Sailing Outriggers

Product Description

A kit to transform your canoe or kayak from a mono-hull into a trimaran. It is usually used to turn a one or two seat kayak into a fast sailing boat.

Will convert kit or commercial kayaks to sail and will reward home builders with a project that is both eye-catching and fun to sail. It is quick.

Christopher Cunningham, Sea Kayaker magazine April 2005.

While the outrigger equipped kayak is a proper sailing boat, the beauty of the design is that you get your kayak back when you have finished sailing. With the outrigger removed, all that is left are four eyebolts and an easily hidden mast step: no bulky reinforcements or heavy gear.

The floats are attached to two very attractive bent beams which give the kayak or canoe a 10 foot beam. After a hard day of sailing the floats and beams can be detached so that the whole lot will fit easily upon a car roof rack. Lloyds approved Okoume can be used to produce a very light float.

We are told that these floats on a light kayak or canoe in conjunction with some tweaking makes for very fast and exciting sailing. Unfortunately, this tweaking of rig and seating arrangements is usually a secret closely guarded by the builder. All that most people see are sails disappearing into the distance!

Mounted on a single kayak, the acceleration is almost neck-snapping, with good handling upwind and down and a 9 knot potential. The ten foot beam gives you monolithic stability (and thus sail carrying power with no hiking out), but the whole rig can be dismantled to car top in half an hour. If the wind dies there is plenty of room to paddle.

Fast sailing kayak-trimarans open up all sorts of adventure possibilities. The compact kayak and rig can be cartopped to some far-flung archipelago, assembled on the beach, loaded with gear, and sailed 40+ miles in eight hours. If the wind dies, you paddle. In good weather, long crossings can be contemplated, and a theoretical voyage might carry you 250 miles or more in six days.

The builder must be prepared to undertake some minor additional work to adapt the outriggers to the kayak or canoe.

The total weight of the outrigger components is about 30 lbs.

Had her on the reservoir today and can tell you that she works astonishingly well. She sails astonishingly close to the wind and we had no trouble going about.

Phil - outrigger on a Mill Creek 16.5.

Full Kit

The outriggers clip onto the kayak in a few minutes and can be removed for paddling only or for carrying the boat on a roof rack.

The plans give full lofting details and the manuals explain the techniques that will be used as well as a step-by-step guide to the assembly.

The Outrigger Kit comprises:

• Pre-cut panels with pre cut joints
• Epoxy resin
• Epoxy activator
• Epoxy fillers
• Woven glass fabric
• Woven glass tape
• Copper Ties
• Sheerclamps
• Mast
• Boom
• Rudder
• Mast Foot
• Mast Partner
• wood for the beams
• Comprehensive building manual and plans
• Free technical support from a competent builder

The kit does not include the sail.

What is in a boat kit.

Floats Only Kit

This option is for the floats only it does not include the wood for the beams, rudder, mast, boom, mast foot or mast partner which are included in the full kit.

The Floats Only Kit comprises:

• Pre-cut panels with pre cut joints
• Sheerclamps
• Epoxy resin
• Epoxy activator
• Epoxy fillers
• Woven glass fabric
• Woven glass tape
• Copper Ties
• Comprehensive building manual and plans
• Free technical support from a competent builder

The customer will be free to supply the other items needed from a timber yard or to use an old rig that he may have.

Plans and Manual Only (Not required by kit purchasers)

Plans and Manuals only are available for those who wish to source the materials themselves and build the outriggers from scratch.

Single Kayak Sail

This is a 40 sq. foot sail with upper full-length batten for a single kayak.

Tandem Kayak Sail

This is a 55 sq. foot sail with upper full-length batten for a tandem kayak.