Just recently Julie and I attended the New Zealand Proa Congress at Whangaparaoa a few miles north of Auckland city. Several people asked me about my motivation to build and develop proas and if I had plans that could be followed.
My answer?
I've covered some of this already in my dissertation "Takapu the Proa"
My motivation is to understand the people and the thinking behind this very unique sailing paradigm, so different from the one I grew up with.
I believe that the only way gain insight and to understand is to do what others have done before me, not just read about it through the experience and observations of others or observe myself (although that too may be part of the process). Whilst engaged in the process of doing I find that I begin to have a conversation, both with myself and with something outside of myself. I rarely calculate or draw my solutions but rather I draw from materials and solutions around me with the idea in mind that the universe provides more solutions than the problems that we can create. Many solutions already exist or existed which we either have not yet seen, have forgotten, never knew about or will never know. Toroa has emerged from this process in his current form. There are still details that need addressing, the solutions, already known or awaiting discovery.
I have not provided plans for Toroa as I'm unwilling to support any potential demand because of the amount of work involved in drawing and publishing them. I don't see this as part of my journey. Toroa is also something of a one man horse, emerging simultaneously with me. I have also developed sailing instincts and experiences that take years to acquire and hone. For me the process of building and sailing go together. I would encourage that others try a similar approach.
Toroa resonates to the pattern set out by the ancient Micronesians however he is a product of my own vocabulary of skills. I am familiar with my chosen materials and processes, all of which are derived from my surroundings. In this way I am no different from any boat builder who has gone before.
Different from modern boat builders I am following a pattern in an improvisational sense rather than following a specific set of predetermined instructions, this in my opinion is the timeless way of building.
The more I learn from my experience the more I value this intuitive approach which informs so much else of what I do.
Harmen
Tuesday 24 November 2009
Sunday 8 November 2009
"If" By Rudyard Kipling
My Father read aloud to us when we were young.
Our favourite stories were among the writings of Rudyard Kipling.
As long as I can remember, during the course of my father Roelof's working life, he had this poem framed and hanging on the wall beside his desk.
He knew it off by heart as we came to know it too.
Recently I was reminded of the sometimes bitter struggles that emerge from the quest for possession of the riches derived from the various things that we all strive to achieve, creativity in all the varying arenas of human activity from the arts, science, music, historical research, etc.
There are always those people who are envious of our achievements, bitter from a perceived lack of recognition who would seek to undermine the work and worth of others rather than take the risk to sample the opportunity of striving for themselves.
Kipling states it succinctly in this poem.
IF
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master;
If you can think -- and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run --
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son!
Joni Mitchel recognised the power of these words and has put this poem to music.
It features on her latest album, "Shine"
Our favourite stories were among the writings of Rudyard Kipling.
As long as I can remember, during the course of my father Roelof's working life, he had this poem framed and hanging on the wall beside his desk.
He knew it off by heart as we came to know it too.
Recently I was reminded of the sometimes bitter struggles that emerge from the quest for possession of the riches derived from the various things that we all strive to achieve, creativity in all the varying arenas of human activity from the arts, science, music, historical research, etc.
There are always those people who are envious of our achievements, bitter from a perceived lack of recognition who would seek to undermine the work and worth of others rather than take the risk to sample the opportunity of striving for themselves.
Kipling states it succinctly in this poem.
IF
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master;
If you can think -- and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run --
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son!
Joni Mitchel recognised the power of these words and has put this poem to music.
It features on her latest album, "Shine"
Saturday 7 November 2009
Proa Toroa on Youtube
Toroa as he was in 2000-2006 with steering foils demonstrating a shunt on Lake Pupuke, Auckland NZ.
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Takapu's old sloop rig
The sloop rig was adapted from an old
Olympic class Tornado Catamaran
Here is Takapu on his second fit out in 1980.
By this time I had set up the roller furling jibs and as you can see by the outrigger extensions to leeward I was trialling sheeting positions and ideal jib/mainsail slot relationships.
The roller furling jib system I developed did have exactly the characteristics
you describe Kevin re partial furling at mid roll.
However when at a mooring I needed to separate the furling line to allow a
complete furl at each end. for this I used stainless steel "sister clips" do you
know what they are over there? Perhaps you have a different name for them? Two
identical "C" shaped claws that are sahped so that when you hold one at right
angles to the other presenting the mouth of the "C" to each other you can hook
them together. The furling line is spliced or tied off on a hole at the base of
each "C". We used the for cliping spinnaker sheets to the sail in dinghy racing
in the 1960's & 70's.
