OC-1 Outrigger Canoe Plans

I'd love to build an OC-1 kit.  Is there anything under development at CLC?  I've built both the Noreaster Dory and Kaholo SUP, but I'd like to add an OC-1 to my quiver.


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RE: OC-1 Outrigger Canoe Plans

I've been fiddling with outrigger canoe designs for 20 years, culminating in this straightforward design way back in 2008:

CLC OC1 Kit

It actually got as far as some prototype work, but simultaneously I made the rounds of outrigger canoe clubs, presenting the concept and soliciting feedback.

There was a very mixed response.  None of the racing types liked it.  While fast as these things go, if we made it reasonably easy to build, it couldn't compete with the carbon fiber Huki Outriggers and that ilk.

Meanwhile, there was an entirely separate constituency of casual paddlers for whom this design was MUCH too light and racy.  These are the folks who want a Marshallese outrigger for fishing and recreational paddling.  With the market split, and neither cohort reacting in large enough numbers to be sure of amortizing the cost of developing a design, I withdrew to consider.  

I still think it'll happen one day if I find a window in the schedule to build and test a few prototypes.  But there's only so much time, and especially money...

RE: OC-1 Outrigger Canoe Plans

My home is in Wisconsin, but I'm on Oahu right now, and've been coming here on vacation for 28 years.  I keep a Wavemaster Strata surf kayak stored here, and paddle every chance I get.  I envy the guys here in their OC-1s, and sometimes I'd just like to go out and paddle in a swift solo boat.  The paddlers and boatbuilders here are understandably and justifiably a bit arrogant about their superb skills, but a moderately swift OC-1 compared to the crafts here would be just fine back home in Wisconsin.  If you ever find a way to profitably sell an OC-1 kit, I'll be quick to sign up.

RE: OC-1 Outrigger Canoe Plans

  I have two cheseapeake 17's i built, over 15 years ago. I was always curious of the outrigger concept as well. I was out the other day in my home waters of New York, and a solo outrigger paddler went by. He was cruising, with little effort.

Like you mentioned, I would like the outrigger for speed as a workout, but would also like to have the outrigger for a casual paddle as well.

Its to bad we cant retrofit our existing boats with a single ama, and paddle with a single plade.

Ron Ellard 

RE: OC-1 Outrigger Canoe Plans

   The way that I see it, the outrigger should enable one to use a super-narrow racing kayak hull while maintaining great stability. So why not modify a Pax, razor-billed auk or similar?

RE: OC-1 Outrigger Canoe Plans

   "Its to bad we cant retrofit our existing boats with a single ama, and paddle with a single plade."

Why?

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