Drop-in Canoe Sailing Rig Plans

Product Description

This sailing rig is designed to drop into an ordinary canoe or kayak, to add the ability to sail the boat without compromising its existing paddling performance.

Many people have a paddling boat and would like to gain a feel for sailing at moderate additional cost. This rig isn't intended to offer the highest possible performance, but provides enough power to sail reliably on all points of sail and has a sensibly sized leeboard for making efficient windward progress. It does this without making the boat hard to handle and while being small enough to fit inside the boat when not in use.

The lug rig is easily removed for paddling, leaving only the mast step and three unobtrusive fittings that won't get in the way. The leeboard and mast support are quickly removed as a single unit, leaving the boat ready to be used as a pure paddling canoe. The spars and leeboard are small enough to stow inside most boats when not in use or the leeboard can be swung forward and out of the way for paddling.

Three different sizes of lug rig are included in the plans: 18 sq ft, 21 sq ft and 36 sq ft. The two smaller versions are designed for simplicity and portability. The larger size is intended for those with more sailing experience who want more performance and expect to hike out to control the heeling of the boat. Each sail plan includes a single reef point.

The boat can be steered with a canoe paddle or with a simple rudder design which is included in the plans.

Plans

There is enough detail in the plans to build the sailing rig just by following the step by step instructions. The plans are 43 A4 pages with photographs, diagrams and text.

PDF Plans

An electronic version of the plans in PDF format that can be viewed using Adobe Reader. After credit card authorisation the file will be sent to the email address put on the order form.