How to Sail an Inflatable Kayak - Episode 12 : Sailing in Alicante, Spain - ITIWIT Decathlon

We've moved to Alicante, Spain where the sun and sand meets the sea!
This episode was uploaded uncut from beach-launch to cruising speed in turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Seas.
It also features the biggest (functional) sail we've ever had for the kayak and the sea-trials went well! The newly designed rudder-transom worked great too!!
BTW, the sail GPS app switched itself off after a few minutes, so I managed to clock about 4-5 knots (in 6-7knot wind) at the beginning of the 2-hour session. I'll get a dedicated sail GPS device on the next session!
Learn more at www.snacksinthebackpack.com --- Kayak Sailing
or use this link : www.snacksinthebackpack.com/s...
Drop in your questions and comments below...
May your sails be filled with wind!

[@Mmnc-bv3rk]

"Everybody can sail" that's gonna be iconic. Man~ your kit is sailing smooth, everything seams really solid. The project's come along really well, you've made a great sailing kit. I'll be looking forward to your future videos as well.

[@sitb-]

Yes, you can sail too! May the force be with you 💪🏼💪🏼

[@Ok_ok25]

please make a separate video, you show and tell in detail about the mechanism of the mast, how it is attached, how it is stretched. the most detailed video about the mast, please.

[@kechkarmohamed4300]

Just fantastic, you've made something crazy man you have all my respects. I never was into sailing but seeing your video and that peace and proud face you have made me think about it. Thank you for your sharing, keep safe 🙏

[@sitb-]

You're welcome! Glad you liked the video! :)

[@RobbsHomemadeLife]

You did a great job. I have been messing around with inflatable do-it-yourself sailboats for a while and I never saw anybody attach the mast to the inflatable boat using a container like you did. That's a good idea. Everybody can saile gotta love it. I subscribed.👍👍😀😀

[@sitb-]

Hey thank you Rob, it takes a lots of thinking to get where I am now with the project 😂 but it's all good fun, also getting to inspire like-minded hobbyists like yourself 💪🏼😁

[@zhrob1]

​@@sitb-say what kind of container is holding the mast?

[@sitb-]

@@zhrob1 Hi, it was an IKEA garden parasol base, it was meant to hold umbrellas and poles upright. It is less than 1kg when empty and you could fill it with water if you want to. I didn't fill it up because I prefer it lightweight. It also 'spreads' out the kayak's body to give even more stability. Hope that helps!

[@zhrob1]

@@sitb- thanks for sharing. I been enjoying the vids man. I been attempting to set up a sail for my sea eagle 385 ft. Your pole setup is a great option for an inflatable.

[@sitb-]

@@zhrob1 oh yeah, it's a non invasive way of mounting the mast. Took me a while to figure out how to mount a mast. It's all about being persistent to what you're looking for, you'll get there sooner or later 😁

[@mjt106]

Excellent 👌

[@sitb-]

Thank you! 😁

[@AirOnTheWater]

Impressive!

[@sitb-]

thank you!!

[@Jiga1]

great job!

[@sitb-]

thank you!

[@EckieOutdoor]

Very cool man! I would like to test that too with my inflatable kayaks. That construction looks pretty easy to build myself, I like the simplicity of your rudder system.

[@sitb-]

Thank you! oh yeah I've been through a lot of designs and the goal is to keep the parts simple & light for 1 person to carry down to the water 👍🏼

[@urra901109]

Been watching your kayak sail video from the first episode.🎉 Its nice to know someone out there having the same idea as me. Just a question, how well does the kayak hold up all these years? Any repairs, puncture?

[@sitb-]

Hey, thank you for following my videos!! We bought this kayak back in 2018, till date I haven't had any punctures or rips. Only thing wrong was the zippers were jammed from corrosion due to saltwater. But that didn't bother me much as I don't need to remove the balloons -touch wood! I've only dismantled the floor and wash everything down with freshwater every autumn or end of season, dry and stow away. It had been stored in high humidity environment before, it's been in the sun, sand, river, you name it. So far, so good 👍🏼👍🏼 Someday when it starts to leak, I'll probably patch the leak and repair the zipper(s), it's still worth it 😂

[@user-gq4sb1mp4q]

Can you share what is the white box the mast is attached to ? Thanks,MP

[@sitb-]

Hi MP, thanks for your response. The white box was an IKEA parasol base for garden use. You could also use other brands that fits the body of your kayak. Let me know if you need the measurements for this particular one. The box was meant to hold-open the kayak body for enhanced rigidity. -Harris

[@alexbellesia9676]

Nice, thanks. I’m interested on how you anchored the mast to the bottom. I can see the white plastic tub. Did you fill it with water? Also I see a blue strap holding the the white tub secure. Nice job. I have a Sea Eagle 420 Explorer (14 feet ) inflatable kayak. I’m wondering if it will work on my. Happy sailing.

