Structure of the Outrigger Canoe

Traditional sailing outrigger design is finely tuned to take advantage of the low-tech materials available throughout Oceania. structure and rigging are designed so as to reduce stress concentrations and distribute the loads evenly throughout the structure. Fiber lashings at the important joints between the hull, the beams, and the ama reduce high transient loads that would damage a canoe assembled with metal bolts. Even today, very large multihulls can be successfully assembled with synthetic rope.

Modern rope can be chosen from a full range of choices in strength and stiffness to provide the desired degree of elasticity in critical joints, such as where crossbeams connect to the hull. strip-composite construction method used with the Ulua and T2 designs has been in use for more than thirty years and is well proven to provide a light, strong hull. plywood structure of the Wa’apa is also a well-proven method.