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#1
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Fitting sail mast to plastic kayak
I have a plastic sea kayak, about 16 feet long with rudder.
A friend and I are experimenting with homemade sails. The ones that can go upwind tend to require a central mast. I'm trying to decide on a final method of attaching this to a kayak. Advice from anyone who has done this would be appreciated. There are several ways that I've considered. 1. There are some methods that have used a fitting with straps that fit around a kayak or across the deck bungee clips, avoiding drilling holes altogether. Sometimes called universal deck mount, this is something I haven't found sold separately, and I'm not sure my own versions of it will be strong enough for a central mast. 2. Using a fishing rod holder, mounted forward of the cockpit within reach. Base mounts with four screws through the deck. Spirit sails uses this method on their double poled downwind sails. http://www.spiritsails.com/home.shtml I wonder if a plastic deck would require reinforcement with some rubber, wood, or sheet metal underneath to hold these. It would need to be closer than a thru hull fitting because I would need to operate. 3. Mounting through a hole in the deck and attaching to the hull on the inside. This is what most sail makers would reccommend, but I'd want to do it right. One idea I had was to fit a 1" conduit pvc pipe through the deck. This would be much like I've seen he http://members.iinet.net.au/~lford1/fitstorm.htm Instead of a plywood crossbar, I would probably use a block of stiff foam or wood glued to the hull at the bottom. This would be just beyond my feet and behind the bulkhead. Ideally, this would be on the flat area for the compass mount, since it would be easier to make a straight cut there. This is where I can just reach to remove the mast when needed. I'd want to seal everything so it doesn't create leaks. Thanks for any insight from anyone with experience. Nathan near Portland, OR |
#2
posted to rec.boats.paddle.touring,rec.boats.paddle
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Fitting sail mast to plastic kayak
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#3
posted to rec.boats.paddle.touring,rec.boats.paddle
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Fitting sail mast to plastic kayak
and http://members.tassie.net.au/~lford/fitstorm.htm
"solo_konoe" wrote in message ups.com... http://www.paddling.net/message/show...hat&tid=448771 |
#4
posted to rec.boats.paddle.touring,rec.boats.paddle
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Fitting sail mast to plastic kayak
Thanks for the responses.
I've cut a hole in the kayak. Mostly following the fitstorm model. I've cut a hole centered on the compass mount area for a 1.5 inch PVC pipe sleeve. Instead of connecting to a shelf as in this model, it continues to the bottom and is embedded in a square block of minicell foam glued to the bottom with barge glue. The bottom end is capped and glued inside the foam. I still need to find the Elastomeric Marine Sealant to seal around the pipe sticking up, and trim it cose to the deck of the kayak. I'll try to publish pictures and steps once I've gotten through the rest of the process. |
#6
posted to rec.boats.paddle.touring
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Fitting sail mast to plastic kayak
Definitely want to try upwind. For downwind, there were plenty of
homemade options that didn't require drilling holes for masts. I don't know yet how successful I willl be sailing upwind, with no sailing experience, but I will have a pretty versatile rig. So a leeboard is a good idea. Maybe something like this: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~ltu006/images...s/leeboard.htm Or using a spare paddle like this: http://www.sailboatstogo.com/img/cat...stabilizer.jpg Or some modifications to the rudder to make it fatter and a little bit like a centerboard. |
#8
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Fitting sail mast to plastic kayak
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#9
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Fitting sail mast to plastic kayak
Yes, this helps quite a bit. A simple rig where I can adjust the
placement sounds best. Then I can adjust it forward or place it on either side. The deck rigging just forward of the cockpit sounds like the place to start. The mast is between that and the forward hatch. Of course, I still need to finish the sail and try it out. I'm hoping to not need outriggers. |
#10
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Fitting sail mast to plastic kayak
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