And the funny thing about designing boats is I often find myself getting really enthusiastic about a concept, working through a lot of design permutations, then, going, “Nah.”

Yea, tell me about it. 😉 I’m still thinking muscle and/or wind power, though. A long time ago a friend and I rented a Fulmar 19 which was a very cool sail/peddle cruising tri. We cruised from Shilshole Bay to Blake Island, camped overnight, and returned on Sunday. There was no wind on the way out so we peddled and we felt like we earned our beers at camp. On the way home it was a perfect 15 knots of wind or so, and we had a great time sailing home. Of course, the curse of being a designer was that I was always thinking about how to improve the experience rather than simply being in the moment, enjoying it.

Went to the Seattle Boat Show yesterday, was all over the Hobie booth and their Mirage Drive. The other huge advantage of the Mirage over oars is that the BOA can remain reasonable, even for a tri.

Dan, do you have a link to the dual Mirage drive cat?

No links, just some photos on my server at work & maybe on my laptop.  Lemme see….  Jerry isn’t too fond of internet stuff or emails.  I’ll check.  Turn’s out he’s got some pics online!  http://teakspicks.shutterfly.com/

Dan

This discussion has got me thinking quite a bit about rowing/pedaling craft.

Here’s a quick pass at a mirage-drive camp cruiser/fishing machine for the kayak fishing types, like my brother.

I’ll do a new design post for this soon.  But here’s the basic idea:

16’ LOA
about 16” BWL in the vaka
about 64” BOA

The ama is the one that I drew for the Wa’apa I built with my daughter—based on Gary Dierking’s Ulua ama.  I think that I’d do something with a more V shaped entry next time.  But its PLENTY buoyant for a light boat.  And it sits like a swan on the water.

The driver sits in a comfy, high tech lawn chair on the edge of a cockpit that drains down the mirage drive.  The floor of that cockpit is almost 9” from the bottom of the boat—so that’s what it would take to flood the cockpit through the mirage drive.

The foredeck is proud for steep chop, and the aft deck is cut down to reduce windage.  I might bring the cockpit back further to make it a better “pick up truck”.  Also coming is a lightweight “snowshoe” that will sit to windward, I mean towards the ama.  Old habits…  Anyway the snowshoe will be a place to sit up high when drifting about, store rods and light gear… like a little sailing rig. 

A very small sailing rig for when the wind impedes paddling is a no brainer.  You already have a rudder, and the mirage drive is used as a daggerboard on the hobie kayaks.  All you need is a sail in the right place.

More to come.  Let me know what you think.

Chris

Chris,

Cool design idea.  It could be vastly lighter than the rotomoulded boats as well.  No reason to have it out of anything more than 4mm.  I’m a big fan of the Hobie drive.  It is a nice change of pace from paddling as well.  Your boat would perhaps benefit fron the same sort of ama on Gary’s Va’a Motu.  Round amas like my old Ulua ama are splashy and noisy.  If you are pushing those pedals hard, no beachchair is up to the strain.  Instead get a clip on SOT seat and you’ll be styling!  Are you sure the drive can handle 9” of freeboard?  Will your feet hit the deck?  Have you seen Jolly roger’s tri designed for the UFC?

I’m very interesting by your design !

My “two cents”,

The possibility to row is very important when you are in a narrow river often the wind is in front of us. It’s a most effective way. First put the masts on the iakos, second row ! I read you think to roll the sails but put the masts on the iakos is important because the windage of them can be very important.
About the sliding seat I also prefer the simplicity. Like some speak about Phenicians I would like speak about Athenians. They use a cushion (may be Phenicians also but I have no informations about). This cushion come back in rowing competition (1850-60) made with leather and with fat between cushion and seat.
About The iakos I think that’s will be better than they could be a little higher. Actualy they are on the travel of the rows.(At the middle of the iakos).

A friend of mine is so interested about your design than his first questions was “where can I find it or the drawings. How much for that !!!

Sorry for my poor english.

Regards

I’m sorry not to have kept up with this thread. My wonderful magical forum software is supposed to email me when a new comment is posted and… nothing.

Chris, your outrigger is fantastic. That’s the kind of thing that could do really well in an Everglades Challenge? Or at least, one held here in the Pacific NW - the Orca Challenge. No wind in the summer, except occasionally.

Ghisbar - I see your point. I was thinking that if there was wind, you would sail, but if in a narrow channel, wind dead ahead, you would want to strike the masts and rig, reduce windage to minimum and row.

Thanks Michael.

I just got back from Oahu, visiting my new nephew and family.  I saw a lot of canoes.  Especially in Kailua, where there were hundreds of (4-8 man) outrigger canoes scattered along the beach, along with Prindle 18s, Hobie 16s and Hobie Waves.  Over the 2 days I was there, I didn’t see one small sailboat out.  Kiteboarders, yes.  A couple sailboarders too.  Why aren’t people sailing?

Kailua is also also the home to Kamanu Composites—who makes a really nice OC1.  I got to take a good look at some of these in the beach park parking lot, on top of burly pickups.

http://kamanucomposites.com/

It strikes me that a cross between the single chine, mirage drive concept I did, and an OC1, and a stitch and glue kayak, and a hollow CLC paddleboard would be a pretty sweet beach boat.

So here’s where I’m going;  a very narrow sit on top outrigger canoe, with a narrow, deep, high prismatic hull like an OC1, but with a little bit more load capacity for fishing or touring (say 400lbs).  It won’t be a ultralight surf machine, but it will also have more BOA, and more stability.  It will more than make up for its frontal area with the mirage drive’s superior thrust.  I think that it will be very multi-chine, soft shape in stitch and glue plywood, with a stiff bow and a low windage/high volume, curved foredeck.  I’d like to incorporate the breakwater/bulkhead from my previous design.

More to come.

Chris