Just got hold of a used Fai Va'a V1. I've researched here and on-line on how to basically rig it. I've got a bunch of bike tube rubbers. From old posts from Hiro and tuaruvaa blog, I'm thinking I will rig it out about 100cm (39") to start?? As a basic set up, will I probably have to shim the rear iako down (ama down)? Or should I just rig it with no shims and see how it sits. I understand that when rigged properly, the back of the ama should just be out of the water and the hull should be parallel to the surface of the water (or a little ama "light"..or right lean) and the hull and ama should be parallel (vertically and horizontally). I'm supposing that's including with me in the canoe. I am looking for a starting point to rig..then I will tweek it as needed. Thanks for any advice.
Submitted by drewp on Mon, 04/08/2013 - 1:42pm
I've gotten the opportunity to paddle a Fai 3 and basically you want to have the top of the cockpit level. In order to achieve this, I had to wedge the iakos slightly to compensate for my size/weight (6' - 200lb).
If you're on facebook, check out the Fai Va'a page and you'll get to see pictures of their va'a in all sorts of race scenarios and water conditions.
https://www.facebook.com/tahitianvaa
Ultimately, it really just takes a lot of time of fidgeting around with the rigging setup to find something that you like and use a GPS. When you find the setup that gives you the greatest comfortable speed, you'll know you're getting close!
Good luck,
Tyler
#1 Thu, 04/11/2013 - 4:07am
Howzit Drewp. Congrats on your new boat. Here is a website that was pretty useful when I was trying to learn to rig my V1. Good luck.
http://tuaruavaa.blogspot.com/2008/11/monter-et-rgler-son-v1.html
#2 Thu, 04/11/2013 - 9:20am
Find some really flat calm and shallow water. Sit in the canoe with a level across the cockpit and see if you're level. Check the ama to make sure it's sitting properly as described above. Don't forget about whether you want to rig it square or toed in a little too. Paddle it for about 10 minutes. Change it. Paddle it again then change it again. Use door shims or something similar. Once you have it right snap the rest of the shim off and rubber it super tight and cover with tape. But also understand that how the canoe works in flat water with a certain rig could be different for you in small chop, big water, or downwindering. In the time I had my Fai 3 I was experimenting the entire time.
One thing I noticed it I was ways changing the rig hoping it'd paddle more like my Aukahi.
#3 Thu, 04/11/2013 - 8:39pm
Thanks all. I've been out a few times on really flat, calm conditions. Attempting to take as many strokes on one side as I can and try to maintain a straight track. I went "shimless" to start. I didn't do any toe in. It seems to me that I'm going to have to find that sweet spot where the ama is going to be light enough so as not to create too much drag and therefore pulling me left (this seemed to be the major issue). I'm going to do the level trick and shim to make sure I'm level. I guess if I had a little right lean, I would probably try to compensate for it by leaning left. To lighten the ama, I guess I would first start by shimming the rear iako down (that is a shim on the outside of the iako at the hull)?
#4 Fri, 04/12/2013 - 4:08am
If I did a little toe in on the ama, would that maybe cause the hull to track straighter compensating for the drag of the ama a bit?
#5 Fri, 04/12/2013 - 4:11am
That's the feeling I got from the Fai. Their ama holds a line due to the shape of it, so a little toe-in would help that issue.
I noticed that my aukahi never had that issue because of how the ama sat on top of the water and the relatively flat bottom of it.
#6 Fri, 04/12/2013 - 5:29am
agreed ^^
#7 Fri, 04/12/2013 - 12:55pm