> Im thinking on building the Great Auk and I want to place a spinnaker sail
> on it. Im new at kayaking and building a kayak but I am a fairly
> experienced small craft sailer. A kayak is ideal to get me into those
> small places were no other boat would dare to go and at the same time I
> can enjoy the sport of sailing. Does anybody know were I can purchase the
> sail and accesories I need, and where i place the sail on the kayak. Also,
> what modifacations I would need to make to the Auk.

First, I'm not a sailor, but kayaks I've seen with sails tend to have a few common characteristics. The mast is easily mountable, and de mountable from the paddler`s position. That means that the mast step has to be within reaching distance of the front of the paddler's cockpit. Pardon me if my terminology is incorrect but the line (sheet?) that serves to connect the mast to the front of the boat ( Forestay) can be permanently mounted to either the mast or the boat. You'll need to devise some block and tackle arrangement (controlled from the cockpit) to tighten and loosen this line when the mast is raised and lowered. The lines that go to the sides of the boat and secure the mast from left to right, are usually attached just forward of the cockpit, and are easier to adjust. An eyebolt on each side of the kayak can accept a metal hook at the end of the line. The line can then be tensioned with a standard turnbuckle.

A feature found on some kayaks is the ability to rapidly jetison the sail and mast. Theoretically, then, if the boat tips it is easier to right the craft. After that the sail is remounted and the trip continues. In my limited sailing experience I have never tipped, so I have no personal experience with this and would enjoy hearing from anyone who has.

Your kayak WILL have a rudder. I have heard of people modifying the rudder shape or size so that is is not only suitable for regular paddling, but has been also `tweaked' to improve its usefullness when sailing. Something to think about here. I believe Klepper uses their standard rudder. Take a look at their website (www.klepper.com) for some ideas. (The opening screen is in German, but click on their logo)

You will probably need to make a step block (proper term?) to hold the bottom of the mast and spread the load over a few of the strips at the bottom of the boat. A piece of 2x6 cut into a 5.5 by 5.5 by 1.5 inch block will serve. You can shape this into a circle, and/or chamfer the edges to make it appear smaller. Drill a hole in it to hold the bottom of the mast securely and use a plane to shape it to fit the hull. After you have glassed the interior you can secure this with an embedding compound or a strong (silicone type) adhesive if you don't want to epoxy it permanently into place. If the spot where this goes will be accessible after the deck is installed, it should be easy to spot its location under the hole in the deck. So, plan to put your bulkhead (if any) closer to the bow than this point.

You can go with a centerboard or leeboards. If your goal is a boat that is used for sailing a lot, build in a centerboard well. The construction is similar to that for a retractable skeg, so there should be some details and drawings on this list. (if the archives work) I guess the best place for a centerboard well is between your knees in the cockpit.

What I would do is this: Build the hull first, glass it, Cut the slot for the centerboard well, cut the pieces for the centerboard well from plywood and assemble three sides, leaving one wide side off. I would measure so that the well is 1/8 to 1/4 inch higher than it should be to fit the deck. I would glass the inside of the centerboard well when I installed it, and leave a bit of extra glass at the bottom, which I would bring through the slot in the hull and epoxy to the outside bottom of the hull. It would probably be a bit messy to work with this. but I can't see how I would do a good job of waterproofing that area otherwise. Once the resin had set I'd plane or belt sand the excess height to fit the curve of the deck. After installing the deck I'd go around the joint with a few glass scraps or tape and resin. Of course with a long cockpit I wouldn't need to worry about how well the centerboard well fit the deck.

Before the deck in installed you should also mount blocks for reinforcement in those under-the-deck areas where you are going to put fittings for the mast stay lines.

Hope these ideas help.

David Hazen has some illustrations and ideas for mounting sails in his book on strip building canoes and kayaks. Canoe sailing rigs can be adapted.

Hope this helps. Paul Jacobson