each of the twin crew within their respective hulls. But if and when the need for speed arises, then both bodies may be accommodated in the windward cockpit, thus providing the potential energy required.

The rig is the sliding gunter w/ curved gaff, a scaled-down version of Manu Kai. Mast height is a manageable 19', and the 190 sq. ft. rig may contain up to three reef points.

The hulls are asymmetrical, and happily do without boards. Leeway resistance is provided by the hard chines, enhanced by chine-runners (see Matt Layden's Paradox and Bernard Kohler's KD860). The asymmetrical hulls position the buoyancy as far outboard as possible, gaining a few more inches of righting moment, and with a beam limited catamaran, every inch counts.

Changeup is 8'-6" wide, which is the only choice for a small boat that expects to be kept on a trailer - and used often. That said, I might be tempted to make a pair of 10' beams to fit when the boat goes for a cruise of a week or more. The extra trouble would be worth it.

Equilibre

Jeremy Fischer designed, built and sails his 40' proa Equilibre out of Martinique. Everything about this boat is virtually perfect: the strong Micronesian heritage, the huge crab claw sail, the time and cost sensitive construction/fit-out, even the color (probably the result of the can being on clearance at the local chandlery). Equilibre helps me think about balance, not only with wind and tide, but with the environment (economic and natural), with my fellow man, and maybe most of all, with my spirit. Page 1 of 1 pages