A sailing kayak has more in common with the outriggers from the South Pacific. You can paddle. You can sail. You can paddle and sail.
Combining a Feathercraft kayak and the Wind Seeker sail rig, you can plan a lively day sail or sail a thousand miles. The choice is yours.
Wind Seeker Sail Rig for Feathercraft Kayaks
To sail our single kayaks, adaptations to the frame and skin are required to fit the sail rig, and need to be done by Feathercraft, preferably when ordering your new kayak. These adaptions include a mast step mounted on the keel tube, a mast collar mounted on the deck bar and a reinforced hole through the deck with a neoprene closure. Our K2 already has these fittings in the correct location.
Our Klondike has the keel and mast deck bar, but the customer would have to cut the mast hole on an existing spray deck. The Wind Seeker rig can be installed on our K1, K2, Klondike, Kahuna and Heron models. It cannot be mounted on the Wisper, Khatsalano or sit-on-top models. The hole and mast bracket for the spinnaker sail on K1s are mounted too close to the cockpit for this new sail system. (Sorry.) On these existing boats, we could either move the bracket forward of the old one and cut another hole in the deck, or mount the mast and outrigger behind the cockpit.
On our K1 model, the sail rig can be mounted either forward of the cockpit (“forward mount”) or aft of the cockpit (“aft mount”). The Kahuna/Big Kahuna and Heron can have only the forward mast mount. An advantage of the forward mount is that working the main sail is more intuitive because you can see it. A disadvantage is that you have the mast going through the boat between your legs, which can be in the way. A special “sailing pants” sea sock is required. The forward mount also impedes your paddle stroke more than the aft mount. An advantage of the mast mounted aft of the cockpit is that it does not impede your legs or your vision. However, it does take a little longer to learn to sail instinctively, and more paddle assisted steering is required. The two systems move the boat equally well.
On all Feathercraft models the struts that support the akas are attached to tubes on both gunwales. They are pushed through the web loops that are sewn to the gaskets that run between the deck and the hull. These loops are used to hold the deck perimeter cord and also plastic “D” fittings. On some older models these web loops may have shrunk. In order to get the aka attachment tubes through the web loops it may be necessary to remove the perimeter lines from the web loops.
Sabani Sail
This is an optional sail for the Wind Seeker Rig. You can either replace the standard main sail with the Sabani, or order it separately. This is a traditional Japanese design, incredibly efficient and can easily be reefed for high wind conditions. Size: 32 sq ft
Trimarans
The Polynesian word for the boom that extends from the boat to the float is the aka. The float itself is called an ama. These two make up an outrigger. With two outriggers deployed, the kayak becomes a trimaran (three hulls). Trimarans have great stability and can support a lot of sail. They sail very quickly, especially across the wind (beam reach) and down wind (running).
They do not sail as well up wind (pointing) and are difficult to tack (come about into the wind). The problem is that the down wind (leeward) ama digs into the water. This is also true with outrigger canoes. The South Pacific boats typically have just one outrigger. They point much better when the ama is on the windward side and the sailors are hiking out to avoid capsizing. One boat, the Proa, was designed to always have the ama on the windward side. To change course, the sail direction was reversed, or “shunted” and what was the stern became the bow.
One outrigger or two? You can choose.
For sailing in strong winds, especially downwind, two outriggers are the way to go. The most effective way to tack up wind is with one outrigger mounted to windward. To avoid capsizing you will have to “hike out” to windward. Caution: dress for immersion! Bring a bailer!
While developing our sail rigs, we have done extensive sailing on our own Vancouver coast, the Queen Charlotte Islands, Polynesia, Florida and the Caribbean. As long as we have had both amas mounted we have never had to worry about capsizing. However, it could happen! We suspect that the most likely scenario would be a narrow kayak with modest buoyancy in the bow, running downwind, down a steep wave. The bow plunges, doesn’t come back up and the boat “over ends”.