This arrangement allowed me to separate and cleat each sheet independently when
needed.
Not too long after this image was taken Takapu was rolled over on his mooring at Whangaparaoa during a severe tropical storm. The mast was broken in two in the rough shallow bay so I had to splice it back together using a tubular sleeve and pop rivets.
It was then that I decided to replace the old windward strut with a longer, more rigid, tubular T6 aluminium tube and lengthen it to support the mast on an improved swivel joint at the fore and back stay hounds.
The mast attachment that I built was similar in most ways to a boom goose neck
fitting. I adapted the mast attachment plate from a cast aluminium goose neck
fitting rated for a 30 foot keel boat. The bracket had two beckets with
pre drilled holes for a pivot block. It also had a concave base in the vertical
axis so it fitted neatly to the leading edge of the mast at Jib hound level.
I made up 2 stainless straps to fit the inside of the 40mm (about 1 1/2 inch)
T6 aluminium tube that I chose for a compression strut/windward shroud. The
straps were 150mm long dinghy chainplates with predrilled hole (where shackle
pins were intended to be fastened) which I bought inexpensively at a local
marine hardware shop. The straps were riveted into the tube opposite each other
to protrude abot 50mm out of the upper end of the tube creating a gap of about
25-30mm. I then made up a block of Tuffnel (a high density resin fabric
composite that was commonly used in the electrical industry as a non conductive
distribution board panel)I'm sure that any tough composite or even ultra high
density plastic will do.
The block measured 25mm thick and 100 mm deep and 60mm wide shaped like a "D" I
drilled two holes in that block, 1 down the length of the back of the D and one
more through the side of the D in the middle of the curve. I then pinned a
stainless bolt through the chainplate strap holes in the end of the compression
tube and through the thickness of the block, (the one through the side of the D
in the middle of the curve).This attachment point also took connections for the
two forestays.
The second attachment was a stainless bolt passing vertically through the two
beckets of the gooseneck fitting on the mast and through the vertical hole
drilled down the back of the D. I made sure to not over tighten the nuts on
either bolt to allow freedom of movent. This created a kind of universal fitting
allowing mast rotation through every possible axis without the fouling problem
you describe.
With the forestays attached slightly to windward on the compression
strut/windward shroud, the mast was able to rotate freely to follow the sail
through 180 dgrees to either tack.
This gooseneck fitting never failed in the whole time it was in place.
If you build one ensure that the holes and pins are a snug fit with no slack.
The wishbone boom was built from an old extruded aluminium luff foil from a damaged racing keel boat rig which I scored from the scrap bin outside the rigging shop where I used to work in Auckland. The boom lasted for the 20 year life of that rig!
![[Takapu+as+Seabird+'80.jpg]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7mN0g4qxW9WnH3zmfQ0LfFRMshLCIc-_EyeaOp5948RfFhSyEPZYE2WuMB_NvchU6KGAQYabm6zHWGOQPP2PNt55-5FATiicDbDWzuF4I75ADth3XKaBOOdqh179OT-9E40jIxRg_RVs/s1600/Takapu+as+Seabird+'80.jpg)
Takapu was launched as Seabird in the late 70's up until the time of the dismasting
after the rebuild he became Takapu.
In this image taken in 1979 "the second incarnation" The old shallow V stich and tape ama
still features. Note also the slender compression strut. Bloody useless!
My rudders were built to house in center board slots. These were designed to
act as both rudder and center board. The slots were built in to the hull at a
point where Mike and I felt they would balance the rig at a reasonable CLR and
would still be far aft enough to steer as well.
My rudders were ogive in cross section (flat on the lee side and a section of an
arc on the windward side) through the foil so they would work in either
direction when partially housed.
They were counterbalanced as well so that they had some almost neutral balance
when strong lateral loads came on. The stainless steel shaft was 5/8 inch round
bar on to which I had welded flat bar tangs which were bolted to the flat panel
on the lee rudder suface and imbedded during construction in the curved surface
of the blade 1/3 back from the leading edge.
The shaft was supported and pivoted in a wooden space frame which supported the
whole assembly in the center board slot through to the bolt on tiller and
extension.
