Skip Johnson Proa Sailboat
By Doug Day (retired) #1 "DUB"back to main page
Skip Johnson "ACDC" - Sure enough, being the incredible builder that Skip is, he pushed every rule to the limit and saw how to build this beautiful craft AND have it be completely legit. This is a Proa type sailboat - that means it has one big hull, and a small 2nd hull that sort works like an outrigger but is kept to the windward side at all times. To tack, instead of coming thru the wind, you move the rudder to the other side and continue sailing with the outrigger to windward. (horizontal part called an Aka, the small hull called a Ama).
That kayak in the foreground is the "Bionic Log", it was constructed for the Texas Junior Water Safari race which is a 16.5 mile paddle, the first of a 240 mile Texas Water Safari. Skip and Bionic Log took second place in the Senior Solo (over 50) division a couple of years ago.
Now, lets look at this boat and tighten the screws on his bill of materials. At first, that sure does look like a lot of plywood - but then you realize that instead of plywood decks, he has tyvek covering the tops to keep splashing water out, sort of like a skin kayak does. The little structure pieces are pvc pipe that have been melted. The line is all that cheap yellow stuff, get get tons of it cheap - one thing he regretted was not stretching it before hand. The rudder is a simple broomstick handle that is held in place with a PVC section. Total price on ACDC was $47.99 - the biggest skimp was not sealing the bottom with fiberglass cloth, and the main hull leaked a little bit.
See where he is sitting? Would you believe that the cross beam is made from 1x4's and cardboard? I squeezed it, really is cardboard ! He made a box beam and it sure seems to work good.
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