Kits and Plans online, at last.
Designed in 2003 for a proposed youth sailing program, plans for this lively 15-foot sailing machine languished for nearly a decade before being revived and updated for the 2013 launch of a pair of prototypes.
Lighter than a similarly-sized catamaran, and with a higher righting moment, the Outrigger Junior is best described as a "Tahitian Outrigger," meaning a finely proportioned sailing canoe that's asymmetrical, but tacks conventionally, rather than reversing direction like a proa. It's docile, hassle-free, beautiful, and just plain fun to sail.
The big lateen sail (165 square feet) provides solid power, which translates to speed. Lots and lots of speed. The boat is very stable, however, with excellent ergonomics, and handles great on all points. Read more about our first test sail here.
The Outrigger Junior is less work to build than a conventional catamaran of the same size and horsepower, but it's not a small project. The parts-count is high compared to simpler fare like our kayaks or monohull sailboats, and you'll need to be comfortable working with epoxy and fiberglass. We've divided the kit into several separate packages so that builders can take them on as time and budget allow; We estimate about 200 hours of build time for a first-class job of it.
