Quote:
Originally Posted by jmen24
Ok, thank you for the responses. The kit that I am modeling the components from as mentioned is a 1930's Old Town Kit, the only thing different is the rudder setup (not interested in drilling a bracket below water line), but everything else is as this link shows. So in theory I am using a canoe sailing kit, but I was not interested in paying $300-$500 for a mast and sail. I had contemplated manufacturing my own mast and boom out of Ash, but I took the opportunity to get the sunfish setup when it presented itself.
http://dragonflycanoe.com/otacc/index.html All the wood components will be manufactured by myself and the mast step will be the only permanent fixture in the boat, for obvious reasons. I build furniture as a hobby as well as a side job for my current company for custom built-ins and cabinetry.
Is there a tried and true way to reduce the size of the sail, by moving things around in the hardware and sewing the sail size down, I will have to look the sail and mast over to verify if this is even possible. I know I want to keep the horizontal boom as close to the gunwales as possible to help balance things, so if the size gets reduced the height of the mast will be shortened to keep things low.
I have heard that the balance between the mast and the leeboards is a trial adventure (as well as very critical), but is there a common ratio for mast location based on length of vessel, it will be more than difficult to relocate that aspect of things. I don't want to just pull a measurement off the XL Tripper as it is 4 feet longer and has a 8" or so wider beam, even after scaling out, it may not be the same. It is suprising difficult to find the installation instructions for the original kit, which I am sure would explain this aspect.
Anyway, thanks for the help, my port of sail will be a friends property on Silver Lake in Tilton, usually very calm and little traffic by way of boats. |
1) Except for the largest powerboats, traffic shouldn't matter: a dedicated sailcraft has the "right-of-way" 99.9% of the time. It is wind velocity that will affect sail efficiency and stability. (A canoe can "ghost-along" in less than 5-knots of wind—with not even a ripple of breeze in sight:
paddled canoes are too noisy,
)
2) You will have to keep the boom low:
sitting low also aids in stability. (However, leeboards and sail—used together—provide a surprising amount of stability).
3) Among designs, the ratio between mast and leeboard spacing is highly variable. I suspect the leeboards will be fully adjustable for fore-aft location. Consider adding short wave-deflectors behind the leeboards. At higher speeds, my Grumman-designed leeboards scooped water directly into the canoe.
I'd use hardwood and wouldn't skip on thickness—('cause under 7/8", they'll bend under the canoe).
Ask me how I know.
4) Stock, your used sail is worth about $75. (A new Sunfish sail is $150). With the sail desired "down-low", you should also opt for a clear vinyl window—for still
more bucks.
A proper sewing with dacron thread would cost even more above that.
You would also need to shorten the aluminum spars by cutting.
Most brand-new sailing rig designs for canoes have relatively tiny sails. The Alcort "Minifish" and Alcort "Sailfish" rigs are already short and readily available via the forum for Sunfish.
5) All that said, the Sunfish's "lateen" sails have an easy way to reduce sail efficiency (termed, "
de-powering the rig"). Simply remove the original rings that hold the sail: use cord in their place and allow an inch or so of [sail] space between both boom and [upper] spar.
In the photo below, I thought myself very adventurous as a teen; however, in an aluminum Grumman canoe like mine—in the 50s—an American adventurer crossed the Pacific!
The difference in rigs was that he had two smaller "gunter-rigged" masts and sails for a lower center of effort (stability) and ease of de-powering.