PIROGUE PASSION

TEST
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dles moving water (kayak,
canoe). His ease in free flight
led him to make a detour via
light aviation, and restoration
of contemporary bi-planes,
but his real passion is
pirogues ! Doubles, triples,
double ended, single ended,
with dedicated (paddle/additional sail) or mixed (sail +
paddle) propulsion; Christian
is mad about his beauties
with outriggers. His passion:
giving life to these assemblies
of wood, glue and material,
and passing on his knowledge
to enthusiasts who have fallen
under the spell. Just like
some of his illustrious predecessors, (Russell Brown, Dick
Newick, James Wharram…),
he first became a researcher,
to collect, from scattered
Anglo-Saxon literature, the
reports and technical information concerning the fabulous
culture that had been swallowed up.
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DESIGNING TO CREATE,
BUILDING TO SHARE
PIROGUE
PASSION
T
he world of pirogues is rich in versions, adapted to fishing, transport
or even racing. The intelligence of
the solutions created by builders from
a bygone age and their descendants
allowed early conquest of the huge
Pacific Ocean and the fixing of marine
populations in various environments,
with limited resources. We tested the
descendants of these pirogues with
several hulls for you.
Text: Philippe Echelle - Photos P. Echelle and DR
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Directed by his discoveries,
the marine ethnologist joined
the architect and gave birth to
the first plans in 1985... 2
years later, 12 models have
come from his drawing board.
It’s only recently that, on the
request
of
aficionados,
Christian has agreed to
publish his creations. Not that
he was keeping them back
through
selfishness
or
because they weren’t finished, on the contrary!
Moreover he was promoting
them through numerous test
sessions. But the artist’s idea
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This symbiosis between a
population, an environment
and a tool for travelling is
not just a parable for our
society, if we consider that
the rediscovery of their
expertise was at the origin
of high speed on the
water ! To half-open the
family album of these fantastic nautical machines,
we chose a guide and met
the users of these multihulls from another age.
DRAWING ON THE
SOURCES
Christian Campi lives on the
shores of the Mediterranean. Activities as a
sports teacher and sailing
instructor mask another
facet of this man, who is
calm on the surface, but
hyperactive underneath. A
naval architect, with a
diploma from the Nantes
school, this inspired man
who does a bit of everything, also rows and pad-
of time is not the same as in
marketing and he probably
needed that maturity to gain
confidence and dare to share ;
the detachment of a young
man of 50 was necessary for
him to take the step.
FROM THE SCHOOL TO
THE WORKSHOP
Christian finished his naval
architecture studies in 1992.
For the final diploma, he presented the full design and
model of a superb 60-foot
proa! Dominique Presles, the
professor responsible for his
tutoring, was very surprised
(he had formally advised him
against this option)…but then
validated it, filled with enthusiasm by the quality of the
dossier !
A pilot study for a 60-foot
catamaran for Lalou Roucayrol
was never put into effect,
through lack of a sufficient
budget. Christian read a clear
message in this incident and
returned to his education,
dedicating himself, architecturally speaking, exclusively to
his pirogues; he has never
regretted this choice!
PLANS AND MOULDS
Christian uses the resources
of computer tools for his hulls,
but he designs by hand. His
plans on tracing paper are
remarkably beautiful. As technical supports, they are clear,
precise and comprehensive ;
their elegance is a real invitation to go travelling. As the
main user of his creations, the
designer imposes a quite ama-
THESE CHARACTERISTICS TURN THESE
LITTLE ETHNIC MULTIHULLS INTO
POWERFUL, EXCITING MACHINES...
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zing level of demands on himself for this type of craft,
without deviating from a fundamental rule: remaining true
to the original concepts and
assembly techniques. His designs are not merely pleasing
sketches to hang on the wall,
they are the plans of boats
intended to go to sea and play
in the waves.
THE BAHAMATA CONCEPT
A monomaniacal enthusiast,
historian of techniques, explorer of alternative solutions for
economical and logical leisure
sailing – our architect is no
less a man of his times, with a
practical mind. From the start,
he designed the numerous
versions of these traditional
1 : A pirogue on the beach: a timeless photo for lovers of beautiful machines...
2 : Whether for racing or family outings, pirogues with their rig removed are always more fun.
