Flotsam & Jetsam
Whew! The articles have been coming fast and furious. We hope you’re able to keep up. If not, here are just a few things you might have missed:
We just welcomed a new columnist, Sean Grealish. Look for his articles monthly under the name By Wind Over Water. And look for addtional new columnists in the coming months. We recognize it’s a lot of content, but we’re determined to be the best source of small-boat and sailing information on the planet.
Our little poll about whether or not you can reboard your boat stimulated some interesting feedback.
Tech Editor, Jerry Culik went into amazing detail on his gas-to-electric outboard conversion. We’re all awaiting the next installment.
Regular contributor Matt Schiemer put us right in the middle of this year’s challenging Texas 200.
Dave Zeiger and Anke Wagner shared a chapter on night sailing from their just released book, Sailing in Place. We gave away one copy, but if you didn’t win—you can buy your book here.
Speaking of new books, we’re hard at work on a new title featuring 50 of our boat reviews. The 300-plus page book will also have some fun new content. We’ll keep you posted.
After reading Howard Rice’s canoe sailing piece, reader Jim Kemp was inspired to send us the following note, photo and video. We love it!
I’ve been a lifelong sailor and kayaker. Eight years ago my wife became ill and I no longer had the time to do both. I decided paddling a kayak was healthier and less time consuming. At a kayak gathering on Lake Erie I was surprised to see a kayak zipping along with a single small sail. Once on shore I was able to get a closer look and the rig. The mast is stepped on the deck and held in place with four side stays and a forestay. Both the mast and boom are carbon fiber and the whole rig can be dropped on the deck by simply releasing the forestay. This operation can be done in less than two seconds. Once down, the rig can be easily attached to the gunnel and the boat can be paddled with no interference from the rig.
I have no centerboard or leeboard, so I must be very attentive to puffs. I can’t go to weather like a real sailboat, but the hard chines provide a bit of leeward resistance. I use a Greenland paddle as a rudder, but if I choose to paddle while I’m sailing, I can manufacture a little more wind which allows for better windward performance. A handier person could probably build a similar rig, but I got mine from Falcon Sails in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Scampers, keep sending Josh favorite photos of of your SCAMP sailboat for the new SCAMP website gallery. Send to josh@smallcraftadvisor.com
Frank Durant’s mini-trawler conversion generated a lot of interest. Here’s another photo Frank sent of the interior:
Let us know if there are any new boats or related products you’d like reviewed, or topics you want us to cover. Also, if you are part of a boating related group or club and would like to give all of your members a free one-year paid subscription to Small Craft Advisor, get in touch. We’re always looking to build our readership—Eds •SCA•
Love to get my hands on that book when is published.
Thanks for the extra photo, Frank. Nicely done!