The following (very short) video features a few sailing clips of Ngalawa outriggers sailing off Kenya’s tropical coast. It actually advertises an event called the “Ngalawa South Coast Regatta.”
In my opinion, it’s not a very good promotional video though because it contains just a few short clips of the boats sailing … and only within the first minute of the video too. Apparently this beach is well known for water sports — especially kite sailing — and this video is really a plug for the area as a spot for tourists.
Having said this, I think having a peek at these Ngalawa’s in the water warrents a posting of the video here. I never cease to be amazed by the performance of many simply built outrigger boats with extremely low-cost sailing rigs. (Thanks to Ian McGehee for sharing this link with us!)
I agree that it’s ultimately a disappointing clip just on length alone, but it’s the only one I’ve found of these boats sailing that wasn’t shot from on board during a mostly mellow tourist style sailing trip, that really shows them at speed and gives an objective view of their motion and trim underway.
At first glance they look crude but there’s some pretty advanced geometry and construction methods involved in the articulated crossarm connections and in making and attaching the outrigger planks, and the sailing technique isn’t simple …but nobody seems to know much about their history or development and why certain shapes and dimensions are favored or ignored. With all of their advanced concepts and unique style and obvious performance it’s kind of astonishing how little information has ever been collected about them in general, let alone from a naval architecture standpoint.
I read elsewhere that part of the idea for the regatta itself is to help preserve the cultural aspects of the event, that was traditionally an annual community response to the return of seasonal tradewinds and was a big deal before the local fishing became motorized and tourism became a driving economic force.
As that happened a lot of the old builder knowledge seems to have been lost and a lot of the existing boats deteriorated, but after seeing the watersports tourism boom there and boardsailing tourists going nuts over the same tradewinds every year some of the locals decided to start sailing the ngalawas again for sport and so that and tourist charters and an increased interest in the traditional culture may help keep the type from going more or less extinct.
Nice video,
An anciënt way, sailing with simple tools and parts, but not bad at all.
Low aspect ratio. But highly efficiënt considering the low center of sailforce and the uplifting effect of the bow this sail gives, when windspeed suddenly increases.
Short rigging time.
On close reach and on close hauled sailing directions they are not that great. This is the main reason why this kind of rigs are not used more nowadays.