They were vulnerable to being grounded when fully down though they were not very
deep (500 mmm), 2ft below the hull so I could sail close in to shore and use my
inertia to carry me in to wading depth with the rudders fully or partially
housed.
The shafts were badly bent and fatigued after a series of groundings and impacts with submerged objects by the time I retired them.
Mike and I discovered that the ogive section was so efficient as a lifting foil
that the pivoting action was not needed at all to steer the boat so we went to
fixed ogive section foils that were controlled by small tackle lines. Instead of
a tiller Toroa had a second sheet.
The control line allowed me to pull the foil down through the hull against the
tension of a bungy cord which always retrieved the board flush into the hull
when there was no tension on the control line. The method proved far superior
to the old one so I adapted the idea for the new proa Toroa as well. Now though,
since I have extended the length of that boat Toroa no longer needs rudders at
all. I'm on a perpetual quest to remove moving components and on
towards my goal of simplicity in all things.
It has been that initiative that persuaded me to abandon the sloop rig in favour
of the lateen on my proa which I now favour over all the other rigs I have
tried.
Olympic class Tornado Catamaran
Here is Takapu on his second fit out in 1980.
By this time I had set up the roller furling jibs and as you can see by the outrigger extensions to leeward I was trialling sheeting positions and ideal jib/mainsail slot relationships.
The roller furling jib system I developed did have exactly the characteristics
you describe Kevin re partial furling at mid roll.
However when at a mooring I needed to separate the furling line to allow a
complete furl at each end. for this I used stainless steel "sister clips" do you
know what they are over there? Perhaps you have a different name for them? Two
identical "C" shaped claws that are sahped so that when you hold one at right
angles to the other presenting the mouth of the "C" to each other you can hook
them together. The furling line is spliced or tied off on a hole at the base of
each "C". We used the for cliping spinnaker sheets to the sail in dinghy racing
in the 1960's & 70's.
This arrangement allowed me to separate and cleat each sheet independently when
needed.
Not too long after this image was taken Takapu was rolled over on his mooring at Whangaparaoa during a severe tropical storm. The mast was broken in two in the rough shallow bay so I had to splice it back together using a tubular sleeve and pop rivets.
It was then that I decided to replace the old windward strut with a longer, more rigid, tubular T6 aluminium tube and lengthen it to support the mast on an improved swivel joint at the fore and back stay hounds.
The mast attachment that I built was similar in most ways to a boom goose neck
fitting. I adapted the mast attachment plate from a cast aluminium goose neck
fitting rated for a 30 foot keel boat. The bracket had two beckets with
pre drilled holes for a pivot block. It also had a concave base in the vertical
axis so it fitted neatly to the leading edge of the mast at Jib hound level.
I made up 2 stainless straps to fit the inside of the 40mm (about 1 1/2 inch)
T6 aluminium tube that I chose for a compression strut/windward shroud. The
straps were 150mm long dinghy chainplates with predrilled hole (where shackle
pins were intended to be fastened) which I bought inexpensively at a local
marine hardware shop. The straps were riveted into the tube opposite each other
to protrude abot 50mm out of the upper end of the tube creating a gap of about
25-30mm. I then made up a block of Tuffnel (a high density resin fabric
composite that was commonly used in the electrical industry as a non conductive
distribution board panel)I'm sure that any tough composite or even ultra high
density plastic will do.
The block measured 25mm thick and 100 mm deep and 60mm wide shaped like a "D" I
drilled two holes in that block, 1 down the length of the back of the D and one
more through the side of the D in the middle of the curve. I then pinned a
stainless bolt through the chainplate strap holes in the end of the compression
tube and through the thickness of the block, (the one through the side of the D
in the middle of the curve).This attachment point also took connections for the
two forestays.
The second attachment was a stainless bolt passing vertically through the two
beckets of the gooseneck fitting on the mast and through the vertical hole
drilled down the back of the D. I made sure to not over tighten the nuts on
either bolt to allow freedom of movent. This created a kind of universal fitting
allowing mast rotation through every possible axis without the fouling problem
you describe.
With the forestays attached slightly to windward on the compression
strut/windward shroud, the mast was able to rotate freely to follow the sail
through 180 dgrees to either tack.
This gooseneck fitting never failed in the whole time it was in place.
