Add A Sail To A Canoe Or Kayak – Drop-In Sailing Rig Plan

• Sail Area -- options from 1.64 sq m (17.6 sq ft) to 3.34 sq m (36 sq ft) -- only requires lengthening the mast
• Mast, Yard and Boom length -- 1.65m (5ft 5ins)

Sailing Rigs For Canoes And Kayaks Usually Break Into Three Groups.

1/ Simple Canoe and Kayak Sail Rig for basic sailing

With this rig it  is possible to add sailing ability to go with and against the wind.

2/ Canoe and kayak sail rigs for downwind only

There are auxiliary canoe and kayak sails for (usually) seakayaks that are used to propel the boat downwind only to save paddling effort and cover serious ground -- you do have to paddle back though :)

3/ Full performance sailing rigs allied with suitable hulls

There are rigs to give a canoe higher performance like all round sailing dinghy speed. (see my BETH design).

This Drop In Sailing Rig For Sailing All Directions

A rarely seen variant is something in between -- a no-fuss canoe or kayak sail rig that does not make the boat hard to handle but provides enough power to sail reliably upwind and down.  It should include a sensibly sized leeboard so windward progress is reasonably efficient.  It is important that the leeboard is of a reasonable size -- boards much smaller than this have poor windward performance.

This rig is the third type.  It does not offer the highest performance possible, but it is small enough to fit inside the boat when not in use.  The leeboard necessary for upwind sailing is removed at the same time as the mast support leaving the boat ready to be used as a pure paddling canoe.