Wa'apa Outrigger Sailing Canoe Build

[John Bjorklund]

Question: has anyone used a lining on the inside of the cassette rudder? So the blade slides easily. I'm thinking felt. I have read where some people have used felt. It might not hold up for long however.

 

[Igor]

Question: has anyone used a lining on the inside of the cassette rudder? So the blade slides easily. I'm thinking felt. I have read where some people have used felt. It might not hold up for long however.

It is cassette rudder almost identical to one used in Michael Storer's boats. Check out Goat island skiff and Oz goose groups on facebook to find what works the best.

 

[HelmutSheina]

I reckon I'd consider PTFE plastic sheet if you want a low friction liner.

 

[John Bjorklund]

It is cassette rudder almost identical to one used in Michael Storer's boats. Check out Goat island skiff and Oz goose groups on facebook to find what works the best.

I see Michael recommends using seat belt webbing. So I'm going to try that.

 

[John Bjorklund]

Today I recut the hole for the mast since it is square. Starting to look like a real sailboat!

I'm going to line the mast step with seat belt webbing so it does not scratch the finish of the mast.

 

[John Bjorklund]

Now I'm trying to think of how to handle the halyard at the top of the mast. Since the gaff will be sitting right at where the halyard attachment is, it may rub a lot and so if it is a pulley it may damage the gaff over time.

So I'm thinking either drill a big hole with some bushings through the mast, or install Michael S halyard ring assembly. Thoughts?

 

[Skip Johnson]

A low friction ring would be slightly more expensive than a ss ring but well suited for this situation.
You would loose a little 'headroom' using a thimble but it's what I'd probably use.

 

[John Bjorklund]

A low friction ring would be slightly more expensive than a ss ring but well suited for this situation.
You would loose a little 'headroom' using a thimble but it's what I'd probably use.

Thanks for the recommendation. A thimble is designed just for that purpose.

 

[John Bjorklund]

Now it's time to align the iakos and install a short locator dowel into the iakos above the rail. Lashings will go around and on either side of the dowel and hold the iakos in place and prevent it from sliding. I have the center line of the hull marked out to determine where to drill and install the dowels.

 

[John Bjorklund]

I temporarily installed the rudder to measure the necessary length of the tiller extension. I'm making it out of a mop handle.

 

[John Bjorklund]

I'm putting the dowels on the side of the iakos instead of on top. That way I can stack the beams on top of each other and they'll fit snugly when transporting.

 

[John Bjorklund]

Now on to the foam ama. 11 ft. 6 in long made with polystyrene wall panels. Here I am gluing up the 1/4-inch plywood shear web. The ama will have a diameter of 6 in which is a tad bit larger than the plywood plans.

I had to build the sheer web with 4-ft sections of plywood from Home Despot. I can't manage a full sheet in my home. When I lay the foam I will overlap the butted and taped plywood seams for strength.

 

[John Bjorklund]

Btw, I really appreciate my wife for letting me do this in our home! She is the best.

 

[John Bjorklund]

Here I'm laying the sheer web over the foam panels to mark out the design and then cut it out.


I'm using foam compatible waterproof construction adhesive with the same component as the gorilla glue to bond the laminates together.


Ugly looking

 

[John Bjorklund]

Here the ama is roughly cut out and shaped. What a mess. Box cutters and a Japanese pull saw work really well shaping this. I also made a very long sanding board with 40 and 60 grit sandpaper to get a nice fair shape.

I want the ama to be wave piercing with a very slight rocker so it doesn't get too buried. The stern curves up sightly to reduce drag.