Proa "CC" sailing conclusions

On your way to success, your mistakes are your stepping stones... BSY.

[@pakde8002]

Old post but maybe you will read this Rael. I just wanted to say in my opinion you are one of the most interesting people I know. I think someone should make a documentary about your voyage to become a boat builder and your philosophy on life and boats, which you clearly define as one and the same thing. I'm almost 60 and my body is pretty much useless because I used it in an extreme fashion... trying to squeeze every last drop out of it trying to be a responsible person and not being very successful... but if I was able I would love to join you in Bulgaria and help build a boat. So yeah, unfortunately I am limited to watch your progress from my lovely nice and warm Bali where food is cheap and no need for firewood ... but my thoughts are with you and I am constantly inspired to keep designing boats even though I realize that maybe they won't ever become real boats... but when I am at my drawing table working out solutions I can really feel the wind and smell the salt air and the way my boats move through the water...it's really magical. I only have one major regret that I didn't understand that at some point my physical strength would be diminished so I foolishly used it up trying to make enough money to live and provide for my family... but I should have used my time and energy to actually LIVE! So, advice to any young person who isn't happy with what you are doing...quit now and do what makes you happy... God will provide.

[@BalkanShipyards]

Thanks for the inspiration, it's posts like these that light me up and refuel my urge to get back on the water.......... Yea it's been a long road of blood sweat and tears. I learned a lot, it's absurd that what I learned above all, is that failure is a step in the RIGHT direction! Not vise versa as we are are lead to believe or even taught as children....... I learned to ignore the negative comments and use the positive ones, I understood that there isn't one way to get the job done (that i learned as a youngster....) and then I started asking my self why can't I build boats too??? Kids on youtube are doing it, so WHY NOT? Then I just jumped in..... I too wanted fancy marine ply, fancy epoxy.... But my pockets were just never deep enough......... NOW, 10 years later, even if they gave me the stuff for free, I don't want it. WHY? Cos I'm pissed off! Cos it's Bull Shit! It's all about Making easy money and wrecking the planet! If Okoume wood, which has almost no rot resistance what so ever, is fit for "marine ply" then so is toilet paper as far as I'm concerned........ Years of heavy research, reading till my eye balls were popping out of their sockets..... all lead to one conclusion, That Poplar is just as good, but if we take a closer look then we will see that it's actually much better, Poplar is farmed like corn, it grows in plantations near heavy polluted industrial zones, it drinks polluted water and breathes polluted air, It's a tough species that in it's life it does all it can to clean up the mess we are doing..... Once harvested as it's soul ventures off searching for a new body..... The dead log has the best strength to weight qualities of all plywood known to man kind!!! But lets just keep cutting down old-growth forests in Africa! "It's so cool, them guys down there work for a Dollar a day!" Then transport the stuff burning millions of tons of oil when u could just use Poplar that is growing on your door step........... So of course, almost zero rot resistant Okoume is fit for marine ply and Poplar isn't.....??????......... Yea! with guys like you, we gonna solve that problem! May the force be with us all, Including with Mr. James Wharram the best multihull designer in the world, that designed his Award winning "Amatasi" catamaran to be built in Poplar Ply. Keep Shunting, the force is strong with u. A healthy mind in a healthy body! U sound very healthy 2 me! All d best. Rael.

[@BalkanShipyards]

Thanks Vincent. If you give up.... you will never know.... CC too has problems, but she has a good soul too. I think about her a lot. I too had a hard time sailing her and at times I wished I never built her.... Now I'm happy I have her, she taught me everything I know... So I will change her schooner rig and we will fly away..... But all that is next, first is my small and simple micro cruising proa "Why Not?" he is a perfect boat, he taught me that proas are amazing!!! Please fix your proa. All d best Rael

[@ramiusrosin8363]

Thank you sensei Dobkins. You keep increasing the educational value of your videos. Those are pretty sails. Why don't you quickly build two sisters for " Why not? " and use them. You can call them " Just because " and " I CAN ! ". I am just trying to cheer you up in case you need it. Boat looks very trustworthy, sturdy yet graceful. You might be developing a future proa ocean racing class. Best wishes with the rest of the work.

[@BalkanShipyards]

Cool Comment Brother, Thanks! U live U learn, U try, U can fail, till U succeed! just keep going.... We go on, winter we re rig, we change her rudder and we will be back. She has a spirit, she isn't giving up, I cant say I expected a blow of this magnitude, but I can say everything has a reason... And it's the downs in life that usually take u to the top!!! All d best, Balkan Shipyards.

[@vincentim54]

Good job. Congratulation. Can be proud of it. Very serious job. I made a proa by mylsef. I sailed just few times with her. She would néed to be optimized. Many things to improve. Actualy, I almost abandonned the project and started a new project , a wooden powercat that works well. Your vidéo encourages me to keep going on thé proa. Tanks for your videos. Vincent from Marseille.

