Very quick and dirty 'outline' of the initial design

This is the original doodle ! 

The idea is to make a 'scale' model / toy waka hourua (double hull canoe) for pond sailing.

3 Sep 09

Thoughts so far:

This may not get built soon, or ever. Time and work required on my real waka is the problem! But I like to dream!

About 1m / 3' length

Quick easy to build

Not a detailed replica - just capture the essence

S&G ply hull (3mm / veneer?)

Sealed floor to create bouyancy

Simplest hull would be 2 panel up to floor level, another 2 above

Fuller hull shape would be 4 panel up to floor level, another 2 above

Upper panels bend in to meet on centreline near each end on top of floor

Narrow tauihu (bow piece) and taurapa (stern piece) as per waka taua (Maori war canoe) sit on floor and continue from ends of upper panels. Aotearoa 'flava'

Tauihu and taurapa could be laser cut to get the fretwork effect of the real thing.

Hull shape approximately Hawaiian in profile

Build 2 identical main hulls

Also build a smaller outrigger hull

Beams all lashed so can configure as a double hull or an outrigger

Solid or box spars and beams

Side-by-side rigs, freestanding masts stepped into sealed tubes in floor, thwarts for partners. Tacking only.

Fore and aft rigs: stayed masts? stepped on central plank on top of iakos. With 2 equal sized rigs could shunt?

Sails are narrow versions of modern Hawaiian sailing canoe rigs.

Hoe for steering, (with means of locking at a given angle)

Optional Radio Control for sheeting and steering

Use Hulls to get panel offsets

Once it all works draw simple plans and instructions and post on the internet with the hope they will be made and enjoyed by kids of all ages :-)

Make plans in a form suitable for laser cutting the entire thing ! instant kitset ! we have the technology

8 Sep 09

Roughed out hull in Carlson Hull Designer. Used measurements of an image of a Hawaiian style canoe, but also used a bit of eyeball.

Hmmmm, with the squeezed-up panel layout shown below I could use Dominics 'Darts and Bend' technique to form the hull, giving a curved hull section!

See: http://makerspace.org.nz/content/open-source-outrigger-part-2

As a 36" long hull all panels (hull, floor, 3 bulkheads) fit in a rectangle of 12" by (less than) 36". (1/24 scale => 72' 'real' length ! )

Indicates I can get 2 hulls and other bits from a 1/4 sheet of ply.

Floor to go at chine 3 (where chine 1=keel).

Upper panel would actually be cut shorter, sitting on top of floor and ends bend in to meet on centreline about halfway between bulkhead and stem/stern. Tauihu/taurapa sit on floor in the space left at each end. Don't know if this can be modelled in Hulls?

The ends have a lot of overhang, but this seems to be correct for waka horua?

Chine 2 looks a bit hard at the transition from bow/stern?

The bottom panel will have to twist a lot in this area, going from near horizontal to vertical in a short distance. This might not be possible in 3mm ply, what about veneer?

Should whack one up out of heavy card, and have a look. Wrap in cling film and do a float test...