Toroa construction continued. Ama construction.

Mike adding line markings for the position of bulkheads on the pre-cut ama sides.
this ama design in stitch and tape 4mm 5 ply was derived from a 1/10th scale cardboard model.

Bulkhead positions marked.

Mike fitting copper wire ties along the ama keel line.

Fully tied with copper ties the two halves are spread.

Diamond shaped bulkheads form the structure, inwale stringer allows the deck some fastening surface.

Toroa's ama taking shape.

Ama completed and dry fitted to kiato (outrigger beams).

We decided on this colour scheme based on the green of Polynesia, the red white and blue tricolour of our respective ancestry, French and Dutch.

Showing the trampoline and ama lashing.

Toroa on launch day at Waiake Beach Auckland 2000.

Original rig layout on starboard tack. We removed the bow dash boards in favour of a new tacking line system which saw the tack of the sail run below the gunwale from end to end. By this time we had also levelled the sheer-line somewhat and attached a lee rail dash board to stop the sail tack from hopping up over the deck during mid shunt, as the mast came to perpendicular before dropping into its new forward leaning position.

20 years later, construction photos of Toroa. Better late than never?

 

I finally acquired a 35mm colour slide scanner.

I've enjoyed reviewing these photos. they have brought back many happy memories of my collaboration with my lifelong friend Mike Toy.

We set up two heavy timber rails, parallel, straight and true. We then crossed them with rungs at each station. Finally we set up the station forms, each transferred from our lofting board. Each form is trued to a taut string line.

The stem was wired to the forms at each end, then the sheer line batten is fixed in place.

the remaining jig battens are fitted. These battens are part of the jig not the hull so they are not connected to the stem or keel.

Jig is now fared, keel and stem are shaped ready for the first layer of plywood planking.

This close up reveals the planing that went into faring prior to planking

We chose to use a recycled 4 mm hardwood exterior plywood which we sourced from a demolished skateboard half pipe. the sheets were damaged at the edges so we cut strips across the panel to maximise the amount of planking. Traditionally double diagonal cold moulding is done with the planks laid diagonally across the jig at 45 degrees from horizontal and 90 degrees to each other. we figured that the individual plywood veneers are already at right angles to each other so vertically overlapped planks should work just as well. This turned out to be true as Toroa is as sound now as when he was built. the glue we chose is resourcinol resin glue which is water based and suited to this type of lamination provided your connections and fitting are fair and true.

Planking begins. Cling film was applied over the jig to prevent the planks from adhering to the stringers.
The planks are glued to the keel, stem and gunwale stringer only.

Tens of thousands of staples were used to temporarily hold the two layers of planks whilst the glue cured. Before a second layer of planking could be fitted the staples had to be taken out one by one and the surface faired ready for glue application and second plank stapled in place over lapping the joint seem of the first layer.

The final stem capping is fitted, glued and faired.

Shell of Toroa's hull removed from the jig and turned over to reveal the hull shape for the first time. An exciting moment for us. No one pretends that this is an easy or quick way to build a hull. This construction technique was chosen because of the materials we had to hand. Mike and I were determined to build as much of Toroa from recycled materials as we possibly could.

Decking completed

Dash boards in place.

Toroa rides again, again

Today Sunday was much like yesterday with light variable winds to begin with settling in to a sea breeze around 1.00. pm. Julie and I sailed out past the Rawene peninsula on port tack and headed for Motukaraka where there is a beautiful little Catholic Church on the hill.  There we shunted through to starboard tack and sailed past Rawene across the mouth of the Omanaia river. With abuilding breeze of around 12-15 knots we shunted again with the intention of heading back home. Unfortunately I got the shunt sequence wrong by failing to release the mainsheat from the old starboard tack position and got everything caught up. We very nearly got put aback before I figured out what I'd done wrong. Luckily I was able to unclip the sheet and uncross the lines. Once that was done the proa came back under control and we were able to set off again.
Lesson: Despite vast past experience, one over site  on my part and the whole system goes badly wrong.
I'll have to tattoo the instructions on to the inside of my eyelids. either that our set up a tape of subliminal shunting suggestions whilst I'm asleep!

I'll be working on Paul Bowker soon to convince him to come along with his little video camera and GPS for some vital statistics and footage.

Until then

Harmen

Toroa rides again

Today Saturday dawned bright and clear. The cyclone blew itself out and has now become a high pressure cell.
The sea breeze set in at Rawene around 11.00 am. Julie and I loaded our gear in the car and set off to the beach.

We paddled out and returned Toroa to the shore and I set about making the last changes and adjustments to the rig that I planned last night.

Once set up we caught the high tide and we set off up the Waima River on starboard tack in 10 to 12 knots of breeze.

 We put in a shunt which was trouble free and we set off up river. Toroa covers the ground very quickly now so it wasn't long before we were turning back.
Now I have enough confidence to have another go tomorrow.

I added a new endless shunting line which keeps the tack of the sail from moving about whilst I walk the rig from end to end.
I have managed to stay true to my goal of having no rotating parts all the control lines run through dead eyes and thimbles.

The mainsheet is based on the Kiribati style with a single and double purchase rigged to create a 1, 2, or 3 purchase sheet.
This system allows me to run only the one sheet for either tack, unlike Toroa's old twin sheet line set up. I have set up a clip to secure the main sheet dead eye block to either tack position on the lee gunwale with a light retrieving line tied to the centre cockpit scupper hole. That way I don't loose the end of the sheet through the shunt.

Proa Toroa on Youtube

Toroa as he was in 2000-2006 with steering foils demonstrating a shunt on Lake Pupuke, Auckland NZ.

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 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.

"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

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.

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