Sailing

[richi]

nice 1 Simon,been thinking about one for some time myself,I was just going to get a kiddies kite and attach it to the front pad eyes as a spinnaker but now I've seen that I might have a rethink.....do they do them in flame!?

[Zzippy]

nice 1 Simon,been thinking about one for some time myself,I was just going to get a kiddies kite and attach it to the front pad eyes as a spinnaker but now I've seen that I might have a rethink.....do they do them in flame!?

I saw a Jolly Roger kite last week.I might get that .Either that or pinch my Daughters Care Bear kite

[Zzippy]

Just found a link to Simons new sail.Its on video

http://www.pacificaction.co.nz/prowler13.wmv

[Simon Everett]

I told you there were video clips on the Pacific Action website - you must pay closer attention Zzippy!

 

Thank you for putting up the link - I don't know how to do that kind of thing. It requires intellect!

[paintfly]

I told you there were video clips on the Pacific Action website - you must pay closer attention Zzippy!

 

Thank you for putting up the link - I don't know how to do that kind of thing. It requires intellect!

 

 

Great write up and photos! The guy in the video looks like he's using the sail somewhat crudely? I don't have any experience of sailing, but the way the lad is holding onto one of the poles (presumeably to angle the sail to the wind direction) seems more what I had in mind, otherwise you might as well just get a kite? Are they universal joints at the deck attachments?

[Starvinmarvin]

Looks great Simon, and at last some photo's, yes I may pinch the photo's but not until I've tried to get my mitts on one first

 

SM

[spanner]

Hmmmm .... definitely looks interesting.

 

It might be fun to try in a wind against tide situation ... when you want the wind assist to get you back up against the tide ... which will of course be a nice choppy sea rather than the mill pond you had George out on

[Simon Everett]

Starvin - you are welcome to have a play with it when you come to Wales - I'll bring the Prowler for tope trip instead then - and the Scupper will be fitted for it by then too (so maybe it will be on the wet one!)

 

The poles do not have to be held - look at George in my pictures. You can cleat the lines off and hold the sail angle at whatever you need, including pretty close to the hull so you don't get a lot of spillage underneath - it would sail MUCH better if the mast was stepped further aft - but then it would get in the way of your paddle stroke. This is a modern version of the old Polynesian proa type sailing canoes - and it works very well for what it is intended. That is down wind sailing as augmentation to paddling. It is never meant as a sailing boat. Putting the mast well forward keeps it well out of the way and also lifts the bow when sailing downwind - rough seas will be no problem. It just happens that for pretty pictures we didn't have a great deal of wind - and Carsington is pretty sheltered by hills and trees! A good chance to try it out for a shake down though.

What this sail does do is give you a breather from paddling - if you want to troll you can just angle the sail so that you depower it, use the paddle as a rudder - trailing as in rudder strokes - and then either hold a rod across your knees with one hand and the paddle braced across your chest with the other - or just put the rods up in the holdersand use the paddle with both hands. When a fish hits, the trolling action will hook it. So just furl the sail and drift while you play the fish in.

For a longish paddle to a mark - like outacross the Sound, or right across Poole Bay, it is a great way to save energy - wind in your face, then you paddle out and sail home instead! At least it is a one way ticket.

[SpeciMan]

Looks like a lot of fun. Great writeup Simon must have taken you a while to put that together.

 

I'm up for paying the price for quality goods but £185 seems a bit too high. Would have to see one in the flesh first.

[SpeciMan]

Here is a pic of one fitted to a Scupper Pro: