Va'a Motu plans at last


After a long delay due to a different project, I've been going full steam ahead on the plan drawings and construction manual for the 20' (6M) Va'a Motu.
The plans are now finished and ready to ship out. 
I've taken a better approach this time including over 150 construction photos with accompanying explanations. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 10, 2013 at 8:25 PM

    How about a modern take on a voyaging canoe, two long vaa motu hulls with your tear drop as the little house, when you get to a continent buy a car and a couple of wheels & keep on cruising. Awesome ;)
    Sooth

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  2. Steve HoweMay 11, 2013 at 9:28 AM

    Cool, I've been waiting for this

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  3. Wade TarziaMay 13, 2013 at 11:44 AM

    Many people will be happy, now!

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  4. AotearoaMay 15, 2013 at 1:21 PM

    nice!

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  5. UnknownMay 15, 2013 at 3:27 PM

    Hi Gary,

    are there any more sailing videos out there? I have only found the two you show on this page?

    Greetings from California
    Chris

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  6. AnonymousMay 17, 2013 at 10:10 AM

    Gary,
    Any comments on why you chose to switch the rudder and leeboard to the non-ama side? Is there a noticeable improvement in tracking? I'm just curious to understand your experiences sailing the prototype.
    -Steve Roney

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  7. Gary.DierkingMay 17, 2013 at 3:01 PM

    The rudder and the outboard motor share the same cross member. I prefer the weight of the outboard to be on the ama side so that meant moving the rudder and leeboard to the other side. I can't tell any difference from them being on the ama side.

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  8. AnonymousMay 21, 2013 at 7:28 AM

    Thanks Gary,
    Here is the British Museum with a pdf about the rare Tahitian sail:
    http://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/BMTRB%203%20Hiquily%20et%20al.pdf
    Thanks again

    Joe

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  9. DaveJune 5, 2013 at 2:14 PM

    Gary, Are you going to revise your book now that the Va'a Motu is out?

    Dave Doss

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  10. Gary.DierkingJune 6, 2013 at 6:17 PM

    I don't have any plans to do that at this time.

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  11. AnonymousJune 18, 2013 at 6:41 PM

    why did you drop the original idea for the mast and sail. did it work well?

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  12. Gary.DierkingJune 19, 2013 at 1:20 PM

    The mainsail and sheeting is still the same. I added an old jib I had and it helped in light airs so I kept it. It still sails fine with or without the jib.

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  13. Jonathan EppsJune 21, 2013 at 8:24 AM

    Hello Gary,

    Is the design of the Va'a Motu such that it wouldn't be too difficult to build it in three sections like the Wa'apa? I really like the Va'a Motu's bow and stern as well as the sail plan, but I live in a location where the prevailing Real Estate forces will keep me renting for the foreseeable future, and I can't be sure if my next abode will have enough space for a full sized canoe.

    Thanks,

    Jonathan

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  14. Gary.DierkingJune 23, 2013 at 2:01 PM

    It would be possible to have it in sections but I think you would have to build it whole first with additional paired bulkheads. To build it in sections would require extra design work, the main difficulty being the self bailing cockpit floor that makes access to the bottom bolts difficult.

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  15. WallyworldMarch 22, 2014 at 8:45 PM

    Gary, how pleased are you with the boomless main and multiple purchase points on the leech? Are you curious to see the upwind performance a vang might bring to the setup? And off the wind, does the sail develop too much camber and flex… in other words, should future builders consider more traditional approaches to the mainsail, or do you feel the benefits (safe heads, easy reefing) of the designed rig outweigh the performance penalty?

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  16. Gary.DierkingMarch 31, 2014 at 8:52 PM

    I'm sure that a vang with a conventional setup would result in a small increase in performance in a racing situation, and I did try just that with a Javelin rig. The extra lines for a double reef and the boom felt intrusive after the former simpler setup. The short chord of the sail prevents excessive draft from no boom.

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  17. Phil McLeanJune 6, 2014 at 7:44 AM

    Can you show your extra bracing for the free-standing mast option? I'd like to have the option to fit a CF two part mast to facilitate Raid-style events requiring camping aboard and navigating under bridges.

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  18. Gary.DierkingJune 6, 2014 at 2:29 PM

    I have a partially built mast collar that will clamp around the crossbeam. It's not finished but I will do some drawings of it this week and let you know.

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  19. AnonymousAugust 8, 2014 at 4:56 PM

    How did you decide which side to put the ama? I don't know much about sailing. I just noticed that in Hawaii for the sailing vaa the ama is on the right. For surfing they change the ama side dependant on the way the wave breaks. I was curious if there is similar reasoning on how to rig the ama for sailing

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  20. Gary.DierkingAugust 8, 2014 at 8:12 PM

    It doesn't matter. Traditionally the ama seems to be found more often on the left, but I can't think of any practical reason for it.

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