Madness

John Harris (Chesapeake Light Craft) is building a new 30' proa. His blog is here:
http://www.clcboats.com/proa-blog/and-so-the-madness-begins-again.html
I have the plans for his Pacific Proa (Mbuli) and I'm considering it for my next project, however, Madness could distract me. For ayone not familiar with the Pacific Proa, go here:
http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/...s/mbuli-pacific-proa-beach-cruiser-plans.html

 

More going on -short interview with Russel Brown.

 

Someday, I'll understand the logic of a Pacific proa for cruising. It just hasn't come to me, yet. The Harry proa makes much more sense to me for that mission.

If you want a craft that is more about speed and flies the windward hull, then I can see the advantage of a Pacific proa. So an off-the-beach daysailer or a Crossbow would seem to me to be the natural application of the Pacific proa.

Is the logic of a Pacific proa for passagemaking that one will load the windward hull with water ballast so as to adjust the righting moments for the conditions? The boat would be light for light winds and heavier with more righting moment for heavy winds.

 

I like the idea of putting the water supply in a ballast car along with anything else that made sense,. You would have to substitute seawater as you used it but the boat would then function like the originals without the movable crew. The native flying proas were the scout and warcraft so your daysailer and speed machine are true to concept.

 

Cruiser racer in true form - best of both - as long as you don't want to take much with you.....

 

While pondering the performance multi for disabled people thread I realized the capsize recovery potential for proas probably was a factor in their traditional usage. With the ama flooded and the movable weight of a large crew to force it under and some lines to pull I wonder if they weren't walked back over by their explorer crews. The inherent buoyancy of traditional catamaran hull would take much more weight to force under while with a trimaran or double outrigger they would have to fight the lever arm of the second ama. So for the fast exploring and war boats where you have to be ready for anything they make the most sense.
The modern proa can benefit from this approach by having enough weight of equipment or stores to overcome any buoyancy of the hull. I'm reminded of Walter Greene's even keel 35 cats that had one hull built of fiberglass to aid recovery. On a pacific proa the ama becomes the natural place to put the batteries (waterproofed) and mount the outboard, stow the anchor etc....Add a pumping system and you are ready to go. The ama is flooded and the boat is at 90 degrees. A floating mast or inflatable dinghy etc... keeps the boat from righting the wrong way as you pump out. A proa looks sensible for cruising when approached like this. A pod like Brown to help keep from capsizing in the first place will be too short to add much negative leverage while righting and rigging a waterbag becomes unnecessary.
I saw a A-frame mast rig with furlers on another thread and think something based on it can be added to the bewildering rig options for the type. The main thing is the potential to have fun fast cruising with a self recoverable boat. The system could be made fairly automatic with sensors and electric pumps but I'd want manual backups for the day the batteries are flat. Proas, the safer way to fly......

 

Madness seem to be coming along nicely (Its like gravity, all it takes is a little push). CLC's shop cam shows the sides on the hull, and the rudders being built on a table in the foreground.

http://www.clcboats.com/shopcam/shopcamlive.html

I wonder what the drawings taped to the hull show?

 

Finally.... the wait is over.

Beautifull proa definite Jzero update.

 

Beautifull

 

Old thread but really nice new pictures.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151196027212398.479261.47629047397&type=3

 

A video which includes some sailing footage of "madness". Looks like a sweet boat.



There is another video on the clc page as well

http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/wooden-sailboat-kits/madness-31-foot-pacific-proa.html#videos

 

I'd sure like to know more about how this thing sails now that it's got some water past her hulls.

 

John Harris has a blog on CLC's website. Madness was recently displayed at the US Sailboat Show at Annapolis. There are lots of pictures, another video, and a solid explanation of the boat. Go here:
http://www.clcboats.com/life-of-boats-blog/pacific-proa-madness-at-us-sailboat-show.html