Alu Proa Build in Belgium
I was pleased to find this email from Ewaut Van Wassenhove in my inbox:
It was a while ago but through your website I came across plans for Madness by Chesepeake Light Craft and now I’m building a scaled up version of the plans in aluminum in Belgium.
I’m super stoked about the design and I’m making an effort to make weekly updates on YouTube about the whole build.
I recently made a YouTube explainer video or an effort to explain…
The Pjoa Folk
The folks at Pjoa.eu have a nice Christmas gift for us: plans for a plywood-epoxy stitch and glue version of their beach-cruiser sailing proa:
Let us proudly share that we have made available an extensive plans set for proa PJOA FOLK. By “extensive” – they contain e.g. step-by-step building and rigging instructions. Knowing where a lot of proanauts find significant problems, we want to save them a lot of time, so another part is soon…
Poor-Poise: A Hardware Store Outrigger
A reader sends in his account of repurposing plastic canoe and kayak with hardware store parts to obtain a sailing outrigger. A Home Deproa! Thanks for the submission. -Ed
My name is Mason, I’m 25, and I work as a preschool teacher. I first started sailing at summer camp when I was growing up, and I’ve been looking for a way to enjoy it as an adult ever since. A few years ago I bought a 1978 16’ Hobie Cat catamaran, but I ended up…
Sailing canoe models by Francis Pimmel
Francis Pimmel makes pretty darn gorgeous models of Pacific sailing canoes, from the famous Hawaiian voyaging canoe recreation Hokule’a to flying proas of Micronesia. Order one for your boardroom.
Much thanks to Paul D. for the submission!
Quiquec - outrigger canoe
Browsing through Youtube I discovered this charming 5.6m outrigger canoe named QUIQUEC, uploaded and built by Norbert Rettig of Hockenheim, DE. The 12 square meter lug rig is wonderfully old school but the canoe moves very well even so, and the low center of effort would certainly be appreciated with the lovely torpedo-shaped low-volume ama. All the spars, ama and beams fit neatly inside the hull for storage and transport on the roof…
Jacknife
Ian Aitken’s JACKNIFE is “the world’s first 11m, folding, trailerable proa with freestanding wing mast”.
Although inspired by Rob Denney’s Harryproas, the craft was designed and built by Ian and ‘Barn Job Innovations’ of Taranaki, New Zealand. Well named, the craft unfolds like a Swiss Army Knife, only with more moving parts. Read more at Harryproa
Specifications
LW hull LOA = 11.0 m one of the bows folds back to facilitate…
Proa Construction in Greece
Alex Calothis has submitted his progress on a proa build in Greece.
I grew up in Athens and learnt to sail on optimists when I was about 8, and I have loved sailing ever since.
My father built a 6m catamaran around that time, and it was very fast, but would not turn very easily - long narrow hulls with very little rocker. We often had to perform a three point turn to get her around!! Still, she was a lot of fun. Later he bought a…
Poland is Proa Land
The first production proa in a long while hails from Warsaw. Pjoa Laguna is based on Marshall Islands tradition, with a few changes. The form factor and distinctive crab claw sail are certainly “old school” canoe, however this version offers a sun deck, enclosed storage, dismountable for car-topping and storage. Like the original, this canoe is also 100% recyclable (no glass-reinforced plastics).
Read more here, and see them at Boot…
Russell Brown Refits a G32
Russell Brown of PT Watercraft is refitting a venerable Gougeon G32 in his shop this winter, and best of all, he’s blogging all the details! Sort of like hanging out in his shop, but a lot better because he’s still able to actually gets stuff done. If you’ve ever wanted to see how carbon fiber, epoxy and a vacuum bag all come together to make multihull magic (and who hasn’t?) then head on over to gougeon32.blogspot.com.
Best In Show
Congratulations are in order for Larry Haff who won Best in Show - Contemporary Class at the Mid-Atlantic Small Boat Festival in St. Michaels, Maryland. He entered his cedar strip-planked Ulua outrigger canoe, a design of New Zealand based Gary Dierking. Via Gary’s blog: Outrigger Sailing Canoes.
