sailing kayak ideas, pairing up a couple to make a cat

Dad and I made a 16' double kayak that had an optional daggerboard box. We never installed it, but the seed was planted. The plans were from the 70's and I can't remember the designer, but he had power boat plans and a 24' trawler that was dad's final build.
Now I sit here and think, what about a pair of those simple plywood kayaks and make a kit to join them up from time to time for sailing?
He filled the bow and stern with pour foam for flotation. That was a sound idea and I would do the same. You could build a seat and put your feet on the bottom of the hull in the cockpit for seating comfort, this old back does not do the kneeling thing any more.

 

Unless you have a pair of them sitting around doing nothing, probably not a good idea, and even if you did, it would likely not perform as well as a boat designed from scratch.

 

This idea has been done multiple times, nobody was proud enough of the finished boat to report back.
There are multiple designs which would be the equivalent but designed from the start to be a sail boat.

Anything can be done, but you should concentrate on having a useful boat after you finish.

Pour flotation is usually a poor idea, because most foam soaks up water and tries to sink the boat.
Just make a closed chamber, with an access port so you can inspect from time to time.

 

understood. The kayak was fun, had a daggerboard box, you know. The brain doth wander.

 

more practical would be a kayak and sailing rig with outrigger (s). Not going to break any sailing speed records but still a good kayak when the kit is removed.

 

Check out this thread.
Looks like a fairly successful Kayak + outriggers (trimaran) mod done by someone who knew very little when he started.

Newbie needs help with small DIY sail plan, trimaran setup. http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?268647-Newbie-needs-help-with-small-DIY-sail-plan-trimaran-setup

Actually I'm thinking about copying a lot of what he has done.

 

Unless there's a particular reason you would like to work with a kayak, you may find an open canoe gives you more flexible accommodation as a small outrigger sail boat, than a kayak does. There's a healthy sailing canoe scene in the uk, usually working with components added to an ordinary open canoe.

The Open Canoe Sailing Group is a good resource:

Open Canoe Sailing Group | Sailing Adventures http://www.ocsg.org.uk/

 

I am very familiar with kayak handling, that one dad built I was in every summer in my youth. Canoes, not so much
Still it bears thought. Also, those canoe rigs are certainly great study material for doing a sailing kayak.

 

Read up on Gary Dierking's amas. Making the kayak sail doesn't need another yak.

 

there should be a universal, DIY or even "store bought" kit to make any two (SOT especially) kayaks into a cat or even tri.

Start with paddled bottom beams that sits just behind the seat and just ahead of the foot wells, or some better deck space even more forward and aft of cockpit depending on kayaks used and....how much flat deck tramp space you want!

The beamshttps://www.clearwatercomposites.com/product/1-3-8-x-1-491-carbon-fiber-tube/ could be secured with the various tie down deck fittings and carry handles but that's putting more stress than they were designed for. So, since this isn't going to racing for money, I suggest accepting the very minor added drag of two flat fabric tie down straps around the hulls to fully secure the cross beams. You'd want at least a cord holding the front and rear beams from wanting to slip toward the narrowing ends of their hull ends. You could even carry the assembled Cat on roof racks if desired.

No reason why same "beams" (poles) couldn't be same material as masts, and no reason why you couldn't have 4 cross beams to create two tramp zones well fore and aft of cockpits to allow normal kayak double ended paddling.

I think a large 3-4 man SOT with two smaller kids kayaks would work fine but also any mismatched kayaks should be OK and be just some version of amas.

The vertical mast(s) would be stepped in modified pipe T fittings https://www.zoro.com/hollaender-str...2510-lb-tensile-strength-5-8/i/G5721967/which could be placed anywhere on the cross poles with some tool free clamping device and the masts could be instantly raised or lowered by rotating the T fitting around the cross poles.

Overall concept would be not just a sailing Cat-Kayak but also making a Cat style big flat tramp space for floating camping, lounging and even transporting large awkward objects (clamping small outboard to cross pole would be possible).

 

What a terrible way to promote a bad idea.
Any thing can be done.
Doesn't mean it should be.

 

I was really amused by the statement that "also any mismatched kayaks should be OK "

 

Proa?

 

mis·match
(mĭs′măch′, mĭs-măch′)
n.
An unsuitable match or a lack of correspondence.
tr.v. (mĭs-măch′) mis·matched, mis·match·ing, mis·match·es
To match unsuitably or badly.

 

Gonzo +1.
And not just for the english lesson.
A proa needs very specifically matched hulls - not just any old pair.
Unless you just want a swim raft.