PROJECT WINDRIGGER - answers to correspondants

All material contained in these discussions is copyright to its own author.

Ian Smith's postal address is: 12 Sproxtons Lane, Nelligen, NSW 2536, Australia

Back to Yacht Research Homepage | Windrigger page

From Ian E. Smith smithvanaalst@bigpond.com

Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999
Subject: Windrigger enquiries

The following is my response to a "sailor" in Brazil - I have not included the associated e-mail because I have not obtained his permission to publish it. He requests plans and interest in a camping version of Windrigger MK 2.

Thanks for your interest in Windrigger MK 2. I do not have detailed plans of the various Windriggers because the present little demand for the plans would not cover the very large effort and expense required to develop one version of Windrigger to the commercial prototype stage.

This is based on my estimation that prospective customers would probably not wish to pay more than $200 for the plans. Do you agree with this? But I can provide outline plans of the Windrigger MK 1 hulls. I have been experimenting with Windriggercat MK 1 for at least 3 years now and consequently it is much more closer to a commercial product stage than MK 2.

I have trialled many ideas on Windriggercat MK 1 during the last 3-4 years. For example, I found that minikeels and spade-rudders often catch on mooring lines and underwater projections. So I removed them and installed chine-winglets and one liftup-rudder mounted on the bridgedeck. The chine-winglets are from Multihull Magazine Nov/Dec 1990 and March/ April 1991. So it can now sails in 200mm of water. How effective are the chine-winglets - without instrumentation it is very difficult to check this. The simplest way is to sail-race against a similar boat. My latest plan is get my neighbours to sail it in trials it against my MK 2 one-way proa.

Another possibility is to get others around the world to build and sail it and compare notes via internet - are you interested in this? It now carries a 5hp outboard which drives it at 15-20 kph. as I learnt that prospective Windrigger sailors do not accept paddling home against the tide when the wind dies.

Concerning your request for plans of MK 2, the drawing of the MK 2 hull shown on Webstrand contains sufficient data for constructing the formwork for strip-planking the hull. Although this method of construction may appear more difficult than that of MK 1, there is much information available such as Gougen Brothers on Boat Construction to help inexperienced oat-builders.

I can supply photographs of parts of the existing Windrigger craft such as the hull/outrigger folding mechanism, details of the hull construction, spade-rudder/hull arrangement, capsize recovery mechanism. But I would prefer to provide these photos for publication on Webstrand so they would be available to everyone

I am working on a catamaran version of Windrigger MK 2 (6800mm loa and 4000mm beam) which I plan to launch in about 6 months time. I have constructed its bridgedeck and should start fibreglassing the second hull in about one month. As stated on Webstrand I encountered a problem with the gelcoat on the first hull and to solve it, I am presently conducting experiments with a conventional gelcoat and polyester, vinylester and epoxy laminating resins.

To suit home builders, the bridgedeck is constructed of plywood and timber instead of the aluminium-frame construction used on Windriggercat MK 1. It measures 2400 x 2400mm with an extension aft to support an outboard of at least 20 horsepower as I would like to travel at 30kph under power. The two hulls shall fold under the bridgedeck for railering using the same arrangement as with Windriggercat MK 1. The bridgedeck is designed to provide comfortable accommodation for four adults for daysailing.

I plan to power it with a biplane sailboard-sail rig, obtain lateral resistance by two steerable and retractable dagger-boards and a lift-up rudder mounted on the bridgedeck. In answer to your question, it could be adapted for camping accommodation. A proa enthusiast in southern Australia is planning to build a proa using the MK 2 hull and plans to borrow my mould to construct the hull. This response to your e-mail probably exceeds your inquiry but it is also directed to other e-mails about Windrigger.

Back to Yacht Research Homepage | Windrigger page


e-mail to:smithvanaalst@bigpond.com