Gear & Accessories » Paddling Gear |
WindPaddle Kayak Sail |
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At CLC we've been fooling with sailing kayaks as long as we've been paddling. After years of development, the CLC SailRig has proven itself as a thoroughly well-sorted-out upwind sailing rig. However, it's a lot of stuff to build and add. We've watched "downwind" rigs---sails meant purely as auxiliary power when the wind is fair---come and go in the marketplace. A lot of them were kludgy, took up a lot of space, expensive, and required fastening ugly hardware to your deck. The WindPaddle folks have got it right. What really attracted us is that you can use it on any kayak with simple deck rigging---a crisscross of bungie, etc. Snap the WindPaddle loosely to your deck rigging, then deploy. Secondly, this thing folds up into a tiny package that you can just leave sitting on your deck until you need it. Under sail, it's low enough and small enough not to pose stability risks to touring or recreational kayaks. Be sure to watch the video of Ed practicing with the sail on a Wood Duck 12 (below). If there's enough wind, you'll sail faster than you can paddle. Rudders aren't necessary, since you can hold the control lines and your paddle at the same time, making corrections or just "motor-sailing." We offer two WindPaddle sail models, the smaller Scout and the larger Adventure. There are several color choices for both models in the drop-down menu.
WindPaddle Scout Sail
WindPaddle Adventure Sail
Sail Data:
The WindPaddle offers the following advantages over all other kayak or canoe downwind rigs:
"Most important for me is the versatility of the Windpaddle. You can use it on any craft and it doesn’t turn a kayak or canoe into a complex, heavy sailing craft ."- Hans H. (Holland) |