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New Wharram GRP 8 Meter

James Wharram Designs has announced the completed prototype of a new production moulded GRP catamaran: the Tiki 8m by Multimarine Composites Ltd. "The design features gently curved V section canoe hulls with stern hung rudders on skegs. A wingsail sloop rig with boomless mainsail provides a low centre of effort for increased stability. With a trampoline forward, and GRP bridgedeck tray with self draining trampoline seats, it also has a bridge deck size small enough for easy trailing. Two moulded GRP crossbeams and one light aluminium beam at bow and beams fastened down with quick tightening webbing straps for fast assembly will appeal to many seeking a trailable catamaran." James Wharram Designs.

SOF Outrigger Canoe

Brian Schulz of Cape Falcon Kayak in Oregon has been sailing Fog and Thunder, his skin-on-frame version of a Hawaiian outrigger sailing canoe. "Adapting the hawaiian outrigger sailing canoe for skin on frame construction has been a powerful and revelatory experionce for me... at 20 feet long and less than 150 lbs fully rigged it has renewed my faith in the endless adaptability if skin on frame technology. Building it mostly from scraps I spent less than 500 dollars to build it in less than a month." Cape Falcon Kayak

New “affordable” Corsair Sprint 750

"The new Corsair Sprint 750 takes performance and fun to the next level: it offers all the performance and flexibility of a beach catamaran with none of the annoyances... and incredibly easy to afford at about $49,000." Ya know, I could build a better beach cat too if I could charge 3 times the price... Corsair Marine

Flaquita Plans Available

Joe Henry says that plans for his sweet little 'Flaquita' epoxy/ply outrigger are now available. They consist of 8 sheets at 24"X 36". Also a CD with about 45 construction photos. $100 US dollars, includes shipping. See his site for lots of pics and a new account of a cruise through the Mexican Yucatan. Flaquita

Kayak Sail Rig Reviews

It's odd that the modern canoe/kayak phenom is so divorced from sailing - especially since the original 19th century devotees of the sport were so into it. That seems to be changing. "Wind: the alternative energy source for the self-propelled" - Sea Kayaker Magazine review 13 sails in the April 2005 issue. Sea Kayaker Magazine

Six-Man Outrigger to Sail Pacific Rim

Six sailors from Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Tahiti hope to revive the sailing legacy of the Austronesian people by making a grueling 16-month journey around the Pacific rim in an outrigger canoe. The journey is scheduled to begin this May and conclude in August 2006. "We're calling this adventure a journey of Pacific Renaissance, as Austronesian people already had a great sailing culture several thousands of years ago," said Chen Chin-kuo. Taiwan News

Nature’s Crisis

Dave Foreman : In December of 1776, the American Revolution was in its darkest hour. In response, Tom Paine wrote his first "Crisis" paper: "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." We need Tom Paine conservationists in our dark hour. Let us not apologize for loving wild Nature, for caring about other species, for speaking the truth. Reach out to others. Make deals when they are good deals. But let us not be frightened and browbeaten into appeasement. Counterpunch

Rustic Schooner Launched

The Nigel Irens designed "Rustic Schooner" catamaran was launched from Constellation Yachts in January 2005. I really like this boat - it proves that modern multihulls don't all need to be hi-tech spaceships. "Sequoya" is a 64' LOA x 28' beam day charter cat built from plywood - and it's one of the few big cats that will actually improve the view of the harbor in which it's anchored. Check out the photo gallery at Constellation Yachts.

The Warning of Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

NYT : Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed; by Jared Diamond; Viking, 576 pp., $29.95

"Easter's isolation makes it the clearest example of a society that destroyed itself by overexploiting its own resources.... The parallels between [the island] and the whole modern world are chillingly obvious. Thanks to globalization, international trade, jet planes, and the Internet, all countries on earth today share resources and affect each other, just as did Easter's dozen clans. [The island] was as isolated in the Pacific Ocean as the earth is today in space. When the Easter Islanders got into difficulties, there was nowhere to which they could flee, nor to which they could turn for help; nor shall we modern Earthlings have recourse elsewhere if our troubles increase.... [The] collapse of Easter Island society [is] a metaphor, a worst-case scenario, for what may lie ahead of us in our own future." NYT Review of Books

New Everglades Challenge Record

The 2005 Watertribe Everglades Challenge has finished with a new course record of 3 Days, 3 Hours, 9 Minutes - by Robert Williams and Scott Smith [aka sirbobsalot and beerslayer] sailing a Norseboat in Class 4 [small sailboats]. Class 1 [expedition kayaks & canoes]: Warren Richey in 3 Days, 13 Hours, 23 Minutes. Class 3 [sailing kayaks & canoes]: Steve Isaac in 4 Days, 4 Hours, 3 Minutes. Class 2 not yet finished. Congratulations to all!

The Everglades Challenge is a 300 mile expedition style adventure race for paddle, oar and wind powered small boats from Fort Desoto, Florida to Key Largo. Watertribe Page 4 of 5 pages « First  <  2 3 4 5 >