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Kayak
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Modern sailing kayaks are in many ways hybrids, integrating design features of Polynesian outrigger sailing canoes and/or British sailing canoes in various combinations. see PART I - THE ORIGINS OF KAYAK SAILING. The varied range of products available to kayak sailors today reflects this. Choices range from basic inverted triangle sails that can be combined with any standard SOT - "sit-on-top kayak" or SINK - "sit-inside kayak" to specialized SOTs or SINKS equipped with outriggers, leeboards, sailing rudders, and fully-battened high-aspect ratio sails. As an aspiring SOT kayak sailor you have essentially two choices: #1 You can buy boat and sail separately, or #2 you can buy a fully-rigged sailing kayak. Both choices have advantages and disadvantages. The basic advantage of choice #1 is that it allows you to customize your own sailing kayak: you choose a boat that you feel comfortable with and trust (which will most likely be the boat you already own - it was in my case), and you then select a sail rig that best suits your needs. This is not quite as straightforward as it sounds, though. The boat you are most comfortable with may not be compatible with the sail rig that is most suitable for you. Which brings us to the basic advantage of choice #2. If you buy a fully rigged sailing kayak all from a single source, you will avoid potential compatibility problems. But compatibility too comes at a price, as you may not end up with the exact boat you had in mind, or the most appropriate sail rig for that matter. To complicate matters further, you have a choice within each category between high-performance sail rigs and low-performance sail rigs. Which type of rig is right for you depends on your needs and expectations. If you want to enjoy the thrill flying across the water at break-neck speed on all Points of Sail (including beating upwind!); or if you plan to make long open water crossings, a high-performance sail may be the way to go. I say "may be" because performance, like compatibility, has its price: While offering speed and excitement, this type of rig is also significantly heavier, complex - both in terms of installation and handling - and, yes, expensive. For those who intend to use a sail mostly to conserve energy and extend their paddling range, a low-performance rig may therefore be a wiser choice. While not fast by any stretch of the imagination, this type of rig is ultra-light, simple to install and use, and much more affordable. To help you focus your efforts, the ensuing discussion of various SOT sailing kayaks available on the market today will follow this basic framework. That way, you should be able to home in directly on the choices that most appeal to you.
Finally, I am not an expert on kayak sailing. In fact, I am fairly new at it. I have personal experience only with my own boat and sail rig (Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro with Pacific Action sail), and can't offer first hand reviews on other boats or sail rigs discussed in this article. To the extent that I do express opinions on other boats or sail rigs, these are based on information provided by the manufacturer (including photographs and videos), Internet and e-mail discussions with other kayak sailors, as well as data generally available on the Internet. This article will focus on stand-alone, low-performance sail rigs only, as these are most readily available, easiest to install and also least expensive. Especially for beginning kayak sailors, one of these rigs would likely be the best choice. My next article will then take a look at fully-rigged sailing SOTs as well as high-performance stand-alone sail rigs. 1. Pacific Action Sails Based in New Zealand, Pacific Action makes a lightweight (about 2 pounds), hands-free, extremely versatile inverted-V sail - reminiscent of the crab claw sails used by the ancient Polynesians - that has become the top choice among expedition kayakers and long-distance racers such as the Watertribe.
To raise the sail, you simply turn the kayak downwind and release a small bungee loop that holds the sail level with the deck of the kayak while not in use. Pop! The bow bungee pulls the sail upright and, voila, you are sailing. To trim the sail, you pull or release the sheets using a small clam cleat that is integrated into the continuous sheeting system. When you are done sailing or the wind becomes too strong, simply pull on one of the sheets until you can grab the top of either mast and pull it down onto the deck of the kayak, grab the other mast, wrap the small sail around both masts, and secure the sail to the deck of the kayak with a small bungee tie down. Lowering the sail literally takes seconds, a great safety feature in a narrow-beamed craft like a kayak. The rolled up sail can also be stowed below deck if necessary (e.g., to transport the wet sail without having to put it into your car), provided you have a large enough hatch opening. Here are some other things I really like about the sail:
The Pacific Action sail is available in three sizes, 1.0m, 1.5m and 2.2 m. Personally, I am partial to the 1.5m sail, as it works both in low wind and high wind conditions. The power range of the 1.0m sail works is more limited, and it works best in winds of 15+ mph. The 2.2 m sail is quite large and intended mostly for tandems and/or low wind conditions. Depending on your boat, the conditions you normally sail in, and your skill level (which will increase quickly!), the 1.0m or 1.5m sail is therefore your best option. PA sails retail for around $300 and are available at many kayak shops. If you are having trouble finding one, you can also order the sail on the Internet. For more detailed information on the performance of the PA sail, including some "home-grown" modifications with photos, please refer to my article Pacific Action Sails Revisited. Also be sure to check out the videos posted on the Pacific Action website. They are quite instructive. 2. Spirit Sails
Like the PA sail, the Spirit sail is ultra-light (only 1/1/2 lbs.) and offers hands-free sailing and completely unobstructed paddling. Without any rigging and flexible masts, the sail is designed to spill and minimize the heeling effect of wind gusts, ensuring a safe ride. The sail is available in two sizes, 17 ft2 (1.5 m2) and 8.5 ft2 (0.75 m2). As for the PA sail, the larger size is probably a better choice for most paddlers (see above).
