[dylanwinter1]

This coming summer I am planning to take the family (four plus labrador) up around the top of Scotland to Orkney (maybe Shetland) and around cape Wrath in Westerly Centaur if I can find one cheap enough)

I have been offered the loan of one of these - which has an inflatable keel - it is not a real keel just a bump in the floor - but I assume it should give it some more directional stability.

Key features | T32IE2 | Inflatables | Marine | Honda (UK)

Most of the time it will have the little Honda 2.3 on the back

but I hate the noise of the thing and there are some fabulous beaches and inlets to explore - perfect white sand, crystal clear (ice cold) water.

I have an old Optimist rig (used for the duck punt) and the space to stow it so I thought that I would try to get the thing sailing by lashing the optimist rig to the thwart

My plan is to fit a couple of plastic rowlocks on the transom either side of the engine and use a long wooden sweep out the stern for steering, create a mast step using a sheet of ply under the thwart and wedged in place using the tubes and use a second sheet as some sort of leeboard.

I am not expecting it to beat to windward but if I can get it to reach then I can sail in one direction and back the other. I am assuming I can get it to broad reach or run.

Has anyone on here tried such a thing - and do they have snaps or heart warming success stories.

I have seen the sailing kits

Sailboats To Go » Catalog » Inflatable Dinghy Sailing Rig

you can buy but I want this to be simple quick to assemble - and next to free

I am assuming that I will have just the one lee board and swap it over when I change tack.

Dylan

 

[deltaten]

BTDT.....
but I didn't add the lee bards/keel and found downwind OK but couldn't tack worth a damm'd thing!
A good way to spend a morning paddling about; but in my instance, I spent more time extricating myself from the neighbor's dock and pilings than 'sailing'.
Make the leeboards HUGE!! "
Best,
Paul/D10

 

[jimgo]

Dylan, how do you expect to lash the leeboard?

 

[SecondWindNC]

Row it when you don't want to motor. I don't think it will sail anywhere close to well enough to be worth the trouble.

 

[dylanwinter1]

Dylan, how do you expect to lash the leeboard?

well - the mark one will be one foot tide and a yard long with holes in the top corner and holes just less than half way down

I will then just bungee it to the thwart and see what happens

I am hoping that the sideways drift of the boat will hold it against the hull.

I am not that worried about tacking

I aim to leabe the outboard where it is so I can start it in a trice without faffing about

my expectations are not high

I just want to make sure that I can film from a moving dinghy without the sound of the engine

it will also be better for sneaking up on birds

so does anyone have any snaps

 

[dylanwinter1]

Row it when you don't want to motor. I don't think it will sail anywhere close to well enough to be worth the trouble.

such negativity is surprising in one so young SW

"worth" is a slippery term when it comes to any enterprise I always feel

most mobo sailors do not think it is worth using the wind at all

some sailors will put on the engine as soon as forward speed falls to three knots.

One of my films had 1400 comments on it - it is amazing how the word "worth" slips around

for some it was not worth using candles and flowerpots unless they heated their 5,000 square foot house in Canada in February

other thought that it was worth doing because it takes the chill off boat cabin or a tiny home office.

So for me, as long as it sails at more or less 90 degrees to the wind then it will be worth it

I will even go for 110 degrees to the wind

oars frighten wading birds while they find sails much leass disturbing - so O shall get better films - and get to see where I am going.

Never owned a rub dub that rowed worth a squit anyway

and as long as the enterprise produces a few hours of entertainment then that will be a wonderful thing

D

 

[SecondWindNC]

It's your time and effort. Feel free to use it as you see fit. I apologize if I assumed that by posting on an online forum you were seeking opinions; I provided mine. Wasn't trying to be negative. Trying to row an inflatable is not one of life's greatest joys. I can only imagine that keeping it pointed in the right direction under sail will be even more of a challenge. But I wish you the best of luck.

 

[MarkSF]

I had an Achilles dinghy with air keel, and it tracked beautifully under power. But it really helps more, the faster you go. At a couple of knots, the resistance to going sideways is about the same as going forwards! So you'll be wanting those leeboards.

I say go for it. Should make an interesting project, and what's the worst that can happen? Have you got a wet suit? (joking... well, half joking)

Couldn't you make some kind of plywood attachment for the outboard, that turns it into a proper rudder? Then you'd steer with the outboard tiller, under sail.

 

[capttb]

Dylan, I'd be thinking something lighter and easier to deploy for downwind use like a kayak sail, there's several designs but all are quick and light to deploy. You could steer by sail trim some and a paddle or oar used like in a canoe should provide steerage. Do a search for some other types than the one I've included, Sea Eagle even makes one used lightweight "tent poles" in an X-rig configuration for less than $100.
Amazon.com: Windpower Super Kayak Sail (Yellow): Sports & [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@51OZ1agaVuL
This one even boasts of being able to reach.

 

[capta]

At the risk of also being criticized for my opinion, here it is, and damn the consequences;
One would think if there was any logical way to add a sailing rig to an inflatable it would have been done and be available somewhere to buy or at least copy. They don't even row very well, so if I were you, I'd be a lot nicer to that noisy outboard you don't like.
But as stated above; "It's your time and effort. Feel free to use it as you see fit."

 

[dylanwinter1]

At the risk of also being criticized for my opinion, here it is, and damn the consequences;
One would think if there was any logical way to add a sailing rig to an inflatable it would have been done and be available somewhere to buy or at least copy. They don't even row very well, so if I were you, I'd be a lot nicer to that noisy outboard you don't like.
But as stated above; "It's your time and effort. Feel free to use it as you see fit."

Deepest apologies

the web is sometimes full of information free opinions

but in among it sometimes comes some wisdom or information based upon first hand experience

but bless you for using your experience of sailing inflatables - your hands on experience has saved me a lot of time

 

[capta]

such negativity is surprising in one so young SW

"worth" is a slippery term when it comes to any enterprise I always feel

most mobo sailors do not think it is worth using the wind at all

some sailors will put on the engine as soon as forward speed falls to three knots.

One of my films had 1400 comments on it - it is amazing how the word "worth" slips around

for some it was not worth using candles and flowerpots unless they heated their 5,000 square foot house in Canada in February

other thought that it was worth doing because it takes the chill off boat cabin or a tiny home office.

So for me, as long as it sails at more or less 90 degrees to the wind then it will be worth it

I will even go for 110 degrees to the wind

oars frighten wading birds while they find sails much leass disturbing - so O shall get better films - and get to see where I am going.

Never owned a rub dub that rowed worth a squit anyway

and as long as the enterprise produces a few hours of entertainment then that will be a wonderful thing

D

At the risk of also being criticized for my opinion, here it is, and damn the consequences;
One would think if there was any logical way to add a sailing rig to an inflatable it would have been done and be available somewhere to buy or at least copy. They don't even row very well, so if I were you, I'd be a lot nicer to that noisy outboard you don't like.
But as stated above; "It's your time and effort. Feel free to use it as you see fit."

 

[deltaten]

yep. time and effort. my "inner child" had a ball trying it withmine. an oar,boathook pole, a poly tarp and some line.......
just cause i could...... and had some time to do it.

 

[dylanwinter1]

yep. time and effort. my "inner child" had a ball trying it withmine. an oar,boathook pole, a poly tarp and some line.......
just cause i could...... and had some time to do it.

so did you manage to get it reaching

did you have a leeboard

D