The Dawson Proa Construction Method Part 2
Part 2 of Topher Dawson’s report on constructing his proa SGIAN GHLAS.
See Part 1. -Editor
Main Hull Construction Sequence - Part 2
See photos above.
- Side/seat joints filled, glassed, rounded, glassed.
- Centre section bulkheads extended upwards to support a foredeck which is needed to support each mast.
- Seat back panels modeled with a skeleton structure of plastic conduit pipe.
- Panels made of 25mm foam and glassed.
- Panels laid on seats…
The Dawson Proa Construction Method Part 1
Topher Dawson sends a report on his method of construction for SGIAN GHLAS, the proa featured in the previous article. It is as delightfully creative and sensible as the design itself. This is Part 1 of 2. -Editor
24’ Proa Construction Details
By Topher Dawson
Urethane foam core (Tricast 5) or other cores, with glass and polyester resin, makes for a strong, stiff and light panel. Nomex, carbon and epoxy would be stronger, stiffer and…
Proa Rig Options: the Biplane
I’ve asked Robert Zabukovec to contribute to the Proa Rig Options section on Proafile with an article on the biplane rig he invented for SIDECAR. I’ve long been fascinated by biplane rigs, however my interest has always been limited to catamarans, not proas. Who knew? Robert’s thinking on the subject exploits the lateral asymmetry of the proa to advantage, creating a rig that is not only fast and easy to shunt, but also remarkably…
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…
Will the Oz Goose fly?
Iain Henehan continues his foiling experiments with an Oz PD Goose, an ultra-simple 12ft (3.5m) plywood club sailing dinghy designed by Michael Storer.
The Goose was introduced as a larger family version of the OzRacer some 6 years ago. But it was overlooked as “just a bigger OzRacer” until three years ago when Ian Henehan in Texas started to put videos of the boat going very fast with one on board (up to 12.9 knots) and sailing well…
Wind Tunnel Measurements of the Performance of Canoe Sails From Oceania
In what is no doubt the longest headline ever at Proafile, The Journal of the Polynesian Society has published a paper by Anne di Piazza, Erik Pearthree and Francois Paille on their wind tunnel research results. Apparently inspired by C. A. Marchaj and his wind tunnel testing of various rigs of working sail, including the “crab claw”, the new study expands the range to a wide variety of Pacific rigs:
The primary objectives of this…
LaShunk - the shunting junk rig from Balkan Shipyards
Rael Dobkins from Balkan Shipyards has a new proa rig - a clever Chinese lug or junk designed for shunting. Rael hopes to combine all the traditional benefits of the junk rig, such as being easily reefed, single-handed, and cheap for the DIY crowd, with the requirements of shunting. Stay tuned to his channel to see how it all works out!
Thanks To Robert W. for the link.
LaShunk Proa Rig by Rael Dobkins
Polynesian Sail Performance
Gauging the performance of an ancient Polynesian sail by The Polynesian Society.
Tarawa With Spinnaclaw
Gary Dierking is experimenting with the “spinnaclaw” - a crab claw rigging idea that I proposed way back in 2008. It’s pretty cool to see someone take an idea sketch and make it real - thanks Gary! Apparently, there is both good and bad news…
Read about it here on Outrigger Sailing Canoes.
Quill - a crab claw tacking proa
QUILL is an innovative tacking proa designed and built by Kim Fisher in England. The experimental vessel features a crab claw sail and a unique sliding outrigger arrangement. Kim writes:
Firstly, I would like to say a BIG thank you to Proafile for giving me mountains of useful information and encouragement to actually build this boat. I have been accessing your pages for over 3 years and this boat design is the result. (*blushing*…
