Outrigger Connection Australia

I can’t say it’s not a Mirage because it is, it’s a folding Mirage! With the legality issues of OC6 trailers here in Australia a hot topic at the moment Peter and I put our heads together to see what we could come up with.

With our previous experience in 2 & 3 piece Mirage construction for export we saw that a two piece Mirage would solve the overhang problem, but we wanted to go one step further and make it easy for clubs to put the canoe together and rig it.

Why not just hinge the join so the rear piece can fold up and sit on top of the forward section for safe storage and transportation? So that’s exactly what we did. Clarkie from the Inland Outriggers wanted a new 2 piece Mirage so I pitched the idea to him and he said go for it. And here it is Hot out of the mould, Clarkie’s new folding Mirage!

To add strength to the hinges Pete inserted 2 large stainless steel plates into the iako spreaders, the stainless steel hinges are then screwed into these plates. There is no load on the hinges when the canoe is rigged and the rear section is bolted into position, nor when the canoe is folded and strapped down for transport. The only time the hinges are under load is when the canoe is being folded. Once on the ground the canoe can easily be unfolded and bolted together by 2 people in 5 mins.

When folded and placed on a shorter trailer (Clarkies building one) we’ve calculated the distance from the tow ball to the rear of the trailer will be about 9.6m. The canoes will need to be transported on the trailer the right way up though.

Clarkie will be taking delivery of his folding Mirage in early December and heading down to the National Titles at Coffs Harbour  with it in tow so if you’re there make sure to check it out.

Peter and I hope that this could be one solution to the trailer legality issues facing clubs, let me know what you think?

Cheers

Barts

For all you Sandgropers, if you’ve been thinking about updating or getting a new OC1 or OC2 here is your big chance. There is a container arriving in Perth from Hong Kong in December and if you get your order in before the end of November you can get a brand new canoe for same price as everyone pays on the east coast but you wont have to pay for the expensive freight (or the damage) to get it transported over to the west. It arrives in Perth straight from the factory.

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity. Get your orders in now.

Outrigger canoes is what we are all about.

Here you’ll find all the information about Outrigger Connection’s products, accessories and other services we offer. Using the blog part of the site I will be making postings on anything and everything to do with outrigger canoeing, paddling in the ocean or anything I can share with everyone to promote our sport and make it more fun for everyone. I hope you will all post comments and also share your experiences and love of the sport as well. You can subscribe to the site and get email updates when something new is added by clicking the “Subscribe” button on the right. If you are really tech savvy you can subscribe to the RSS feed and can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter. You can also share any of the posts here by using the “Share this” link on the bottom of the page.

The first piece of news is to welcome aboard Andy Wheatley and  Manda Ozolins from Paddles who are the new East Coast dealer for Outrigger Connections OC1 & OC2 products. You can find their contact details on the OC1/OC2 Canoes page. I’ll be looking after the west coast and Andy will be covering the east coast. They have a new shop opening soon so make sure you check it out.

So have a look around and let me know what you think.

Cheers

Barts

I get a real kick out of doing these. This Mirage was done for a club pitching a sponsorship deal to Cadbury Chocolates, unfortunetley it didn’t come off because I would have loved to seen this paddling around, it looks so cool. I even designed it with the Cadbury logo embossed into the brown gelcoat chocolate nose of the canoe and ama.

The rest of the canoe, the wrapping, was going to be done in purple gelcoat and the white parts in vinyl lettering and the silver foil was going to done using special reflective silver vinyl. The effect was to make the canoe look like a it was a big chocolate bar with the wrapping being torn off.

If you want to check out some other canoe designs visit the “Free Canoe Graphics” page. I really enjoy coming up with these designs and is something I do for free to help clubs get a sponsorship proposal over the line. But as with the chocolate Mirage sometimes they don’t make it onto the water and sometimes they do. If you’ve got a good idea for a canoe design let me know, post your idea/comment here.

By adopting the following practices, you will ensure your OC1 or OC2 is always in great condition and performing to it’s fullest potential. You will also have a canoe that will last longer, look better and (when the time comes to upgrade) will have a greater resale value.

• Please note. A blocked breather tube can cause damage to your canoe as the air inside your canoe expands and contacts with changes in temperature.
• Always remove the bung after use or when the canoe is sitting in the sun.
• Wash the canoe down with fresh water after each use. Once a month remove the rudder cover and flush the area with fresh water also.
• Keep out of direct sunlight wherever possible.
• At regattas store the canoe in the shade if possible. On windy days secure the canoe down or lay it into the prevailing wind.
• Should you hole or damage your canoe wash it out with fresh water immediately and contact us to talk about repair options. We have specialist repairers on the team who will ensure you get a professional repair and are back on the water as quickly as possible.
• When transporting your canoe we suggest flat tie downs (or straps) as opposed to rope.
• Once a month after washing down we recommend a quick spray of all moving parts with “Easy Glide” or some such product eg. WD40.
• Give your canoe a polish every 12 months with a marine grade fibreglass polish. This will protect your canoe and maintain it’s racing performance.

