Comparative Analysis of Multihulls
Robert Zabukovec, the designer/builder of SIDECAR who’s story was published in the previous article, has kindly agreed to share some of his design methods with us here at Proafile. These are tools that anyone with spreadsheet or CAD software can use. —Editor
Comparative Analysis
Most sailors regard proas as weird and freakish, and a few, the most wonderful thing in sailing. Proas have a mythical fantasy status, but they are just…
The Canoes of NG Yacht Design
Papeete Tahiti based Nicolas Gruet - NG Yacht Design has an interesting portfolio that includes some now famous outrigger canoes of classic Tahitian form but updated with modern ideas about yacht design. See Outrigger Canoe 50 and Va’a Motu 30. They had me with the gaff rigs, but that ama on the 30 is perfect. Their latest outrigger: Pirogue 39’ VIP, is an aluminum power excursion vessel with wave-piercing bows. Again, a really nice…
Chris Maas Foiler Nominated in Foiling Week Awards
Retired boatbuilder Chris Maas lives in the San Juans on an island with no ferry service, so he built this fantastic electric foiling catamaran from recycled parts to be his commuter.
His GIZMO has been nominated in the Motorboat and Sustainable categories at Foiling Week. It’s marvelous to see Chris up against the over-hyped and overpriced foiling toys, best of luck to him.
The Future Past of the Das Brothers
A continuation of this July 5 article about the Das Brothers. As I noted earlier, the twin brothers Rudolf and Robbert Das had a long career as technical illustrators, architectural designers, authors and futurologists. Since then, Proafile contributor Paul Dunlop has found and acquired five rare volumes of Das books that were published in a series called Toekomst (“Future”), between 1983 and 2008.
Paul has scanned and uploaded the…
Das Prauw - The Proa of the Future
This month’s Woodenboat magazine has a nice article about Robbert Das, the Dutch illustrator and futurist. Naturally, they only show his great 3D cutaway drawings of old wooden boats, but holy smokes! A little googling and you come up with the other stuff!
The twin brothers Rudolf and Robbert Das had a long career as technical illustrators, architectural designers, authors and futurologists. I found a thread here about some of their…
The Designs of Lorenzo Acompañado II
Lorenzo Acompañado II is a talented Filipino designer and boatbuilder who is exploring the traditional native double outrigger canoe in modern materials. He has designed and built a 6m (20’) sailing Paraw, a car-top Bigiw, and is currently building a decidedly modern version of the Bangka called the L20 Beach Trimaran. His designs include a 12m (40’) Balangay outfitted for dive charter and a 7.23 m (24’) Vinta.
See his work at Samal…
Nick Beck and the Holopuni sailing canoe
Nick Beck tells Patagonia about the creation and development of the Holopuni sailing canoe: A Thirty-Five-Year Voyage Back in Time.
In May 1981, I set out in a home-built Hawaiian sailing canoe from South Point on the island of Hawai’i to my home on Kaua’i. It was an adventure that would take me from the southern-most to the northern-most point of the Hawaiian Islands. I named my canoe Holopuni, “to sail everywhere”, and I’ve been…
Beauty Matters: the boats of David Trubridge
Celebrated New Zealand artist and designer David Trubridge has turned his creative attention back to boats, where it all began. Trubridge studied naval architecture in his native England, and sailed his small family on a journey that took them to the Caribbean and Polynesia, working their way from place to place, eventually landing and settling in New Zealand. His wooden furniture and lighting designs are now exhibited and sold in…
Gary Dierking Interview
Duckworks has a nice interview with one of our favorite canoe designer/builders.
When did you become a boat designer and what was your first real design? I started drawing boats when I was about eight years old, and I built my first one at fifteen from a photo in a magazine. That first project was an eight foot lake scow with an underbody similar to the current Puddle Ducks…
Bedard on the Everglades Challenge 2017
Tarpon Springs FL based smallcraft designer/builder JF Bedard has posted an informative recap of his experience racing the 2017 Everglades Challenge in his self-designed and built micro-cruiser: RoG. Great for any fan of long-distance challenges like the EC and the R2AK. Besides, I am especially taken with Bedard’s diminutive racer, its distinct lack of multiple hulls notwithstanding. Bedard Yacht Design.
