Once again Kamanu Composites has fallen into the unfortunate state of having a website that never gets updated. In a feeble attempt to justify our inactive website, here are some of the things we’ve been up to recently:

Facebook
We’re now on Facebook and have been actively updating our page with everything that should have gone on the website. There are pictures, videos, and a steady stream of updates from Kailua and our reps around the world.

White Building
We finally followed through on a claim that we made over a year ago about painting our building white. Initial estimates put it way out of our price range, but, with the help of Wally Hamasaki’s painting services, we were finally able to do it. The temperature difference in the shop is amazing and we encourage anyone with a building that feels like an oven to make the investment.

Team Kamanu
We have always been fortunate enough to be surrounded by a great team of paddlers. This year we were able to take that team to the next level in the form of Team Kamanu. Xcel, NS Airconditioning, Oakley, and Steinlager have come on board, and with their help we are supporting many of the top paddlers in Hawai’i. As the 2010 OC-1 season wrapped up, the team was able to sweep all of the major races. Notable finishes by paddlers on a Kamanu Composites canoes include:

Steinglager Kaiwi Channel Solo
1st- Danny Ching
2nd- Jimmy Austin
3rd- Manny Kulukulu’alani
5th- Simeon Ke-Paloma

Sarento’s/ Kai Wa’a Maui to Moloka’I Challenge
1st- Jimmy Austin
2nd- Mael Carey
3rd- Manny Kulukulualani
4th- Danny Ching
6th- Ka’eo’okalani Abbey
7th- Tapa Worthington
1st V1- Luke Evslin
2nd V1- Makana Denton

Kaiwi Channel Relay
1st- Jimmy Austin/ Manny Kulukul’alani
2nd- Travis Grant/ Mike Murray
3rd- Luke Evslin/ Simeon Ke-Paloma
4th- Mael Carey/ Tapa Worthington

Aqua Resorts Hawai’i/ Steinlager Kaua’I World Challenge
1st- Jimmy Austin/ Manny Kulukulu’alani
2nd- Mike Murray/ Travis Grant
3rd- Tapa Worthington/ Simeon Ke-Paloma
4th- Luke Evslin/ Kelly Foster
5th- Carlton Helm/ Makana Denton
6th- Bill Pratt/ Raven Aipa
7th- Ka’eo’okalani Abbey/ Sean Ka’awa
8th- CJ Day/ Justin Watts
1st W- Jane Mckee/ Kristin Foster

Olukai Ho’olaule’a
1st- Danny Ching
2nd- Jimmy Austin
3rd- Travis Grant
4th- Manny Kulukulu’alani
5th- Ka’eo’okalani Abbey
6th- Kekoa Cramer

Pa’a ‘Eono Hoe
1st- Kawainui paddled by Team Kamanu
4th- Kapa’a paddled by OCP Mafia

Kapa’a and Kawainui
When we heard that Pa’a was hosting an iron channel crossing that allowed for open class canoes, we decided (with very little thought or discussion) that we would build two V-6s to compete. Unfortunately we only had eight weeks to design and build two revolutionary new canoes. Our progress is documented on our facebook page and details of the canoes are described below. The abbreviated version of it all is that the whole shop and a small army of volunteers were mobilized to build both canoes. After weeks of 18 hour shifts the boats were finally completed at 7:00 the morning of the Pa’a ‘Eono Hoe. The Kawainui finished first and the Kapa’a finished fourth.

Margo Pelegrino
We are fortunate enough to be able to sponsor Margo Pelegrino in her “attempt to protect and conserve our oceans and coasts for future generations by calling out to communities all along America’s coastlines.” She is currently paddling from Seattle to San Diego in a Pueo to raise support for a Healthy Oceans Act. Seattle2sandiego.com.

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.

After a year and a half of building the Pueo, we’ve finally had the chance for a real photo shoot! Trevor Clark was kind enough to come and jump in the water outside of Portlock/China Walls with his gear. This was his first time shooting outrigger paddlers. We think he did an awesome job.

We’ve only updated the homepage so far, but look for some new pictures on the rest of the site soon.

We apologize to anyone who left a message over the last week and has not heard back. While we are not always able to answer the phone at Kamanu Composites, we pride ourselves on promptly returning all voicemails. However, due to a glitch in our voicemail transcription service, every phone message from December 12th until today has been automatically deleted without ever being heard. Our phone is working properly again, so please call back if you’ve tried unsuccessfully to get through to us.

