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Guest
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?
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?