Design and cheap build of easy sail rig for Sevylor 360 inflatable.

[hansp77]

I have a Sevylor 360 fishhunter that I currently use as a tender to get out to my swing mooring.
I don't have an outboard for it, and would rather not get one.
I am interested in any ideas of how to build a cheap sail rig and set up for this inflatable.

It does not have to be that great.
The main aims would be

1. Cheap (otherwise I might as well buy one )
2. Reasonably small pack up size (ideally to fit inside a suburu Forester)
3. very quick to set up, and pack up. (boat takes about fifteen minutes to inflate- so within this time frame)

Speed/efficiency is probably the least of the concers, though of course, both would be nice.

It is simply a long paddle out, and if we could just lay back and slowly sail out, then that would be nice. Also it might be fun for when we take only the inflatable camping, or down to the beach house.

Thanks,
Hans.

[Figgy]

How about you shape a 2x4 and cut it in half. Screw two large (gate) hinges on opposite each other, one with the pin in all the time, the other removable so you can fold the mast in half when not in use. Use a poly-tarp for a sail, or maby a painters drop cloth. It shouldnt cost more than twenty bucks and it'll take five minutes to rig.
-Figgy

[hansp77]

Thanks Figgy,
I was definately thinking of using polytarp,

the main problems I can imagine is how to step the mast, how to stay the mast, and then the daggerboards and rudder...

Here are a few photos from http://www.sailboatstogo.com/photo_gallery.php
a company that sells these sails,








Ha Ha,
ok,
it looks sorta nice
but at US$549
you can see why I wanto make my own.
Hans.

P.S.
what do people think of something like this?
any alterations or improvements on the general design?
Performance?

[SeaSpark]

Hoi Hans,

Have my doubts about putting a rig on a flexible boat, you will aways need rigid attachment points for rudder, daggerboards and mast, this requires a frame of some sort so a really simple solution is out of the question. A solution perhaps can be found by using only one dagger on the lee side with the mast directly attached to it. Tacking may be out of the question this way but upwind sailing won't be a good habbit of a boat like this anyway.

Suggestion:

Try build an electric drive from parts saved from a scrapheap, second hand car battery with windscreen wiper motor?

If you want to sail why not build a dingy like one of these for car top transport?

http://www.instantboats.com/teal.htm

http://www.pdracer.com/

From PDracer:

A simple hull can be made from 2 sheets of plywood, titebond II glue, and latex house paint. It only took me 10 hours to make the basic hull on my boat.

Like you would rather not get an outboard,

Jeroen

[hansp77]

Hey Jeroen,
thanks,
I have thought about building an electric drive, but managed to get talked out of it by my uncle. He seemed to think it would be very hard to do it right and make it last- I wasn't so sure but ended up dropping the idea anyway. If it is possible then this would certainly be a good option me.

You say a windscreen wiper motor?
Interesting,
Could you go into a little more detail?
I've never pulled one of these things apart, but I thought they went back and forwards rather than round and round.

How would you go about constructing one of these?

Thanks,
Hans.

P.S. I like the look of the instaboat, but have sort of decided to try to make do with the inflatable for the moment, rather than get yet another boat.

[SeaSpark]

Im in the mood for stupid idea's today so:

[SeaSpark]

My previous post crossed yours. I'll try to find something sensible about the electric option.

[hansp77]

Thanks again,
I see what you mean (lee side crabclaw rig)
It is certainly a lot less complicated, and I gotta say, better looking, than the pictures I posted. I wonder how the performance would compare.

Electric option though would be great.
I already have the batteries, and the battery charger, so I'm part way there.

Hans.

EDIT- p.s. catch ya tomorrow, I'm off to bed.

[SeaSpark]

The inflatable has no real distinction between front and back so why no proa style rig? When you make the rudder detachable and retachable at the front (or back?) you can "shunt" thereby solving the tacking problem with the rig i proposed.

About the electric propulsion, i'm thinking about a "long tail" kind of setup, with the salvaged motor mounted inline with and on a surfboard mast with the propshaft inside. The prop could be from a model boat shop, not very expencive. I once saw a 3m model boat (a heavy one) with a truck wiper motor running at remarkable speed.

Power control could simply be on or off.

edit:

Wiper motors have a mechanism that converts the rotary motion to a wiper style one. Apart from the starter motor that will draw your battery empty in no time these are the most powerful electric engines in most cars. The fact they are available from junkyard cars makes them very cheap.

[hansp77]

Morning, and thanks Jeroen,
I was wondering if one could tack like that,

But for the moment I am going to go for the electric motor.
It'll be a bit fun to build anyway.

So a long tail you reckon.
I assume you mean sailboard mast- not surfboard?

Would I even need to cover the propshaft?

Also, I am sure there must be a very simple mechanism I can add for some throttle control.

As I am for the present officially abandoning the sail idea, but may come back to it later, I will start a new thread for this electric motor, and leave this thread for anyone who wants to play with the sail concept.

Thanks for your help.
Hans.

[Chris Ostlind]

Here ya go:

http://www.allinflatables.com/shopping/boats/sail.html
http://www.tinker.co.uk/html/sailing.htm
http://www.soar1.com/accessories.htm

And there's even a solution for this problem that you may have thought never existed.

http://www.seair.com/

You should be able to learn enough from the photos in the collections above to cobble together a type of sial rig that wold get you moving on the water. It'll never be fast, but who cares?

Chris

[stuckinslowmo]

I actually have an inflatable with an electric drive...it's about 6 feet and I power it with my sons "power wheels" battery.
The drive unit is built right into the rubber as well as the steering arm. Comes complete with a small rubber pocket to house the battery.
My brother gave it to me, not sure where he got it, but I think "sears" sold them years back.
It goes pretty good, I take two kids out for fun on it all the time.