Reviews by Christopher Cunningham
Once you’ve had the experience of letting the wind carry you along at speeds you’d never be able to sustain under paddle power, you’ll look at every fair wind with an eye toward sailing.
As kayakers, we frequently have to contend with the wind. Sometimes we have to struggle against it, at other times we just tolerate it. With a sail, we can often take advantage of it.
In the early days of recreational boating, in the 19th century, most paddling craft were rigged for sailing. Many of the manufacturers of folding kayaks have carried that tradition through to the present, but sailing is not widely practiced by modern-day kayakers. There are now many options available that can be used aboard almost any kayak. They range from simple sails that can push you along when the wind is at your back to rigs that turn a kayak into a fast and efficient sailing vessel.
The kind of sail you choose depends upon how much time you want to commit to sailing and to the kinds of conditions you’d like to sail in. Some of the downwind sails can be carried in compact packages that can be stowed on deck, ready to use at a moment’s notice. The more sophisticated rigs that offer you the ability to sail at an angle into the wind may include outriggers and leeboards and foil-shaped sails that must be set up at the beach and remain in place while you are on the water.
Click link below for a review of the sailing rigs.
