I purchased a Perception Carolina 145 Airalite kayak recently. The seller included a sailing rig that he received when he purchased the kayak used, so I am at least the third owner. The gentleman I purchased this kayak from had never used the sailing rig, so he was unable to provide any usage instructions. I searched on the internet and did not find any information about the sailing rig.
The kayak has some attachment points that were obviously added to attach the parts of the sailing rig to. Here are the two that are closest to the bow:
The one with the red part accepts the snap in sail masts. This allows the sail to rotate easily. I am unsure of the purpose of the second part (the one on the left in the above pictures.) Maybe this part is intended to hold the masts to the top of the kayak when the sail is not raised?
I am also unsure if the sail should attach closest to the cockpit or closer to the bow. The straps that clip to the attachment points were adjusted so that the sail mast receiver fit closer to the cockpit and the second part was adjusted to fit closer to the bow, but I do not know if this is correct. If this is correct, with everything attached to the kayak, it looks like this:
There is nothing to make the sail stay upright except for the two ropes attached midway up the masts. If I need to hold those to keep the sail deployed, I cannot use a paddle at the same time, to steer I would have to use the rudder. I gave it a short try today and it does sort of work, it is just a bit awkward.
Here is a picture of the sail, the two masts are about 7 feet long:
You need to attach it where you can operate it from the seat. So the front?
It looks like a gimmick or hassle. It isn’t a sail you can cruise against the wind with, it only will work if you go straight with the wind. In any other wind direction it will make boating worse.
To do anything beyond sail straight downwind you need an outrigger or other means of keeping the boat upright. Even with a downwind sail, without an outrigger a change in wind direction can quickly capsize you if you cannot release the sail or adjust your course fast enough. You generally need a rudder to steer as you need to have your hands free to quickly adjust the sail while maintaining your course.
After the sail is set and if the wind is steady, it is possible to use a paddle while sailing. With a strong enough wind though, it doesn’t make sense. The wind will move you fast enough and a rudder will be better for steering. A paddle leash may be a good idea because with a sudden change in wind direction or speed, you might not have time to stow your paddle properly.
True kayak sailing is an increasingly popular sport but it involves more than a simple downwind sail. The limitations of a downwind sail have prevented them from becoming very popular.
Hey mate, check out Pacific Action’s website and see how they are deployed. I have one that I use on my Prijon Marlin and my Ocean Kayaks Sprinter. Your hands are free to use your paddle for bracing (or as an outrigger). Good luck with it, it’s heaps of fun!
@Lurker I did give it a try before I posted. I agree it seems to be downwind ± only. I am going to check out the website @Tallebudgera mentioned to see what I can learn about deploying it correctly, etc. I will see how it goes.
@rstevens15 The primary reason I mentioned using a paddle was for bracing and such. I have been using a paddle leash also. I am just playing around with this a little to see how it goes, since I got the sailing rig for free I wanted to try it out.
