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I  just can't stop monkeying around.

Today I was able to raise the new sail and spars I made for my canoe.  I was thinking that because I was having so much luck with the rig I had at winds over 20 mph,  I should make a new one that would need to be seriously reefed at that wind speed.  I didn't want to change things too much so I used the original sail as a pattern and increased it by almost 40 percent.  I haven't calculated the sail area yet, but just by eyeballing the two overlaid on each other, it is quite a step up.  I expect to add two reefs to this sail, but I will wait until I have sailed it to see how much I want to take it down.  I put one pleat in the tack and shaped the foot and head of this sail.  I  don't know if I did it right, but what little wind puffed it out this morning seemed to make a nice shape, so we'll see.  The el cheapo tarp I used looks like it will stretch out in weird ways, but not before I figure out if this is going to work.

My original spars were not even close to being long enough for the new sail, so I made all new ones.  The mast and yard are both hollow cooper style sticks.  My cooper gaff on Duckie is working so well and doesn't seem to be in any danger of breaking that I decided to use the same technique for these.  Because I had already made that gaff, I had pieces that I could use to set the table saw with, so it turned out to be much easier than before to cut the slats.  I simply set the blade angle to match what had already worked and set the rip fence to either wider than that or narrower to make the two inch round mast and the inch and three eights yard.  I made the mast slats 5/16s thick and the yard just under 1/4 inch.  Even though the mast is 10 foot 6 inches, it weighs just about the same as the 7 foot 8 inch mast I used before.  To me the yard is shockingly light.  It might be too big as far as windage goes, but I have great confidence that it will not break.  They seem to pull the sail tight evenly with no strain on them, so I might be in good shape. 

The pictures show what it looks like and are pretty much what I am going to use to test it.  I don't plan to put much more time into this until I get a chance to sail it.  I probably won't even put any varnish on it before then.  Later this week the forecast is for winds under 10 mph so i'll get a chance then.  Even if it doesn't work out, I will have learned something from the experience. 

And it was fun.

Al

I really enjoyed your post! What kind of canoe is that? If it's a Nichols design which model is it? The whole rig is beautiful!

You got it.  It is a Nichols' Lutra canoe, 14 footer.  I built it to learn about glued lapstrake construction, and then needed to find a use for it.  Since then it has been a test platform for my ideas.  So far I can't say that I am thrilled with the balanced lug when it comes to going to windward, but that is probably due to me not building the sails right.  If this one works out, I am going to have to design and build a deck for the canoe because when I really get her going, water comes off the leeboard and over the gunnel fast enough to swamp me in a few minutes. 

Al

Wellp, the latest iteration of my balanced lug rig has solved all my problems with sailing to windward.  I took the new rig out in conditions that varied from "wind, what wind, to hey pay attention here".  When I got the chance to sail to windward with some steady wind of almost 10 mph, I was able to sail at or better than 45 degrees from apparent.  Good enough.  I pinched higher, but it wasn't worth it.  the acceleration and outright speed was at or better than twice what I could get before.  Heeling wasn't any more of a problem than it was with the smaller sail, but the weight of the sheet in my hand was a good bit heavier: about twice as heavy.  There was a bit more weather helm than before, but I can fix that by playing with the leeboard.  All in all, it was a good day.  I now have an idea of where to put the reef points, and am confident that if the tarp will survive, I can still sail in some pretty good wind.  Now all I have to do is figure out how to keep the water from splashing over the gunnel and into my lap.

Al

Perhaps you could fabricate a spray cover similar to the cover used on a Klepper or Longhaul open cockpit double kayak. Maybe a system of snaps to secure it. I've also seen spray covers on several open canoes travelling the north shore trips on Lake Superior near Pukaskwa Nat Pk in Canada.

Yeah, I have the plans for a cover from years ago.  For some reason I have yet to define, it just doesn't sit well with me.  I may end up going that route, but for now, I am going to toss it around some more.  I did make a little plywood skirt that I mounted in front of the lee board which did do the trick pretty well.

