Lazlo:
Thank you. Your appraisal is very much appreciated given your unknowing assistance in this build and your well-deserved reputation on this forum.
The straps around the akas are simple cam straps form Strapworks. There is no ratcheting feature but they can be pulled quite tight and stay tight. John said ratchet straps in his post but I know that he's actually using cut down cam straps that CLC sells to strap kayaks on car racks.
Kudos to you for identifying the language of the name as Micronesian--most people incorrectly guess Hawaiian. It's technically Mortlockese (see post above to Kentaro) which is a dialect of Chuukese. Lien, I am told, is the traditional beginning of any boat name, and since all boats are feminine there it translates as Miss (or Ms. to properly westernize the usage). One could argue over the correct translation of Kinamwe, but I choose to say Miss Serenity. I asked my son and his fiance, who met in the Peace Corps in Chuuk, to suggest a name and I heartily approved their suggestion.
I have one issue I'd like to run by you--paint blisters on the decks. They are pinhead size bubbles that are dry when pierced and extend down through the primer to the epoxy surface. These appeared six to eight weeks after the paint was applied. The decks were clear of anything resting on the surface. We had a three-day period of cool temperatures, cloudy skies and drizzel, at the end of which there were a lot of blisters on both hulls. Most discussions of blisters I have read focus on osmosis or adhesion problems from improper surface prep. i don't think that's whats happening here because each blister is limited to the area of a pinhead and there is no gelcoat underneath. The cause that seems most logical to me was offered in a post on the Wooden Boats forum that said the solvent in polyurethane paints leaves microscopic pores in the paint as it evaporates. In cool weather the pores absorb water that then expands in the sun and pushes up the blister. The recommended solution was to apply wax to the cured surface to fill the pores--a step I failed to carry out this Fall. Any thoughts on this?
David
Great looking boat David! The OJ is on my list of finalists so I have a few questions:
1. Any guess regarding how much the main hull weighs? Seems like it will be pretty heavy to cartop single handed.
2. How long are the spars? They appear longer than the boat.
3. How long does it take you to rig and launch? Do you do it solo?
The part of me that raced Lasers in college really wants to build the OJ, but the practcal grey haired part of me is concerned about logistics. I would store the boat disassembled in my garage and transport using the bed/overhead racks on my truck. Nearly all the launch sites in my area are boat ramps so I would have to find an open (grass?) area to assemble then use two(?) carts to roll down to the water. I need to be able to assemble and launch single handed. Seems to me that this will be a lengthy process. Ay thoughs would be helpful. Thanks
Mark:
I haven't weighed the big hull (Vaka in general terminology for outrigger boats) but it's easily 100#--more than I can lift myself at age 64, and certainly more than I could lift onto a rack. I suppose that if you had the headroom in your garage you could rig a line and pulley system to lift it on and off, but then you'ld have to recruit help at the launch site. You need to seriously consider a trailer.
Here's what I do. I joined a sailing club that has property down at the nearest lake. I bought a Trailex SUT450 trailer which is designed for catamarans. Add cradles and the trailer easily handles both hulls and all the rest of the gear for traveling. You could load and unload the disassembled pieces yourself if you wanted to store them under cover. I wanted to be able to launch the assembled boat from the trailer, so I fabricated sliding extensions that would allow the trailer to handle the width of the assembled boat. It works ok, but because the vaka plus the mast, yards, sail and benches is significantly heavier than the ama (smaller hull), the weight on the trailer is uneven and deflects the crossarms. I'm working on a different setup with the sales director at Trailex that looks promising. He's hoping for orders when CLC starts selling the boat so I'm his beta tester as well.
I haven't timed my setup but I would guess about an hour. That doesn't count moving the hulls off the trailer since I don't do that. The tedious part of setup is lacing the trampolines, and that would go much faster if you adopt John's new system. The downside is cost. The netting alone for the tramps is close to $500, and John's track system will add significantly to that.
The yard and boom are both 20', which is 5' longer than the boat. They are connected at the tack, and the sail is tied through grommets along the foot and luff so you don't remove it after sailing--just tie it all up as a long package. The weight is manageble. I ordered a long bag from CLC's sailmaker since I park the assembled boat outside for the season.
David
David,
The paint blisters - that was pretty much exactly what I was going to suggest. It sounded like contamination and the most likely contaminant in your situation would have been water. Sounds as if you've got it nailed.
Good luck,
Laszlo
Wow and wow. This is a beautiful boat, some of the nicest lines I have seen on those hull shapes.
Kentaros comment to add a hull and make it a tri is very valid and would be easy to achieve. Down side is longer beams to transport.
Also I noticed on the seat side that when heeled over that it is close to the surface. Was wondering if instead of the blunt end being exposed to chop and waves could a ski bow be fashioned into it’s design? That way if it heels too far in a gust it would give some lift and possibly save a tip.
Lastly, and like others have mentioned “I want one” but can not see plan prices anywhere?
Living in Oz shipping a kit would be cost prohibitive, I would however be able to get the parts needed CNC cut from plans.
Please let me know if this option exists. I have searched many and varied proa and tri designs and has fallen heavily for this one. I can already envisage ways that I would modify her so that I could switch between proa and tri if wanted as well as ways to make her fold for trailers.
An absolutely beautiful design that with a little tweaking to make available as a proa or a tri design could appeal to a much broader user base.
Still congrats on an already amazing boat, and please think about selling me some plans.