Total build, proa Crystal Clear.

3 Long years in half an hour. The complete build start to finish, what we learned, how we think, and what we understood.
We go on proas amaze us... hope they do it 2u2..... take care, may d force b with ya, BSY.

[@wadetarzia]

A fine and well-built proa, and a pleasure see how you worked out all the details and innovated the systems and hardware. Fair winds!

[@BalkanShipyards]

Thanks 4 d kick wade, to "fair winds!" I would add "a foot under the keel..." Oh, sorry, that was 4 monohullers, we can get away with 6 inches..... All d best brother. rael.

[@WoodRanger138]

Excellent, Thank You Brother

[@123edwardzpad]

A very fine build indeed. I truly enjoyed your whole video. Thank you.

[@BalkanShipyards]

Truly appreciated, Thank U! Keep Shunting Balkan Shipyards

[@claudiodeoliveirasantos6057]

Excellent!

[@tonykirkham6316]

Fantastic video,great job on the boat

[@BalkanShipyards]

Welcome to Balkan Shipyards... Join us as we build our 4th proa, the HAVAYA 30/25. Keep Shunting, Balkan Shipyards

[@tonybarrios5045]

Interesting boat and character!

[@dejayrezme8617]

Wow beautiful boat and awesome build! Thanks for the video! Oh I looked at your channel and thought "what not finished yet?" but I see you build like 2 more! Haha nice!

[@BalkanShipyards]

Happy U like her man, She is special..... hope I can sort out her rig and take her far..... Keep shunting, BSY.

[@eladioboss]

Exelentisimo trabajo!! felicitaciones por su fina construccion, y por tantos inventos .. magnifico!!

[@BalkanShipyards]

gracias brother. next is a new micro cruising proa, starting soon.... you will see it here.

[@eladioboss]

Estare a la expectativa!! saludos !!

[@SuperHyee]

Thanks !

[@mailarjen]

Great boat!! Love proa`s

[@BalkanShipyards]

Welcome to the club bro, here, You're not alone..............

[@TRYITON01]

arjen de jong awesome job. I hope you have many happy years sailing her.

[@pelageos]

Respect to skipper! You unreally cool! Nice boat! 🤩

[@BalkanShipyards]

Thank you, very much! you sail a catamaran, I love catamarans!! But the proa is a very interesting concept...... I just hope I can find the way to make them more user friendly.......

[@pelageos]

@@BalkanShipyards :-) i have found your video becouse yesterday i catch myself on thinking about one crazy idea: "i want to make a boat!" and it seems to me that it will be pacific proa - i like this concept very match - proa is simple genius boat and very fast!!!

[@BalkanShipyards]

@@pelageos Start small, make cheap mistakes and learn the painless way....... A big build of a new design can go on for a very long time, you get tired loose enthusiasm and nothing happens. A small fast built that can get you on the water, sailing, understanding what a proa really is will charge you and build enthusiasm. Good Luck bro. Keep Shunting, BSY.

[@pelageos]

@@BalkanShipyards thank you very much! 🙂

[@murmurha2084]

Excellent congrats mr Dobkins, very fast nd beautifull thing, love it, does this wonderfull boat have plans that we could get?

[@FlatlandMando]

You are building in a nice spacious shop. Lucky guy, interesting boat.Lots of people making proas right now

[@BalkanShipyards]

Yes, it was good for that boat and that time....... since then many shops flowed under the bridge, all sizes and all colours. It's a bit of luck and a bit of determination, if you have those you will find a place, it will cost what it will, since building in an apartment on the second floor isn't an option, since not building too is not an option... You're right That place was a good score, still it cost what it cost......... Bottom line, if u wonna build a boat, then just build a boat!!! Boatbuilding rules for the unstoppable. Keep Shunting bro, Proas are on a run, that too you hit bang on!!! All d best, Balkan Shipyards

[@FlatlandMando]

@@BalkanShipyards I am glad you are such an enthusiast & yet " seem" reasonably sane!

[@BalkanShipyards]

@@FlatlandMando Sane??? ha Ha..... We gonna crack it, the people Proa! Mind u we probably have. all d best, and.... keep shunting! we are.......

[@gems34]

Wow, I'm building a small composite bamboo strip, korkor proa, was looking for ideas on the ama lashings and found your incredible build, nicely done!

[@BalkanShipyards]

Thanks for commenting man! Good luck with your build!! Hope to see you sailing on utube.....

[@gems34]

@@BalkanShipyards Thanks will do hoping to have her on the water in Dec. Its summer here is South Africa :)

[@BalkanShipyards]

@@gems34 Born in Joburg so I should know..... See u in Durban when I get there with my 30 footer...... I miss SA man! Keep shunting, Balkan shipyards

[@gems34]

@@BalkanShipyards Ha I knew it in your accent it still shines through :) Love it! I too was born in Joburg and grew up in Natal, Now live in the Cape. I hope to see you if you come down South in your Proa, Man these amazing craft covered a third of the globe They came as far West as Madagascar you probably new that but I only discovered their significance listening to a wonderful story by Buckminster Fuller on the Naga People. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqK3lYqeacaNipoh50m4s Unfortunately the video quality is old and poor but the sound and content is golden

[@BalkanShipyards]

@@gems34 Thanks for the Vid. Welcome to Balkan Shipyards man. Here we Just Build It! Enjoy summer, and Keep Shunting Balkan Shipyards

[@delaguitara]

You've got the right idea Bro!!! Heavy is not always a bad thing. High tech definitely works. If the ancient Melanesians had access to your tools and technology they would no doubt have used them. Great stuff.

