Re: [Paddlewise] Sailing a Klepper

> By the way, here's Dal's URL: http://dalstanley.tripod.com/folbot.htm
>

I read his site a long time ago, - as I recall, his total sails area is
quite impressive.  May be even larger than in S4 (double Klepper rig), and
sure larger than in S1.  I wonder how fast such a boat would go with only
one mainsail, or mainsail + jib, and two people.  Wouldn't expect much,
particularly upwind.  I'm a bit disappointed in upwind handling of loaded
(few-days cargo) 17ft hardshell and 15 ft folder (both 25" wide) with 32
sq.ft Balogh rig (2.9 sq.m.).  In both boats I've installed the mast aft
(something that yachtsmen can't understand :-), because chances to get a
wind  between Vancouver Island and mainland are about 50% at best. Another
50% of time I have to paddle (that's why the mast is aft). It is also much
warmer to paddle than sail in most of BC summer time :-). At the most
optimistic side I would estimate upwind sailing of both boats about 60-65
degrees to upwind without much beam waves, unloaded, without even a sleeping
bag (considering straight headwind = 0 deg).
When loaded and with beam or head waves it becomes about 10-20 degrees -
little benefit compared to paddling. Yesterday I've got into combination of
headwind and head tidal current, and couldn't make any upwind - only
crosswind with some drift down the current (resulting course was equivalent
to 10-15 deg downwind). But it would be much harder to paddle same course,
after I stupidly tried to fight the current and headwind , paddling for two
hours, with sail lowered. Paddling a kayak with a double-arm outrigger is
about 50% less effective than without it, even if crossbar and leeboard
dosn't get into way like in my case. Add any cargo, waves and current, and
you get zero upwind paddling of such a trimaran. I suspect that this year
with record low tides in coastal BC currents are stronger.

You are right in your observation, - women often enjoy sailing more than
paddling, if they can compare and choose. I can understand them.

Open cockpit of Klepper allows for "hiking out", or at least sitting on
board, but of course with a tiller instead of pedals.  Operating pedals,
going downwind for hours with only one pedal pressed all the time, is
tiresome.  Not to mention inability to stand up or change your position for
a while.

> 20 x 20 mm aluminium tube (6063) would do as the arm that the outrigger
> attches to and the arm itself I clamped to the leeboard crossbar with
> Klepper-style J-clamps

If it is a round 20mm tube, 6 ft long at each board, length of Balogh
crossbar), it is too thin. It should be about 35 mm thick (1.5"). Square one
must be stronger, but less aerodinamically efective. There could be other
reasons why crossbars in such rigs and catamarans are mostly round-section
tubes.

> Sadly I forgot to turn the GPS on, but I'm pretty certain that we went
> supersonic at times :-)!

That's what big guys on yachts have been asking me (quite agressively :-)
all the time.  Then I've bought a GPS and measured - it is about 8 or 10
knots *downwind* (13-16 km/h) at best with such a configuration. 2-4 times
less on close upwind course (but crosswind sailing can be pretty fast).  I
would say, when I make10 knots downwind, it is already too cold (BC isn't
Florida), and too scary - if one arm or float of outrigger fails, capsize is
100% guaranteed.  My floats are inflatable, so they can fail. You can sail
with only one outrigger, and more effectively than with a double one, but
this needs more readiness and cooperation of both sailors - and, of course,
a tiller.  It needs warmer waters too :-).
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