Tales of Pseudo Sailing

[Guest]

I expect many paddlers, especially trippers, have tried some jury-rigged sail when a providential tailwind and route direction coincided, and I have seen some silly stuff attempted.

The best (most ineffectual) was a friend who attempted to make a spur of the moment sail from what he had readily on hand in the canoe.

I did not blame him, several of the other boats had small downwind sails, and it was the perfect tailwind day with miles to go.

However his strategy (word used loosely) of holding his shirt aloft via two paddle blades stuck in the sleeves had several design flaws. He was in a long lean and narrow solo canoe, and holding the sail aloft well back of best sail point. He needed both hands to hold the sail aloft. And needed to use both his primary and spare paddle to hold the sail aloft.

Hindu goddess Parvati he is not, and he did not have three paddles along in any case.

He had no directional control. His shirt provided somewhat less than two square feet of sail, so it was useless for propulsion, and yet still a struggle to hold aloft on the paddles. It was such a sight that several of us turned off the wind just to sit and watch.

More thoughtfully, two tandem canoes with catamaran poles to hold them apart and a tarp sail between the bows works well enough. Until there is a turn into the wind or the breeze simply dies and it does not. Then all of that launch site DIY rigging becomes a PITA.

Of all the DIY sail stuff I remain fondest of a sturdy golf umbrella in a tanndem, held vertically by a bowman and turned off wind a bit to spill air and aid directionally. We captured some memorably long rides downwind with a golf umbrella in the bow and a bit of paddle blade rudder in the stern.

Got a canoe sailing story?

 

[lowangle al]

I came close to trying the golf umbrella this summer but I kept forgeting the umbrella on shore.

 

[Zac]

Attempted to use a tarp when I was younger. We were on Isabella in the BWCA and bored with being blown into camp for a couple days. Lines from the bottom corners to me in the front, lines from the top corners to my uncle in the back. No mast. Worked wonderfully for about 10 seconds until the wind died for a second and all of a sudden I was holding the left side of the tarp and he was holding the right side.

 

[BlackRock]

I couple years back my buddy and I had a strangely successful pseudo-sailing return trip from a night of camping beyond the bay. The wind scooted us along a perfect direct route back to his house -3 easy miles without a single stroke of our paddles. We were in a tandem sea kayak, however, and had the advantage of a rudder. I held my paddle vertical in the front position, with a tarp (our shelter the night before) fixed on top and bottom. In the back, my buddy held out his paddle to the side, with the other other top corner fixed to it, and steered with the rudder. The lower rear corner was fixed to the boat itself, near the back position. We cruised along at a surprising speed. I doubt we could easily replicate it the experience. I wish I had a picture!

 

[Odyssey]

Years ago I met up with a group of French Canadien friends in La Mauricie NP for a trip spanning our Thanksgiving weekend. The autumn colours were electric and so was the company. It might've been on Lac Wapizagonke where mon bon chum Pierre insisted we try out a sailing rig. We held our canoes together and lashed a tarp to an upright (we might've used a deadfall branch, I don't remember), holding a line on each side we caught the steady wind and skimmed down the lake laughing and singing like pirates. Of course like anything so fun the time flew by too quickly and too soon we had to drop sail and paddle ashore to our take out. It might've been the company, or maybe the thrill of running before the wind, but I've struggled to find anything so fast free and fun since that late October day.
One afternoon I asked my wife to hold a jacket aloft between two paddles to try to catch the wind as she sat in the bow. It was surprising how effective that was! We have 2 golf umbrellas tucked inside the front door here at home. They're for the occasional sun scorching day we sit in the stands to cheer on a grandkid playing sports, but they were really purchased with canoeing in mind. It's a shame I keep forgetting them at home. Just about the last thing I think of for our tripping list is golf umbrellas.

 

[Guest]

Pierre insisted we try out a sailing rig. We held our canoes together and lashed a tarp to an upright (we might've used a deadfall branch, I don't remember), holding a line on each side we caught the steady wind and skimmed down the lake laughing and singing like pirates. Of course like anything so fun the time flew by too quickly and too soon we had to drop sail and paddle ashore to our take out. It might've been the company, or maybe the thrill of running before the wind, but I've struggled to find anything so fast free and fun since that late October day.

Even simple downwind sailing on a fortuitous breeze is as much fun as you can have in small boat with your pants on. When it works it is simply a marvelous experience, and always over too quickly. Sailing that is.

I have had the memorable joys of a couple barrier island bay trips where I had the scheduling leeway to put in on a perfect directional breeze, in a decked canoe with rudder, and sail effortlessly for miles into camp. I paddled a couple hundred yards out into the bay from the launch, hoisted sail, and blew all the way into camp with barely another paddle stroke.

My permits were lengthy on those trips, and sailing all the way in was sooooo much fun that I waited until I had a similar fortuitous breeze forecast in the other direction and left that day, sailing all the way back.

Even while base camped I listen to the weather radio and paddle off for directional day explores, with the forecast of a tailwind to carry me back to camp. That assurance allowed me to explore a little further afield, with the promise of an easy ride back to camp.

One afternoon I asked my wife to hold a jacket aloft between two paddles to try to catch the wind as she sat in the bow. It was surprising how effective that was! We have 2 golf umbrellas tucked inside the front door here at home. They're for the occasional sun scorching day we sit in the stands to cheer on a grandkid playing sports, but they were really purchased with canoeing in mind. It's a shame I keep forgetting them at home. Just about the last thing I think of for our tripping list is golf umbrellas.

Well dammit Brad, you have at least two golf umbrellas. Store one in the boat toting vehicle.

Edit: About catching a fortuitous breeze with a downwind sail. . . . . sometimes the magic works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLso0ZBqOi4

 

[dougd]

Not sure what year it was. Hal, myself and Hal's brother, we called him Brother Dick headed up to Spednik Lake where we would pick up the St. Croix river. Me and Hal in his MR Explorer, OK Duck Hunter and Brother Dick in his new sea kayak. After a night of debauchery we headed out onto the lake. Brother Dick takes off like a bat out of heck and we lose him. Oh Christ, this is not good. We see him way off in the distance rounding an island so we head for the top of the island due to the winds. We round the island and the wind is at out backs. I talk Hal into pulling over where we liberate a couple of sapling and take a tarp and wrap it around our sapling, instant sail.

Got back out into the wind and we are flying down the lake. In no time we were at the end of the island but no Brother Dick. We think we see him way down the lake so off we go again with the sail, maybe a couple of miles. Nope, no Brother Dick. So we beach on another small island and get out the binoculars and still can't find him so we head back into now a head wind. Uugh. An hour and half later we are back at the first island and have determined we'd head back to the putin to see of BD was there. Just as we came around the bottom of the island there he was. He's lucky to be alive. To this day I will never forget how fast and easily we were cruising with that DIY sail. Been hooked on it ever since.

dougd