How Come You Don't See More Outrigger Sailboats ?

[Event_Horizon]

I think can address one potential problem of adding an outrigger/poa to a mono to replace the keel:

First, keels do not keep your boat upright. It's the opposite, your keel is constantly helping the wind to capsize your boat. What the keel does do it keep your boat from sliding sideways. The only things keeping monos upright are the hull shape and ballast.

*I'm talking about the keel as a conceptually different thing from the ballast, I realize that structurally they are combined.

The job of the poa/outrigger would be the same as the hull shape/ballast, and it would do a very poor job of keeping the boat from sliding sideways. This is why the hull forms on the main hull for these types of boats are always slender. Basically I think the poa/outrigger would be a poor replacement for a keel (without drastically changing the main hull shape) because it servers a different function so you'd still need a centerboard.

My general thought on why we don't see these boats much internationally and on the cruising scene is because they aren't well balanced...literally. There are potential benefits as long as the additional hull is leeward because compared to the symmetrical craft, the arm of the righting moment is relatively longer and relies on buoyancy. When the additional hull is on the windward side, you're relying on the sheer weight of it to keep you from capsizing, this is much the same as a monohull. Given the choice between making something artificially heavy, or simply adding another light buoyant force to the other side, it seems to be more efficient to do the latter rather than the former.

[phalo]

Found this rather old thread and wondered if any participants still live
Might there may be an application for a light weight trailer sailer here?
I have always wanted one weighing less than a tonne or even half and comfortable enough to replace my caravan. Could that outrigger fold to Australia's max 2.4 metre (sorry 8 ft for US) allowed trailer width and maintain cross beam strength.

[Bean Counter]

This one is in production right now
https://www.cata-ballotta.com/contacto

[David M]

Because on one tack the outrigger is to leeward and that is fine. On the other tack the outrigger is to weather which makes the boat more prone to capsize since their relatively light weight does not create much righting moment.

I am not talking about catamarans or trimarans here...but true outriggers.

[Franziska]

There are Atlantic style proas, which Dick Newick pioneered, they always keep the outrigger to leeward, project Cheers comes to mind.
Than there are the classic Pacific proas, which always keep the outrigger to windward.
They are the ancestors of all modern multihulls and have been used for many centuries between the Pacific islands.
Both types do not tack or jibe. They reverse the ends in a manouver called shunting.
The rudder changes ends or one rudder gets lifted while the others gets powered.

Russ Brown (son of multihull guru Jim Brown) is perhaps the most knowledgeable persons on these craft. He built and cruised several of them and runs a boatbulding called http://www.ptwatercraft.com.

Proas are superpbly fast sailing machines but require a skillful skipper.

Outriggers which have their ama once to windward and once to leeward and tack/jibe tend to be a bad compromise.
Logic asks for a catamaran or trimaran in this case.

[phalo]

Well I have been talking to the design man from Compu-Craft in Australia who has figures on a 20 ft version showing the turning moment is equal either way whether you have the outrigger to leeward or windward without it being too wide to transform into 2.4m trailer width.
The cabin toward the outrigger as on Bean counter's link would be an added advantage
I will contact Ballotta see if they do smaller than 60ft

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by phalo

Found this rather old thread and wondered if any participants still live
Might there may be an application for a light weight trailer sailer here?
I have always wanted one weighing less than a tonne or even half and comfortable enough to replace my caravan. Could that outrigger fold to Australia's max 2.4 metre (sorry 8 ft for US) allowed trailer width and maintain cross beam strength.

You could look at the folding trimarans, Farrier etc, no doubt Rob Denny woul have plans for a trailerable Proa, but you'd probably have to build it, or there are the trailerable Jarcat catamarans, again a home build, but there are a few of them around so you might find one for sale.

[Franziska]

Chesapeake light craft has a kit for a small cruising proa. Kurt Hughes has a design with a camper style pop up roof and if you need bigger Google the Harry proas.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by phalo

Found this rather old thread and wondered if any participants still live
Might there may be an application for a light weight trailer sailer here?
I have always wanted one weighing less than a tonne or even half and comfortable enough to replace my caravan. Could that outrigger fold to Australia's max 2.4 metre (sorry 8 ft for US) allowed trailer width and maintain cross beam strength.

Here's a 7 metre Jarcat for sale. Single axle trailer so it couldn't be too heavy:

https://www.boatlocator.com.au/item/15523/68-yachts/au/15-western-australia?Itemid=416

[StuM]

Originally Posted by David M

Because on one tack the outrigger is to leeward and that is fine. On the other tack the outrigger is to weather which makes the boat more prone to capsize since their relatively light weight does not create much righting moment.

I am not talking about catamarans or trimarans here...but true outriggers.

That's why a lot of them don't have a bow /stern and have a centre mast. They are "tacked" by coming to a halt, moving the steering oar from the current stern to the bow, rotating the sail through 180° and taking off again with what was the stern, now being the bow. The outrigger is always keep to windward or leeward depending on design and local tradition. Racing canoes here have them to windward and the craft is kept balanced by the crew hiking out on the outrigger side.