Kayaks that are equipped with outrigger sail rigs are for people who like to paddle and to sail. They are also for those who dream of the sail boat, but don't have the money or the time to sail to exotic places. A sailing kayak has more in common with the outriggers from the South Pacific. You can paddle. You can sail. You can paddle and sail.
Combining a Feathercraft kayak and the Wind Seeker sail rig, you can plan a sailing trip any where. With the Wind Seeker Sail Rig mounted on a good touring kayak you can enjoy a lively day sail, or … sail a thousand miles. The choice is yours.
Wind Seeker in the Bahamas on Feathercraft K2 Expedition
Wind Seeker Sail Rig for Feathercraft Kayaks
Sail adaptations to the frame and skin are required to be done by Feathercraft. Included are a "mast step" mounted on the keel tube, a "mast collar" mounted on the deck bar and a reinforced hole through the deck with a neoprene closure. Our K2 already has these fittings in the correct location.
Our Klondike has the keel and mast deck bar, but the customer would have to cut the mast hole on an older spray deck. Our single kayaks do not have these fittings as standard equipment. They must be ordered when purchasing the kayak, or can be installed later at Feathercraft. The Wind Seeker rig can be installed on our K1, K2, Klondike and Kahuna models. It cannot be mounted on the Wisper, Khatsalano or sit-on-top models. The hole and mast bracket for the spinnaker sail on K1s are mounted too close to the cockpit for this new sail system. (Sorry.) On these existing boats, we could either move the bracket forward of the old one and cut another hole in the deck, or mount the mast and outrigger behind the cockpit.
On our K1 model, the sail rig can be mounted either forward of the cockpit ("forward mount") or aft of the cockpit ("aft mount"). The Kahuna/Big Kahuna can have only the forward mast mount. An advantage of the forward mount is that working the main sail is more intuitive because you can see it. A disadvantage is that you have the mast going through the boat between your legs, which can be in the way. A special sea sock is required with a tunnel for the mast. The forward mount also impedes your paddle stroke more than the aft mount. An advantage of the mast mounted aft of the cockpit is that it does not impede your legs or your vision. However, it does take a little longer to learn to sail instinctively, and more paddle assisted steering is required. The two systems move the boat equally well. I prefer the aft mount.
Wind Seeker in the Bahamas on Feathercraft K2 Expedition
On all Feathercraft models the struts that support the akas are attached to tubes on both gunwales. They are pushed through the web loops that are sewn to the gaskets that run between the deck and the hull. These loops are used to hold the deck perimeter cord and also plastic "D" fittings. On some older models these web loops may have shrunk. In order to get the aka attachment tubes through the web loops it may be necessary to remove the perimeter lines from the web loops.
Wind Seeker sail rig for rigid kayaks
There are a tremendous number of touring kayaks out there. Why not sail them? One of the problems has been stability. Kayaks are quite narrow. Another has been installation. Most people don't want to bother with complicated installations, and they don't want to cut or drill holes in their kayaks. Our sail rig deals with both of these concerns.
Adaptor base included with kit for rigid hull kayaks
The base for the sail rig is attached with just two straps that go around the hull, and one cord that goes around the cockpit. "Struts" attached to the base support both the mast and sail (propulsion) and the akas (stability). The strut lengths are adjustable, to orient the mast and aka to different kayaks. The base is flexible enough to conform to most kayak decks. Generally, the rig is mounted forward of the cockpit. The stern hatches and other fittings on most rigid touring kayaks prohibit mounting the rig aft.
Learn More. For more detailed information on combining paddling and sailing see our outrigger sailing page.
