Re: [Paddlewise] kayak sails

From: Andrew Eddy <Andrew.Eddy_at_dfst.csiro.au>
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1998 10:42:11 +1000
At 09:28 3/04/98 -0800, you wrote:
>I own two folding kayaks. One an older(no longer made)tandem and a solo, 
>both from folbot. I have sailed the tandem for years, down wind only. 
>First using parafoil kites then a couple or so years ago added a small 
>spinnaker sail. I have wanted one of Mark Balogh's batwing rigs for 
>sometime but $$ has gotten in the way. After going and checking out what 
>you people are doing has gave me hope!

My sprit-sail cost about $35. The mast and boom were scraps of 20 mm OD
aluminium tubing. The sail-cloth and double sided tape were from the
sail-maker, of course! The end-plugs and joints were nylon bimini-top
fittings.

The deck reinforcing consists of a fibreglass knee-tube and a core-mat and
chop-strand rib from gunwale to gunwale. Total weight is 700 g (25 oz) for
the sail and mast, and 600g (22 oz) for the extra fibregalss in the deck.

>
>Do you know of anyone fitting one of the sprit sails on a folding kayak? 

There is a back-issue of the Folding Kayak Newsletter (ask Ralph Diaz)
which shows a sail rig, complete with lee-boards, on a Feathercraft K1.

>I noticed in the pictures that all the kayaks appeared to be hard shell.

They are all fibreglass. If I were to fit any sort of sail rig to my
Feathercraft, I would start back at the parafoils.

>If so, do you know what size sail they used?
>Also, I saw no lee boards.. How close to wind can most sail with out 
>them, or is this even a thought there..?

Of course it is a thought. My fibreglass boat can run under sail while
pointed 15 degrees into the wind, with a true course exactly across the wind. 

The friend who built the same rig as mine, at the same time, has a boat
which tracks a lot better, and can make a true course about 10 degrees
higher. 

The paddler who took his Scupper Pro, with sail rig, out to Broughton
Island a few weeks ago can point even higher. 

>
>Thanks for your time and any information you can feed me!
>
>Good fall WX to you!
>
>James, in sunny, windy, springtime New Mexico..
>
>
>
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Received on Sun Apr 05 1998 - 17:34:20 PDT

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