This turns a mono-hull into a trimiran. It is usually used to turn a one or two seat kayak into a fast sailing boat.

While the outrigger equipped kayak is a proper sailing boat, the beauty of the design is that you get your kayak back when you have finished sailing. With the outrigger removed, all that's left are four eyebolts and an easily hidden mast step: no bulky reinforcements or heavy gear.

The floats are attached to two very attractive bent beams which give the kayak or canoe a 10 foot beam. After a hard day of sailing the floats and beams can be detached so that the whole lot will fit easily upon a car roof rack. Lloyds approved Okoume can be used to produce a very light float.

We are told that these floats on a light kayak or canoe in conjunction with some tweaking makes for very fast and exciting sailing. Unfortunately, this tweaking of rig and seating arrangements is usually a secret closely guarded by the builder. All that most people see are sails disappearing into the distance!

Mounted on a single kayak, the acceleration is almost neck-snapping, with good handling upwind and down and a 9 knot potential. The ten foot beam gives you monolithic stability (and thus sail carrying power with no hiking out), but the whole rig can be dismantled to car top in half an hour. If the wind dies there is plenty of room to paddle.

The builder must be prepared to undertake some minor additional work to adapt the outriggers to the kayak or canoe.

The total weight of the outrigger components is about 30 lbs.

See below to purchase.

The picture shows the outriggers being fitted to a Mill Creek 16.5: plans for the boat are not included.

· Plans and manual
· Pre-cut plywood parts for the floats
· Pre-cut scarf joints in the plywood
· Epoxy
· Fillers
· Dispensing/measuring pumps
· Glass tape
· Glass fabric
· Copper wire ties

This kit contains the difficult to cut parts and the consumables necessary. It... (more)

The plans give full lofting details and the manuals explain the techniques that will be used as well as a step-by-step guide to the assembly.