5m Proa from Racing Kayaks

[mij]

5.2 m Proa from Racing Kayaks

An addition to the crazy ideas for home made multi hulls. I'm thinking about trying to make a proa from two old racing kayaks. One is a 5.2m Wizard multi-sport racing boat:

http://graftonpaddlesports.com.au/index.php/wizard-ld~~

and the other a 4.5 m Avenger Down River Racer:

http://graftonpaddlesports.com.au/index.php/avenger-mv

I haven't got much beyond that at the moment, except that I want to use the kayaks in such a way that I can disassemble to Proa and use the kayaks individually as kayaks. I would also like to be able to sail the boat while sitting in the cockpit of the Avenger, and possibly have a passenger in the Wizard.

Any suggestions welcome. I don't want to go to the effort and compromise the kayaks if the thing isn't going to sail reasonably well.

 

[Doug Lord]

Whats the length/ beam ratio on both hulls?

 

[mij]

Wizard (L=5.2 m, B=0.60) - L/B = 102
Avenger (L=4.5 m, B=0.51) - L/B = 75

 

[Doug Lord]

Wizard (L=5.2 m, B=0.60) - L/B = 102
Avenger (L=4.5 m, B=0.51) - L/B = 75

Wizard, 5.2/.6= L/B ratio=8.66/1
Avenger, 4.5/.51=L/B ratio=8.82/1

In my opinion,for any great sailing performance this should be at least 10/1, preferably more like 15/1 minimum.* They would sail and be fun just not very fast.

* unless you had the power and shape to take advantage of a planing hull.....

 

[mij]

Wizard, 5.2/.6= L/B ratio=8.66/1
Avenger, 4.5/.51=L/B ratio=8.82/1

In my opinion,for any great sailing performance this should be at least 10/1, preferably more like 15/1 minimum.

Thanks for the correction, I don't know what I was calculating. How about "reasonable" sailing performance, I'm not really after "great".

 

[Doug Lord]

"Reasonable" is sort of a personal definition. The thing is so simple why not just go ahead and try it. Take a trip through google and check out the existing sailing kayaks just for food for thought.
----
Another thought: the "flyak" below does 16.9 mph using two foils and one paddler. It uses no altitude control system relying on the proximity of the foil to the surface to control altitude(under one chord,lift drops) :

 

[mij]

Proyak

"Reasonable" is sort of a personal definition. The thing is so simple why not just go ahead and try it. Take a trip through google and check out the existing sailing kayaks just for food for thought.:

I've had a look, but it is a bit hard to tell if they sail at all well. You are right, it is pretty simple, I may as well just test it.

----

Another thought: the "flyak" below does 16.9 mph using two foils and one paddler. It uses no altitude control system relying on the proximity of the foil to the surface to control altitude(under one chord,lift drops) :

I've thought about these, I might try it out, but that far from the water, I don't imagine that it is ideal to paddle efficiently, or were you thinking about having sails on it? However, it gave me an idea for a name for the Proa/kayak.

 

[Doug Lord]

Proyak

Like the name! I was thinking of using a sail and another hull-maybe with a simple surface piercing foil. But now it's getting complicated.....

 

[mij]

Do you think I would get away with a windsurfer sail?

 

[Doug Lord]

Proyak

"Reasonable" performance....... But if your righting moment is substantially greater than a windsurfer the rig may give you trouble in stronger wind.