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NC16 Decked Sailing Canoe Splashed - pics

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 3:52 pm
by agrajag
It Works!!! I wasn't sure it would sail very well, but I'm very pleased with it's performance.

This is the Vardar Wasp, a canoe I built this past April. After taking the river trip it was built for and then putting it in a couple of lakes, I decided that paddling was way too much work for me.

I started looking into building another boat, but since I'm living and working outside the U.S. right now, I didn't want to make anything that I would just have to leave behind when this gig is up.... So, I started looking into sailing canoes and found tons of info on the internet.

I used info from the ACA for determining the size and location of the mast and daggerboard, but the rest of the design I made up as I went along.

The sail is a 44 sq. ft. lateen rig with aluminum spars and an aluminum mast.

The daggerboard has a wet area of 30" X9" and is finished into a nice foil shape - the daggerboard was the item that took the most time to make.

The rudder is operated by means of a bellcrank located behind the cockpit with a pushrod that goes back to an arm on the rudder. The rudder can be retracted and extended by dacron lines that go through tubing under the deck between the cockpit and transom.

There is a storage locker at the back of the cockpit for spare line, bailer, paddle, etc. I also have plans to make a water tight storage space at the front of the cockpit, and possibly dry storage at the bow and stern under the deck. Right now I'm just having fun sailing it.

This winter after it's too cold to sail I'll paint it.

I'm very pleased with how it sails. Seems fast to me, and it handles well. When I was out today I released the rudder several times to adjust my grip on the mainsheet, and the boat didn't display any tendancy to take off on it's own.

I'm very pleased to have a sailboat that I can single handledly car top and still take two of my kids out at the same time... After seeing Ausie's Proa I'm tempted to see what would happen if I added two small outriggers to this thing. Gotta have something to keep me busy this winter...
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 5:13 pm
by Lon
The look on the little guy's face is worth all your work.