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

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

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