I’ve been thinking a lot lately about kayak sail rigs/conversions and have some questions,
I’d like to create a rig that doesn’t require amas or outriggers but instead relies on a dagger board; I’m thinking of something relatively long and airfoil shaped. Problem is I know very little about the physics of sailboat design, how do dagger boards (or keels) help in countering heeling? Is it a function of lateral area and leverage, generating opposing lift or is it simply a ballast effect, and if it is how do you figure out how much ballast for a given beam, sail area/keel length (i.e. how little ballast would you need out at the end of a long skinny dagger board/keel for a kayak?) If anyone out there has any experience in this area or could point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated. –I’ve almost completed a S&G kayak of my own design and will be posting pictures very soon.
-Chad