Re: Sailing the Mill Cree

Posted by Charlie on Dec 5, 2007

You didn't say but I'm assuming you are not talking about a downwind rig. There is a guy on another site that has been playing around with a stowable sailing rig on a kayak for more than a year and I don't think he is close to figuring it out. Stowage should be possible if you can break everything down into small enough pieces. But, that's a big if. I would think that you would first choose a rig that would be most easily broken down but still be stout enough to withstand the punishment of the wind. Sailboats require a good sized rudder and some kind of fin to sail properly. If they are too small they won't sail well. Next, there is the question of dissassembly while on the water. I sail an 8' pram with a smallish sail (8' mast and 8' sprit boom)and I don't think I could stand up and wrestle the thing apart while afloat. If you are sailing without an outrigger you would certainly have to have a set-up that gives you complete and quick control of all the elements. How complicated the controls are depends on how much you can move around. There was a small S&G sailing canoe sold in Britain that was so tight inside it had to be sailed seated. Control of the rudder, dagger and sail were obviously well thought out. Everything fell to hand so the pilot could make instant adjustments if conditions went to hell. I only learned to sail about three years ago and The process can best be described as "if things can go wrong they will". Stupid little errors got me into much bigger trouble in an instant. I never went into the water but that was just dumb luck.

In Response to: Sailing the Mill Creek 13 by Jim Raffini on Dec 4, 2007

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