Replacing outboard motors with sail in the Marshall islands

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by rob denney, Feb 22, 2020.

  1. Tiny Turnip
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    Tiny Turnip Senior Member

    Plenty of volume for cargo displacement.
     
  2. guzzis3
    Joined: Nov 2009
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    guzzis3 Senior Member

    Really ? Did you bother to read any of the background ? The design was developed to use the available materials and skills, to build a boat that fits a specific purpose.

    You might as well come here and proclaim sailing is stupid, we should all be driving motor boats....

    Of course ... sailing is stupid... :D
     
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  3. myszek
    Joined: Jan 2013
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    myszek Junior Member

    Yes, I did. I also sailed a flat-bottomed Wa'apa and more traditional, deep-V proas, and can compare their sailing abilities and seaworthiness. And I built a traditional-looking proa of 3 plates of ply, in 2 weeks, without wooden stringers and without glass fiber. It is in use for 12 years.

    Rob did a great job, it's true. But what stopped him from looking at what the islanders were building and sailing before? They were not stupid!

    regards

    krzys
     
  4. rob denney
    Joined: Feb 2005
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    rob denney Senior Member

    Please do.

    Any pictures? Or a better description?

    Thanks.

    They most certainly weren't/aren't. However, they did not have access to the materials that we have.
    I sailed on a traditional canoe, spent hours chatting with the guys who build, sail and race them and studied all the rotten ones scattered around the shore at WAM. I then took the good things from the traditional boats. The rig and the paddle steering. . Traditional canoes are huge fun and fast for what they are. But no way are they easy to build, light enough to carry up the beach, able to carry a ton of payload (without being at least 40' long), survive 20 years of abuse in the tropics, or sail higher than 110 degrees to the wind. These are the reasons traditional boats have all but disappeared.

    It is easy enough to alter a traditional proa to get some of these attributes and numerous people do so. To get all of them, the result will end up looking pretty similar to the Mini Cargo Ferry.
     
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  5. rob denney
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    rob denney Senior Member

    Latest from the Marshalls is they have received $US20 grand to experiment with electric outboards and green generating and charging systems on the proa and cat, plus enough money to build the second mini cargo proa. Pics of the locals enjoying the 1st boat attached.

    Progress on the 80'ter is pretty good, most of the pieces are built (8m tender, hulls, beams, rudders, telescoping masts, toy box), 'just' the assembly, painting and rigs to go. Lots of interest from around the Pacific, there are a number of test route possibilities. 117763531_3122241867829564_3914262557003756398_n.jpg 117904904_3122241884496229_5813992085463403670_n.jpg 122480372_3331680960218986_6808433516149722236_n.jpg 122525939_3331678036885945_2368265770480735335_n.jpg 122545901_3331678083552607_770766643563530602_n.jpg 122721942_3331681223552293_5140610561225814981_n.jpg 122831341_3331684333551982_4187440522473455321_n.jpg 122905513_3331678066885942_4751132304567596917_n.jpg
     
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  6. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

    What is that second small Catamaran with the twin rudders? Is that a rival design?
     

  7. rob denney
    Joined: Feb 2005
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    rob denney Senior Member

    Sort of. Called a WAM cat as the guys at WAM designed it before they knew about Harryproas (not quite correct, but it is a long story, with a couple of strong personalities involved). There is some analysis of the 2 boats at https://www.changing-transport.org/...eaT_TechnicalAndOperationalOptionsCatalog.pdf The mini cargo proa is faster, easier to build (not an issue, those guys could build anything), has a bigger payload and used a little less material. Also caught more fish, but I doubt this is a design feature! However, I designed it for sandy beaches, not knowing all the sand has been used for concrete, so the beaches are coral chunks. Easy enough to fix, not sure if they will do so on the current one being built.
    One of the guys who drew the cat (all the measurements come from a single piece of string divided into halves, thirds, sixths and quarters, clever) and oversaw the build has just launched his version of the MCF in Germany. Videos - Proas.is http://proas.is/342-2/
     
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