Building Outrigger Sailing Canoes: Modern Construction Methods for Three Fast, Beautiful Boats [Paperback]

Gary Dierking (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2007

Build the fastest, most exotic sailboats around!

Popular in Hawaii and throughout the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, outrigger canoes combine the romance of the South Seas with a ruthless efficiency of design and breathtaking sailing performance. This is the first book to present complete plans and building instructions for three outrigger sailing canoes.

Based on traditional Hawaiian and Micronesian types, the designs are lightweight, easy to build, and screamingly fast. Author Gary Dierking shows you how to build these boats using stitch-and-glue and strip-planking construction, explains what tools and materials are required, how to rig and equip the boats, and more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Dierking has been designing and building boats for more than 40 years. He runs his own boat shop and designs, builds, repairs, and modifies a wide variety of working and recreational vessels.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (August 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071487913
• ISBN-13: 978-0071487917
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Canoeing

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good value for the money., September 6, 2007

By 

Julien Boivin (Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building Outrigger Sailing Canoes: Modern Construction Methods for Three Fast, Beautiful Boats (Paperback)

Once in a while I come across a piece of gem. This book is one of them.

First, my background... I am a sailor. I have owned a wooden catamaran for about 15 years. I have learned working with wood and epoxy while maintaining my boat. Early in my life, I have received formal training on engineering and on how to read blueprints.

This book offers three very attractive plans for outrigger canoes and describes how to build and sail them. These plans offer a lot of flexibility.

It was clearly written by a very experienced builder who happens to know how to write well. It has all the information that I need to build any of these boats. The explanation looked very clear to me but required that I study the plans.

Yet, I have found this book really entertaining. It is feeding my dreams. I can just imagine myself going down the St-Lawrence in my wa`apa hmmm ... :)

If you want to build and sail an outrigger canoe, or if you just want to dream about it, then I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Gary.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you like sailing canoes then buy it!, December 12, 2007

By 

C. Hinman (Puget Sound, Washington state, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building Outrigger Sailing Canoes: Modern Construction Methods for Three Fast, Beautiful Boats (Paperback)

Well written and illustrated. Three different designs and their variations are presented. Since I am rabid about proas I read it cover to cover and enjoyed it immensely. I don't think it's enough for a beginner to build a complete canoe just from the tables of offsets and parts diagrams but perhaps an experienced craftsman could pull it off. I still think it would be better to buy the full plans if you're serious about building. The plans will have the construction sequence, tips, instructions, etc. that the book lacks. Thus this book is a long advertisement for Gary's plans but I don't find fault with that. I wish there was more about actually sailing the canoes. I liked reading a little more of Gary's history building and designing canoes. In the end this book is exactly what the title says.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique!!, February 12, 2008

By 

Big S. Production "FHRussell" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building Outrigger Sailing Canoes: Modern Construction Methods for Three Fast, Beautiful Boats (Paperback)

As a sailor, builder, and designer of multihulls, and collector of multihull related books, this one is unique! Dierking presents three simple and attractive designs, from a hard chined plywood outrigger for a first time builder or for a class project; to a strip built asymmetric hulled proa that is also simply described and laid out for a first time builder.
The book also details the construction of amas, akas, spars, and foils; everything is covered. If you are inclined to purchase plans from Dierking, this book would be the perfect primer. Actually, it's a great primer to anyone interested in building a small sailing craft.