3 : These pirogues have a lot of fans: Zach Rogerson (owner of the proa Tahiti Douche) sailing his ‘Lakana’
in the breeze...
4 : As soon as they were on the beach, the pirogues attracted curious sightseers wanting to know more...
ACQUIRING A PIROGUE
"I asked Emmanuel Parrein, a cabinet
maker from the famous Boulle school in
Paris, to build my boats. Emmanuel also
builds superb biplanes for the leisure
market. He has chosen 4 models:
Lakana (4,500 euros in kit form, or
5,900 euros inc. VAT finished), Hawaii
single (same price as the Lakana),
Hawaii double, Catamaran (4-6 people,
6,500 euros in kit form / 9,400 euros
inc. VAT finished) Pao Pao child (Optimist
rig, construction guide suitable for a
child accompanied by an adult, 1,000
euros in kit form, 2,200 euros inc. VAT
finished).”
(Christian Campi)
L'Atelier des Pirogues, in Quiqueboeuf (Eure)
http: //atelierdespirogues.com
To go further on the ‘Pirogues du Monde’ site:
http: //piroguesdumonde.canalblog.com
94-97 Pirogues-US_MM158_essai 15/03/13 10:41 Page96
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multihulls from one ‘master concept’:
Bahamata. A name which brings
together the syllables of the different origins of his pirogues (Bali,
Hawaii, Madagascar, Tahiti) and
perfectly represents the idea
of using a single mould for
all the models. This common part in gelcoated polyester composite replaces
the classic hull made from
one piece of wood; it is raised by fiddles and equipped
with removable end caps
which can be customized. The
variety of inventions (shapes and
rigs) then allows infinite creativity.
the roof rack of any vehicle. Assembly
on the beach is in itself a source of
pleasure; no specific tools are necessary, assembly is carried out using
jointing and lacing. The apparent simplicity of the joints reveals a wide
knowledge of Polynesian techniques.
Bamboo, inner tubes and textiles are
used to create magical shapes,
whose appeal is immediate, and the
pleasure of handling these machines
is contagious ; at each stage, from
the preparation to dismantling via the
sailing, we were approached, questioned, congratulated. Thanks to their
evocative silhouettes, their gracious simplicity and the perfection of their finishing,
these beautiful iconoclastic objects immediately
create links. Symbols
of modest fun and
consensual leisure sailing, the Bahamatas
create a special and
delicious atmosphere
around
themselves;
women and children are
moreover the main ambassadors.
SEA TEST
NOMADIC AMBASSADOR BOATS
Envisaging a day sail without being discouraged by the transport, the preparation or the
assembly, seemed to me to be the first reference to this clever way of sailing, as easy and
fun to set up as a skiing session ! There is no
need for a trailer; the machine’s weight and the
intelligence of the assembly allow transport on
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I had already seen and briefly tested Christian’s
boats at nautical events, without taking the
time to get to know them in more depth. After
having observed them on the water, sometimes in rough conditions, the moment had
come to go further. We therefore met up in the
south of France in the middle of February for a
crash course , which turned into love at first
sight for these ‘beautiful foreigners’. James
Donald Carlslaw and his son Sean (12) had
brought their Balian, Christian his favourite
Hawaiian. Loading, transport, and assembly
lesson included, we were ready to sail at 11 am
without having the impression of having suffered at all: magic! I embarked with the skipper,
who skilfully conveyed the spirit and method of
use, notably that of positioning, aboard his single outrigger model (but single-ended, so it
always sails in the same direction!). Then came
the discoveries of mixed use (paddle + sail),
great fun, as the slim hull and the dynamic support of the sail combine to give a fast, efficient
and exciting point of sailing, then the directional effect of the mobile paddle aft (there is no
rudder on this model). The association of these
characteristics turns these little ethnic multihulls into powerful, exciting machines which
Christian
Hawaï:
- length: 5.25m
- weight: 55kg
- sail plan: lobster claw, 5.5m²
- propulsion method: main: paddle,
secondary: sail
- programme: surf, paddle races, sailing
trips in mixed mode, 3 places
- geometry: single ended, single outrigger pirogue
- steering: paddle
- origin: Hawaiian fishing boat, built to
pass the reefs
Bali:
- length: 5.65m
- weight: 70kg
- sail area: double adjustable antenna
on short mast, 8 – 10m²
- propulsion method: main: sail, secondary: paddle
- programme: camping, coastal trips, 3
places
- geometry: double outrigger, singleended pirogue
- steering: lifting rudder
- origin: Indonesian squid fishing boat
Tahiti:
- length: 5.50m
- weight: 50kg
- sail area: 10m²
- propulsion method: mixed
- programme: family outings, 4 places
- geometry: single outrigger pirogue
- steering: paddle
- origin: Polynesia
Campi’s models
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- weight: 45kg
- sail area: 5.5m²
- propulsion method: mixed
- programme: amateur construction in
ply/epoxy/glass, 1 or 2 places
- geometry: single or double outrigger
pirogue
- steering: displacement of body weight
(just like the Catalan ‘patins’)
- origin: Madagascar
Bamatasi:
Sail-paddle racing pirogue in strip planking, 7.3 metres long. Prototype under
construction by Antonin Deuveau at
Cagnes sur Mer, in the AVENTURE
PLURIEL association’s boatyard, a onedesign class in polyester will follow, to
make up a fleet of seven boats, with a
view to the St Tropez – Menton race.