If you build one ensure that the holes and pins are a snug fit with no slack.
The wishbone boom was built from an old extruded aluminium luff foil from a damaged racing keel boat rig which I scored from the scrap bin outside the rigging shop where I used to work in Auckland. The boom lasted for the 20 year life of that rig!
Takapu was launched as Seabird in the late 70's up until the time of the dismasting
after the rebuild he became Takapu.
In this image taken in 1979 "the second incarnation" The old shallow V stich and tape ama
still features. Note also the slender compression strut. Bloody useless!
My rudders were built to house in center board slots. These were designed to
act as both rudder and center board. The slots were built in to the hull at a
point where Mike and I felt they would balance the rig at a reasonable CLR and
would still be far aft enough to steer as well.
My rudders were ogive in cross section (flat on the lee side and a section of an
arc on the windward side) through the foil so they would work in either
direction when partially housed.
They were counterbalanced as well so that they had some almost neutral balance
when strong lateral loads came on. The stainless steel shaft was 5/8 inch round
bar on to which I had welded flat bar tangs which were bolted to the flat panel
on the lee rudder suface and imbedded during construction in the curved surface
of the blade 1/3 back from the leading edge.
The shaft was supported and pivoted in a wooden space frame which supported the
whole assembly in the center board slot through to the bolt on tiller and
extension.
They were vulnerable to being grounded when fully down though they were not very
deep (500 mmm), 2ft below the hull so I could sail close in to shore and use my
inertia to carry me in to wading depth with the rudders fully or partially
housed.
The shafts were badly bent and fatigued after a series of groundings and impacts with submerged objects by the time I retired them.
Mike and I discovered that the ogive section was so efficient as a lifting foil
that the pivoting action was not needed at all to steer the boat so we went to
fixed ogive section foils that were controlled by small tackle lines. Instead of
a tiller Toroa had a second sheet.
The control line allowed me to pull the foil down through the hull against the
tension of a bungy cord which always retrieved the board flush into the hull
when there was no tension on the control line. The method proved far superior
to the old one so I adapted the idea for the new proa Toroa as well. Now though,
since I have extended the length of that boat Toroa no longer needs rudders at
all. I'm on a perpetual quest to remove moving components and on
towards my goal of simplicity in all things.
It has been that initiative that persuaded me to abandon the sloop rig in favour
of the lateen on my proa which I now favour over all the other rigs I have
tried.
Saturday 26 September 2009
"Now the winter's done"
Praise the stones below my feet
& the walls on the street
say good morning to everyone
recognising none
Was it June or July?
we couldn't think of anything
& though the path is always round
our feet were buried in the ground
I'm going to die & when I die I'm going to wake up
there's a flower in a field & a bee wants to climb in her ear
he'll only tell her things she cannot hear
now the winter's done
People come & people go
whatever stays I don't know
she took her clothes off in the bus
& the evening fell like dust
morning sun, blinking eyes
holograms, getting wise
now the weather's turning clear
dots like you just disappear
I'm going to die and when I die I'm going to wake up
a flower in a field & a bee wants to climb in her ear
he'll only tell her things she cannot hear
now the winter's done.
"Now the Winter's Done" a song written by my old friend and fellow musician Tim Heraud.
As I write the promising spring weather here in Northland has given way to a very wintery fit of driving rain and wind laced with orange dust from the desert of Australia.
My new job as Rawene Hospital facilities maintenance manager has been very demanding and rewarding but it has left me drained of energy for anything extra. Julie and I have decided to put our Waima Lodge house on the market and retire to the coast in the little harbour side town of Rawene in the Hokianga district, not far from where we currently live. We are motivated by a need to simplify our lives and reduce the amount of work we need to do on gardening and lawn mowing to free up some recreational time to go sailing.
Perhaps it is the shock of our impending change combined with the stress of marketing our property for sale, perhaps it's the effect of the relentless low pressure systems lashing the country over winter, whatever it is the Rheumatoid Arthritis that affected me so badly several years ago has returned with a vengeance and has left me badly disabled at times. I'm hopeful that, with our new choice of lifestyle, I may recover enough to complete the last remaining tasks on Toroa before summer and have the physicality to be able to sail the demanding proa.
Our new place in Rawene is a small modern cottage elevated on a North facing, 1/4 acre site with an unbroken view of the harbour. Toroa will sit on his summer mooring within sight of our lounge window 100 yards away from the cottage.