I took the boat out yesterday to test the new skirt and the new rig in some higher winds.  I thought I was going to get away with 10 to 15 mph but ended up 15 to 25 mph.  If I had reef points, I would have tucked in a reef.  As it was the new sail did pretty well even though it was over powered pretty badly at times.  At one point though, I must have had it dialed in because the bow was throwing a wave as high as the gunnel like a PT boat.  I added a nice sturdy outhaul on the boom which once I remembered to tighten it, did the trick with the gusts.  The last thing I did was a straight downwind run.  Nothing beats a square sail when running downwind.  The surfing was a real blast.  And letting the sheet fly right before beaching the boat, was the simplest perfect maneuver I've ever done.  The sail spun around the mast and weathervaned backwards as I slid up on the beach nice and easy.  Can't do that with a Weekender.

Probably the best thing about sailing this canoe is that I am learning to be more confident in tougher conditions.  For some reason, I am more willing to challenge higher winds and brutal gusts in that boat.  Maybe it is because I don't fear the consequences of a capsize in a boat that I can simply sit in and bail out if it goes over.  It is paying off with the weekender.  I never would have stood Duckie on her ear and let her dig in like I did when I hit over 6 mph, without building up to it in the canoe.

Al

I searched and found my copy of Lapstrake Canoes that I bought a few years ago............ and there are the plans for the Lutra. What is the weight of your boat? I also quickly calculated that using first class materials, the boat would cost $1000 or more to build ( in Canada )
I hauled my Weekender out of the water yesterday and put it away for the season so now I'm concentrating on sailing my Klepper/Longhaul double kayak. It's a sloop setup, working jib and main for a total of 55sq feet. and I use outriggers. I hate to say it but it seems faster and sails closer to the wind than my Weekender of Vacationer plus I can launch it anywhere. No trailer required........I just throw in into the back of my pickup. When I go to the U.S. for the winter I just fold it up in 3 packs and it stores in my RV.

I used regular ACX from Menards which was at the time about 18 dollars a sheet.  I used CDX for the strongback  which was under 10 dollars a sheet and the epoxy was free.  The boat came out to be around 60 lbs I suppose.  I never weighed it.  I suppose it would have been lighter if I had used el cheapo luan instead, but I wanted it to be at least somewhat tough.  Even with the heavier materials I can carry it on one shoulder without too much trouble.  I did glass the bottom inside and out up to the first lap joint.  Other than that, I spread thickened epoxy over the other strakes and painted it.  Because it is a wooden boat I have to baby it more than my Kevlar canoes, but I don't feel bad about it.  I haven't figured out a way to car top it, so I haul it around on a trailer.  The trailer facilitates set up and I don't have to lift the boat at all.  However, the trailer is beating the living hell out of the canoe.  I am considering taking it to Stockton lake in Missouri in a few weeks, but I am afraid it won't survive the road trip. 

I have a Wind X that I can use on any of my boats, and I do use it a lot.  Looking at that, I can say that all of my  boats point pretty much same.  The canoe has a leeboard that is one meter long and 14 inches wide, as opposed to my two shallow draft keel boats, but it doesn't point as reliably as my weekender.  It is now pretty close, but not any better.  The new sail has made a huge difference, and maybe it would do better if I was a better sailor.  I am learning to appreciate the balanced lug for its ease of use and inherent safety, but I still need to learn to make it perform.

I have noticed that my weekender seems to be pointing better since I made the new gaff.  I also noticed that sail twist has been reduced with the new gaff.  It looks like the design of the gaff jaws has made it somewhat self vanging.  The new jaws get pressed into the shrouds and the farther they go, the tighter they get.  This prevents the top of the sail from twisting off as much as before.  There is a fair amount of chafe, but so far it is just paint that I have to repair from time to time.  All I can say is that Duckie is performing better this year and I don't think I can take credit for that. 

I rather doubt that I will ever be without a sailing canoe.  For convenience and safety, nothing touches them in my book.  If somehow I destroy the one I have, I will probably buy a Royalex canoe and convert it to sailing.  I won't have to baby that one. 

Al

I rather doubt that I will ever be without a sailing canoe.  For convenience and safety, nothing touches them in my book.  If somehow I destroy the one I have, I will probably buy a Royalex canoe and convert it to sailing.  I won't have to baby that one. 

Al
[/quote]    That's exactly how I see it. One can stay close to shore and get out of trouble in a hurry. Plus if the wind is going crazy
you can fine a small pond or river to paddle that day. No launch ramp required.