Weight of an Outrigger Canoe

Modern multihulls are generally quite light in weight compared to traditional working canoes. A lightweight does cause some differences in operation compared to traditional practice. Hollow lightweight amas, for instance, cannot provide the necessary ballast to windward that a solid log provides. A light-weight ama necessitates the greater use of movable ballast (human, water, or cargo).

Generally, we recommend building the structure as light as possible, because once it’s built, it is always easier to add weight than to remove it.