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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: tacking to windward with a klepper
Posted By: Malcolm Schweizer In Response To: tacking to windward with a klepper (jim robertson)
Date: Wednesday, 7 September 2005, at 2:20 p.m.
Good day Jim,
I might suggest some of my thoughts, but I have not sailed a klepper. I will say that I've often wondered how they tack with all that keel. That is the first problem... kayaks are made to track, not tack. (hey, that rhymes). Most kayak sail rigs I've seen are designed more for running than tacking. I am not familiar with the design of the klepper rig, but I seem to remember it to be more of a traditional sloop rig. I would agree with putting a larger rudder to force the boat around, but perhaps leaning to the turn to put her more on edge (tricky, I will admit) will give her less keel to tack against.
Also a sailboat will "point" (Go towards the wind) better when the mast is raked, i.e. sloped to stern. Basically, without getting scientific, it allows the sail to catch the wind better when it is heading closer to the wind, allowing the boat to stay sailing closer to the wind, or further approaching head-to-wind. Perhaps you can without much difficulty figure a way to rake the mast. Just a few degrees may help maintain your momentum to get you through the tack.
Also it sounds like perhaps your sail isn't balanced. I'm wondering if there is a way to move the entire rig forward. If you have too much sail aft the boat will want to point, but may not want to tack through the wind. Imagine the boat like a weathervane. The larger part of the weathervane being in the back, it will always have more pressure on the rear, and that's why it always points towards the wind. The same thing with a sailboat. The more sail you have to stern the more the boat will want to point towards the wind, and the harder it will be to get her through a tack.
Does the rig have a headsail? If so, are you pulling the jib around as soon as it luffs when you tack? Perhaps you are stalling the jib when tacking and losing your forward momentum. Get the jib around and get it in as soon as it luffs. When tacking you want to set the jib first, then the main. When gybing it's the other way around. I don't know your sailing skill level, so forgive me if I'm being to elementary here.
Just my thoughts,
Malcolm
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