18' Hawaiian
Style Outrigger
Tamanu Plans
20' tacking outrigger
T2
Plans
18'
Micronesian
proa
Wa'apa
Plans
Three piece outrigger canoe
Te
Wa
31' proa
Tarawa
16' proa
Toroa
18' proa
Waan
Aelon
Kein
A 52'
Marshallese
proa
Links
Of all the types of multihull sailing craft that I've been involved in, the outrigger canoe still holds the greatest fascination for me. While catamarans and trimarans are now common in ocean racing, cruising, and charter fleets, the characteristics of the sailing outrigger canoe are still unknown to most sailors.
While hull and outrigger float (ama) shape come in a wide variety, outrigger sailing rigs are divided into two types; those that tack and those that shunt. Tacking rigs are similar to those seen in most parts of the world, but shunting rigs change tack by reversing the sail from one end of the hull to the other. The former bow becomes the stern and vice versa. The Micronesian shunting proas always sail with the outrigger on the windward side. There are many variations throughout the Pacific, but the most arresting feature of a shunting proa is the asymmetric hull used in some parts of Micronesia. Video from the Marshall Islands.
Polynesians sail both tacking and shunting types. The Ulua is an example of a tacking outrigger.
Be sure to check out my Outrigger Sailing Canoes blog.
My book "Building Outrigger Sailing Canoes" has now been published by International Marine / McGraw-Hill. Plans for three designs are included in the book along with a table of offsets to produce your own mold patterns. Full scale pattern sets can still be ordered from this website.
"Building Outrigger Sailing Canoes" is available in the USA at Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Waldenbooks.
In New Zealand it is available at Boatbooks, and can be ordered from Whitcoull's.
In Australia it is available at Angus & Robertson's.
Ulua single seat paddler for sale
within New Zealand.
NZ$ 2500.00
