Sail Your Single Inexpensive trimaran

December 1995 - January 1996

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

by Clive Rush

An innovative home-built sail rig for single kayaks with rigid struts and inflatable outriggers

Here is a photo of a sail rig I have built for my fiberglass single kayak (Nimbus Seafarer). I first bought a parasail about 6 years ago and caught the bug to sail, so progressed through making my own spinnaker, jib, mainsail, outriggers, daggerboard, etc. After 4+ years of changes, I think I am finally there.

My objective was to design and build a rig that could:

• sail close to the wind

• furl down to zero sail (main and jib) in high winds

• allow me to paddle without any constraints when the outriggers are in use (to assist the wind or when there is no wind)

• easily collapse for walking onto local ferries

• permit launching from the beach or from a dock

The photo shows inflatable 'amas' but I can use rigid ones also. Sail area totals over 80 square feet so it moves in very little wind. I have sailed it across Georgia Strait many times in all kinds of weather, year round.

Eds. Clive tells us he finds quite a range of reactions to kayak sailing -- from refusal/denial all the way to passion. He suggests that readers may have interesting views on sailing that would make for an intriguing article or a survey.

We agree. Some of us have come to kayaking from a sailing background and are always interested in ways to combine our pleasures. We welcome comments from readers.