Takapu has been gifted to Paul Bowker and Will Ngakuru (both of the Hokianga district) on the understanding that they will pool their skills and resources to make him ready for sailing in order that together with Toroa we might create a small core of sailing waka ama from which we can impart some sailing and water skills to people willing to learn.
The so called "First NZ Proa Congress" on the 7th of November at Arkles Bay, Whangaparaoa, Auckland is looming as well, (by my reckoning it's actually the fourth) but hey, who's counting, its always a first for someone right? All things being equal we should be ready to attend. I'm looking forward to it.
Just as soon as I have more images to share I'll post them here.
That's all for now I'm off to listen and to play some music with our friends.
Harmen R Hielkema
& the walls on the street
say good morning to everyone
recognising none
Was it June or July?
we couldn't think of anything
& though the path is always round
our feet were buried in the ground
I'm going to die & when I die I'm going to wake up
there's a flower in a field & a bee wants to climb in her ear
he'll only tell her things she cannot hear
now the winter's done
People come & people go
whatever stays I don't know
she took her clothes off in the bus
& the evening fell like dust
morning sun, blinking eyes
holograms, getting wise
now the weather's turning clear
dots like you just disappear
I'm going to die and when I die I'm going to wake up
a flower in a field & a bee wants to climb in her ear
he'll only tell her things she cannot hear
now the winter's done.
"Now the Winter's Done" a song written by my old friend and fellow musician Tim Heraud.
As I write the promising spring weather here in Northland has given way to a very wintery fit of driving rain and wind laced with orange dust from the desert of Australia.
My new job as Rawene Hospital facilities maintenance manager has been very demanding and rewarding but it has left me drained of energy for anything extra. Julie and I have decided to put our Waima Lodge house on the market and retire to the coast in the little harbour side town of Rawene in the Hokianga district, not far from where we currently live. We are motivated by a need to simplify our lives and reduce the amount of work we need to do on gardening and lawn mowing to free up some recreational time to go sailing.
Perhaps it is the shock of our impending change combined with the stress of marketing our property for sale, perhaps it's the effect of the relentless low pressure systems lashing the country over winter, whatever it is the Rheumatoid Arthritis that affected me so badly several years ago has returned with a vengeance and has left me badly disabled at times. I'm hopeful that, with our new choice of lifestyle, I may recover enough to complete the last remaining tasks on Toroa before summer and have the physicality to be able to sail the demanding proa.
Our new place in Rawene is a small modern cottage elevated on a North facing, 1/4 acre site with an unbroken view of the harbour. Toroa will sit on his summer mooring within sight of our lounge window 100 yards away from the cottage.
Takapu has been gifted to Paul Bowker and Will Ngakuru (both of the Hokianga district) on the understanding that they will pool their skills and resources to make him ready for sailing in order that together with Toroa we might create a small core of sailing waka ama from which we can impart some sailing and water skills to people willing to learn.
The so called "First NZ Proa Congress" on the 7th of November at Arkles Bay, Whangaparaoa, Auckland is looming as well, (by my reckoning it's actually the fourth) but hey, who's counting, its always a first for someone right? All things being equal we should be ready to attend. I'm looking forward to it.
Just as soon as I have more images to share I'll post them here.
That's all for now I'm off to listen and to play some music with our friends.
Harmen R Hielkema
Sunday 28 June 2009
Toroa gets the final treatment in preparation for next season
Toroa is going back in the workshop for the finish coat of paint.
My wife Julie and I recently visited my brother Ron & his partner Annie in Te Anau in the Fiordland region of the South Island of NZ.
Ron runs a Kayak adventure company there called Fiordland Wilderness Experiences
http://www.fiordlandseakayak.co.nz/
I discovered a neat trick he uses on the keels and chines of his fleet of glass kayaks.
They obtain silica flour and carborundum which they mix with epoxy resin. The resulting impervious surface makes a tough rubbing strip.
I've been wondering what to do for a protective surface on the high chafe areas of Toroa's hull so here goes.
Before I apply the last coat of paint I will mask the keel line area after roughing up the surface and then apply a strip of the epoxy abrasion resistant compound. Once it's cured I'll mask that material and paint up to the keel strip with my marine enamel finish.
More work needs to be done on my beach trolley which requires more strengthening in the area of the axles now that Toroa has put on weight.
