In Bulletin 181 I reported my design considerations and first impressions of Geese my sailing outrigger canoe. I promised to give some further feedback. In the last 12 months Geese and I have joined a number of DCA rallies and I have thoroughly enjoyed the sailing and the socialising. OK, down to business. Firstly, the things that need improving.

The ama (outrigger float) has a flat bottom because I thought that being only 6 inches wide, the section would not be important. Well, despite being so slender, the ama slams hard when beating into a steep chop. It is fine on a port tack when it is pressed firmly into the waves and can be allowed to pierce straight through at about half wave height, giving a strangely steadying effect. However, on starboard tack it is unweighted and is more transitional between flying and banging onto the wave tops. Slowing down helps to minimise this, as does moving my weight forward to avoid launching skywards from the crests. The 90-degree vee of the main hull is very quiet. I plan to add a similar vee-section to the ama so that re-entry to the water is more progressive.

Another problem, that is only apparent in these F4 or F5 conditions, is water speeding back along the foredeck and exploding against the flat front of the cockpit coaming. There is not a large volume of water, it is just uncomfortably wetting! I think that one or maybe two delta-shaped breakwaters on the foredeck will help disperse this water. I wonder if Wharram 17 cat owners find that flared bows prevent this problem or do they still dip into the face of a wave and scoop up some water?

The lack of a centreboard means that Geese makes more leeway than most dinghies. I would not want to increase the draught beyond the current 12 inches because it would make beaching and boarding difficult. I put some of the blame down to the lack of weather helm and I might extend the shallow fin further forward to try to correct this. Ultimately I could add a dagger board to one side at the forward end of the cockpit. However, it is not a priority for me as the overall progress to windward is still quite good.

Car-topping has become a mixed blessing. Loading and unloading the car at each end of a day or weekend trip shortens the time available for sailing. The entire contents of the boat have to be transferred to the car before the hull can be up-turned for roof topping. That's a total of four transfers per launch. Thus I have ordered a trailer to ease the majority of my outings. The positive side is that I can still take the boat on caravanning trips.

My investment in a trailer does show that I am still committed to Geese despite the above issues. This is due to the same virtues of stability and speed that initially excited me. The stability has been a great comfort to me when alone in a F5 on Coniston, Chichester, Carrick Roads and Rutland. It is like having a crew who is always in the right place at the right time.

On one occasion I reckon there was a F6 on Chichester when I was trying to return to my camp site. This seemed an unnecessary risk without the second reef that was added afterwards. (I'm not sure that it would be an acceptable risk anyway!) Liz Baker kindly accommodated me for the night aboard Tessa. My own boat tent is my task for this winter so that I can be more independent next season.

Those not wanting to experiment with their own designs could find the multi-hulls they want on the internet. Try searching 'outrigger sailing canoes', 'watertribe' and 'proa faq'. You may also find the Virus Dinghy, Chris White's Dragonfly Tacking Proa, Windrider trimarans and others. Some of the boats there are whacky, high-speed things that won't interest most of us, but some do offer an alternative way to sail. JL

Correction to Bulletin 181: In the case of both equations, the first multiplication sign should have been a division sign. I hope this hasn't perplexed people for 12 months!