Definition - AMA

Good afternoon
As a newcomer to this sight I have an opening question.
I am building a catamaran . In all of the literature for the design an acronym for the hulls has come into play that I am having trouble locating a definition for. What does AMA stand for? What is the origin for this acronym? Where can I learn more about its origin?

Thanks
John C

 

In multi-hull boats an ama (not an acronym) is an individual hull. I believe the term comes from South Pacific out-rigger canoes.
I will add it would be the float part of the out-rigger. How it would relate to a catamaran I’m not sure. On a tri the amas would be the side floats.

Gary

 

Gary - say it ain't so.....
I always assumed it stood for "American Multihull Association"

 

LOL!!!!

This boat stuff is perplexing.

Gary

 

Thanks Gary
I appreciate the rapid response. I am in fact constructing a modified Cat that has a shorter hull in the center. If that makes the outer areas an AMA so be it but, if AMA is not an acronym is it a word? What language? Tribe? Polynesian?
Still curious
John C

 

I believe the word ama originates from polynesia. There is another word proa which also refers to a catamaran, although in this case the sail is set on one hull which is intended to be the windward hull. I seem to recall that even the word catamaran is a corruption of a polynesian word. I need to re-read some books to confirm the above.
If you are interested a good place to start is a book called "Project Cheers" by Tom Follett, Dick Newick and Jim Morris published in Great Britain by Adlard Coles Ltd. This describes the building and sailing of a small boat which nearly beat the big boys in a single handed transatlantic race in 1968
Briany on St Georges Day

 

John,

Welcome to the forum, as you see the answer sometimes takes a little sifting. I often type before I think, and the pro’s here, thankfully put me straight.

A Google search shows no "American Multihull Association", I did find this, maybe they are the offspring.
http://www.catsailor.com/namsa/namsa.html

The best multihull reference I have is Chris White’s, The Cruising Multihull. This is from that book. “All multihulls are made from hulls, not pontoons. ….. No one likes his or her multihull described as a pontoon boat.” And this. “A few designers and multihull sailors use borrowed Polynesian terminology to describe the parts of a trimaran. …. vaka for the main hull, aka for the cross beam, and ama for the float”

Gary

 

Ama is indeed a word.
It does indeed refer to the outboard hulls (floats).
And I do believe it is of Polynesian origin, as others have said.

But why are y'all slighting the equally interesting word for the cross-members that hold those hulls together?

These are Aka's.
Also Polynesian (or so I have always believed).

So your ama's are held together by your aka's.

Or, to put it another way, what's an aka without an ama?


Robert

 

LoL!!!!

 

Gary and Robert beat me to it. Know we all know.
Briany on St Georges Day

 

I believe you are reffering to a "pod" if it is a small hull in between.

 

Definition of AMA

Thank you to all who have responded

I have read all of the input given to me and carried it one step further. Everyone expressed the point that AMA was a polynesian word. So I ran with that point on the internet and found a site that puts all of everyones input into perspective.

The site is www.schachtdesign.com/proafile/primer.html

On page 7 of the article a drawing indicates what an AKA, AMA and VAKA are and each of their functions.

I cannot thank everyone enough for the help.

John C

 

Robert -

I think an aka without an ama is a hiking board, ( or a proa or tri that's come to a bad end...)

Chris Krumm

 

Gary - Next time you decide to take me seriously, PLEASE let me know. You owe me a keyboard for that one!

Steve

 

Hey Steve, AMA is perfect, worth the search anyway. Inquiring minds always want to know.

Gary