I am in the planning stages of building an outrigger sailing canoe and the
biggest question I need to answer for myself right now is how long to make it.


http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/garyd/plans.html

The plans state very clearly how to stretch the length and the designer has
recommended making it 27' if I want to carry three to four people. The plans
are drawn for an 18' version but can, and has, been lengthened up to 36'.

Here is the dillemma. There are pro's and con's for each but I am not sure
what the future will hold, so now I am asking others out there what
experiences they might have had.

I will mostly be using it by myself or with one other person but may want to
take a third or even a fourth out. I think that at 18' three people would be
okay but would show some decrease in performance while four people would be
almost impossible. The 18' boat will wiegh in around 90-110 pounds fully
rigged while the 27' would be more like 130-160 pounds.

The beam of the main hull either way will only be about 18 inches.

Reasons to go with the 18' a
Shorter build time
Cheaper construction materials costs
easier to launch solo
easier to sail solo
easier to trailer and build/buy trailer
able to be paddled by two people
lighter

Reasons to go with the 27' a
higher capacity for crew/ passengers
able to sail to Catalina and back in a weekend (a trip I may want to do but
not the main purpose of the boat)
slightly faster boat and could possibly also handle a jib sheet
more room for equipment for weekend trips or batteries for lights/ night
safety gear.
needs three people to effectively paddle

I can't really think of much else but I don't have any experience building my
own boats and my really want something I can take out and practice sailing
but I don't want to outgrow this boat in a few years.

I can't really start doing materials calculations until I know what size I
want to build so I would really appreciate any help or advice on this.

Thanks,
Bill

--
Message posted via BoatKB.com
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"scbafreak" u25927@uwe wrote in message news:6d1e9d588c0f3@uwe...
I am in the planning stages of building an outrigger sailing canoe and the
biggest question I need to answer for myself right now is how long to make
it.


The sage advice is to build the smallest boat that will do the job. You
probably will seldom take a large group, but make going solo difficult with
the longer hull.
What I'm saying is that 90% of the time or more the smaller boat will be
better for you (and no boat will ever be right 100% of the time).

Peter HK

The sage advice is to build the smallest boat that will do the job. You
probably will seldom take a large group, but make going solo difficult with
the longer hull.
What I'm saying is that 90% of the time or more the smaller boat will be
better for you (and no boat will ever be right 100% of the time).

Peter HK

Do you think that the longer boat would be much more difficult to sail solo?
Launching and trailering would be more difficult but the actual sailing part.

--
Message posted via BoatKB.com
http://www.boatkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/build/200701/1

"scbafreak via BoatKB.com" u25927@uwe wrote in message
news:6d205f91e46c9@uwe...

Do you think that the longer boat would be much more difficult to sail
solo?
Launching and trailering would be more difficult but the actual sailing
part.


I was thinking of launching/trailering/beaching/connecting outriggers etc
more than sailing as once it's on the water and sailing it wouldn't be too
difficult.

Remember also it's harder to store a longer boat.

Peter HK

You're about to discover why some people have several boats. I have six.

"scbafreak" u25927@uwe wrote in message news:6d1e9d588c0f3@uwe...
I am in the planning stages of building an outrigger sailing canoe and the
biggest question I need to answer for myself right now is how long to make
it.


http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/garyd/plans.html

The plans state very clearly how to stretch the length and the designer
has
recommended making it 27' if I want to carry three to four people. The
plans
are drawn for an 18' version but can, and has, been lengthened up to 36'.

Here is the dillemma. There are pro's and con's for each but I am not
sure
what the future will hold, so now I am asking others out there what
experiences they might have had.

I will mostly be using it by myself or with one other person but may want
to
take a third or even a fourth out. I think that at 18' three people would
be
okay but would show some decrease in performance while four people would
be
almost impossible. The 18' boat will wiegh in around 90-110 pounds fully
rigged while the 27' would be more like 130-160 pounds.

The beam of the main hull either way will only be about 18 inches.

Reasons to go with the 18' a
Shorter build time
Cheaper construction materials costs
easier to launch solo
easier to sail solo
easier to trailer and build/buy trailer
able to be paddled by two people
lighter

Reasons to go with the 27' a
higher capacity for crew/ passengers
able to sail to Catalina and back in a weekend (a trip I may want to do
but
not the main purpose of the boat)
slightly faster boat and could possibly also handle a jib sheet
more room for equipment for weekend trips or batteries for lights/ night
safety gear.
needs three people to effectively paddle

I can't really think of much else but I don't have any experience building
my
own boats and my really want something I can take out and practice sailing
but I don't want to outgrow this boat in a few years.

I can't really start doing materials calculations until I know what size I
want to build so I would really appreciate any help or advice on this.

Thanks,
Bill

--
Message posted via BoatKB.com
http://www.boatkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/build/200701/1

Remember also it's harder to store a longer boat.

Peter HK

I have a place to store it at either size but I think that the longer boat
might be a little too difficult to get in and out of the water by myself.

--
Message posted via http://www.boatkb.com

"Jim Conlin" wrote in message
. ..
You're about to discover why some people have several boats. I have six.



Only six?! ;-)

Peter HK