+Darrell Tiencken Thanks Darrell - it works well.

Thanks for your comments. Yes, it is fun to sail and it performs similarly to any small and lightish dinghy with the same sort of sail area, such as a Topper or Laser Pico. One leeboard works well and is much less hassle than two when you have to lower/raise them each time you tack. I have made and used a twin board setup and it worked really well, especially as I made the foil profiles different for each side, resulting in even greater leeway-resisting efficiency - but much more hassle in tacking than I wanted, as mentioned above - so just one for me (and the vast majority of other sailing canoes that I see here in the UK). I made the mounting bracket plenty strong enough to cope with the strain encountered when it's on the windward side - it does not adversely affect the direction of the canoe. Sailing the boat as flat as possible means the side profile that resists leeway is much the same on each tack; yes it will be a little less on the "wrong" tack but it is a large, deep board with a good foil profile. No ballast weights are necessary - for me that method is just for barges, such those used on the Thames and in the Netherlands! The term leeboard is appropriate because it resists leeway, not because it's on the leeward side of the boat.

Thanks very much for your comment, much appreciated! I've made a few more minor mods to the canoe/rig since this video was shot, but it's basically just the same. I was sailing on the Firth of Clyde a few weeks ago, beam reaching for a couple of miles at 6,7,8 knots - maxing at 9.3, with no tide to speak of: so pretty fast for a canoe!

May I ask how do you furl the main sail??? Do you rotate the mast?

I use Danish oil to protect the wood as it is easy to maintain by adding a coat when needed.

Where to place the mast depends on a number of things and not just the total length of the canoe. What rig do you have? Where will you be mounting the leeboard? What seats and thwarts do you already have in the canoe? Often it is convenient to mount the leeboard mount on the centre carry yoke/thwart if it has one. And to mount the mast just behind the front seat, if the canoe has one and you intend to leave it in place during sailing if you wish to keep the tandem paddling option as well.

I use outriggers on coastal waters or when conditions are challenging on large inland lakes, but in light to moderate breezes there is no need. A canoe with this size of rig needs to be sailed fairly actively, sitting up on the side when necessary, just like most small sailing boats/dinghies etc.

Thanks for the kind words. Mast lower section is 2 inch/50mm, upper section is 1.75 inch/45mm. Boom is also 1.75 inch/45mm. All 16 gauge anodised aluminium. Hope that helps!

Yes. Very helpful. Thank you.

It's about 25mm thick. The edges are fine - I rub it all down and re-oil it about once a year.

Thanks for your kind words, Robin. The spinnaker/gennaker is really something to play with just in light winds. I do have "gull-wing" outriggers that I use in stronger winds and more exposed, challenging conditions, such as along the coast.

No, registration is not required on UK waters for sail craft ( it is for power boats on some). The sail insignia and numbers are for the occasional racing we do - but fairly light-hearted and for fun.

General guideline is 2% of the sail area. That's for the part of the blade in the water. Can depend on the size/shape of the canoe and how readily it will turn, usually to do with the amount of rocker.

Yes it reefs easily. By releasing and unclipping the kicking strap (aka vang) and clew outhaul, it is straightforward to rotate the mast by hand, providing the canoe is upright and the sheet is slack. Spraying some silicone lube down the mast step can help keep things easy to rotate as well.

Thanks for taking time to reply Keith. Perhaps I've had problems in the past because the mast I was trying to rotate was sorta heavy. I'd love to examine your rig. Many Thanks!

Keith Morris and

I have a set of mini "flying" outriggers, but don't always use them, preferring to hike out when necessary. In more exposed and boisterous conditions such as very large lakes/lochs and coastal waters, the use of outriggers is more appropriate, especially as I'm getting older and less agile/resilient.

@@keithmorris4304 Thanks for the info.

I already have outriggers - by Solway Dory, as I live in the UK.

Keith Morris m

It's a custom one-off made to my design spec by a really good sail-maker local to me here in England. But the design is very similar to the rig used on small dinghies such as a Topper, Laser Pico or many of the sailing canoes by Solway Dory.

Around 10 knots or so, measured by GPS. But that is exceptional - 3 to 5 knots is normal.

canusail.org/building/building.html

+A st The mast is just under 5 metres

+Keith Morris Great thank you ..do you think it is a good height or would you change it..i am making one for a Grumman 15 ft sport boat and i am gathering info .

+A st The height is a factor of what's needed to hold up a 5 sqm sail. Many canoes use smaller sails - depends what performance you are seeking, just making progress or more sporty.

This rig doesn't even have one halyard, it's mostly controlled by a sheet like all sails. Ok, it also has an outhaul and a downhaul, but a spritsail needs those as well.

No, it seems not. Far too much hassle with damage in transit (in spite of very robust packaging) and other issues.