My partner and I have Feathercraft K-1's and we're considering using sails for the Sea of Cortez this winter. On our Mulege to Loreto paddle last year, Nike golf umbrellas were sweet, but they didn't last out the year. Our K-1's have sail fixtures, I assume, for the feathercraft sail, about which I know nothing. Ralph Diaz mentions BSD Batwings. Any K-1 sailors out there have any experience, gossip, etc., about different sails? Weight and size are critical, since flying the kayaks, gear and food down to Loreto is already a grunt. Doug Montgomery San Francisco *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
DMon707_at_aol.com wrote: > > My partner and I have Feathercraft K-1's and we're considering using sails for > the Sea of Cortez this winter. On our Mulege to Loreto paddle last year, Nike > golf umbrellas were sweet, but they didn't last out the year. Our K-1's have > sail fixtures, I assume, for the feathercraft sail, about which I know > nothing. Ralph Diaz mentions BSD Batwings. Any K-1 sailors out there have any > experience, gossip, etc., about different sails? Weight and size are critical, > since flying the kayaks, gear and food down to Loreto is already a grunt. Since my name has come up, I thought I would elaborate some. The K-1 can and has been rigged by several individuals to use the Balogh Batwing sail. That is a sail rig able to point into or sail into the wind. The first was a fellow from Ontario who used just about the smallest Batwing (I think 18 sq ft if my memory serves me well). He took the special fitting that Feathercraft will fit in the deck top bar for using the Feathercraft Genoa sail and used it for the Balogh mast. The sail had a slight forward pitch due to the angle of the bow deck bar. For stability in sailing he counted on two things. 1) he had the boat full of camping gear...he was sailing north in the Canadian Arctic and had lots of it and 2) he used SeaWing sponsons. This was a quick approach to the task. It used the detached blades of the 4-piece paddle as leeboards. 2) The second setup was by a fellow in Georgia who put in the full Batwing rig, about 28 sq ft or bigger with the BOSS outriggers, large standard leeboard, the works. It required some welding and specially engineered pieces to beef up the front frame as well as holes in the deck to support the struts holding the outrigger bar. He is an engineer and designed this himself plus had the equipment and materials from his job to make this custom job himself. Both worked well. The first fellow has since, I understand, moved toward something like the second fellow's. The second fellow recently sold his K-1 and Batwing and basically gotten out of kayaking. He advertised it in my newsletter but I don't know if it sold through it or via some other means. These are the only two such upwind setups that I am aware of for the K-1. Both were fully written up in my newsletter and I would be happy to fax the articles to any one who is interested. Feathercraft is in the process, or already has, developed an upwind sail. I am not certain where it is at exactly. The Genoa and kites and other such rigs will give you a nice boost if you are going with the wind or on a broad reach. Some setups can come around to just about a beam reach but you need a leeboard to prevent your boat from sliding across the water sideways when attempt that beam reach. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
For sailing info in general check out these fabulous guys at the MAATSUYKER CANOE CLUB- Sailing Rigs for Tasmanian Sea Kayaks http://www.vision.net.au/~jennings/sail/sail.html They have some great info available and you will want to visit their web page and spend an hour enjoying there wonderful photo album. Great stuff! Best Regards, Philip Wylie ______________________________________________________________ DMon707_at_aol.com wrote: > My partner and I have Feathercraft K-1's and we're considering using sails for > the Sea of Cortez this winter. On our Mulege to Loreto paddle last year, Nike > golf umbrellas were sweet, but they didn't last out the year. Our K-1's have > sail fixtures, I assume, for the feathercraft sail, about which I know > nothing. Ralph Diaz mentions BSD Batwings. Any K-1 sailors out there have any > experience, gossip, etc., about different sails? Weight and size are critical, > since flying the kayaks, gear and food down to Loreto is already a grunt. > Doug Montgomery > San Francisco > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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