Saturday, October 1, 2011

Build your own demountable 16' or 24' canoe

A 16' or 24' canoe in 8' sections.
24' single outrigger Wa'apa
In the late 1800's, when sawn lumber began to appear in Hawaii and other Pacific islands,
the local canoe builders immediately saw it as an easier way to  build canoes.  While 
perhaps slightly less efficient than round bottom shapes they have now become the standard
working canoe seen throughout the Pacific.  The first models were simply built of three wide 
planks and came to be known as "three board canoes" or wa'apa in Hawaiian.
I built a 16'er in the 70's that unbolted in the center for easier stowage onboard my cruising
trimaran.  It proved to be a useful dinghy and a fun sailer for exploring.  This design is similar
in shape but allows for a center section to be added which stretches it to 24'.  The 24'er seats
four crew, and can be sailed as a tacking outrigger or a shunting proa. 

The Wa'apa can be built as a one piece hull  to save weight, but one of its prime advantages 

is that no hull or ama section is longer than 2.4 meters (8  ft).  It can be built, stored and
transported in a small space.   The three section main hull and a two piece plywood ama only
require six sheets of 6mm (1/4") plywood.  The hull sides and ama can be built with 4mm 
plywood to save weight. 

http://outriggersailingcanoes.blogspot.com/search/label/Wa%27apa

Buy the book with plans from Amazon




Team RAF at the Everglades Challenge








Chris Luomanen using a balanced lug rig


Christian Glockl paddling a 24'

Gunnar Jentzsch with two 24' hulls to form a catamaran

Joao Rivera in Rio

John Leonard in Fiji

Robert Kearney with a lug rig

Rosario Ciardo with a two masted rig