In our experience, the large amount of buoyancy provided by the amas prevents this. But, it could happen. If you capsize a large trimaran you can be in big trouble. The problem is that they are even more stable upside down than right side up! Fortunately, in the case of our sail rigs it is easy to take off the leeward aka after a capsize. Just depress the spring button. Then the kayak can be righted and the aka re-attached on the windward side. We encourage people to practice this. In order to capsize you will have to detach one of the akas. Remember to ensure that the sheet (sail control line) is free and uncleated so that the water will spill off the sail as the rig is righted. Ensure that the mast is cleated to the kayak.
Steering
The small rudders on kayaks are no match for the power of the wind on a sail. You will be steering with your rudder and your paddle. Typically, place one end of your paddle against the windward side of the mast and the other astern in the water to leeward.
Paddling
Depending on where the mast and aka is mounted, your paddle stroke may be limited in some way. We have found that a good combination is a kayak paddle and a canoe paddle. The aka does not interfere with the short single bladed stroke. Always tether both paddles.
Sails
Our three-sail system offers great flexibility. Our main sail is sewn by a local sail loft from high quality sail cloth. It has two battens and a boom. Its shape is similar to a windsurfing sail. Colour: white. Sail area: 28 sq. ft. (2.6 sq. m.) It is effective over a wide range of wind and sea conditions. Our small red jib enhances speed and steering over a fairly large range of wind speeds. We also offer a very small yellow “storm jib”. Red jib sail area: 15 sq. ft. (.42 sq. m.) Yellow jib sail area: 10 sq. ft. (.28 sq. m.). Our spinnaker is designed to add downwind performance in light winds. Sail area: 37 sq. ft. (3.42 sq.m.) The jibs and spinnaker are sewn from light weight spinnaker cloth.
Framework
All of the framework is made of anodized 6061 T6 alloy tubing. The mast is made of 1 ½” O.D., .058″ wall tube with 1 3/8″ O.D. inserts. Mast height above kayak deck: 3.68 m. (12’1″). The akas are made of 1 ¼” O.D., .058″ wall tube with 1 1/8″ O.D. inserts. Boom length: 1.35 m. (4’4″).
Hardware and Lines
All hardware is the highest quality sailing hardware. Blocks (pulleys) and other parts are stainless steel. Cleats are anodized aluminum. Halyards and sheets are quality, non stretch braided polyester sail line.
Amas & Akas
The traditional outrigger has two akas supporting one long ama, which is really a second hull. Some rigid kayaks have this system. They work fine, but many units weigh more than our entire sail rig. Our inflatable amas are unique. They have two separate air chambers. A single aka tube is mounted right through the ama, so that the ama can pivot freely. It responds to every wave automatically, always staying above the water. On the downwind side the leaning of the boat causes the aka to exert a downward force on the fish shaped ama. To ensure that the wide part of the ama (the “mouth” part) stays facing forward, the aka tube is mounted aft of the balance point of the ama. This forces the tail down, the forward end up. On the windward side of the kayak the ama will be up in the air.
Preferably it should stay level or the tail should point down. To allow for this, each ama has a small water chamber near the tail end. The weight of the water keeps the ama balanced even though the aka tube is positioned aft of the balance point. If the ama occasionally gets “turned around” by an errant wave, it is easy to rotate it back into position. A pump is provided for inflating the amas.
Storage
The mast, main sail, akas, amas, and leeboards all store in a bag that can be tied to the aft deck of the kayak. Spare sails are kept in separate bags and can be leashed onto the deck. It does not interfere with paddling.
Leeboards
Leeboards are important for reducing sideways drift and for sailing across or into the wind. For balanced sailing one is mounted on each aka (port and starboard). A large turn screw enables you to tighten a clamp and set the leeboard in any position.
The boards have an air foil cross section to reduce drag:
- Length: 86 cm. (34″).
- Width: 16.5 cm. (6 ½”).
