Kayak Sailing - A Trend That's Catching On  

A trend that’s been catching on with many paddlers lately is that of adding a sail to their kayak. Sails can be a great way to keep moving even when you’re tired -- especially when you’re on a multi-day tour and you’re not as young as you used to be. And a whole new breed of kayak sailors are emerging out of the wind surfing and board sailing crowd.

Some manufacturers, like Hobie Kayaks, are even offering sails as optional accessories for their sit-on-top kayaks. And there are dozens of options for adding a sail to an existing boat.

Now there are two main types of kayak sails - a compact downwind spinnaker, or kite sail, which is primarily used to catch a handy tail wind while touring. Or you can opt for a full sailing rig with a boom that will allow you to sail around in circles if you want. We’re going to refer to the first type of sail in this article.

Kayak sails are particularly well-suited to the sit-on-top variety of kayaks. Sit-on-tops, or SOTs, have open cockpits that are extremely easy to wet exit and get back into after a roll. They’re also very stable in the first place, and so less likely to capsize in a sudden gust of wind.

If you’re new to the idea of using a sail on your kayak, and you want to experiment (or you think that full-blown sailing should be left to sailboats), you’ll probably want to start out with a compact spinnaker type of sail. The learning curve is less with a spinnaker sail, and they can be used effectively in winds of up to 15 knots or more with experience. Some of these types of sails are controlled by attaching control lines to the shaft of your paddle, which keeps your hands on the paddle for bracing if the need should arise.

Another advantage to spinnaker sails is that they’re easily taken down in sharp, gusty winds. These sails generally use a flexible mount, which allows the sail to drop down to the cockpit for quick furling and securing. That way you’re not stuck with a rigid-mounted sail flailing about in a suddenly-nasty headwind.

Kayak sails are normally mounted on the foredecks of kayaks. This is another consideration when deciding on what type of sail to buy. The larger, more elaborate, “free standing” sails need to be placed relatively close to the paddler (especially if he/she doesn’t have long arms). This can be a problem on SOTs, as they have no covering deck on which to mount this type of sail. On SOTs, the best place to mount a free standing sail is on the deck ahead of the foot wells, which would normally be too far away from the paddler to allow unfurling or taking down while seated. This is not a problem with spinnaker sails, however, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, and they can even be mounted in the SOT’s cockpit if necessary.

With many of the spinnaker sails, no drilling or hard mounting to the deck is necessary. They come with a universal deck mount clip that’s adjustable and attaches securely to the eyelets or deck lines on your kayak. This makes attaching and removing the rig easily, and you can move it from boat to boat with a minimum of work. A typical spinnaker sail, with components, weighs about 20 to 25 pounds.

As for the sailing itself, you’ll probably want to use one in conjuction with a rudder on your kayak. A rudder allows you to adjust your course so that you’re not always headed straight down wind (also known as tacking for the sailing inclined).

Once you’re off the beach and out into open water, you’ll need to unfurl your sail (make sure you’re pointed down wind) and then raise it into position. You’ll want to stow your paddle in a paddle park or on a leash when you do this, as it requires both hands, especially in a strong wind. Once you have the sail in place, you’ll want to clip the control lines to your paddle, which you’ll use to move the sail back and forth.

With the sail fully raised, you should be catching a good amount of wind at this point. You’ll notice the pull against your paddle shaft, and you’ll want to adjust the angle of the sail in order to get the full benefit of the wind; keeping the sail in a fully erect position will provide the most sailing power.

If the wind is particularly strong, or suddenly gusty, you can lower the sail so that it angles down, slightly toward the bow. This will reduce the wind’s power, and give you more control and help prevent an unwanted capsize. When it’s time to stop, or return to normal paddling, all you need do is lower the rig into your lap, remove the control lines from your paddle, and then stow the sail.

In conclusion, a spinnaker or kite sail can be a valuable addition to your paddling arsenal, especilly if you’re into kayak touring and you’d like to add a little wind power to your next excursion (and maybe even save your shoulders in the process!)





 

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