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Kapa'a
June 15, 2010
The Kapa'a is for sale. It is the second of two unlimited design six-person canoes built by Kamanu Composites specifically for the inaugural Pa'a Eono Hoe race in May 2010. Being the second of two canoes built in succession, we are more confident in its construction quality, which is the reason for selling it over the Kawainui. We are looking for a team, sponsor, or local canoe club willing to become early adopters and lead our sport into the future.
DESIGN The Kapa'a is a radical experiment in canoe design.
To explain the Kapa'a, it's necessary to understand our first canoe the Kawainui. The Kawainui started as a hull optimized for flatwater speed with certain boundary limits. These limits were loosely based off modern Hawaiian outrigger canoes. The hull was then modified for performance in rough conditions.
Waterline length was kept short at 36’6”. Seating and 'iako placement were kept similar to current canoe designs. The weight distribution determined by the seating kept the center of buoyancy similarly positioned, as well as a rocker profile that’s not radically different. However, no weight or design restrictions opened up the field for new possibilities. A design weight of 200 lbs lifted the Kawainui an inch higher out of the water. Entry and exits along the full length of the canoe were streamlined unlike any Spec canoe could possibly do. Waterline width was increased to 20.5". Reserve buoyancy was added with a wider maximum width of 21.5". A streamlined deck was created to add overall stiffness and to remove the need for a gunnel. Overall design length came to 44'4".
The Kapa'a evolved as an adaptation of the Kawainui. The first changes were made to improve its flat water speed: increasing the waterline to 38'4" and reducing the waterline width to 19.5". The second and most radical change is the movement of weight and volume distribution nearly 18" forward of the Kawainui's. This places the center of buoyancy and weight forward of center, with the goal of making this the easiest canoe in the world to drop into waves. These changes force the rocker profile forward with a longer release aft; most similar to recent developments seen in the oc1 and surfski markets. The max width was increased to 22" for even more reserve buoyancy. Finally, overall length was reduced to 41'9" in an effort to increase maneuverability in the surf.
The result is a canoe that works exceptionally well downwind. It made crossing the Kaiwi Channel an indescribably fun experience. See photos from the race.
CONSTRUCTION The Kapa'a is strip planked out of half inch foam core for incredible stiffness and lightness. Stations were CNC cut every 12" that accurately represent the original CAD model. The laminate is primarily s-glass with very limited selected areas reinforced with carbon for overall stiffness. The resin used is vinylester. The paint is gelcoat. The weight is about 188 lbs, while the Kawainui is 205 lbs. Two people can load it on a trailer.
PRICE Asking $15,000. Comes with canvas. No ama or 'iako, but rigs well with any Hawaiian style ama and 'iako. Demo practice available out of Kailua.
Our sport is undergoing a revolutionary change. There will inevitably become more and more races that do not adhere to the artificial design restrictions of the past 30 years. For a little while, there will only be a few canoes that have such a competitive advantage. Get in one of those canoes; you will undoubtedly have more fun.
We Are Not Sustainable
May 29, 2010
We are not a sustainable company. Every canoe that we build results in nearly half a dumpster of waste and 320 pounds of CO2 emissions. That's before we take into account the energy intensive process inherent to the manufacture and shipping of our raw materials. We at Kamanu are painfully aware that our canoes are harmful to the environment. Yet we keep building them. Everyday we build a complete canoe. Raw goods come in the door and canoes go out the door. The process never ends.
Before we began we had visions of donating 10% of our profits to environmentally conscious non-profits. We thought that we'd be able to figure out ways to re-use most of our waste. We believed that our shop would be covered in solar panels. That we would be a bastion of sustainable business practices in Hawai'i. All of that changed when we realized the realities of manufacturing. When you build something by hand, you're dealing with an almost non-existant margin. After every employee is paid, after all our materials and overhead are accounted for, and once we've given the IRS their money, less than one cent off every dollar is left. That portion of a cent has to be saved for shop improvements, for rainy days, and for the salaries of the two managing partners of the company. Unfortunately, it doesn't leave much room for environmental initiatives.
However, limited as we are, we have recently made new strides in a few areas:
1) 100% of the electricity used in the manufacture of our canoes comes from either wind or solar. We purchase Renewable Energy Certificates which are a complex market based solution to ensure that our electricity is coming from renewable sources.
2) We have just begun an initiative where we are planting a native tree for every canoe that we build. As of today, we have more than 50 Koa trees in the ground, and are planting them at a rate of five per week. Not only is the Koa tree of vital cultural importance to outrigger canoeing, but each tree will ultimately absorb up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
At the end of the day, we feel that our contribution to the world is what we build. Every canoe is a vehicle to bring an individual closer to the natural world. It's a pathway for a healthier lifestyle and it's a release from our daily lives. Regardless, we're still going to spend the rest of our lives striving for the dream of sustainability: the idea that it's possible to build a canoe that's net impact is positive. Meaning it was built from renewable materials, using renewable energy, and that one day it will finish its life cycle either as a new canoe or by being returned to the Earth. It's how the canoes that populated the pacific were built, and it's how we hope to one day build our's. Until that day, we will remain accountable for the damage that we do.
