Re: [Paddlewise] kayak sails

First of all, thanks to all the people who replied to my survey on kayak
sails.  I was surprised but the number of responses to the list and
directly to me.  I enjoyed hearing from you all.  Not a surprise was
that the only negative or derogatory comments about kayak sailing come
from someone who has never tried it.  Since one purpose of the list is
to disseminate reliable information, I think I will take the time to
disagree with one of the replys. I want to go on record as being a boat
lover.  I don't think our different preferences in boats and boat use
should seperate us the way it seems they sometime do. First I will agree
with most of what Andrew Eddy said in his reply to Doug.  I would like
to reply to some of it myself.

> I think that you need to be a paddler, or a sailor. It's tough to be both.
> If you're with a group, everyone needs to have about the same sailing rig.
> Otherwise, the paddlers are making a pretty much straight line to the
> destination, and the sailors are tacking all over the place.

Well I disagree, I am a paddler and a sailor.  It is not tough to be
both. I would agree that it's desirable for most people in a group to be
more closely matched in skills and equipment.  It is perhaps better not
to mix kayakers of different skill levels or sailors and paddlers. Of
course sailors usually only tack when going into the wind.  But as is
obvious, in light wind, the sailors can paddle and keep up but in
favorable wind, good bye to the paddlers.  That's one of the nice things
about kayak sailing, when it's light you can paddle and when it blows,
you can sail.

> It also takes a lot of modification to make a kayak into a mean sailing
> machine. As a former high-performance windsurfer, I'd rather be paddling
> than putting along in a mild breeze and having swimming ducks casually pass
> me. To do it right, you'd need pontoons to put up some serious yardage. I
> have no idea as to how you'd get a kayak with a big, fixed sail upright
> after tipping over, either. Which you'd do a lot. Remember how unstable
> kayaks are just to sit in?

Whoa Doug,  these seem like reasons you don't want to sail a kayak,
rather than reasons not to.  To agree with Andrew, sailing silently
among birds is sometimes nice.  On narrow kayaks you might want
outriggers, (not pontoons, pontoons are floats with the boat on top).
One of our sailing kayaks is 22" wide for paddling and 12' wide for
sailing.  No stability problem there.

> IOW, if you want to get serious about sailing, get a sailboat. You could
> probably pick up a used sailboat that could blow the doors off of any kayak
> for a couple hundred bucks. If you want an occasional free push from the
> wind, get the most minimal rig possible, and be prepared for the ire of
> your paddling partners as you diddle around with it.

Sorry Doug, must disagree again. First, a sailboat and a sailing kayak
are not at all the same.  A sailing kayak can be paddled or sailed and
is very portable.  Two of my sail kayaks can be checked as luggage on an
airplane. Try that with a sailboat.  Second, I have sailed one of my
souped up sail kayaks at 15 knots, there are many sailboats that won't
ever see the teens. Sailing kayaks are not like sailboards, ultimate
speed is not the goal.  With a sailboard, there is almost no use for one
outside of speed or surf sailing.  That doesn't mean one shouldn't sail
a sailboard. I sailed sailboards and designed and built sails for them
for over 10 years and think they are great but I wouldn't go touring on
one.  Sailing kayaks are versitile, viable, recreational and expedition
watercraft. I just outfitted yet another kayak for an 850 mile arctic
kayak trip. There is also Lindemann who sailed and paddled
transatlantic. The list of kayak sailing achievements goes on and is as
impressive as any other sport. I'm not even suggesting you try one, it's
certainly not for everyone, but maybe you would be better off to try one
before making such broad negative comments.  Kayak sailing just like
kayak paddling stand on their own.
I don't want to create any animosity between paddlers and sailors, some
of my best friends are paddlers, I actually own and use several
paddles.  I just want to set the record straight. We are generally a
non-evangalistic sect, but are defensive when provoked.  Sorry to get so
wordy, I am going to put my soap box away now.

Good sailing or paddling
Mark

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