sail kit for shearwater takedown kayak

So, I took my skerry out on the water yesterday. I have never been so happy about a boats draft in my life! Lake was low and in and out was only possible b/c of the awesome draft.

As I was on the water I was looking up at the lug rig sail and thought "would this be to big to put on a kayak?

I am building the shearwater sectional and, always a glutton for punishment, it would be nice to be able to choose sailing craft. My plan would be to add a middle section to the shearwater that goes between the cockpit and the forward section that has the mast support and the outrigger connections.

Between the stern section and the cockpit would be a small section for the aft outrigger.

I would be using a different, shorter, mast.

Am I crazy? has anyone thought about doing this before? has anyone modified a shearwater sectional by adding compartments?


6 replies:

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RE: sail kit for shearwater takedown kayak

   Dmiddad,

 

I recommend the Sailrig 70 kit with the proper reinforcements made. The Skerry lug has an area of 62 square feet while the largest sailrig is purposely built for your intentions and is slightly larger, with a higher aspect ratio for better performance speed-wise.

 

Best,

Cody

RE: sail kit for shearwater takedown kayak

   Wow - that's going to be interesting.  The idea sounds very unique to me.  A kayak that turns into a sailing yak by adding some sectional pieces.  You didn't mention adding a rudder, which if you don't already have one seems you'll certainly need - and rigging that through the sectional piece for the aft ama/outrigger will take some thinking through, especially in a way that makes conversion between sailing and kayaking confiugurations easy to accomplish. Maybe route the cable sheaths externally over everything aft of the cockpit?

And I've never built or owned a sectional, but remember you'll be adding quite a bit of torque and bending moment loading to the sectional connections.  It sounds like your forward outrigger and mast step will all be in the same section and you can therefore make that beefy enough, but you'll have the aft outrigger section trying to create some twisting forces on the cockpit sectional connections.  You'll also end up with a boat that is at least a couple of feet longer overall.  As you go over waves, there might be times only each end of the boat, or only the middle is fully supported.  (This is called "hogging" and "sagging" and might be the first time I've constructively used those terms since I learned them back in NROTC Naval Science 102 class - where our (silly) LT instructor told us we needed to know this cheer when we reported aboard our first seagoing assignment: "Trim and Drain!  Metacentric height! Get up, QUALIFY, fight-fight-fight!" Some things you never forget....)  Back to the topic at hand: Especially with the sail rig itself creating some "keelbreaking" type fore and aft forces (not just lateral) as it bounces around or as you run downwind you'll again be demanding a lot of your sectional connections.

Even with all this said, I say, "Go for it!"

RE: sail kit for shearwater takedown kayak

   previous post by Bubblehead

RE: sail kit for shearwater takedown kayak

 Thanks guys,

This is, of course, in the concept phase. I wanted to reuse the sail because this would dramatically reduce the cost of a new sail as well as the storage of sails. The kit defiantly has some advantages, but it looks like it would not be the best match for the shearwater sectional.

The sectional is a much beefer craft due to the additional bulkheads. the torsional stress is something to consider, for the aft cross beam I would think of putting it on a hinge or tied on, this should reduce stress to the added section with the mast.

For the forward mast section I would make it beefy and with additional buoyancy, I fully expect to need to adjust the almas forward and aft to find the right balance so I don't dig in.

I would plan on having either two rudders at the ends of the alma, or a dagger rudder in the aft additional section.

If I do it I will be sure to post.

RE: sail kit for shearwater takedown kayak

   I don't know if you persued this sail kit idea since this discussion has been a year ago but I did build (building) a sail kit for my shearwater sectional.  I built a 40 as that what was recommended by CLC at the time.  A 70 that was recommended seems an extreme size for such a small kayak to me but then to each his own.  

I was able to position the Aka's on the center section forward position as recommended and then positioned the aft Aka on aft section of the kayak, just forward of the hatch.  No problems so far.

I am just now working on assembly of the mast and then rigging to finish.

Mike

 

 

 

RE: sail kit for shearwater takedown kayak

   

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