: Hi, anyone out there know anything about how to make sails or where to
: purchase sails for kayaks? Thanks Dennis

Hi,

A few sites:

http://www.2.friend.ly.net/~dadadata/_Rushton_Bat_Sails.html

http://home.t-online.de/home/derpoly/basteltips.html#oben
(with good sketches, see translating devices online)

http://www.rtpnet.org/robroy/baidarka/slideshow/node-f01.html

http://www.vision.net.au/~jennings/sail.html

http://www.common-sense-boats.com/boats/Canoes_&_Kayaks/pirogue.htm

http://www.dcss.org/speedsl/

http://www.brunel.ac.uk/~acsrrrm/kayak/folbot/folbot.html

Sailing upwind is a tougher challenge on a kayak than on a sailboat.
Definition of a rigged yak: a sailing dinghy that has a too narrow hull.
Please tell us:

* do you already own a kayak ?
* plastic or canvas ?
* do you want to sail upwind or downwind ?
* on which kind of ocean or waters are you going to sail ?

A downwind rig may be built with a pair of broomsticks and a piece of cloth. Now you may sail too far at bay and need to paddle back to shore, upwind, and that may be a life hazard.
Then an upwind rig is ten times more complicated to do: you'll need a pair of side leeboards, a rudder with pedals or a rudder with a tiller, a board to sit on the top of the boat on a strong wind tack (optional in the Klepper series).
Perhaps nylon stays and d-rings to hold them.
When sitting on top or coaming you'll need a tiller. How will you fix the rudder bracket to a folding yak's skin? Reinforcements stripes will be needed, and metal jaws or pindles.
You'll have to trim the boat a bit to pick the right place to bolt the board's transverse yoke to avoid too much weathercocking or leecocking.
Nothing impossible to do there; but it needs work.
Above all, avoid going out to sea if you see white caps on the waves.
Keep up the search and keep us posted.

Eric