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The drop in outrigger can transform many unstable canoes, narrow dinghies and some kayaks into a stable platform for fishing or diving or convert your boat into a formidable sailing outrigger or trimaran sailing canoe.
- Turn a Canoe or Kayak into a formidable sailing boat or a super stable fishing platform. Drop in Outrigger Plan info here.
- Whizz Along in Armchair Comfort – or – the Ideal Fishing Platform (paddle/motor)
- Diving or Snorkelling Platform
- All Components under 10lbs
- Everything removes from the original boat easily
- 2 sheets ply
Specification
Hull length 2350
Beam 290
Hull Depth at middle of hull 265
Hull Depth from line joining bow and stern measured perpendicular to keel 340mm
NEW Mini Outriggers – click here for information.
These smaller and simpler outriggers are designed to be kept above the water most of the time.
But if a gust hits it gives the sailor of a canoe or narrow dinghy with a bit more time to react by easing the sheet (first!) and/or hiking out.
The “Drop in Outrigger” design explained below is bigger for full time sailing on the outrigger.
The first time I worked on this concept we took an elegant Strip Planked REDBIRD canoe and fitted it with this outrigger system. All components are light and easily removable. And as with our other sailing canoe work very well.
With the additional stability we were able to cram on a significant amount of sail in a simple Lateen Rig. – about 7.5 sq metres (80 sq ft) for real sailing performance. One of the advantages of the lateen rig is that the sail can be a backyard manufactured item. We made ours out of a blue plastic tarpaulin – I think the total sail cost was about $40. The Lateen even if cut completely flat develops a useful driving shape when loaded up by the wind.
The boat whipped along nicely and did not require a leeboard when the leeward hull was well immersed and the speed was maintained. Try to point high and low speed combined with leeway counters upwind progress. But point at 70 degrees and the speed greatly exceeds the upwind speed of a normal monohull and leeway reduces.
Unfortunately I don’t have any pics of Mr Webb’s Fabulous Redbird under full sail – but it was great fun. The photos of the black outriggers here are on Daniel Caselli’s Eureka Canoe in Uruguay.
Video 1- of the drop in outrigger Plan conversion of a canoe or dinghy into a fast stable sailing trimaran
The Bolger designed Teal is a lovely simple dinghy, but it can be an exciting handful in stronger winds. Video below: Jan Cudak added the outriggers to turn the Teal into a very pleasant stress free sailing outrigger.
You also see the little 12ft dinghy is sailing way faster than the original design.
It had a surprising turn of speed and was quite exciting to sail.
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This applies the dynamics of Proa, Trimaran and outrigger design to an existing boat.
Loads on the structure are limited by the modest ama volume. As the amas are loaded up speed is increased. However, when the load starts getting closer to the design strength of the crossbeams the amas start submerging. Thus providing feedback to ease the sail and back off.
With larger outrigger hull designs which do not submerge it is the load in the main hull of crew and gear along with platform weight that set the loads on the crossbeams. As this can vary it means the crossbeams have to be heavier to carry unanticipated loads.
We also have plans for other sailing canoes
Additional free pack for plan purchasers – basic sail and crossbeams for low Freeboard canoes
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Portability of the lightweight drop in outrigger components
None of the components weigh more than 10 pounds (4.5kg).
Some downsides from the conversion – not serious but so you know.
The only downside was that the Redbird canoe hull, being a brilliant straight line paddling boat, just refused to go round corners easily – it just refused to tack through the wind.
Either it had to be assisted by someone with a paddle – or the tack was completed by the boat picking up a little bit of speed in reverse then steered out with reverse rudder. Not a big problem at all – and the speed in a straight line made it all very worthwhile!!
This depends on the characteristics of the original hull. If it is easy to turn the trimaran will too. Here one of my Quick Canoes with the the drop in outrigger components inside the hull for transport.
Outrigger hull construction is simple
The hulls are simple stitch and glue. Two panels, timber around the sheer and an epoxy fillet and glass along the keel line.
The crossbeams are simple laminations and look light and simple on the boat.
The hulls attach to the crossbeams with butterfly nuts. Crossbeams are lashed into the canoe hull. The attachment point for lashings is a doubler glued to the canoe hull with a deck eye (saddle bolted through.
For sailing versions the upper mast partner is built into the forward crossbeam and the mast steps on a simple block glued to the bottom of the boat.
Any relatively narrow hull (under 3ft, 1.2m) is suitable, whether a canoe, kayak or rowboat. The crossbeams can be extended for wider boats by increasing the length of the flattish section in the middle. But there are limits as the distance between the gunwale of the main hull and the furthest point of the crossbeam should not exceed 1200mm.
In other words, the steering characteristic of the whole shebang is defined by the main hull.
The owners use it for holidays – it all roofracks easily because of the light weight – and for fishing.
There have been a couple of these built to make a canoe into an excellent fishing platform. For that purpose they used a small outboard (2 or 3hp pushes a canoe along quite quickly) attached to a bracket on one of the crossbeams. The outer hulls provide an extra level of safety as they are watertight.
Fitting a single outrigger hull only makes a tacking proa. The ends without the outrigger hull should project about 12 to 18″ (300 to 400mm) outside the gunwale and the two ends tied together with a piece of timber so they can’t move relative to each other.
The hulls and crossbeams can fit some small dinghies particularly if they are quite narrow and not too long.
The other advantage is that like the “drop-in kayak rig” when the outriggers are removed from the hull there is only the small block of wood acting as a mast step still attached to the canoe.
Because of the potential speed and power of sailing versions we recommend a rudder be fitted to the main hull. Steering it with a paddle would just be too much work! While a simple rudder makes things easy.
Powering with a Small outboard or Electric Trolling motor
Recommended power is a couple of horsepower maximum or an electric trolling motor with a couple of deep cycle batteries will give a good few hours moderate speed motoring.
It is possible for a motor or paddling configuration to use one hull only – a one sided outrigger canoe. But the ends of the crossbeam without a hull have to have a tie bar between the ends. This might potentially make a nice diving platform. The outboard could be attached to the rear crossbeam close to the hull.
This outrigger canoe project below was to make a too unstable boat much more stable for outings and diving in the Philippines.
There are two free additions to the plan in a package available to purchasers. Email me with evidence of purchase.
- A flatter curve to the crossbeam for canoes and kayaks with lower freeboard.
- Drawings for an integrated sailing rig with mast supported by front crossbeam. This includes a sail design for polytarp or you can purchase a sail from our sailmaking arm;
Link for sails for Drop in Outrigger plan from our Really Simple Sails
Drop-in outrigger sails are available from reallysimplesails.com
