Today we feature some info from Thomas Meermark, the entrepreneur behind the Meermark M17 Double Outrigger Sailing Canoe. He shares the below with us, including the following pictures.
We wish him and his business every success in this venture to introduce many individuals to the fun and adventure of sailing double outrigger canoes.
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The Meermark M17 Double Outrigger Sailing Canoe
by Thomas Meermark
How the Meermark M17 Came to Be…
We think sailing has become too complicated and the entry level to the sport (we all love) has become too unobtainable for a lot of people. How many people, young or old, are going to be comfortable learning how to right a beach catamaran or dinghy in the middle of a lake or bay on their 1st day out? Or have the athleticism to scramble from side to side to keep their boat from turning over in the 1st place? We all know if people don’t enjoy their 1st experience sailing then the likelihood of them ever wanting to try it again is virtually zero.
We don’t think this needs to be the case, so we set out to provide the joy of sailing safely in its purest and simplest form. Inspired by the speed, stability and simplicity of outrigger sailing canoes that have been in use for 1000’s of years across the world, we designed the M17.
Sleek hulls that move easily through the water, a simple but modern sail that can be easily controlled with 1 line, foot pedal steering and the ability to paddle when the wind dies down.
We’re trying to get more boats on the water and widen the reach of our sport, to allow everyone the opportunity to give it a go.
About the Meermark Brand…
Nothing fancy here, just a combination of our names!
The Designer of this Boat…
Multihull designer Kurt Hughes.
This boat is constructed from…
Polyethylene for its durability and indestructibility.
Desired Features of this Boat as Opposed to Many Others Currently on the Market…
Simple, Safe, Fun. While there are many other trimarans out there, none offer the ease of use, performance and ability to excite not only the1st time sailor, but seasoned sailors as well – in our opinion!
Go to any boat show and you can see how many of today’s boat manufacturers try to improve on their competitors by adding “something more” to their boats to distance themselves from one another, thereby making boats that are ever more complicated.
Our approach was the opposite. To quote Antoine de Saint-Exupery; “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
Dis-assembly for either Trailering or Car-topping…
The whole boat can be assembled and ready to sail in 20-30 minutes. Trailering is easy and car topping on the proper vehicle is possible.
US Distributor for the Meermark will Be…
In the Washington D.C. area
The Main thing for Potential Customers to Know about this Boat…
Whether you are a 1st time or experienced sailor, you will enjoy the speed, simplicity, stability and dry ride that the M17 provides. This makes it a boat that you can truly enjoy (with your entire family), whether or not you’ve ever tried sailing before.
More about the Meermark…
We have a website (www.meermark.com) and Facebook page which host pictures and videos of the M17; we would welcome people’s comments on our boat.