My original concept sketch of my beach trolley, 1998
For simplicity I eliminated the wheels under the lee side of the hull.
My new outboard motor shows promise but will need a finer pitch of propeller before it gets used again. After all that the hull graphics will go on and we will be ready for the proa gathering at Arkles Bay.
My wife Julie and I recently visited my brother Ron & his partner Annie in Te Anau in the Fiordland region of the South Island of NZ.
Ron runs a Kayak adventure company there called Fiordland Wilderness Experiences
http://www.fiordlandseakayak.co.nz/
I discovered a neat trick he uses on the keels and chines of his fleet of glass kayaks.
They obtain silica flour and carborundum which they mix with epoxy resin. The resulting impervious surface makes a tough rubbing strip.
I've been wondering what to do for a protective surface on the high chafe areas of Toroa's hull so here goes.
Before I apply the last coat of paint I will mask the keel line area after roughing up the surface and then apply a strip of the epoxy abrasion resistant compound. Once it's cured I'll mask that material and paint up to the keel strip with my marine enamel finish.
More work needs to be done on my beach trolley which requires more strengthening in the area of the axles now that Toroa has put on weight.
My original concept sketch of my beach trolley, 1998
For simplicity I eliminated the wheels under the lee side of the hull.
My new outboard motor shows promise but will need a finer pitch of propeller before it gets used again. After all that the hull graphics will go on and we will be ready for the proa gathering at Arkles Bay.
Outriggers 1969 A.Y.R.S. Publication # 68 by Chris Hughes
I've been sitting on this article for many years. Mike Toy gave me a copy in 1976 when we were building Takapu.
As I follow the thread on the yahoo group proafile it occurs to me over and over that people continue to walk a treadmill with proa ideas, so much has been solved before but so few ever publish what they learn. So here's a story by Chris Hughes who provided a solution to the three part hull and the steering issue in one.
The proa Kia kia
As I follow the thread on the yahoo group proafile it occurs to me over and over that people continue to walk a treadmill with proa ideas, so much has been solved before but so few ever publish what they learn. So here's a story by Chris Hughes who provided a solution to the three part hull and the steering issue in one.
The proa Kia kia
Monday 1 June 2009
Toroa rides again
Todays sail was by way of a shake down to sort out those things that I added to make myself feel as though I know more than the old ones did.
Hah! every single extra control line tangled and fouled so I untied them and made a note to throw them out at the next opportunity.
The KISS principle prevails!
Paul Bowker was down at the Rawene ramp with a small but keen group of budding sailors in optimists and he was also on standby for the first trip out. Because Paul has gained so much experience on Te wheke his proa instincts make him my ideal choice of crew for a first time out. Our local librarian Mark was on the patrol boat, a reassuring presence on the water thanks Mark.
The weather was cold but with a favourable afternoon outlook, 10 - 15 knots of southeasterly breeze and cloudy.
Right off I got my shunting line crossed up so before we could shunt we had to re tie the line.
Toroa is much more docile than previously so the need for control lines seems unnecessary.
Toroa sits quietly with wind abeam waiting for me to sort myself out. It's been awhile OK?
From now on with this tacking mast I'm going to walk the tack of the sail from end to end myself and simply belay it at each end with a short line.
Toroa responds well and easily to butt steering.
Once I've de-cluttered I'll put my steering boards back in place.
All photos by Julie Holton.
Butt steering
& more butt steering
Butt and paddle steering
Looks to me like we can carry much more sail area.
Stand by for an order Gary
Hah! every single extra control line tangled and fouled so I untied them and made a note to throw them out at the next opportunity.
The KISS principle prevails!
Paul Bowker was down at the Rawene ramp with a small but keen group of budding sailors in optimists and he was also on standby for the first trip out. Because Paul has gained so much experience on Te wheke his proa instincts make him my ideal choice of crew for a first time out. Our local librarian Mark was on the patrol boat, a reassuring presence on the water thanks Mark.
The weather was cold but with a favourable afternoon outlook, 10 - 15 knots of southeasterly breeze and cloudy.
Right off I got my shunting line crossed up so before we could shunt we had to re tie the line.
Toroa is much more docile than previously so the need for control lines seems unnecessary.
Toroa sits quietly with wind abeam waiting for me to sort myself out. It's been awhile OK?