Another important difference to the PA sail is the way the Spirit sail is raised and lowered. To raise the sail, the sail must be assembled and installed from scratch each time (as opposed to the PA sail, which can be assembled and installed without being raised). Lest I mischaracterize the procedure, here are the instructions from the manufacturer: "Remove sail from its sack and unroll. Keep sail folded in half along length. Hold battens in pairs, side-by-side. Join all sections [error omitted] while sail is still folded. Keep sail out of water. Ensure V-support is in position. Align boat with nose downwind. Install first batten on post with sail folded in half. Install second batten base on other post, then open sail. Wind will fill sail. Ensure battens and fabric are pulled fully downward. You are now sailing." Not having had a chance to try the Spirit sail, it's hard for me to say how long this process would take. Probably no more than a couple of minutes. But when you are sitting on the water in windy conditions without a paddle in your hands, that can seem like a long time. First, you'll have to retrieve the 27" sail bag from the hatch of your kayak (unless you can tie it somewhere on deck). Then you will have to take out the different sections and put the bag away (otherwise it'll blow away in the wind). Next you'll have to slide out of your seat towards the bow where the locking plate is installed, assemble the mast sections and insert them into the V support, while at the same time making sure that the sail doesn't open up prematurely and/or fill with water. Note that not all parts float - if you drop the V-support (the part that connects the two masts to the locking base) in the water, it will sink. Last, you will have to scoot back to your seat, retrieve your paddle, all while still holding the folded sail, and finally let the sail snap upright and open. In all but the most benign conditions, I suspect that raising the sail on the water poses a bit of a challenge, especially for a beginner. It certainly cannot be raised without fail in 5 seconds in any conditions like the PA sail. I won't go into the process of lowering the Spirit sail. It is basically the reverse of raising the sail and poses much the same challenge. Click here for manufacturer's instructions. All in all, the Spirit sail is a good choice for someone who a) prefers a downwind only sail, b) has a strong dislike for lines of any kind on a kayak (they could conceivably pose a risk of entanglement), and c) would raise/lower the sail either on shore or in relatively calm conditions on the water. The Spirit sail, at least the smaller one, is also somewhat lower-priced than the PA sail, at U.S.$225. For a list of dealers, reviews, testimonials, see the Spirit Sails website. 3. EasyRider Sails
Both sails attach to a two-piece flexible mast with a length of 68 in. The mast is stepped into a base bolted to the deck, and locks into place with a twist. The whole package weighs less than 2 lbs. and can easily be stowed below deck as a 36-in. package. The two sheets of the downwind spinnaker clip into pad eyes on deck in front of the paddler. The single sheet of the reaching spinnaker runs aft through an eye attached to a strap of the rear hatch and then doubles back to a cleat next to the cockpit. The sails are raised and lowered by a halyard. Curiously, the size of the downwind spinnaker is listed as 6 ft.² and the size of the reaching spinnaker is listed as 8 ft.² in EasyRider's catalog as well as on its website. These are almost certainly not the correct sizes. Especially the reaching spinnaker is probably about twice the size listed (which is, in my mind, a good thing). When I raised the issue with Peter Kaupat, the owner of EasyRider Kayaks, he agreed that the sails were likely significantly larger, but was not sure what the correct sizes were. Not a big deal, but something to keep in mind in case you are seriously interested in either sail.
