Ka'apahu

Posted on May 24, 2012

Ka'äpahu, an unlimited design sixman, is for sale. It is the fourth sixman design by Kamanu Composites and the third built here in Kailua. While it has traits from all three previously designed canoes, it stands alone as our best all around performance sixman to date.

DESIGN

This year we set out with two goals. To significantly improve flatwater speed over the previous designs while still retaining rough water performance and maneuverability for the steers-person. Naturally these two goals are conflicting. To improve flatwater speed, you create a longer waterline and less rocker. To improve rough water performance you add rocker, shorten the waterline, and add volume. What we've done with ka'äpahuu is really clever.

We started with a short water line of 37' 5", a wide beam of almost 21", and a hull with a lot of rocker. This alone will give you a boat that surfs well and is maneuverable on waves. However, we knew that nature isn't always kind in giving us windy surfing conditions and that this boat should be as fast in flat water as well. This requires narrowing up the entry even more than we've previously ever done. So much that the stroker, seat 1, would no longer fit in the canoe. To remedy this problem the shape above the waterline had to flair way out. The style evolved through various different curves until a spray rail naturally developed. With this feature, we've achieved excellent flat-water performance while preserving volume and lift in the bow.

The deck was refined and a new canvas system was designed. Tracks are integrated so that each canvas slides easily into place. The 'iako are aluminum. The ama is custom; computer designed and cut out of solid foam.

CONSTRUCTION

This canoe has far and away the best construction of any sixman canoe we've made yet. The canoe is all epoxy, high strength s-glass, and carbon fiber. It's made with a strip plank process, with 5/8" corecel foam. Stations and bow and stern sections were CNC machined. Paint is a DuPont industrial paint, with an epoxy primer.

PRICE

$24,000 complete and ready to race.