Thread: Drop-in Sail for Quick Canoe

Hi Michael,

A couple of little tweaks - maybe you have been limited by the height of your shed ...

The sail is a bit low on the mast - I would suggest taking it up about another 100 or 150mm (6").



Also the luff should be approximately parallel to the mast. So the downhaul needs to go forward slightly or the halyard block on the yard needs to go a little back - but don't cross the halfway point.

Best wishes
Michael

Thanks MIK. Yes, my impatience to see what it looked like was butting against the shed roof. I do still have all the fluoros intact but only just.

I moved the down-haul forward on the boom, forward of the second lashing, as well as moving the halyard block forward on the mast a few inches. When hoisted the luff was nicely parallel with the mast. And the halyard block on the spar arrangement worked beautifully.

I took it out yesterday morning but only up and down part of the canal estates near Mandurah. Not a good environment for testing a new boat and sail but quite educational nonetheless. I think we managed to actually sail for a few seconds between gusty wind-shifts: the light morning easterly of around 5 knots was giving way to the usual 12-18 knot sea-breeze. I think at the time I had the halyard in my teeth, sheet in one foot, paddle in one hand, down-haul in the other hand and lee-board in the other... while gently asking Mrs Me to please don't paddle right now...

I need to rethink the clamps holding the mast-partner: kept shifting even though tightened as much as I could be hand. Probably move the bolt closer to the gunwale and perhaps use two bolts; though that will require thought so as to be able to move the partner forward and aft while matching the curve of the sides.

Also to be careful with the lee-board: I didn't expect it to be so buoyant and a strong tug ended up with it horizontal and pointing forward, and out of reach.

AND I kept getting all these comments of "wow, that's great, that looks nice". So mucho kudos to you MIK!

hmmmm, note to self... use Michael and his fast build ability as goad to resolve my 'find time/motivation' issues....

Well done Michael, not too long ago you were dropping tthe canoe in the water for the first time, where as I have spent months doing nothing on the sail/mast/lee board, and you have put your sailing canoe in the water already.

I sewed my 'sailcloth' yesterday, and now have a blank cannvass with which to learn sail marking and cutting... with all the time spent 'researching' I have no excuses to not achieve 'perfection'.

Time to get a wriggle on!

I think at the time I had the halyard in my teeth, sheet in one foot, paddle in one hand, down-haul in the other hand and lee-board in the other... while gently asking Mrs Me to please don't paddle right now...

there is an argument for a rudder!

Yeah, but, um, I cheated: the leeboard is a mess of drippy lines that still needs to be sanded, sanded, sanded and painted (decided patchy filler is ugly enough not to varnish), and my sail isn't sewn, only stuck together with 'Bear' double-sided tape. That's because 1) I'm impatient, 2) I found I couldn't pull the stuck hem apart without damaging the poly surface, and 3) I'm treating the standard sail as an experimental playground before moving on to the bigger one.

Though looking at the regular breezes here I should think three or four times about getting bigger too quickly.

Personally, I think the rudder is close to essential for me: the on-line vids of people sailing canoes without one mostly seem to be gently winded lake scenes. Our wind doesn't do that here!

I'm currently planning to manufacture the rudder gudgeons by laminating plywood with a 'V' cut to fit the stem-line and gluing into place with multiple layers of glass tape around them and on to the hull.

Thumbs up! Looks great!

If you wait too long to make the rudder:





[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YWbFUwVJ-0]YouTube - Solway Dory expedition sailing rig[/ame]

Haha, funny coincidences. I decided to order an expedition rig not very long ago (from solway dory). And now I have it in my backyard - heresy. I cannot test it yet, because of the cold weather. But I wanted to see/use a ready made well tested canoe rig before I finish my own built.

Originally Posted by robhosailor

If you wait too long to make the rudder:
...

Those are all interesting pictures, especially since the sail area looks similar to MIK's 'standard' drop-in rig but also the leeboard is set well behind the mast. One impression I did carry from my (fleeting) experience was that there may have been a fair bit of weather-helm. I really missed having a rudder to feel that.

I really do need to play somewhere sheltered in light winds.

Mezix -

But I wanted to see/use a ready made well tested canoe rig before I finish my own built

I'm trying to get to the stage that my set up and sail is the same as paul herberts... so that we can have identical rigs and be able to share experiences and changes and, hopefully, develop faster, and provide feedback to MIK through this forum.
Just a thought!
I'm sorry your winter is 'too cold'... mine is pretty mild and I can swim all year round.

Michael - drips, runs and filler... doesn't really matter!

robhosailor - I've been following your posts with interest... you add value to my thought process and i am grateful.

Originally Posted by Clinton1

Michael - drips, runs and filler... doesn't really matter!

Well, actually I might revise my opinion on painting the lee/centreboard, after re-reading Paul's comments on the value of "patina": the splotchy bits don't really detract that much.

I've been bewildering myself with theory: by my calcs the centre of the drop-in rig's standard sail is about 780mm back and 900mm up from the tack. If the sail is set around 300mm forward on the mast, which seems about right, then that would indicate the middle of the centre/leeboard should be somewhere around 480mm behind the mast. I followed Paul's notes and put my mast-step about 480mm forward of the centre... which suggests my leeboard "should" be bang amidships.

I think I'm going to have to make a second mast partner, so as to separate the mast and leeboard so I can play with the balance better.

Though maybe too bewildered with theory. Must.. sail... play.. more.....

Thanks mate, valuable comment, I too will support the mast independantly from the leeboard... a timely comment as I've shavings on the floor because I've started the leebooard and whatnot.

Be careful not to miss the step of dropping epoxy into the shavings. It's a karma thing.

Howdy,

Remember the function of the rig is to be simple and basic. Paul Helbert was able to get the small sail versions he did balanced so that he could steer with body weight only. Moving forward and aft and side to side.

MIK

Originally Posted by MichaelB

I need to rethink the clamps holding the mast-partner: kept shifting even though tightened as much as I could be hand. Probably move the bolt closer to the gunwale and perhaps use two bolts; though that will require thought so as to be able to move the partner forward and aft while matching the curve of the sides.
A

You can try something like that: Attachment 163854

Something else: do you think it is possible to avoid gluing the mast foot to the bottom panel. I saw manufactured sailing rig where it was so:
Attachment 163855

Cheers
Csaba - Mezix

Originally Posted by Boatmik

Remember the function of the rig is to be simple and basic.

Thanks MIK, reminder duly noted. I will certainly persist with balancing the standard rig. It's in the interests of experimentation: if things progress as I hope they might I want to install a centre-board case supported by a central buoyancy tank. So separating the leeboard from the mast-partner will help determine the best position without compromising the effective length of the foil. I figure.

And it's something else to varnish and drop into the pile of wood-shavings.