[@BalkanShipyards]

3 LONG YEARS.... designing, building, redesigning, rethinking.... NOW? Back to it!!!! She has promise! her hulls perform outstandingly, they come together and create a comfortable balanced boat. The CC schooner? NOT as good. very complicated to use and hard to shunt, also hard to get her to sail herself. SOLUTION: a single Crab Claw. On my proa "WHY NOT?" the single claw is magic!! NOW?? we rerig..... Rudder? hard to operate and can be dangerous in a rough sea.... It too will change.... ALL D BEST, from Balkan Shipyards.

[@skyl4rk]

How suitable is the boat for extended cruising? Would you say it is offshore capable? Are the flexiaks worth the complication of building them? What is the ideal sail area for the boat?

[@BalkanShipyards]

Hi Paul, she's a good boat. Her hulls work in tandem and compensate each other through her max flex bridge. The flexiaks work very well allowing the ama to go through the waves and ride up the other side. She is pretty fast and comfortable here in the Black Sea where waves are very steep and uncomfortable..... Her rig is too complex for single handed sailing. I didn't imagine that both sails will have to be reversed with such precise timing!!!! get the timing wrong and she keeps on sailing till she is back winded, every time. On "WHY NOT?" we have a single Crab Claw, no problem, and after the shunt he heads up and sails away by him self, now, trim your sheet and move for or aft till you are happy and he stays put. She, no sir, you must switch your rudder over to guide her, the two sails are very hard to balance. Thank god I built WHY NOT? as now I can at least compare and understand the problem . Once rigged with a single big claw about 17 square meters (at the moment her schooner is a total of 13) she will speed up, go closer to the wind and be much easier to control. I cant see why she wont go offshore. 17 meters of polytarp are the most I would carry on her, once re rigged she will loose weight allowing us to have a storm sail rigged to a second set of spars. She is FUN to sail, she enjoys crashing through waves and she is very responsive. She just has a rig that is way way overboard..... we will solve that. All d best. BSY.

[@Aaron.deRuiter]

@@BalkanShipyards hey mate it would be great to do a video with a bit of an update on crystal clear Rael. Where is she now?

[@BalkanShipyards]

@@Aaron.deRuiter Bro, Crystal Clear has moved on a year ago... I gave her away to a proa maniac friend, his plan is to re rig her with a single Crab Claw, he intends to use windsurf masts as spars. The guy is capable and I suppose he will get her going, hopefully this summer..... She is on the Black Sea, south Bulgaria, Next time I go sailing I hope to see some progress. Keep Shunting man, All d best..........

[@umvhu]

Have you considered a Balestron rig?

[@BalkanShipyards]

Not really, although it will work, there will be big prices to pay..... It must be heavy, I don't have accurate data, but such an unstayed rig must be very strong. If not heavy then very very expensive.... Modern materials and technology can save weight, but every gram has a price..... Your akas will need to be stronger, as now they will need to carry ama weight since your windward shroud is gone... Next you will need sails, modern sloop rig sails too are expensive, you will also need a furling system for your head sail..... This is all big money. I started messing with proas because I wanted to save money, I will keep going for now, with crab claws just because of simplicity and low cost..... Bottom line, I'm not knocking it, it's probably a good rig, it just doesn't fit into the way I see things..... Thanx and all d best. rael.

[@milendimov670]

Koi e nai dobria ?! :)

[@BalkanShipyards]

Balkan shipyards.................

[@mikewalrus4763]

I'm still not sure about these vessels, OK they look fast and fun but (aye there's always a Butt - life is like an ashtray - full of little Butts) what about the payload? OK for coastal work but actually going anywhere don't look to clever - just not enough room to get everything needed onboard - you can do s little if you are "schooner rigged"

[@BalkanShipyards]

Proas have disadvantages, true. Shunting is a pain in the arse... load capacity too.... But they are cheap and simple to build if one understands them, I'm building my fourth one and hope to get it right, my third proa is amazing in all conditions, he's a small micro cruiser that has gone very far in big seas. Proas are STRONG! no multi is as strong and as cheap, no mono is as stable and comfortable in blow... Shunters work best with one sail, in my opinion, that's why I quit the schooner Crab Claw and use a Shunting Junk Rig of my design. My boats go to windward, are fast enough and cost less than only the Rig on any other, Bermuda rigged modern multi of the same size... Those who can afford big fancy boats, can go ahead and buy them, yet if I get my current build right, we could have a recipe for a peoples boat, one that anyone could afford to build and enjoy... Fast and minimalistic cruising, means less is needed since more ground is covered... I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining that different boats fit different people.... Keep Shunting, Balkan Shipyards.