Both the downwind spinnaker and reaching spinnaker allow for hands-free sailing. In case of the reaching spinnaker, paddling is however somewhat restricted, depending on the position of the sail. Because the sheet of the sail is attached behind the cockpit, the clew of the sail (the point where the sheet is attached to the sail) is fairly close to the paddler on a reach. EasyRider maintains that a low-angle paddle stroke below the sail is possible. Since I have not had a chance to test the EasyRider reaching spinnaker, I simply don't know how restrictive the sail actually is on various points of sail. However, I suggest that you pay particular attention to this issue, should you be seriously interested in the reaching spinnaker. Even if the sail interferes with a double-bladed paddle stroke, a single-bladed canoe paddle should work fine. All in all, EasyRider's downwind/reaching spinnaker combination strikes me as an excellent choice. It offers good performance on all points of sail, it is simple and user-friendly, and it is also quite safe. The main drawback, especially compared to the Pacific Action sail, is that you have to purchase, carry, and switch between two sails. Aside from the hefty price tag -- about $600.00 for both sails -- this means you won't be able to switch between running downwind and sailing across the wind at a moment's notice. Whether this presents a problem will depend on your particular sailing habits and preferences, and also on the kinds of conditions you will typically sail in (e.g., if the wind shifts a lot where you sail, you may be better off with a single sail that can be trimmed by simply pulling or releasing the main sheet rather than two separate sails). 4. Choosing the Right SOT for Sailing Finally, a few words about the right kind SOT for sailing are in order. Just as not all SOT are good for specialized disciplines like surfing, racing or fishing, not all SOTs are suitable for sailing. Here are the main features you should be looking for in an SOT that would be used in combination with one of the above sail rigs:
The
following are some examples of good sailing SOTs: 1. Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro: Though discontinued, this is still my number 1 choice for a SOT sailing kayak. The French company RTM makes a replica of the old Scupper Pro, known as the "RTM Tempo". The only problem: no rudder option. So, you may be better off looking for a used Scupper Pro.
2. Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 or 160: though not my personal favorites, these two boats are the top choices of many other kayak sailors. They may be a better choice than the Scupper Pro especially for paddlers with a larger frame.
3. Ocean Kayak Prowler 15: This is another boat that has received accolades from a number of experienced kayak sailors. Also a boat designed for larger paddlers.
4. Hobie Adventure: This is an excellent choice in every respect. However, as I will discuss in the next part of this article, Hobie makes a sail rig specifically designed for the Hobie Adventure. So while the Adventure can and has been successfully used in combination with some of the above sail rigs, chances are that if you purchase or already own an Adventure, you'll opt for the more performance-oriented Hobie sail rig (which will be discussed in the next part of this article).
Note: There are certainly other SOTs that also should do very nicely for sailing purposes. However, as I neither have any personal experience with those boats nor know of anyone else who uses them for sailing, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to recommend them at this point. If anyone would like me to add their particular SOT sailing kayak to the above list, I will gladly do so. Robert
is a regular contributor to Topkayaker.net's Forum.
He also welcome's 2. Do-It-Yourself Sail Rigs
Other Reviews
We also recommend:
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In
Search of the Perfect 
Before
you read on, here are a few caveats: The information on kayak sailing
presented here is far from exhaustive. As this article is published
on a sit-on-top kayaking site, I have focused on SOT kayaks and
kayak sails that are made or at least suitable for sit-on-top kayaks
(SOTs). I have also limited myself to those kayak sail rigs that
struck me as the most plausible options (e.g., beach umbrellas are
not included, even though I keep reading of people using them as
makeshift sails - seriously!). If anyone feels that I have left
out an important kayak sail rig option, or have any corrections
to inaccurate, misleading or wrong information you may come across
here - let us know in 
A
good part of what makes the PA sail so attractive is its simplicity
and user-friendliness. It consists of twin composite, two-piece
masts joined at the bottom of the V to a two-piece, flexible plastic
mast foot, which is strapped to the bow of the kayak using a simple
buckle system. The plastic buckles are attached to the deck or sides
of the kayak with two stainless steels screws. The sail is made
of simple lightweight ripstop nylon. There are no battens, grommets,
reef points, stays, shrouds, halyards or anything of that sort to
worry about. A bungee loop hooked into the bow handle pulls the
mast forward and upright, while the sheets of the sail run through
stainless steel carabiners clipped to four pad eyes on the gunwales
of the cockpit within easy reach of the paddler. To get a better
idea of how the PA sail is installed, I recommend that you take
a look at the first video clip on this page: 
Once
the rig is installed, a process that takes no more than about 5
minutes, you are ready to go. While the sail can be installed on
the water (I have managed to do it in 20 knots of wind once), it
is much easier and safer to do so on land. There is really no good
reason to install the sail on the water, since the installed sail
does not interfere with paddling in the lowered position. That is
in part what makes the PA sail so attractive. 
EasyRider
Kayaks offers two different low-performance sails: a 
The
combination of the two sails is a powerful one, allowing you to
sail both downwind and across the wind. Though I have not had a
chance to try the reaching spinnaker (or the downwind spinnaker,
for that matter), the reaching spinnaker, due to its modern sail
design, should offer better reaching performance than the Pacific
Action sail. Because of the flexible, tapered mast, the sail rigs
readily spill gusts, which makes for a safe ride even in high wind
conditions. On the other hand, you have to switch sails on the water
to sail both downwind and across the wind on the same trip. With
the relatively small size and light weight of the sails, this should
not present a problem, however.