From now on with this tacking mast I'm going to walk the tack of the sail from end to end myself and simply belay it at each end with a short line.
Toroa responds well and easily to butt steering.
Once I've de-cluttered I'll put my steering boards back in place.
All photos by Julie Holton.
Butt steering
& more butt steering
Butt and paddle steering
Looks to me like we can carry much more sail area.
Stand by for an order Gary
June progress on Toroa
Thanks to Queen Elizabeth I now have a day where I can take Toroa down to the water with a rig that should work!
Here are some images of Toroa with rig standing, taken in our garden this morning.
That's all for now. I'm off to put Toroa back on the trailer and then off to Rawene to catch the afternoon tide.
We'll talk soon.
Harmen
Sunday 17 May 2009
Another outing on Toroa
Rawene; Saturday 16th May.
On board is my second son Arien who came with his girlfriend Nicole from Auckland to visit the old man.
This is how I transport Toroa
Mast stepped for the first time Sunday
Toroa on our front lawn
On board is my second son Arien who came with his girlfriend Nicole from Auckland to visit the old man.
This is how I transport Toroa
Mast stepped for the first time Sunday
Toroa on our front lawn
Sunday 10 May 2009
Some thoughts
The weather was awful with a squally, cold southwesterly wind gusting to gale force. The sunny intervals allowed for photography, thanks Julie!
Several brave souls turned out. Julie my long suffering and patient wife, my son Robert and his girlfriend Hannah, Paul and Liz Bowker, their daughter in law Ha ping and her two daughters Anna and Madelaine also in attendance was a colleague of mine from the Hospital, Louise and her son.
The launch went as planned but for unexpected problems with Toroa's old trolley.
Mike and I had built this trolley to roll Toroa on and off the road trailer (road trailers and salt water do not mix well).
The day before the launch I inflated the tires on the little trolley to a pressure I judged suitable.
We rolled Toroa off the trailer at the Rawene boat ramp but as soon as we began maneuvering there was an enormous bang as one of the wheels exploded. The rims are of a red plastic material quite faded after 10 years in the sun. The faded outer rim decided to give up the fight for gestalt and defaulted to its equilibrium (in this case several jagged pieces).
We continued the launch and successfully motored around the boat ramp staying well inside the sheltered area. On retrieval the second wheel joined its partner in a terrifying under water explosion that covered Robert in water. Getting Toroa back on the trailer was achieved thanks to the support of the onlookers.
I discovered later that the motor was limited to half throttle which I adjusted at home.
Even at half throttle Toroa easily motored at 6-7 knots with the 2.5 horse motor.
As expected a little slow to turn to starboard (against the ama) however maneuvering to Port away from the ama went well.
Some cavitation occurred whilst turning which was expected. I'll modify the shaft with a fairing at Gary Dierking's suggestion.
The next step is for me to set up on the lawn and re assemble the rig. I'll chose an auspicious day and re launch with some pomp and ceremony, perhaps even a Maori blessing if I can persuade one of our local elders to attend.
I'll keep you posted.
Several brave souls turned out. Julie my long suffering and patient wife, my son Robert and his girlfriend Hannah, Paul and Liz Bowker, their daughter in law Ha ping and her two daughters Anna and Madelaine also in attendance was a colleague of mine from the Hospital, Louise and her son.
The launch went as planned but for unexpected problems with Toroa's old trolley.
Mike and I had built this trolley to roll Toroa on and off the road trailer (road trailers and salt water do not mix well).
The day before the launch I inflated the tires on the little trolley to a pressure I judged suitable.
We rolled Toroa off the trailer at the Rawene boat ramp but as soon as we began maneuvering there was an enormous bang as one of the wheels exploded. The rims are of a red plastic material quite faded after 10 years in the sun. The faded outer rim decided to give up the fight for gestalt and defaulted to its equilibrium (in this case several jagged pieces).
We continued the launch and successfully motored around the boat ramp staying well inside the sheltered area. On retrieval the second wheel joined its partner in a terrifying under water explosion that covered Robert in water. Getting Toroa back on the trailer was achieved thanks to the support of the onlookers.
I discovered later that the motor was limited to half throttle which I adjusted at home.
Even at half throttle Toroa easily motored at 6-7 knots with the 2.5 horse motor.
As expected a little slow to turn to starboard (against the ama) however maneuvering to Port away from the ama went well.
