Trying out my sail bracket

[rancid badger]

I've had this sail for about 3 or 4 years and never had a pole to use as a mast/spar.

I recently scraped together the cash to buy a pole then made a bracket from ash, to fit the pole to the canoe's seat:

The foot of the mast fits into a leather sleeve which in turn slots into a foam block;

This is the set up on dry land:

and this is me sailing on Ullswater in a fairly stiff breeze this afternoon!:
[video=youtube;S5FG0-JGYvU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FG0-JGYvU&list=UURddL3mkjOvJ3tAtVH pW-XQ&index=1[/video]

Happy Days!

Steve

 

[maddave]

Great mod, works like a charm

 

[crosslandkelly]

Great vid, looks like you fun with your new kit. Happy sailing.

 

[Goatboy]

Looks really good Badger, did the canoe feel stable with the sail up or did gusts make you wonder?

 

[John Fenna]

Canoe sailing - free miles!
My own rig is a bellied Bermuda sail made from ripstop silicon nylon which slides down the pole like a condom and has a boom made from an old shock corded tent pole.
The pole/mast fits through a shaped thwart (my boats are 16' but rigged for solo paddling) and into a wooden "foot" that is glued and screwed to the hull (it feels wierd drilling holes in the bottom of your boat!).
I use a paddle as a rudder/leeboard
Canoe sailing can be fast and fun and is suprisingly stable!

 

[rancid badger]

Looks really good Badger, did the canoe feel stable with the sail up or did gusts make you wonder?

I'd expected to have to lean over to balance the boat but it was fine. The wobbling is the camera hanging round my neck and the ( at times) quite big rollers.

John is absolutely right it is fast, fun and stable.

Here's another clip;
[video=youtube;KocE1BZS-Wc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KocE1BZS-Wc&list=UURddL3mkjOvJ3tAtVHpW-XQ&index=1[/video]

Steve

ps: looks like photobucket are messing around again