Kayak Sailing on a windy week end. Rough draft

[@dirkzwitser9287]

Saw that you had your outhaul tight in these conditions. Also noticed that you have your vang mounted but you use very little vang. I like to keep it fairly tight to prevent the kayak from rolling when straight downwind, even in 20+ knots. What is your idea? Keep on making these inspiring videos.

[@FalconSails]

Some times my goal is just to have a comfortable paddle sail. The outhaul may have been tight. I was not thinking a whole lot about that. I probably should have loosened it. Though I can say I think it is better to be too lose than too tight. So maybe it was not a great example. On the boom vang, I was mostly concerned about staying in control. So I probably did not give it much thought besides giving it a quick pull to make it at least a little tight / not super loose. One major factor was the fact it was a new kayak that was newly rigged, so I had a few things to think about. The kayak is a bit tippy. The other issue was I am always busy helping other people and have my hands full with prepping cameras and then taking videos. Lastly, I do not want to slow the group down with all the distractions I create. It all adds up to me not being overly particular about some items. Check out our other channel where we put more edited / better videos. Here is our latest video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4WWaoObnZZ8pNU

[@dirkzwitser9287]

@@FalconSails thanks for the reply. Very recognizable. Had a long downwind with Falcon sail last winter in my own etain with an ill adjusted backband. Was way more occupied with my bum than the sheet or even the skeg. Must admit that you clearly sailed in what comes close to survival conditions and you had it well under controll. Use my Falcon sail on both a grp valley etain 17.7 and on a perception essence 17. The essence starts to broach in these conditions when unloaded. Don 't know yet about the etain as I never used in zich strong winds, always seem to take the plastic boat for abuse conditions

[@FalconSails]

@@dirkzwitser9287 oh ya. I had pretty good problem with my hip pads being way too tight on the first half of the video. Everybody was on the water and I took my kayak out for its maiden paddle with big winds and choppy seas. I had a lot to deal with. when I put hip pads in a boat, I usually start out out tight and then shave off the hot spots for a really custom fit. I made a video on how I rigged one kayaks seat here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIbQdqmLZr-BedU Yes. Most boats sail a little better loaded. Though I would not ever load a boat just for that purpose. But when I decide what to take with me on a day paddle on a bigger wind day, I just throw in everything I think I could possibly ever want. Talking about broaching. I will let you know what I have learned by constantly pushing my limits. I guess an expert may have some better info. Most boats will broach when things are right for broaching. Some boats broach more than others. My Epic 18x wants to broach at times. Most often broaches can be controlled. Make sure the boat is balanced for speed / a bit more weight aft / lean aft. Catch the broach the second it starts with an aggressive sweep stroke, lean aft, rudder a little, use more skeg or rudder, throw in a rudder stroke. And of course many times you are just going to broach. I tend to let the broach happen when I am not comfortable with the already out of control nature of broach situations. Then it is time to lean into the wave and brace. Brace hard, / It is hard to brace too much. In any case, the most important thing to do when a broach starts is to catch it the instant it starts and apply counter measures as aggressively as you are comfortable doing as fast as you can. I do not recall my Etain Broaching much at all. It was not a issue for me. But who knows. I had my hands full of everything else on the days we were recording.

[@joethi4981]

Are you paddling a Valley RM? That is a tippy boat for a sail?

[@FalconSailsUncut]

It is a Valley Etain 17.5 RM. It is a tippy kayak, but if you have good kayaking skills, it is okay. If it is too windy, or you are not feeling safe you should put the sail down. It takes about 5 seconds to drop the sail. The most important factor is your ability to make smart choices when you are on the water. The best thing to do is have friends with you who can help you or stay very close to shore as you are learning. A big wind day like you see in the video is not for a beginner. I have a lot of experience and the friends I am with are experienced kayakers as well.

[@1234superduper]

It is a tippy boat with our without a sail. If you add a sail it is a bit more tippy for sure. If you go out in big winds you should be well practiced. Of course it is obvious when you are over your skill level. A little common sense goes a long ways. The first thing you should do when kayak sailing with a boat like this is make practice lowering your sail. You should know you are ready to lower your sail in any conditions you go out in.

[@ryanburgeson3049]

When is a 1.0 sale preferred over a 1.4 or vice versa

[@FalconSails]

The 1.4 is nice to have on a light wind day or on a wider more stable kayak. The 1.1 is a really nice in between size. The 1.0 is for sure the go to size on a bigger wind day, or if your boat is smaller and tippier. You will be happy with any size, but one size will hit the sweet spot more often than the other. Here are a few general rules of thumb. If you have a narrow kayak, and see winds above 10mph regularly, the 1.0 is the way to go. If you have a super stable kayak / one that is over 28 inches wide and only rarely see winds over 15mph, the 1.4 would be the best size. If you have a wide kayak and like big wind days, the 1.0 would be a great choice as well. The 1.1 is a nice in between size. No matter what kayak you have, all sizes are going to work nicely with any kayak you may own. If you buy any size sail with a complete rigging kit, you can add a sail only of any size you like at any time, and have any combination of sail you like at any time you hit the water. All sizes of Falcon Sails, are compatible with the Falcon Sail rig. If you buy a Sail only of any size at any time, it will include everything you need to use it with your Falcon Sail rig. Skill level does play a small role in the choice, but in general a smart advanced kayak sailor will be no more likely to go with a big sail than a beginner. Advanced kayakers who enjoy sailing will typically go out in bigger winds and are best served by the 1.0. There is no reason to be overpowered. On a big wind day, a 1.0 square meter Falcon Sail can push any kayak to its maximum hull speed, and for sure as fast than the strongest paddler can paddle a kayak if the distance is more than a 50-yard sprint. In the ideal world you have all 3 sizes of sails. If you buy a 1.0 square meter sail with a complete rigging kit, you can buy a 1.4 square meter sail only any time you like. And of course, if you buy a 1.4 square meter sail with a complete rigging kit, you can buy a 1.0 square meter sail only any time you like. It is all the same thing for the 1.1 square meter sail as well. All Falcon Sails hardware is modular and interchangeable. We look at every order to make sure somebody who already has a Falcon Sail will be taken care of / will have all the hardware necessary to use it on a previously purchased rig with another size sail. The 1.0 sail only comes with a boom extension that will make it work with your 1.4 or 1.1 sail rig. The 1.1 sail only comes with a boom extension that will make it work with your 1.0 or 1.4 sail rig. The 1.4 sail only comes with a boom extension that will make it work with your 1.0 or 1.1 sail rig. So if you ever buy another size of sail / sail only to use with your current rig, you will have everything you need. Changing sail sizes is easy to do. With just a little practice you will be able to change out a Falcon Sail in 30 seconds. If you decide you like going out on really windy days, you may decide to order a 1.0 later on. In any case, there is no sense in being overpowered as the 1.0 on a 15mph wind day, will push your kayak as fast as it will go, but still the 1.4 will be fine in pretty big wind and you can always drop it and stow it on your deck in the unlikely event it is not fun or you do not feel like you are in control. You can see the options here. www.falconsails.com/store