We would like to send out an open invitation for the blessing of our new V-1 canoe design, the Aukahi. The event will be held on Friday, December 11th at 5:00 pm at our Kailua facility.

After years of talking, numerous designs, and months of final adjustments we are ready to begin limited production of our new V-1. There will be several Aukahi’s available for immediate sale, and orders will be opened up at the same time. In addition to the blessing by Uncle Bobby Puakea, there will individualized stroke analysis sessions with John Puakea, a grand opening of the Kamanu Outlet, as well as food, music, and videos. Everyone at Kamanu Composites will be available for discussion, feedback, and suggestions. If you will be able to attend, please RSVP to info@kamanucomposites so that we can plan accordingly for the food. We hope to see you there.

The lease on our shop was signed just hours before a trip to Tahiti for the Super Aito in 2007. Literally, the very first thing that went through the doors of the shop was a V1; straight from Tahiti and broken in three pieces.

Kamanu Composites was founded on the dream to build canoes, and after that trip, a rudderless V1 became a part of that dream. In Tahiti we saw an intensity and passion that we believed stems from the traditional V1 and we hoped to bring some of that back to Hawai’i. However, our dream to immediately build a V1 quietly faded along with our memories of Tahiti. The V1 we brought back remained untouched in the corner of the warehouse as Kamanu Composites grew up around it.

After some time we decided to develop a V1 of our own design. We’ve done numerous iterations of computer aided design, built and tested two working prototypes and even had the final prototype broken in half by a truck. Months of final design, shaping, and refining have been done and now our V1 is finally approaching completion. Molding is now in process. Below are some photos of the final plug.

The first several demo canoes should be available at the HVA race on September 12th.

Prices, availability, and a name will be announced at a later date.

We cut through over 100 feet of carbon fiber and s-glass every day at Kamanu Composites. All of that cutting unavoidably results in a fair amount scrap material, most of which we have no use for. But you might. If you are ever in need of some small pieces of either carbon or s-glass, please stop by the shop.

Almost.  Here at Kamanu Composites we work in a big quonset hut that tends to heat up very nicely under the sun.  The surface of the building often reaches 115 degrees F making certain areas of the shop nearly unbearable.  So we’ve decided to paint our building white.  We’ve seen our neighbor paint his buildling with success and now our government recommends it! As summer closes in on us it seems like there is no better time for a big weekend painting session. All of us in this shop will sweat a little less.

As the 2009 OC-1 season comes to a close, we’d like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support throughout the last year.  The extreme dedication of the OC-1 community has been evident from the first race of the season through to the last.  We went from huddling in the rain waiting for the weather to clear at the Pa’a Thanksgiving Race, to duking it out on the Maunalua Bay lake that was the Koa Nui Race, to putting our heads down and battling the wind for 32 miles in the Solo.  While the nation goes through the worst recession in memory and Hawai’i barely makes it through a season of dismal OC-1 racing conditions, the paddling community has persevered.  We truly appreciate it every time someone calls (we apologize for not always answering the phone, but we promise to call back as soon as we get your message) or stops by the shop.  We know that purchasing a canoe is a huge commitment, so we truly appreciate every person who has supported Kamanu Composites in these hard times.  Let’s hope that the 2010 season has a little more wind (in the right direction) and that the world economy begins to recover in time for all of us to enjoy that season.

Kamanu Composites is looking for some technical skills this summer.   Two possible positions or area specific projects are up for consideration.  Ideal would be college students looking for interesting summer work.

1) Engineer: Looking for some experience with CAD (solidworks or similar preferred).  Mechanical Engineering coursework a plus.  Possible projects include part and mold design, process control, quality control, heat curing systems, or anything related to composites manufacturing.  Depends on interests, experience, and usefulness to the company.  Hands on experience desired, or a willingness and ability to build things.

2) Programmer: Looking for a python hacker.  Web development experience a plus.  Project would be development with django framework for internal management software and public website.  Also could get involved with documentation and shop workflow.  The goal is to make the company more efficient.

For both positions: Must be able to work independently and be confident in solving problems given time and resources. A desire and ability for hands on work is highly recommended.

Email keizo@kamanucomposites.com with resume and any questions.