Howdy Boatmik and All !!!
Sorry for OFF TOPIC than this boat are not designed by Boatmik!
Whenever it would be interresting for you I think so.
Two weeks ago we (my friend Janusz Ostrowski and me)
have finished our short (125 Nm) proa Baltic trip.
There is a short summary of this trip (in Polish):
http://www.kulinski.gdanskmarinecent...0&st=0&fload=1
and there is a link to this site automatically translated by google:
http://translate.google.com/translat...F8&sl=pl&tl=en
This is not perfect English ;-))) This is for photos!!!
This proa (classic shunting proa
*) PJOA was designed and build (modelled
on old photos and drawings of historic Polinesian proas from books and
museums) by my friend Janusz Ostrowski. Vaka (hull - 6.8 m LOA, weight
ca. 75 kg) was build from 4 mm plywood and pine timbers and glassed with
epoxy (tiny layers). Aka (platform) was made from few aluminium tubes
and few pine lumbers lashed together. Ama (float outrigger) was build
from 4 mm plywood and few pine timbers. Vaka, aka and ama are lashed
together before cruise (deassembled for trailer). Crab claw sail (16.5
sqm) is made from polytarp. This proa was designed for wind Force 5
maximum! The best wind for it is Force 2-4. This proa was designed not
for sea cruising - she was designed and build as a
model for study of
crab claw sail only!!! She is perfect - in my opinion!
Comfort? Our cruises were for few (4-5) hours per day - it was enough
for us. Especially for windy days. 10 knots (and more) of speed of tiny
multihull
are wet and to cold ...on Latitude over 50.
)
Janusz consider new design of his proa - for more seaworthness and more
comfort for crew.
Short summary from Janusz about our trip is below:
"This year we wanted to close the trip along sandy shores of Polish
Baltic coast, started in 2006 and was suspended last year near
Gdańsk (known for Solidarity struggle
July 19 - we drove to the YachtClub "Neptun" in Górki Zachodnie
(number 1 on the map) and lashed together ama, aka and vaka to one
piece: proa PJOA.
July 20 - few hours of training for new crew (Robert Hoffman) on 2
miles of Vistula estuary called Wisła Śmiała. Windfroce 4B. We left
also behind wavebreakers once Robert get used to shunting. There was
some rush in nearby marina due to the unconventional vessel
passing at high speed there and backwards. It was good piece of
PR
job.
July 21 - Górki Zachodnie(1) to Sopot (3) (a beach near the pier),
there was wind 2-3 B and storm clouds building over the shore.
According to the forecast, clouds were expected to stay above land
so we decided to take short route NW more in the sea. Suddenly, when
we were in (2), the cumulonimbus behind us decided to leave the land
and the one in front of us seemed to do the same.
Pushing under thunderstorm wasn't reasonable to both of us so we've
changed plans
, turned toward the beach few miles SW and landed
near the pier, at the nice beach restaurant. It was good place for
hot meal and shelter from the wind for the tent, where we've spent
the night. Weather was not stable enough to continue this day.
July 22 - Sopot(3) to Kuznica (6), we started in 2B of wind making
nice 4 knots. Quite an effort was planned to get to NW part of the
Harbour as wind was expected to die in 3 hours.
It has happened so in point (4). Fortunately wind came from other
direction together with sun and quickly grown to force 4B. After few
tacks (5) we've got warm welcome from vahina's who expected us in
Kuznica.
July 23 - Kuznica(6) to Chalupy(7) and back to Kuznica(6) - due
to "promised" wind force 6B we resigned from regular microcrusing
this day and arranged short social trip for our friends instead.
Under close cover of Hel Peninsula, in force 4 B it became nice
sunny resting day, before what was to come.
July 24 - Kuznica (6) to Swarzewo (8), we started at noon, beam
reaching in force 3B then 4B and after one hour of wet sailing (in
19 deg Celsius) we stopped to get warmed in Swarzewo(8). It took us
1.5 hr and two hot teas
to decide to continue. This time we've put
on some serious clothes, so next 3.5 hours we covered whole distance
from Swarzewo(8) to our base in Yacht Club " Neptun"(1). Sailing on
beam reach, reaching, sometimes running on nicely built waves was an
exciting experience. Major challenge was riding from crests which in
second part of trip interfered with the other ones coming around
peninsula from open sea. Almost at the end we've met also waves
deflected from huge breakwater of Port Północny, together with
windforce 6B, which together thrown plenty of water inside Pjoa (we
have no drainage), so constant bailing was a must. It was happy
sailing reefed "on the cucumber", at average 7 knots speed (max 14
knots) .
July 25 - we've been sailing in estuary of Wisła Smiala and posed
for photos, due to forecast promising "wind up to 6 degrees in the
Beaufort scale", where PJOA, had been desined up to ofrce 5B. ,
calculated on the fly when wind power up to a maximum of 5 B .
Besides, a little rest and some
PR rides along zrowded marinas was a
good idea
July 26 - (YC "Neptun") to Krynica Morska (11) - Close to the wind,
against force 3 then 4B and quicly buuilding waves we've been
duinfng average 4 knots, so in 5 hours we achieved our target city
and spent night there. Stranding in 1m high shorebrake was not a
problem and completely safe, when arranged carefully. Beautiful
sunny weather. Same time, near place from where we've started this
day the tragedy has happened. Small yacht crashed breakwaters of
Port Polnocny and one of crew died and skipper was wounded.
July 27 - Krynica Morska (11) back to YC "Neptun"(1) ? we've got
some interesting talk in the morning to "beach master" about our
rights to land so close to the city where people are on the
beach?
) it lasted too long, seemed to be bureaucracy so we've
just sailed away. At the beginning, wind was 2B from behind but
halfway it grown to force 4B, for some time close to the wind in a
beautiful, sunny weather. After about 5 hours our journey this year
has been finished. In YC "Neptun" PJOA was disassembled and loading
on the trailer. By midniht we were back to Warsaw with beautiful
memories (who cares about the traffic
."
"Long Story" of our trip (current PDF file with more photos is 3,7 MB - to large for attachement for this forum
) will be publish soon there:
http://www.otwieramy-wybrzeze.port21.pl/
At present there are archiv infos and articles about last year and earlier trips and films there are also.
Aloha!
Robert
*) Classic shunting proa with crab claw sail - This is only 1 boat of this kind of boats in Poland and whole Europe!
Proa PJOA Baltic trip 2008 
.
