Wharram proa
What happened to the JWD proa? It capsized and they lost interest…any more info? Any pics anyone?
Did a Google on the question, and: from the Wharram website:
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http://wharram.com/faq.htm#q7.15
FAQ-7.15
Do you have a design for a Proa?
Not at the moment! I have met more than one Western Proa builder. The problem is, that they look at the proa through Western eyes. I think that before you can adopt Pacific canoe form craft for western use, you must start at the beginning, and build as close as you can to the original craft. Having mastered the original principles, you can then start adapting it to Western needs. This is what we are doing with our new ethnic range of designs, with this year the Tahiti Wayfarer and its outrigger consort.
There is something about Proa’s that sends western sailors slightly crazy. We built a 30-foot Proa for the 1979 race around Britain, sailed it 500 miles test sail, put a bigger sail on to “really go”, and capsized it. Since then, I have seen big “French Proa’s” which were really more like catamarans with one hull bigger than the other. It should be correctly called a Drua, the Fijian name for such a craft built in sizes of up to 100 feet.
At the moment, we are experimenting on the use of the Outrigger Canoe, which has a definite bow and stern. We are working step-by-step forward, then when we understand the basic elements of outrigger design, we shall take up experimenting with Proa design again. Our first designs will be as close to original Pacific designs as we can get, because the problem of adapting Pacific canoe form designs for Westerners’ use, is that Westerners sit on chairs with legs, by tables with legs, sleep on beds with legs, and they carry unconsciously these concepts into making Western habitable Proa designs.
I saw that, but it was written a while back….....
Like your avatar!
I love the idea of a Wharram proa. I was going to test a Wharram Tiki inspired proa before i tested my advanced sharpie proa. I never got around to doing that, but i still think of making a simple for and aft symmetrical deep V model. There is a lot of merit in that kind of hull. Very smooth and calm behaviour, even though they tend to pitch some. Tunnel-rudders should effectivly stop any tendency to pitch and to some extent counter the aft down tendency.
Cheers,
Johannes
He used his pahi shape, which is deep v but relatively straight down the sides. Inigo Wijnen - builder of Gaia’s Dream, built a tacking outrigger using a pahi hull. Pity he didn’t use it as a proa….
Wharram is quoted as saying “the top-speed seagoing boat of the future” about proa’s.
I found this picture of an outrigger designed by James Wharram in Sea People #3 Dec 1984
I think it is a very beautiful design!
Johannes