[@BalkanShipyards]

Thanks for the support brother. Modern man is smart, I agree..... But those guys were just as good, maybe even better. All d best, man.

[@delaguitara]

Okay Rael. please don't take this as an insult to your fine workmanship and exquisite creativity but as a Pacific Islander we discuss everything and in most cases may result in feelings being hurt. So to avoid that my culture has evolved on the "If I was in your shoes" concept. So here goes nothing! Just thinking out loud. If I was in your shoes I would employ a much larger sail with a much simpler configuration (Without the cumbersome stays and cables and ropes and whatnot). The Pacific Islanders understood the nature of wind and air currents. That is the reason they kept their sails vertically short but horizontally wide. Please search "Romy rig sail" and think about it logically. What you do with this information is your business sir and would not diminish my respect for you... but if I were in your shoes I would change my sail system to that. Unfortunately I do not possess a craft as fine as yours or talented as you are but if I were in your shoes that's what I would do. Upscale the Romy rig sail. I hope your canoe flies like the wind and brings joy to all. You have what it takes.

[@BalkanShipyards]

Good advice is never an insult!!! Very interesting rig. I will think how I could make use of such a rig.... Actually at the moment I am updating my small proa "Why Not?" on him I have a simple and single Crab Claw, It works like a dream..... So, yea I do agree, simple is best, and the Romy Rig is amazingly simple. But I can see some complications with such a rig on a shunting proa.... for a tacking boat it's brilliant, But making it work on a shunting boat could become a challenge.... I will look into it, anyway. I am walking down that path searching for simplicity.... And eye openers like these can help me understand what exactly it is that I'm searching for.......... May the force be with you....... Thanx a lot. Respect.

[@delaguitara]

Glad to help Brother! A good reference for inspiration is a guy called Hans Klaar. Search KZbin for "Ontong Java 2". He built a Fijian Voyaging canoe which is a work of art. Use him as a mentor. In case you need his email address: [e-mail]. I would like to personally meet this man one day. In case I didn't mention it, I am Fijian. As a child I was taught that the only thing more important than the things that you create, is the person that you become in doing so. Adopt the mindset and mana (magic), As a simple set of rules 1) Understand and mimic nature. (As a general rule voyaging canoes were built to dimensions based on the size of waves. The length came from the distance between waves to prevent tumbling or lateral capsizing. etc) 2) Keep it simple (The less moving parts the better) 3) If you like an idea steal it LOL! I love this one, forget copyright hahaha! 4) Mark twice cut once. 5) If you don't know what you're doing you have 3 options. Option 1> Just do it anyway and find out later. That's loads of fun but can be extremely dangerous. Option 2> Find somebody who has already done it and then do it. Option 3> find the best man or men in the village that have done something similar and make him/them your mentor(s). Surround yourself with like minded positive people. Another interesting small craft sail system is that of the "Jangada" sail boats of northern Brazil. The cool thing is that it is a basic crab claw but with more controllability. I hope this helps brother. All the best.

[@BalkanShipyards]

I totally agree bro, Ontong Java is a gem! I love that boat. As for Hans, he is just plain simple brilliant. My first cruiser, a 22 foot mono built in the 70's that I sailed from England to Bulgaria, I called her "Baby Mana" she had tons of Mana.... I wanted a Polynesian catamaran, but couldn't afford one, so I just bought a monohull on ebay, called it Baby Mana and left England. The best time of my life, it was..... You are a brother, and yes every bit helps.... Proas are amazing, and need more research to fit western sailors like me..... I design and build proas because I cant afford a boat nether can I afford to buy plans for most boats.... But I need to sail! Proas are the most boat for the least cost, others had said this, and it's true, so I build proas. I will not stop developing my perfect proa, also I will not stop sharing my conclusions, my "mistakes" (I believe there are no mistakes....) and my success with the world.... that I do for the proa, my ideas are free, They fly on the electronic winds of the internet and plant seeds in peoples imagination thousands of miles away..... Proas have a future! Those that say they don't, are exactly those that proas don't fit!! Proas fit those who can afford to build, but can't afford to buy.... Those who can't afford marina bills, but can afford the extra time needed for cruising bays and laying to anchor in remote places..... Above all, proas fit those who fit proas.... You cant gain speed and comfort without sacrificing something, wide boats are expensive to park, slim canoes are tight and must be kept lite. The Flat screen T.V. the fridge and freezer, The water maker, the fancy Bathroom, The built in oven...... most of these will just have to stay home. Sorry, but Proas are about sailing more with less. That's what proas are and, that's why they are perfect boats for backpackers and budget travellers. Thanks for pushing brother, good energy! The search goes on....... All d best. rael.

