Kaimusailing

Here is a photo of the BFB proa, nearly complete. The gunwales are out of scale, at 1/8X1/8 inches in cross section, which would scale up to 1 1/2 inches full size. Actual size will probably be 3/4X3/4. They form a lip around the hull and the decking overlays it. This makes the overhang at the ends look huge, in the full size build they would be proportionately smaller. The same goes for the ama deck. It too has the out of scale gunwales, so the full size ama will look a little slimmer. The amidships bulkhead will probably not be there in the full size build, it will just be used to shape the hull. There will be inwales or maybe narrow side decks to stiffen the hull sides. One idea, borrowed from Munroe, is to put a narrow side deck outboard of the gunwale on the ama side of the main hull, and an inboard narrow side deck on the other gunwale. This will stiffen the hull and provide some reserve volume if the boat gets knocked down to leeward, while on the ama side the outboard deck plank will help deflect spray and also provide a convenient seat. A second seat would be outboard of the gunwale seat just far enough to allow footrest on the gunwale seat. The crossbeams are 6 feet apart and cover deck seams on the ama that are also the location of bulkheads 1 & 3. The scale of the crossbeams is almost correct, but would have more taper in thickness at the ama. The crossbeams overhang the main hull where they form the upper gudgeon of the leeboard cassettes. The lower gudgeons are yet to be added to the model, but they will be similar in dimension to the crossbeams and extend within the hull from hullside to hullside, and pass through the lee hullside about the same distance as the butt end of the crossbeam above. The leeboard cassette is borrowed from the UN fisheries outrigger canoes.
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The masts will step on the bow side of the crossbeams and use the crossbeams as mast partners. The rig will be similar to the cat schooner rigs of Chesapeake Light Craft’s two designs, “John’s Sharpie” and “Mbuli”. Sail area of between 120 and 200 square feet would do the job. I expect the boat to weigh less than 150 lbs. with design displacement of 350 - 500 lbs.