Hakaui:
- length: 15.28m
- beam: 4.50m
- unladen weight: 2,600kg
- laden weight: 4,500kg
Big ocean cruising and day charter catamaran (from the name of the
Marquesan valley where the last 40’
double pirogue was found in 1925)..
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Marshall:
- length: 5.15m
- weight: 65 to 80kg
- sail area: 11m², rig’s particularity:
double-ended proa
- propulsion method: mixed
- programme: coastal cruising, 2 places
- geometry: single outrigger pirogue
- steering: paddle
- origin: Micronesia
Lakana:
- length: 4.90m
THE QUITE ERRATIC 5 – 12 KNOT WIND, BROUGHT OUR TWO MACHINES
TO LIFE, AND WE WERE SAILING AT BETWEEN 8 AND 10 KNOTS!
also seemed to appeal to the
off-season walkers as we
skimmed past the Ile Sainte
Marguerite (Christian confided
that he had once actually received an ovation from the tourists aboard a launch whilst he
was returning to the port).
With our superb pirogues pulled up on the beach, we ate
lunch, before regretfully leaving the delightful surroundings of the Lérins Islands,
where our mini yachts had
accommodated us for a comfortable night with the tent and
inflatable mattress kit which
turns these little rockets into
coastal camping boats. The
Hawaiian was specially designed for mixed use, with the
paddle predominant (it also
sails very well), but shows its
real nature in the waves ; it
surfs like a pro, and opens
horizons which are forbidden
to the majority of cruising
boats.
The return trip was carried out
with Donald, aboard his Balian,
a mini dragonfly of a trimaran
with crossed arms, which was
very
photogenic.
More
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: This superb model is a Marshall (Micronesian). It is as fast
under sail as when paddled...
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: Karinne is proud of her Lakana, with which she uses regularly, under sail or paddle.
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: The construction is serious, as this dummy in strip planking
of the Bahamata racing pirogue proves.
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: Assembly appears simple: it is in fact very well designed,
having perfectly integrated the ancestral Polynesian techniques…
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: Aboard these fabulous dragonflies, you can go far, even for
several days...
10 : A pirogue: a pleasure boat!
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conventional in use (2 floats, 1
lifting rudder), it allows the
Bahamata concept to express
a very romantic Indonesian
shape. The quite erratic 5 – 12
knot wind, brought our two
machines to life; despite their
differences, they had very
similar performance (8 – 10
knots in the breeze). The pointing angle (62°) corresponds to
the reports gathered from the
old tales.
CONCLUSION
Christian Campi’s world of
pirogues allowed me to discover a very original segment of
the leisure multihull world, a
new (!) way of sailing at the
crossroads between moving
water sports and traditional sai-
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ling. I fell under the spell of the
intelligence and beauty of
these superb machines and
the links they maintained with
the most emblematic of the
migrating nautical populations.
The quality of the manufacture
and design of these beautiful
objects is part of their appeal.
Their extreme versatility (inland
waters, rivers, mangrove
swamps, coastal camping) the
ease and richness of use combined with a modest budget,
predispose them to go beyond
the success of the regard of a
circle of owners, who get together at events such as the
Pirogue Party in Cannes (south
of France), which each March
brings together around fifty aficionados for a different, joyful
nautical festival.