BYYB Forums

I'm  finishing up construction on a lapstrake canoe that I started just to learn some new construction skills, but now think that I will make a sailing canoe out of it.  I am building one of Dave Nichol's lutra canoes and to my eye it looks like a great platform for mounting a sailing rig.  The problem is what kind?  There are more types of rigs that have been used on canoes over time than I can get my head around.  So, I am putting out feelers about what would be the best type for me start with. 

I am going to be an  active sailor in this boat so I am looking for more than a little downwind sail.  I am going to mount a lee board and rudder on the boat so it will be a full on sail boat.  I like the balanced lug rig that I have seen on a number of very small boats, but a sprit sail is appealing too.  A bat wing might be fun to design and build as would be a junk rig.  I probably will cruise in this boat, so versatility in all conditions would be very important.  If any of you have any experience in a sailing canoe I would greatly appreciate your input. 

Al Stead

Check with Michael Storer in Australia. He has a down and dirty, simple canoe rig that might be just what you need.

http://www.storerboatplans.com/Canoebits/KayakRig.html

any pics of the canoe?

This is one on one of Michael Storer's kayak designs.



It's a simple lug, with leeboard and I assume a paddle used as a rudder.



This looks to be a wholesome canoe with rudimentary appendages. I've also seen photos of a few with a jib rigged up too.

Thanks Paul,

I liked what I saw of how a balanced lug rig handles in some interesting conditions in the Straits of Mackinaw.  That is probably the rig that I will start off with.  Now I just have to figure out the construction particulars for the sail and the appendages.  I won't get too fancy, at least not yet, and I will keep it adjustable.  I understand that I may have to move things around in order to balance the rig. 

Thanks agin.

Al

As with all small, light sailboats, you'll have to find a trim that works. This could be as simple as shifting your butt around, until the sweet spot is revealed or moving the mast and/or leeboard to make the boat balance. With a setup like this,  it's usually as simple as just moving the rudder (paddle) fore or aft to make her balance.

Greetings Al,

Here are some canoe rig examples from my browser bookmarks and recent photos:

The boys from Adirondack Guide Boats attended the 2013 edition of Strictly Sail at Navy Pier, and one of their guide boats was sporting a lugged sailing rig …



The Adirondack Guide Boats are a little bit beamer than traditional canoes as the gunwales have been pushed out enough to accept a proper pair of oarlocks for rowing. The extra width keeps the oar handles from knocking together mid stroke. The rigs are available separately from the guide boats.


http://www.adirondack-guide-boat.com/cat...ling-boats




The UK Home Built Boat Rally has members who concentrate on very small sail boats, including quite a few who sail canoes. The navigation panel on the right hand side of their web site (titled PAGES) contains links to photo collections of member boats at various events. Browse around and see what rigs other skippers are sailing.





Quite a few of the UKHBBR boats are from Selway Fisher, which also sells plans/kits for sailing canoes …


http://www.selway-fisher.com/Sailcanoe.htm#Lillie


Ditto for Chesapeake Light Craft


http://www.clcboats.com/shop/wooden-sailboat-kits/



A ready-to-bolt-on rig is available from Sail Boats To Go ...


http://www.sailboatstogo.com/catalog/canoe_rig

A few years back, we had a guy at the local sailing pond who had one of these, or something just like it. He sailed with a friend who owned a canoe with a home-made rig sporting a Snark sail.



But if you built a lapstrake canoe and finished it bright, then you might want to check out this very pretty boat …


http://intheboatshed.net/2007/06/12/oughtred-sailing-canoe-wins-2007-watercraft-boatbuilding-prize/



Some related reading …

http://canoeandkayaksailing.blogspot.com/
http://canoesailingmagazine.com/



But be forewarned in general about putting sailing rigs on canoes. Madness waits for you down that path. You will end up like Paul, feeling the need for speed; +20 knots with your hair on fire. There is a real danger that you will be seduced by how easily the skinny hulls are pushed across the water. Sailing canoes are like English sports cars, so close to the water that they enhance the sensation of speed. You might graduate from your cobbled together sailing contraption to skippering a real sailing canoe or worse, the Proa  …


Marshal Islands Proa



And from there, it is only a matter of time before you start playing around with the more traditional forms …


Horse's mouth

Cheers,
Tom

Ya know, I've spent all of my time on the water over my lifetime in canoes.  I would rather go out in my racing canoe in nasty conditions than my weekender.  I've done some things that I probably shouldn't have done, with no fear of a really bad outcome because I know how to handle my little bullets and get out of a tough spot if things go south on me.  That's not to say that I think I'm bullet proof, but I just don't get nervous anymore.  The same cannot be said for my sailboat.  The consequences of not keeping the wet stuff in the lake and not the boat are more than I am prepared for at this point, so my scphincter gets a good workout when the wind pipes up.  I am looking forward to learning more about sailing with a little less stress so that I can concentrate on wind and sail.  I expect to feel right at home in a canoe with a sail fairly quickly.  Also, a little speed will be fun. 

I have an ultra compact motorhome that boasts a whopping 110 hp under the hood.  I couldn't tow the weekender around the driveway with it.  I could however, load the canoe on top and take a sailboat with me where ever I go.  I can't wait. 

This is my second build, and it is going better than my first.  I'm using the same cheap lumber and plywood as I used on the sailboat, however, this time it seems to be taking to the job much better and is finishing vastly better than the weekender.  I am getting a little worried though, because I am not going to build a boat next winter and I need to find something to do.  Its getting so bad that I offered to train some sled dogs for my wife. 

Yikes,

Al

Paul Ricelli must be getting slower in his old age. I was expecting a comment about playing around with the traditional form in the bottom proa picture.

I saw it Keith, but I would have employed a polyester line for that photo.