In this post, sailor Rick Meyer shares info, pics and video of his double outrigger sailing canoe. I asked him a few questions about this boat and he kindly replied with some great details.

Great stuff here … many thanks to Rick for sharing it with us!

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He writes:

“I am not sure this outrigger canoe will be of any interest but I just love it and thought I would share it with you.

The boat is comprised of a Wenonah Jenson canoe as the main hull and self designed and constructed aka’s and ama’s and some small mods to the canoe. In this couple pics the rig is a Sunfish rig canted up to simulate an Oceanic sprit sail or crab claw design. I have other rigs that will drop in as well including a 95 sq ft square top, down to a Laser 4.7 rig. I sail her as a mono hull as well as an outrigger although as an outrigger it has to be my favorite sailboat to sail. I have sailed performance dinghy’s, keel boats, and canoes of many types for years but I am now hooked on outriggers. I am in the process of turning another canoe into a similar outrigger.

The amas are similar to Michael Storer’s drop in outriggers but with bows shaped to mimic the Wenonah Jensen canoe. They are a simple V shaped hulls. The akas on the other hand very closely follow the CLC design but with more exaggerated curves and without the hump in the center to accommodate the deck of a kayak.

The canted Sunfish rig is a dream to use and, in my opinion, to look at. So far, I have found nothing I do not like about it. I am however going to sail it with my other rigs(Laser 4.7, Radial, Full, and the no longer available Intensity Powerhead Laser main) to see what I think of each on this boat. I do think I will most likely end up liking a larger lateen in the end.

The boat is very fun to sail. It is stable, fast, and very comfortable. I have sailed it in drifting condition thru low twenties mph and been very pleased in every wind range. It moves so easily through the water and accelerates very quickly with the slightest puff. I sail it like a dinghy, hiking in heavy winds. I have never had an ama bury for more than a second or two in a puff due to this sailing style.

I took information and design examples from Gary Dierking, CLC, Wharram, Storer, and historic and current island designs and pulled this boat together.

I sail it in the bays and waterways of Sarasota and Manatee counties (FL) and in the Manatee River.

Ultimately, I am looking forward to turning my IC into a tri/outrigger and putting a larger rig on it. It will be a bit out of the ordinary due to the planing hull but it should be a fast, fun, wet ride.”