Background

Mill Creek

This journey began with an interest in building a Stitch and Glue kayak - I had priced out the materials locally (easily $500) and I was getting very close to purchasing plans from CLC. The boat I was interested in was the Mill Creek 16.

Hartley

Then I spotted a 16' ply 'kayak' for sale on TradeMe (NZ equivalent of EBay) which I got for $200. This saved a LOT of building time and money and got me on the water.

Here is one of the actual photos from the TradeMe listing. 

This boat is a design by Hartley dubbed a 'canoe/kayak' and it was close enough to the Mill Creek to convince me this was a bargain I should not pass up. The hull shape is quite kayak like: fairly low with a bit of V and not much rocker, but the very open cockpit seems more like a decked canoe. I call it a canoe-yak. The lines are quite pleasing to the eye, Hartley is no slouch in the design world, even though this is the very small end of his extensive portfolio.

At 16' (actually 15'10") with two seats it seemed perfect for my wife and I or the kids to paddle in. But it felt pretty 'tippy', even with just one in it. I think the position of the seats at the extreme ends of the cockpit did not help. This lead to the idea of a small outrigger on a couple of poles that bolted across the centre of the cockpit. This was an instant improvement: suddenly the boat was rock steady, and it still paddled really easily. You could even stand up and walk around, dive off for a swim and climb back on board. It made a great fishing platform for our 2007-08 summer holiday at Hahei (on our first trip out we came back with 2 crayfish, and we never got wet ;-) But I wanted more.

Sailing Canoes

Lurking in the back of my mind was the desire to put up a sail - which began when I saw the CLC Mill Creek could be fitted with a lug rig.

And recently I discovered the class of boats called 'sailing canoes' / 'decked canoes'. If I was to put a conventional rig on my hull it might fit in that category. 

Outrigger Canoes

But I had discovered Gary Dierking and his range of beautiful sailing outriggers - I instantly wanted an Ulua.

Living here in New Zealand on the southern end of the South Pacific makes an outrigger an appealing choice.

Gary has a range of sailing outrigger designs that can be built easily with standard materials and techniques. I reckon this guy is really on to something - and he lives right here in NZ too! I keep reading his book and poring over his website and blog.

I still want an Ulua ( - and a T2 - and a Tamanu), I love the concept: a boat small and light enough to car-top, you can paddle it, you can sail it, bolt on a small outboard - woohoo! It is a stable platform, it moves easily under all forms of power, it is simple and it has that South Pacific feel.

One day I hope to meet Gary and shake his hand - vigorously - he's my hero.

Making do with what I have

But I have a canoe-yak and I'm working with a shoestring budget - pocket change - beer money - (and I still like a beer or 2). So I decided to try and create an outrigger canoe with tacking crab claw rig... starting with my Hartley... on the cheap... gulp. Actually when I decided to go for it I was all enthusiasm and short on knowledge. The further I get into this the more I learn about different styles of hull / rig and the how and why of what they are. Hopefully I make something work before I say 'what was I thinking!' and give up. I have a hull the designer wasn't sure what to call (canoe/kayak). It is wide and low, rather than narrow and tall like a real outrigger canoe. By adding a crab claw sail and outrigger it will have a 'mixed heritage' - some might say mongrel!

I have a polytarp crab claw sail cut, sewn and rigged to bamboo spars, mast partner and mast step done, 8' S&G ama crammed with coke bottles, deck on and waiting for final epoxy coat and paint, leeboard done, wae (thwarts) for iakos and leeboard done, iakos recycled from my earlier kayak-outrigger setup, working up a rear mount for rudder, 1 paddle shaped, 1 blank still to be shaped.

Here is an earlier shot showing half made ama and sail...

...and contemplating a rear mount for the version 1 rudder (check out the $0 rudder hinge)

On Saturday night I stepped the mast and unfurled the sail to show my mate. With it sheeted hard in to the centre line the waka actually sat there calmy on the back lawn resisting the urge to capsize in the passing breezes - which would be disastorous as it would wipe out my wifes newly planted vege garden - far more dangerous than any capsize at sea - probably fatal. I roughly bungeed the iakos to their thwarts and placed the ama under the iako ends. It is all looking good. When I sat in the hull the wife could not resist taking a couple of photos of my late night 'dry-run'. See: thanks to that no-cost rudder hinge I can still afford a beer, just the one tho' (yeah right!). 

So just a half made rear rudder mount to complete and tiller / control lines to do really - and a bit of painting. I might even get it on the water this coming weekend. The mate has a 16' powerboat which he has volunteered as mother ship - rescue boat, and probably viewing platform for hysterical laughter as I pretend I can sail in an overpowered canoe-yak (reef points oh yes I should do reef points... play it safe Dave)