Here’s a few GoPro clips from the kayak catamaran test last week that gives a good sense of what this actually feels like on the water. Wind was 15 gusting to 22 mph. I left the audio on so you can hear us talking.
This set up is an offshoot of the Canoe Catamaran system that we’ve steadily improving for a few years now. (It’s already in our canoe building course but it’s getting ready to get a major upgrade soon)
I wasn’t sure if this was going to be able to handle the higher winds and greater wave forces of kayak sailing, but this test went so well that I’m giving the system the greenlight for use in up to moderate conditions and adding it to the kayak building course.
The next steps are to start grinding through iterations. There are literally dozens of potential configurations of this system and I’ve got to find a way to test them all to the point of FAILURE so I can figure out what performs the best and give safe use recommendations for my students.
I can use the Columbia Gorge as a testing around, but I need to find some local kayakers who are comfortable in 40 mph winds (and interested in my project) to help me with the destructive testing. Basically we just need to get out there and try to break this thing and also to understand what rescues are going to be like in really rough conditions. If that sounds like your idea of a good time, drop me a line!
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See the original post and discussion here.
