Welcome to Kayak Sailing Designs

The purpose of this blog is to communicate ideas that will entice the recreational kayaker into sailing. Just as sailing a canoe was popular in the 20th century, the 21st century may see a growing popularity in sailing a kayak.


My credentials in posting this blog are grounded in racing sail canoes, experimenting with various sail rigs for sailing canoes, and applying that know-how to sailing a kayak as if it were a sailboat.


Already there are experimenters who have developed and are developing various designs for a sailing kayak. As I learn of their efforts, I will add links to their work.


My goal is that visitors to this blogsite will be rewarded with enthusiasm and insite to further their involvement in this recreational sport.




Two Approaches to Rig a Recreational Kayak for Sailing

Kayak with Outriggers (top photo)
This approach gives you a stable platform so you can use relatively more sail area and go faster in stronger winds. It more than likely would result in a more permanent conversion of your kayak to a sailing craft and may curtail your ability to paddle. A typical sailing rig would have a mainsail (40 to 50 sq.ft.) and a jib (20 to 25 sq.ft.) Other required additions would be a leeboard (equivalent to a sailboat's centerboard) and a rudder. Typical length of this sit-in kayak should be about 14 to 16 ft.

Kayak without Outriggers (second photo)
This approach would let you go ashore to convert easily from paddle to sail or vice versa. It would also require you to be agile while sailing to control the balance (heeling) in shifting winds, somewhat like sailing a sailboard but sitting down. A relatively large leeboard would retard the heeling motion and give you time to adjust sail and/or balance to guard against capsize. A single sail of about 20 to 30 sq ft would be about right.

This kayak should be 12 to 15 ft in length, about 30 inches wide, and have a relatively large cockpit. A sit-on-top would be easy to self-rescue after a capsize. A sit-in would be more comfortable to sail but more difficult to self-rescue. The 2-piece mast and a boom would clamp to the side/top of the kayak while paddling. The mast would be free-standing. The leeboard, when not used for sailing, would rotate out of the way along one side of the kayak. This rig could be sailed without a rudder by moving the leeboard forward or backward, but would require more skill and practice.

Design Approach for a Non-outrigger Kayak
The sail rig could be a quick-connect integrated cockpit “surround” that bolts to the kayak cockpit with some bolts and wingnuts. The “surround” has:
- gunwales to facilitate sitting on the cockpit rim, port and starboard
- leeboard bracket that bolts the leeboard below the rim
- oversized leeboard to help retard the heeling tendency
- mast holder for a free-standing carbon-fiber mast
- loose-footed sleeve sail, about 30 sf
- splashguard to keep water out of the cockpit
- lines for sail and leeboard (to work leeboard from opposite gunwale)
- rudderless steering, by working the leeboard and controlling heel
- easy paddling when mast and sail are stowed
- open class racing, no specs, whatever works best will gain support

Design Model:
To investigate the design potential, I made a balsawood model of a Wilderness Systems Pungo 120 as shown in the second photo, above.