Here’s a few drone shots of the kayak catamaran testing. Not the best videography because the wind had died down a bit and it’s pretty hard to use the drone in these conditions, but it does give you some idea of how the whole set up works and how it rides the waves. For...
"Video: drone shots of the kayak catamaran"Continue readingCategory: Sailing Systems
Video: Perfect conditions for testing the kayak catamaran
We had perfect conditions for testing the kayak catamaran yesterday. 65 degrees, overcast, with 15-20 mph winds. (There’s audio here by the way) So how does it work? Surprisingly well actually. We tested two different forward catamaran board positions; one directly ahead of the cockpit, the other right behind the masts. A bit of...
"Video: Perfect conditions for testing the kayak catamaran"Continue reading
Video: Sailing a traditional Greenland kayak
The customer who purchased the recent Greenland kayak had a rather unusual request, he wanted me to make a decorative sail for it. This was oddly serendipitous because I originally modified this kayak for a sail (One of the reasons I added the drop skeg) before realizing that was a BAD IDEA and never...
"Video: Sailing a traditional Greenland kayak"Continue reading
Time lapse: Installing a kayak sail
Installing a kayak sail is one of those things that can take a few hours or a few days depending on how well organized you are. This is my sixth install and I finally feel like I’m getting a good flow with it. I haven’t arrived at my final hardware selections or locations but...
"Time lapse: Installing a kayak sail"Continue reading
Video: A quick edit from last week’s kayak sail testing
Here’s a quick edit from the kayak sail testing last week. As I get more serious about this project I want to talk a bit about what I’m trying to accomplish here to avoid confusion. Basically this is intended to be an ultra simple downwind/crosswind sail that anyone can build in a weekend with...
"Video: A quick edit from last week’s kayak sail testing"Continue reading
Video: Here’s that same kayak sailing video from yesterday shot from the front deck
Here’s that same kayak sailing video from yesterday shot from the front deck. Here I’m demonstrating the effect of the flip down skeg on the sailing performance of the F1, more details on that in yesterday‘s post. I really like making these on the water videos but I think I’m gonna scrap this one...
"Video: Here’s that same kayak sailing video from yesterday shot from the front deck"Continue reading
Video: Making videos about kayaking while kayaking
With my phone mounted on the front deck I’m always trying to make videos about kayaking while kayaking which is a great idea in theory but doesn’t usually work because my brain function sucks so much from the chronic illness that I just can’t speak on demand like I used to! Here’s a short...
"Video: Making videos about kayaking while kayaking"Continue reading
Sail testing the flat deck F1
Finally finished rigging the new flat deck F1 and did a little bit of studio sailing before heading out for some real world testing. The Willamette at flood stage with a sewage warning is not exactly ideal but we get so little wind here that I’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity if...
"Sail testing the flat deck F1"Continue reading
Excited to be working on the kayak sail system again
It’s exciting to be working on the kayak sail system again. I wasn’t able to get the design finished last winter but I’m really hoping to release a plan set this year. This is basically a refined version of the same pop-up sail that I’ve been using on my canoes for the last four...
"Excited to be working on the kayak sail system again"Continue reading
Video: Well boys, it appears we’ve gained some weight over the holidays
Well boys, it appears we’ve gained some weight over the holidays. What could have been a lovely 31 pound F1 before thanksgiving got a new deck shape and some sailing reinforcements, adding 2 pounds. Then we put on a heavier skin, adding about 3 more. Then came the sailing, skeg, and catamaran hardware, packing...
"Video: Well boys, it appears we’ve gained some weight over the holidays"Continue reading
West Greenland kayak buid: Adding a drop skeg
So before I talk about the skeg on this Greenland kayak I just want be clear that I’m not a big fan of skegs in the first place. In some kayaks a skeg can help with tracking in certain conditions, but they also add significant weight, drag, build time, and cost, not to mention...
"West Greenland kayak buid: Adding a drop skeg"Continue reading
The micro schooner
Digging through old photos I found this ridiculous contraption that actually worked pretty well. Last year I built a triple nesting set of canoes with the smaller two being solos and the larger one being mostly just a UV protection cover for the other two. I built rowing rigs for all three of them...
"The micro schooner"Continue reading
Video: A foggy morning canoe sail
Just a couple sailing clips from the foggy morning we spent on that high mountain lake a few weeks ago. Not a lot of sailing to be done on a lake that’s about as wide as a football field, but the pop-up sail is simple enough that it’s practical to snatch every little puff....
Video: Scouting for high wind sailing locations
Don’t bother with the sound on this one, you can’t hear anything but the wind! Liz’s and I went on a preliminary scouting mission yesterday in the Columbia River Gorge Looking for places that we can film rough water canoe self rescue and high wind canoe sailing. Before the sailing shenanigans can begin though...
"Video: Scouting for high wind sailing locations"Continue reading
Video: A quick sail in the 15 foot canoe
FYI, there’s music here. Just a quick Skydio2 drone edit from a few minutes I spent in the 15 footer a couple weeks ago. I’ve barely had time to paddle this canoe since I built it but I’m hoping to do more soon. Full specs and details in the May 2nd and 3rd post...
"Video: A quick sail in the 15 foot canoe"Continue reading