Ama

For the town in Japan see Ama, Shimane

AMA is also a common abbreviation; see AMA

An ama is an outrigging float on a proa or trimaran resembling a small sealed kayak or canoe. On a proa, the ama may provide lift or ballast, depending on whether it is designed to be used to leeward or windward; on a trimaran it is designed to provide lift. There are many shapes of amas, the simplest being long slender equilateral triangles shapes, progressing to more rounded wedge-shaped designs. The most advanced amas are composed of highly curved surfaces which generate lift when driven forward through the water, much like an airplane wing.

The term ama comes from the proa. The vaka is the main hull, the ama is the outrigger, and the aka is the support connecting the two hulls. The term aka has also been applied to modern trimarans.

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