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 Post subject: Re: In search for the perfect watercraft
PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 10:07 am 
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That’s good advice jmichaelsjeep, dang good advice. Being an avid backpacking, I know what you mean by following all safety guidelines and protocols. And like you said, communication is at the core. Selecting a craft isn't easy, that's for sure.

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 Post subject: Re: In search for the perfect watercraft
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:49 am 
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Old thread, but I finally put my money where my mouth is. I said the perfect watercraft is a sailing canoe or kayak. As a very low priority project, I rigged up a sailing canoe using a 17 ft Wenonah Spirit II hull and a Balogh Sail Designs sail kit. Rigging up the sail rig was easy (one weekend) using the kit. Steering gear was another matter as there was no great kit and canoe sterns are not easy to attach rudders to. But I reinforced the stern with fiberglass pads, drilled through the hull and pads and installed canoe rudder fittings (pintles and gudgeons) from Duckworks Boat Builders Supply. Painted the stern with color matched gelcoat.

I finished this last Christmas, but only got it on the water yesterday. Didn't get a picture of the whole boat fully rigged with the sail up, but you get the idea. This is on Roosevelt Lake, which is between some nearby mountain ranges such as the Sierra Anchas.

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It was a hoot to sail this thing. Canoes are pretty twisty, so everything flexes. Doesn't "point" towards the wind super well. We typically paddled to turn through the wind (tack) as the hull is too light to use momentum alone. Top speed was 5.9 mph on the first outing.

It was a warm day, around 105 F when we were out. But it was pleasant on the water away from the shore.

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 Post subject: Re: In search for the perfect watercraft
PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:07 pm 
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Wow, this is very impressive. Very innovative on your part. How long does it take you to set it up and tear it down?

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 Post subject: Re: In search for the perfect watercraft
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 10:30 pm 
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It could be set up in not more than 1/2 hour if organized and certainly with practice. I'm not sure how long it took me to set it up this very first time.

We car-topped it on my wife's Subaru and were pretty well organized but not completely organized. We drove down a boat ramp and then had to carry everything a short ways to the shore. That was okay.

What would be most efficient would be to keep the boat on a trailer, rig it away from the water, and then take it down fully rigged. A trailer I have my eye on is the 147 lb aluminum Trailex SUT-220-S: https://www.trailex.com/SUT-220-S.cfm. I had a larger Trailex trailer for a pretty good sized sailboat that I built years ago.

The problem with a trailer is it needs to be stored. I have room, but I consider a boat on a trailer to be an eyesore that needs to be hid. Also, the boat sits upright on the trailer and would need to be covered. For sure a packrat or other animal would live in that and create a mess in a hurry.

So another option is to rig the canoe on shore (in a parking lot, for example) and haul it down to the water with a small canoe dolly. I actually bought an axle and probably wheels years ago to make one. I kind of forgot about it. I need to go look for them.

Anyway, the short answer is it should be less than 1/2 hour to rig or unrig.

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2003 Liberty, ARB bumper w fogs and KC SlimLites
Front Franky II HD, rear OME948 w Rancho RS9000/XL shocks
LT245/75R16C Duratracs on Moabs
4.10 gears, front & rear ARB lockers, Boulder Bars, AFE Stage 2 intake
Surco rack w BajaRack jerry can holder
Cobra 75 WX ST

06 LJ Rubi, 3.5" RE SA and 33" BFG KM2s, GenRight tank


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 Post subject: Re: In search for the perfect watercraft
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 10:41 pm 
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The trailer seems fairly affordable if you wanted to go that route. How many times per year do you think you would use it? I would think the amount of usage would ultimately determine how much you want to invest into it.

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 Post subject: Re: In search for the perfect watercraft
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 11:15 pm 
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Right now I doubt I'll be using it more than a few times a year. The nice things about a trailer are

  • Less work at home before and after trip (no dealing with roof rack, lugging around canoe, strapping down).
  • No abrasion from front straps on vehicle paint.
  • Trailer better suited for long trips or high cross winds.

Some disadvantages are
  • Cost
  • Eyesore
  • Would somehow need to flip hull upside down for storage to discourage packrats.

Abrasion from the front straps on the paint was a concern. The Subaru has some nice mounting rings for that purpose near the front wheel wells. But the straps pull across the front bumper fascia, the headlights, and a few inches of the hood. I put masking tape on those areas, which worked this one time. But I wouldn't want to do that a lot. Also, I was concerned about the heat of the headlights on the rope after dark.

Also, at the end of the day a big storm came through with 50 mph gusts. The canoe definitely reacted to some of the stronger crosswinds, though everything worked out okay. It would have been easier with a trailer.

I may try hauling on the KJ next time, but it's so much taller getting the canoe on and off will be more difficult.

Ernie

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2003 Liberty, ARB bumper w fogs and KC SlimLites
Front Franky II HD, rear OME948 w Rancho RS9000/XL shocks
LT245/75R16C Duratracs on Moabs
4.10 gears, front & rear ARB lockers, Boulder Bars, AFE Stage 2 intake
Surco rack w BajaRack jerry can holder
Cobra 75 WX ST

06 LJ Rubi, 3.5" RE SA and 33" BFG KM2s, GenRight tank


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