Having paddled Kayaks, surfskis & waveskis for the past 45 years ... I tried something new, an outrigger canoe. A recent paddling competition piqued my interest in these craft as a "light weight" and stable alternative to my double-bladed obsession.
The Hurricane model manufactured by Ozone is designed to be fast in flat water while still capable of catching waves or wakes. The specs for this craft (an OC1) are as follows; LOA: 20′ 6″, Beam: 15″, Hull weight: 17 lbs, Full carbon i’akos, Full carbon rudder with stainless steel shaft, High density foam core hull for added stiffness, Full carbon pedals, Dual footwell with two venturi drains. At the heart of the canoe molding department are the autoclaves. The 8 and 15 meter long autoclaves are pressurized curing ovens. The autoclave allows the manufacturer to accurately control time, temperature, pressure and vacuum profiles of the curing cycle. Autoclave cured prepregs are the state of the art in composites manufacturing. The autoclave is where Formula 1 teams and defense contractors go when they need the highest quality carbon fiber components possible. The canoes are laid up in temperature controlled clean-rooms. They are then vacuum-bagged and cured in the autoclave at a high temperature and pressure. The result is a lighter and stronger canoe than is possible with ordinary wet layup vacuum bagging.
As I age the process of loading my car with 45 pound kayaks becomes more daunting so the 17 pound hull of this OC1 is a dream to transport. The setup takes more time because you install struts (i’akos) and outrigger (ama) to one side of the hull but this is what makes the thin, hydrodynamic hull possible. Needless to say, carrying this vessel is a breeze & in the water it glides wonderfully. The under-stern rudder system works perfectly & mine is fitted with a shallow (four inch) rudder compared to the longer "surfing" rudder.
Many who purchase this type of canoe are "dragon boat" racers looking for a solo way to work out in the off-season. Well, I don't compete, instead I enjoy using the boat as a platform to video my excursions here in central Florida. I am finding the switch from double-bladed paddle to single interesting. It mixes up the involved muscle groups which I am enjoying.
The interest in outrigger canoes is growing and I'm very happy with my purchase of this fine OC1 canoe.