[@sitb-]

Hi Alex, thanks for your response. I'm in the process of making a new video to explain the mast rigging. The parasol base was empty because I like it light, but you could fill it with water. That's an awesome kayak! Yes it can sail 😁 Stay tuned for the next video!

[@faizalfuad75]

I recognise that ascent..., nice, I'am a sailor too

[@sitb-]

Hello! Oh yes we are, I miss home already! 😂😂 maybe someday I'll get a sailboat to sail back to Penang 😁

[@sitb-]

I saw your videos, you are a proper sailor! 😍😍

[@faizalfuad75]

thanks, i have not make the video for second part yet, Lumut to Kuala Terengganu @@sitb-

[@faizalfuad75]

yeah, why not...@@sitb-

[@sitb-]

@@faizalfuad75 wow that's a long journey! 💪🏼💪🏼😃

[@superdaver4903]

I'm looking at a Aqua Marina Tomahawk Air K-375. Might give it a try next year to make a sail for it 👌🏽

[@sitb-]

The K375 looks like a high pressure build, it'll work great with a sail! Yes sir, you should have a go at it and you'll find joy in diy sailing 😁💪🏼💪🏼

[@superdaver4903]

@@sitb- awesome bro thnx 🙏 Might have questions on this project if that's ok. Those inflatable fishing (Lono Aero by Bote) kayaks with pedal system look awesome too for this. Thank you Slmt jln 🤙🏽

[@sitb-]

@@superdaver4903 no worries, I'll be happy to help 👍🏼👍🏼😁

[@superdaver4903]

@@sitb- thank you sir 🤙🏽

[@bamboozle999]

Really good. What you recommend for the sail / sailing material? Do you have any dimensions for the sail / mast / boom etc? Thanks

[@sitb-]

Hey man, thanks for the comment. I personally prefer ripstop fabric for the sail, but if you could find tent-fabric, that would also work great as its light and strong. If you're on a shoestring budget, you could even use a fabric shower curtain -not the plastic ones. They would work fine too. Sure, I have the sail design posted on our website snacksinthebackpack.com > Kayak Sailing. The diagram and broadseam plans are all included. As for the mast, I prefer carbon but they are expensive and hard to source, so the next best option would be aluminium pipes 24-25mm ID with 2mm+ wall thickness. For the boom, I prefer carbon as well, it's not too hard to find as its about 1.6m long. If you can't source that, you could even use an IKEA curtain pole as its telescopic, they are about 22/26mm OD. It's cheap, metal but powder coated, it's hard to rust. All you need is to drill a hole in the middle to lock the length of the boom (with a M5/M6 bolt & wingnut) when in use -easy. Hope that helps!

[@bamboozle999]

Amazing, thanks for sharing. I think I will look for tent fabric as it is easily available. Will be looking to build my own over the next few weeks.@@sitb- Do you have a maximum sail size that you would try on a kayak? Im looking to fit a sail to a 3/4 man intiwit inflatable. I was wondering if a 2.4m x 1.7m sail could work well?

[@bamboozle999]

Good idea about the Ikea curtain pole, but im hoping to find a solution that I can fold into smaller pieces. Ive found some strong 35mm diameter tent poles that I think might work for this.@@sitb-

[@sitb-]

@@bamboozle999 if you're handy with some basic power tools, you could also sleeve sections of tubing that's collapsible with a spring-button like those on a pair of crutches. Link all of them with a bungee cord. That way, it'll collapse and fold into 1 group like a blind-man's cane. Good luck on the build! -Harris

[@bamboozle999]

@@sitb- might try and modify the mast and boom from an optimist. Not sure it will remain strong enough though

[@teemuholopainen4745]

So cool, is that the castle in the background? Barbara or so?

[@sitb-]

Yes it is! Castle de Santa Barbara in a distance. This was filmed before the high season starts hence the semi empty beach 😂

[@teemuholopainen4745]

@@sitb- a top of the castle you can see all the planes landing on to the aeropuerto Where are you staying atm bro?

[@sitb-]

@@teemuholopainen4745 we are now staying in Arenales del Sol, next to Urbanova which is on the runway-flight path line. On most nights we could hear the planes taking off from our balcony! 😍

[@teemuholopainen4745]

@@sitb- Nice, so next to the sea⛵. Smells like salt. Is it too unsafe to sail around the island on your yacht?

[@teemuholopainen4745]

Also, do you speak Spanish and do you actually comprehend their weather forecast?

[@BloodRavenX9]

hey, love the idea. I did the same with my kayak but I used T shape base and my sail is sprit but it didn't perform that well in strong winds so i will be switching to triangle shape this summer. Not gonna lie, your boom placement looks uncomfortable to be that low. Have you considered adding a jib or a genoa sail in the front? I am thinking about adding one Jib sail to mine.

