This is a new format of post for KamanuComposites.com.  This essay was written on the eve of the Na Wahine and the Moloka’i Hoe in order to bring awareness to the dangers of open ocean changes.  What is written is entirely the opinion of the author.

The Moloka’i Hoe has repeatedly changed my life.  When I was twelve, I watched in awe from the escort boat as my dad and the Kaiola Canoe Club senior masters raced across the Kaiwi.  I remember thinking, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”  Five years later as a desperate and reckless seventeen year old about to leave Hawai’i for college, I stole my brother’s ID card and switched to a canoe club that didn’t know my age.  I did that channel thinking that I may never get the chance to race across again.  But I came back.  Repeatedly.  I would fly home from college every year to race in the Moloka’i Hoe, the Moloka’i Relay, and the Moloka’i Solo.  I couldn’t get enough of the Kaiwi channel.

What I learned over 20 crossings is that the race is never the same and it’s nearly impossible to prepare for.  Just when you think you have a good grasp of what’s coming, the channel changes.  Which is what I’ve learned life is like also.  At last year’s Moloka’i Hoe I was poised to jump in for the first change off of La’au Point.  Standing on the edge of the boat waiting for the call to jump, I was confident in my knowledge of the channel, confident in my skill as a paddler, and confident in my physical fitness.  Before every race start, I would visualize and attempt to embrace the pain that I knew was coming.  I’m sure that I had a smile on my face as I jumped in, thinking about the pain that was about to consume me for the next six hours of racing.  But, as confident and knowledgeable as I felt, I had no idea what was coming.

To make the story short, I jumped in and was run over.  The prop hit me five times.  It split my pelvis, severed the gluteal muscle in my right leg, and broke off three spinal processes. Through luck and the fast actions of my escort driver, my team-mates, my coach, the paramedics, the Moloka’i fire department, the Maui Air Ambulance, the surgeons, and the 3rd floor nurses at Maui Memorial Hospital, I lived.  And now, with the support of my family, my friends, and the paddling community, I may have a full recovery.  The prop was less than an inch from ending my life or paralyzing me on nearly every pass it made through my body.  But it didn’t.  I can walk, I can paddle, and I’m alive.

But I’m not writing this to tell everyone my story.  I’m writing this because it’s important that we don’t forget how dangerous it is out there. Shortly after my accident a swimmer was hit and killed off of the Big Island.  A couple of months ago a diver off of Lana’i was hit and killed.  Two days ago a swimmer was hit in a race off of Maui and is currently battling for his life.  These are not isolated accidents.  They won’t stop until we do something about it.  The next time it happens in the Moloka’i Hoe somebody will probably die.  And it will be our fault for standing by and letting it happen.

There is no substitute for prop guards.  I understand that there are price and efficiency concerns, but they are irrelevant.  Every boat in every relay race in Hawai’i needs a guard.  Period.  The organizers won’t do it if they feel there is community resistance.  So we need to stand up together to make sure that it happens.  But, until that gets enforced, there are some basic things that we can do to avoid accidents.

Every team should have a simple change protocol in place.  Maybe that protocol will vary depending on the team and their driver, but it needs to be followed regardless of the experience level. An example could be:

1)    Before any paddlers jump the engine needs to be in neutral.

2)    A spotter, other than the captain, will verify that the prop is disengaged and will give the call for each paddler to jump.

3)    When every paddler has swum well clear of the boat, the spotter will notify the captain that the prop can be engaged.

4)    When picking up paddlers the same process will be reversed.  The captain will come within swimming distance of the paddlers and then disengage the prop.

5)    When the spotter verifies that the prop is disengaged, they will give the call to the paddlers to swim to the idling boat.

It’s up to each of us to enforce that protocol.  Until the governing bodies sit down and figure out how they are going to make the race safer (making it an iron race, extending the first change, mandating prop guards, etc), it’s up to each of us to do it for ourselves.  More than anything else, the paddlers, the coaches, and the drivers all need to be aware of the acute danger of propellers.  Let’s work together as a community to make sure that nobody gets hit again.