Please Remember that today’s OC1 and OC2 canoes are hi-tech racing equipment designed for high performance in the open ocean. They were not built to with stand the pounding given out in the surf or shore breaks.

If you have any good tips on caring for your OC1 or OC2, like your favourite polish please post it here and share it.

By adopting the following practices, you will ensure your Mirage canoe is always in great condition and performing to it’s fullest potential.

You will also have a canoe that will last longer, look better and when the time comes to sell it will have a greater resale value.

• Fibreglass requires up to 2 weeks to “cure” fully (that is, to achieve it’s maximum strength). Ideally then, you should continue to paddle your old canoe for 1-2 weeks after receipt of your new Mirage. And avoid if at all possible, paddling a new canoe in big seas for this period.

• Prior to use, make sure that the bungs are in place in both the front and rear bulkheads. Also check that the small breather holes at the top of each bulkhead near where it joins the deck are both clear. ie. you can blow air through each. This also applies to your Puffy ama.

• Please note. Blocked breather holes can cause damage to your canoe as the air inside your bulkhead expands and contacts with changes in temperature.

• Wash the canoe down with fresh water after use.

• Store your Mirage out of direct sunlight wherever possible. Protective storage covers are available from us.

• Should you hole or damage your canoe wash it out with fresh water immediately and contact us. We will probably ask you to take some digital photos of the damage and email to us first before instructing you on how to go about getting the canoe repaired.

• When transporting your Mirage we suggest flat tie downs (or straps) as opposed to rope. When tying down an OC6 to a trailer it is advisable to only tie the canoe down using the rigging holes at the wa’as. If the canoe is tied down at the nose and tail as well, any flex or movement in the trailer can be transferred through the canoe damaging it in the long term.

• Give your Mirage a polish every 12 months with a marine grade fibreglass or gelcoat polish. This will protect your canoe and maintain it’s racing performance.

• Every 12 months we recommend you inspect you iakos for wear and tear and give them a light sand and a coat of two pack varnish.

If you’ve got any more tips on caring for your OC6 please post them here, we’d love to hear them and share them with everyone.

Karel Tresnak and I were having a quiet beer a couple of years ago after the Hammo Cup and he said to me “Colin I’m going to give you a canoe” I thought cool Karel is giving me an OC1, but why? As he carried on I soon realised he meant an OC6 and not just any OC6 – a Mirage! Karel had only two stipulations on this “gift”, he gets to say who paddles it at the Hamilton Cup and all I have to do is get it from Hawaii to Hamilton Island. How hard can that be I thought to myself! From that quiet beer and generous offer was born the idea for Outrigger Connection Australia. Now all I had to do was get the canoe here!

This is where the fun begins, shipping companies use 40 ft containers, the Mirage is 45ft and Hawaii is a domestic port, everything went though Los Angeles back then, very expensive. Karel had the great idea of making the canoe in 3 bolt together pieces to fit into a container. So back to the shipping companies. Still too expensive. Air freight was next and I approached Qantas to see if they would carry the canoe as a sponsorship deal for the Hamilton Cup. No luck, but they did help me out with a contact in Hawaii that could organise air freight to Australia and at a good price, cheaper than that of a new canoe.

I had just had a meeting with Coca-Cola about the Hamilton Cup and it just so happens they wanted a new “Coke Boat” for that years event so I sold them on the Mirage from Hawaii. So I had the freight covered, the canoe was ready, the whole deal just had to be pulled together. I had already asked Peter Corbishley of Whitsunday Fibreglass to build the Mirages for me in Australia so I now asked him if he wanted to come with me to Hawaii to pick it up. We had also talked to Karel about spending some time with him in his factory learning all we could about how he made his canoes.

Peter and I spent 5 days in all learning all Karels secrets before wrapping the 3 piece Mirage and preparing it for for the trip home. Karel had done an awesome job making this canoe, the 3 pieces were joined at the wa’as with a flange on the inside of hull where it was held together with bolts. The joins in the hull are almost hairline. We wrapped the canoe and put it on the trailer leaving the joins exposed so we could unbolt them at the airport. The guys at the freight company couldn’t believe their eyes when we drove up with a 45ft canoe to go to Australia, they were equally amazed and relieved when we unbolted it into 3 pieces, we finished wrapping the ends and carried the pieces inside, signed the paper work and it was on its way!

Using the knowledge we gained in constructing and getting the 3 piece Mirage from Hawaii to Australia, Outrigger Connection Australia has now made and export 2 and 3 piece Mirages canoes around the world. Having a canoe that can be pulled apart and easily transported and then reassembled again at the other end is going to push the ever expanding sport of outrigger canoe paddling further and faster around the world.