[Paddlewise] Sailing Your Klepper [ A Little Too Long ]

Hi All,

 I have been reading this thread with interest.  Some of the older PW
correspondents may remember my description of my Klepper sail rig, [ for my
single ], but I have been intrigued to read of those who carry the larger,
traditional, or the Balogh designs.
For some years now I have used what we call the Tasmanian rig; which is
basically a lugsail on a free-standing mast, ie, with no stay supports,  no
leeboards, and no pontoons.   Folks with hardshells down here in Australia and
New Zealand invariably use variations of this design, usually with the mast on
a hinged step and the whole rig can be lifted or de-mounted in moments.
No-one I know down here has either the standard Klepper rig, or the Balogh.
I use the standard Klepper mast step with a short hollow tube [ a piece of
carbon fibre paddle shaft actually] which rises a couple of inches off the top
of the mast step, and is held firmly to the baseboard bottom mast mount with
shock cord. My mast slips inside this shaft.
I simply slip my mast with sail attached into the mast step when I want to
sail, and de-mount it when I don't.  Rigging and de-rigging this set-up takes
seconds. It gives me the ability to convert from sailed kayak to paddled kayak
in mere seconds.  I have a 'wardrobe' of three sized sails,  fair weather,
moderate weather, and what I laughably call my Force Eight...  and I take one
or two, or whatever I think will suit the weather on the day, or trip.
My mast is made of ... wait for it... bamboo!!!!.... cut down in a secret
location not far from where I live... and carefully trimmed and fitted.
Bamboo gives me an ultra-light wooden mast with built-in watertight
compartments!,  with great flex, ... and if the going gets too tough, the
ability to break without breaking other gear. I get a couple of seasons use
out of a mast, and keep a couple spare ready for use.  If I break a mast [ and
I have only once, in the surf!!] it costs me .... nothing... to replace it.
 This all began as an experiment, designed to produce the most efficient kayak
sailing rig for the least amount of dollars. I even used cut-down windsurfer
sails, bought second hand and ridiculously cheaply, for my sails, thinking
that if the idea proved OK, I would get some made up by a sailmaker.  I
haven't seen the need for this.
It is all shockingly low tech and simple, but somehow it seems to suit the
Klepper ethos... without paying the big bucks for their rig.  Of course it
would be fun to try out the Balogh rigs, but they are also prohibitively
expensive for non US buyers.
As for actual sailing: people often ask about lee slippage when on a tight
reach.  Yes, you do get some, but not as much as you might expect.  Once you
get the feel of a Klepper under sail, you can 'dig' the lee sponson in,  and
use your lee rail to reduce slippage; so much so, that I don't find marked
inefficiency.  Given the extra mucking around that leeboards, and pontoons
mean,  I am happy with trading off slight sailing inefficiency for quick and
dirty rig and de-rig.
My sailing is always on an open ocean, so for me the ability to down sails
quickly if neccessary, or even de-power the boat by dropping down a size in
the sail [and vice versa of course,] has proved a boon.
I write this in some detail in case there are new Klepper owners out there who
are interested...  Happy  to receive feedback, thoughts etc... as I write,  I
think of folks with doubles and perhaps how they could set up a twin mast-sail
rig... it has been done!!!
An end note: the weakness in my set up is the standard ' river ' Klepper
rudder which I still stubbornly use.  I have my own home-made deeper fin
rudder design in pieces  in my garage, waiting for final inspiration and
energy to get it going.  Obviously the standard rudder has limitations in
rougher waters and higher winds and higher speeds.  Yawing and rounding up in
a big swell with a decent following wind is the dead give-away of an
inefficient rudder...
I hope this is of interest to the 'sailing' fraternity...
Regards, Peter Rattenbury, Wollongong, Australia.
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