Editing Proa (section)

===Lee pods===
[[Image:Lee pod.gif|thumb|right|Diagram of a proa with a lee pod]]
The terms ama and aka have been adopted for the modern [[trimaran]]. Since trimarans are generally designed to sail with one ama out of the water, they are similar to an Atlantic proa, with the buoyant leeward ama providing the bulk of the stability for the long, relatively thin main hull. Some modern proa designers have borrowed trimaran design elements for use in proas.  Trimarans often have main hulls that are very narrow at the waterline, and flare out and extend over a significant portion of the akas.  This topheavy design is only practical in a multihull, and it has been adapted by some proa designers.  Notable examples are the designs of Russell Brown, a boat-fittings maker who designed and built his first proa, ''Jzero'', in the mid-1970s.  He has created a number of proa designs, all of which follow the same theme.

One of the design elements which Brown used, and a number of other designers have copied, is the ''lee pod''.  The akas extend past the main hull and out to the lee side, and provide support for a cabin extending to the lee of the main hull.  This is similar to the platform extending to the lee on some Micronesian proas.  The lee pod serves two purposes—it can be used for bunk space or storage, and it provides additional buoyancy on the lee side to prevent a capsize should the boat heel too far.  Crew can also be moved onto the lee pod to provide additional heeling force in light winds, allowing the ama to lift under circumstances when it would not otherwise. The ''Jzero'' also used water ballast in the ama to allow the righting moment to be significantly increased if needed. While Brown's proa was designed to be a cruising yacht, not a speed-sailing boat, the newer {{convert|36|ft|m|adj=on}} ''Jzerro'' is capable of speeds of up to {{convert|21|kn|km/h}}.