[@sitb-]

hey man, I was thinking about making a T-shaped base someday to minimise weight and make space, it is a great idea! I purposely setup the mast slightly lower for the first run, like running a 'low-rider' haha. It's to lower the centre of gravity just in case if the sail is too 'heavy top' for the setup. To raise the mast, it's easy, just need to sleeve another tube under the current mast and voila, I got an extra 8-12" head-space to the boom. Yes, I was toying with the idea of rigging a jib, probably a genoa would be nice. The materials are in hand, just needed to test the current oversized mainsail one more time in a 10-12kt wind condition just to learn the dynamics of the setup and if it is worth the hassle to build a jib-sail. Don't want to look too clumsy struggling to control 2 sails when 1 big mainsail is already overpowering the craft

[@BloodRavenX9]

@@sitb- i see ok well from what I experienced I would recommend you put a backstay (a support line going to the sturn of the boat) just in case the jib/genoa apply to much pressure forward. As for the controlling of 2 sails, what i did is i placed 2 plastic plates on the side handles (this is how i control my main sail) and i maunted cam cleat that pinch the rope. Keep in mind that the rope needs to come forward towards the cam cleat so i suggest you feed it to a ring before it. I personally use a plastic basic cleat. So one on each handle should be enough to help you with your second sail. And if that wasn't enough upgrades, i actually have a spinnaker on my boat. You know those wind paddle sails people put on their kayaks? If you have a buddy on board those things are awesome to travel downwind.

[@sitb-]

@@BloodRavenX9 oh that's a great idea, those cam cleats are great to hold lines and would help manage the 2nd sail. Yes, I'll find a way to fit a back stay, I actually did have one before on the first episode, but it was bothering my hair 😂😂😂 maybe I'll bring it back with the new jibsail to improve the structural rigidity 👌🏼😁

[@BloodRavenX9]

@@sitb- oh, i forgot to tell you. The last alternation I did compared to yours is the fins. You got 2 leeboard and I just got longer fins (195mm long) with the same base attachment. It does the same job but lighter (cause of the lack of pipe connections). But as you already guessed it's a little bit of a hustle if you try to do it alone so I just got myself an anchor to keep the boat steady near the beach as I mount everything on or do it next to a pier if that's an option.

[@sitb-]

@@BloodRavenX9 yeah I thought of that before using longer skeg fins to simplify the setup, but that was the problem, it's close to impossible to get the fins on and everything else on top at the same time. Unless if we could build a set of wheels with axle tall enough to clear the 195mm fins. It is doable with a weeks worth of brain power and some parts shopping 😂 But yeah I'll stick with the pipe and leeboards for now until end of summer to enjoy some good sailing, then go back to the drawing board off season!

[@lewis26ful]

Love this. Is it a two man kayak you have

[@sitb-]

Thank you! At the moment it's for a single as 2pax on this might be a bit crowded, but I'm working on something bigger to fit 2 or 3 😁 might even end up fitting a spinnaker to get more power!

[@lewis26ful]

@@sitb- A spinnaker would be very interesting. I have the one man itiwit. Tried a few options for sail but gave up. Might try again.

[@sitb-]

if you're trying to make space for the mast base on the single (which could be a little shorter than the double), you could try making a plate (plywood?) about 30cmx30cm and fit it with a pipe-flange to hold the mast base. That'll allow you to push the base all the way to the fore of the kayak. Let me know if I could help you with ideas okay 👍🏼👍🏼😁

[@Ok_ok25]

​@@sitb-Please make a detailed video about the mast. what base do you use, how is the mast attached to the base, what is the mast made of, and the like.

[@sitb-]

@@Ok_ok25 hi, sure I'll plan another video about the mast and base sometime soon. Don't forget to subscribe to get alerts of the new video! 👍🏼

[@BlackWoodFilmmakers]

Hello! i live in Benidorm! i use to sail my Canadian canoe with a Lug rig or Gaff sail rig, and a genova, i will upload a video soon! i hope we can meet if you still in spain, sello at the sea!

[@sitb-]

Hey man, that's awesome! I saw your short video, that worked great and it fits 2 persons. Sure, someday we can meet up and talk about it 😁

[@xUnaDePiratasx]

hi! im Blackwood from my new chanel! here i will upload a lot of videos of canoesail and other adventures!@@sitb-

[@bamboozle999]

can you share the dimensions of this sail please?

[@sitb-]

Sure, but I'll have to measure it and let you know 👍🏼

[@sitb-]

Hi, I've just measured the sail, to my surprise it was 3.27m2. Clockwise : (from head down) Luff 2.5m Foot 2.1m Leech 1.5m Leech 0.87m Leech 0.77m (head)

[@bamboozle999]

@@sitb- great, thanks. Any need for outriggers for this size of sail?

[@sitb-]

@@bamboozle999 so far, I've been out on 7-9knots cruising out, no outriggers needed. If you're pushing it beyond 12knots, outriggers probably a good idea 👍🏼

[@bamboozle999]

Thanks for all the tips. Ive just completed my project and it works great!! Just wondering, do you still use the kayak fins when sailing or do you remove them?@@sitb-