- Luke Evslin

This is long overdue.  Our website has become hopelessly outdated and even our previous excuse is now two years old (but still worth reading to understand why updates are always on the back-burner).
This post is the start of a new beginning.  Or at least a semi-promise to try and have a new blog post every other Friday.  Most of the time they will be about what’s going on at the shop or possibly a race story.  But sometimes it may end up being just a couple of sentences rushed out on a Friday afternoon in order to uphold our promise.  But regardless, please bear with us as we attempt to keep the world updated on Kamanu Composites.
I don’t want to use up all of our topics on one post, so I’ll write about just a few of the recent going-ons.

Company Retreat

We followed through on another long overdue promise by taking the whole shop to Kaua’i for a blissful weekend of not working.  For the first time ever, the shop was closed Thursday-Sunday as 14 of us camped at Poli Hale for two nights.  Hanging out at the beach and playing in the ocean on Kaua’i was a solid reminder of why we do what we do.

Team Manufacturing

As some people may have noticed, we’ve been experimenting with different methods of organizing our shop for production.  Between January and July we had two teams.  You may have received a canoe from us that had either “green team” or “blue team” written on it.  The shop was basically split in half, with each half completely responsible for producing three canoes a week.  All scheduling and problem solving was left to each team.  Recently we switched to a simpler method that allows for more specialization, while retaining the scheduling, increased communication, and creative freedom of the original method.  Now each step in the production has a team.  Spraying, Laminating, Guts, and Finishing are all separate teams.  We can easily pinpoint kinks in our production flow and hopefully it will allow us to isolate flaws and areas that need improvement.

Hiring

Our first hire under this new process will be for the “Finishing” team.  This is the final step in the process and it requires a very quality oriented individual who enjoys problem solving, working with their hands, and working with a team.  Interested individuals can send a cover letter and resume to Keizo@Kamanucomposites.com

California/Seattle/Hong Kong Container

We’re nearly finished with our sixth full container for overseas.  Canoes will be distributed along the West Coast, Canada, and Hong Kong.  However, this container has a unique and exciting difference.  Tim Lara of Hawaiian Paddlesports is importing V-3s and V-1s from Tahiti.  So we can avoid having to put 50 canoes in the container and so Tim can save some money on shipping, we’re joining forces and merging our containers.  This next container will arrive at Newport Aquatic Center filled with Pueos and with Tahitian Va’a.  It’s exciting to have such a large number of Tahitian exports arriving in Hawai’i and the mainland.  However, it’s making the arrival of this next container rather unpredictable because we’re not completely certain when the container of Va’a will arrive in Hawai’i.  If you’re a customer waiting for a canoe, keep in touch with your reps for updated information.

Australia

Travis Grant and Peter Corbishley are currently building the Pueo (OC-1) and Ha’upu (V-6) in Australia under the subsidiary name Kamanu Composites Australia.  So far they’ve built 4 V-6s and 6 OC-1s.  For more information, contact Travis at info@Kamanucomposites.com.au.

Hong Kong

We now have an official presence in Hong Kong.  We are now one of the few composite products to be imported into China.  Adam Giles and Andy Cummings are Kamanu Composites’ Hong Kong representatives and are anxiously awaiting arrival of approximately eight custom Pueo within the next month.  For Hong Kong ordering information, email Adam@Kamanucomposites.com.

So here’s to the end of broken promises.  Or at least the beginning of upholding this one promise.  There will be a new blog post every other Friday from now on.  And hopefully some website updates along the way.  As always, thank you for your continued patronage and support.

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.

Kamanu Composites is hiring. We’re looking to fill one full time position. Interested applicants can email a cover-letter and resume to Keizo@kamanucomposites.com

We’re looking to add one person to our production team at our Kailua shop. Job may involve all aspects of canoe building. Please email info@kamanucomposites.com with resume. Open interviews 1 pm to 3:30 tomorrow, Friday Oct 29th. Bring resume.

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.