Some cavitation occurred whilst turning which was expected. I'll modify the shaft with a fairing at Gary Dierking's suggestion.
The next step is for me to set up on the lawn and re assemble the rig. I'll chose an auspicious day and re launch with some pomp and ceremony, perhaps even a Maori blessing if I can persuade one of our local elders to attend.
I'll keep you posted.
A few thoughts after the launch of Toroa
The weather was awful with a squally, cold southwesterly wind gusting to gale force. The sunny intervals allowed for photography, thanks Julie!
Several brave souls turned out. Julie my long suffering and patient wife, my son Robert and his girlfriend Hannah, Paul and Liz Bowker, their daughter in law Ha ping and her two daughters Anna and Madelaine also in attendance was a colleague of mine from the Hospital, Louise and her son.
The launch went as planned but for unexpected problems with Toroa's old trolley.
Mike and I had built this trolley to roll Toroa on and off the road trailer (road trailers and salt water do not mix well).
The day before the launch I inflated the tires on the little trolley to a pressure I judged suitable.
We rolled Toroa off the trailer at the Rawene boat ramp but as soon as we began maneuvering there was an enormous bang as one of the wheels exploded. The rims are of a red plastic material quite faded after 10 years in the sun. The faded outer rim decided to give up the fight for gestalt and defaulted to its equilibrium (in this case several jagged pieces).
We continued the launch and successfully motored around the boat ramp staying well inside the sheltered area. On retrieval the second wheel joined its partner in a terrifying under water explosion that covered Robert in water. Getting Toroa back on the trailer was achieved thanks to the support of the onlookers.
I discovered later that the motor was limited to half throttle which I adjusted at home.
Even at half throttle Toroa easily motored at 6-7 knots with the 2.5 horse motor.
As expected a little slow to turn to starboard (against the ama) however maneuvering to Port away from the ama went well.
Some cavitation occurred whilst turning which was expected. I'll modify the shaft with a fairing at Gary Dierking's suggestion.
The next step is for me to set up on the lawn and re assemble the rig. I'll chose an auspicious day and re launch with some pomp and ceremony, perhaps even a Maori blessing if I can persuade one of our local elders to attend.
I'll keep you posted.
Several brave souls turned out. Julie my long suffering and patient wife, my son Robert and his girlfriend Hannah, Paul and Liz Bowker, their daughter in law Ha ping and her two daughters Anna and Madelaine also in attendance was a colleague of mine from the Hospital, Louise and her son.
The launch went as planned but for unexpected problems with Toroa's old trolley.
Mike and I had built this trolley to roll Toroa on and off the road trailer (road trailers and salt water do not mix well).
The day before the launch I inflated the tires on the little trolley to a pressure I judged suitable.
We rolled Toroa off the trailer at the Rawene boat ramp but as soon as we began maneuvering there was an enormous bang as one of the wheels exploded. The rims are of a red plastic material quite faded after 10 years in the sun. The faded outer rim decided to give up the fight for gestalt and defaulted to its equilibrium (in this case several jagged pieces).
We continued the launch and successfully motored around the boat ramp staying well inside the sheltered area. On retrieval the second wheel joined its partner in a terrifying under water explosion that covered Robert in water. Getting Toroa back on the trailer was achieved thanks to the support of the onlookers.
I discovered later that the motor was limited to half throttle which I adjusted at home.
Even at half throttle Toroa easily motored at 6-7 knots with the 2.5 horse motor.
As expected a little slow to turn to starboard (against the ama) however maneuvering to Port away from the ama went well.
Some cavitation occurred whilst turning which was expected. I'll modify the shaft with a fairing at Gary Dierking's suggestion.
The next step is for me to set up on the lawn and re assemble the rig. I'll chose an auspicious day and re launch with some pomp and ceremony, perhaps even a Maori blessing if I can persuade one of our local elders to attend.
I'll keep you posted.
Unofficial launch of Toroa
The unofficial launch of Toroa at Rawene Boat ramp Hokianga, Northland, New Zealand.
All photos by Julie Holton
Robert (Harmen's oldest son) and Harmen
I'm adjusting the trim bracket.
Harmen & Paul Bowker
Harmen, Hannah & Robert
Paul Bowker and Toroa
Paul Bowker and Robert Hielkema with Toroa
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