Thursday 30 August 2012



Have been visiting my folks and found two pictures of my first proa. The pictures are taken at the Weymouth speed sailing championships the day after the 1987 'great storm'. I arrived at the week with a very under developed craft with a sort of square rig with poles attached to the foot. The sail moved forward during a shunt using the poles.The position the yard was attached to the halyard was also controllable during the shunt. The hull was asymmetric and steering by weight shift. The helm suspended from a trapeze.

The asymmetric hull's CLR was far to forward for the rig. Also I had great difficulty getting enough luff tension and considering the conditions overnight the sail was cut into a triangle. This was used as a jib with the tack hauled down to the the bow, shutting was by hauling the tack to the new bow. This was a very violent operation with a completely slack luff and storm force winds.

The craft was able to sail upwind in this configuration but failed to complete the speed sailing course, very good fun though. I was only a naive 23 at the time.

One interesting point about the craft was that it had a single beam connecting the hull and outrigger, the mast and stays holding it all together. Weight steering from a trapeze worked well.

However I learnt the hard way how far forward the CLR moves forward on an asymmetric hull and now favour symmetrical hulls and board style lateral resistance control for 'Western' rigs

Friday 24 August 2012

Busy few weeks in the boat shed, garden gate seating platform all finished bar the painting. The mast partners made and dry assembled waiting coating. As detailed above the latest design for the board linear slider all dry fitted, waiting some epoxy work. Have changed to a rigid bar and bearings as it just simplified everything, made it more reliable and feels right.

Saturday 4 August 2012

Have had the proa in the garden and experimented with the how and where I will sit. Tried the trampoline but far too flexible and uncomfortable. Tried just using beams but this would be too hard to move around. Finally as pictured two alloy tubes (never throw anything away have dragged these around with me since the 1980's) and a old but never used garden gate. Have purchased (£9.99) a folding hiking seat (blue thing) and this feels just right. Just sitting in the seat I get great vision of how it will all be completed and that the design is spot on.

Have also been sketching some ideas around improving the steering further and the idea off adding a tiller to steer - many ideas more to follow......