[@prof.heinous191]

Great boat, great film! Sorry to see you loose a finger...

[@BalkanShipyards]

Thanks! Happy u like her... I'm not gonna say it's a good thing, or I'm happy I lost a finger. Though it was a "cheap" wake up call that changed me a lot, for the better. Keep Shunting, Balkan Shipyards.

[@russellesimonetta9071]

I was looking at the harryproa. Very interesting! But 60 ' is a big boat!

[@BalkanShipyards]

2 big 4 me 2 man... though many things worry me about it, zero rocker makes for a nose diver. weight to windward loads bridge deck and rig. Finally that unstayed Balestron rig, must be very heavy since the loads it must handle with most weight to windward, are ridiculous!!! Interesting vessel, yet none have ever gone far enough to prove the concept. Keep Shunting Balkan Shipyards

[@cjprimata]

Crazy

[@BalkanShipyards]

Only a little....

[@georgigeorgiev2142]

Поздрави за това което си направил , но на тая бонаца какво изпитание може да се направи !!! единственно , че има положителна плаучест. Имаш ли клип изпитание в по яко време

[@Makermook]

Beautiful build! Are you still sailing her?

[@BalkanShipyards]

Thanks Mark, Yea, she was special... I couldn't get the schooner rig to work, so I passed her on to a friend that will re rig her with a single Crab Claw. I kept on experimenting with smaller and cheaper Proas... Join us here and watch our next build the HAVAYA 30/25, Keep Shunting, Balkan Shipyards

[@russellesimonetta3835]

Why did you cut off your finger??!!!! Beautiful work.

[@BalkanShipyards]

Life was too easy with it........ Happy u like, welcome aboard!

[@markthomasson5077]

Great work. Approx how much did she cost, in €.

[@BalkanShipyards]

Happy u like her, just went to new owner, next year she will sail again with a new CC rig.... cost? about 2000 euros for materials only. Though no marine materials were used on this job, only the best stuff money can buy, keeping quality just as good, still reducing prices to 50 percent. Keep shunting, Balkan shipyards

[@markthomasson5077]

Thanks, maybe I should come over and build one with you sometime.....though a long sail back to Scotland!

[@BalkanShipyards]

@@markthomasson5077 u welcome 2 come 4 a visit.... starting the HAVAYA 30 next year. Lots to do...... all d best Balkan shipyards

[@stefanomoretti3664]

poplar ply ?? is it still keeping together in water ?

[@BalkanShipyards]

Crystal Clear spent only 2 months in the water, before I took her out once I understood her rig is impossible to handle.... So obviously no problems, Other boats I built that were dry sailed, are good as new. James Wharram, one of the greatest multihull designers in the world, designed and built his award winning Amatasi in poplar ply. Okoume on the other hand, is probably the most widely used marine ply, the sad part about it is, that it has about the same rot resistance as poplar ply! Proper Epoxy encapsulation and good paint will result in a good boat, since rot prone Okoume boats are still floating around, so will Poplar ones.

[@stefanomoretti3664]

@@BalkanShipyards I am truely interested in understanding better because I hate to use tropical wood. I built 5 boats with Okume, exterior grade, but it is still glued with phenolic ( water and boilproof) glue. I am not aware of poplar ply glued with exterior resistant glue. If it exists, could you please point out a source in Europe? I would be happy to switch. Also if you know of some larch ply source. thanks

[@BalkanShipyards]

@@stefanomoretti3664 Welde from Austria make top quality Poplar ply. They don't mess around, all their ply is glued up with phenol formaldehyde, I boil tested their materials till the cows came home, I left the same pieces for weeks in water, I let them freeze over night...... I don't remember what else I did to those off cuts...... No delamination what so ever! Try it, Poplar will produce a stronger and lighter boat, Poplar ply is the standard material for all caravans today since it offers the highest strength to weight ratio of all ply woods.

[@stefanomoretti3664]

@@BalkanShipyards Thanks Rael ! This sounds definitely like great news. I like the idea you went through all those tests , as I have done in the past with exterior grade plywood. I also love the way poplar is easy to paint and sand and the 5 ply 6 mm stuff that I hope can be found also in exterior grade ! thanks again

[@BalkanShipyards]

@@stefanomoretti3664 6mm poplar is only 3 ply. 8mm is the thinnest 5 ply I've seen. Still I like the 3 ply stuff because it has only 1 unseen ply, cutting voids (that I have rarely seen!) And knots down to a minimum, since only 1 vaneer is hidden.

[@quicosanchez9708]

Mi d

[@Traderhood]

That is not marine plywood. Is it?

[@BalkanShipyards]

Poplar Ply, good grade.

[@VigilanceTech]

oh, BTW, although traditionally all other boats are "shes," Proas are "hes" (i.e. male rather than female)

[@BalkanShipyards]

Correct! But mine are what evers.....