Klepper Find

[RBB]

Not sure where to put this thread - guess this is as good a where as any.

I grew up canoeing. Was a canoe guide for a time in my late teens and early 20s. A few years back I started sailing canoes - and have had a lot of fun with it. There is something charming about letting the wind do the work for you.

East of the town where I work, there is a large area, along the shore of Lake Superior, that belongs to some exclusive club of wealthy people. A friend of mine is the handy-man there. The other day he asked me if I wanted some bags of stuff for kayaks which was being tossed out. I asked him what kind of stuff, and he said he didn't know, but he thought there were some paddles. I told him I was interested, as I use a double blade paddle with my solo canoe.

The bags said Klepper on the outside. I'd heard of Klepper folding kayaks, as they were used by the SAS during WW II for Commando raids.

Sadly, the bags didn't hold the kayaks. According to my friend, two kayaks had been given away, free of charge, to another local man. A look on the internet showed the cheapest new Klepper kayak available in the US costs $4500.00.

What the bags did hold were two sail rigs and two paddles. The sail rigs are a gaff-rigged fore and aft rig with main and jib sails, and are quite complex compared to the cat rigged sail I usually use on my canoe. All of the masts and spars are present as well as lee boards. It looks like the sail rigs have had very little use - except for the unwanted guests. One set of sails had a mouse nest in it, and the other had a hornet's nest. Fortunately the mice and hornets have left, but they've also left a mess, including holes in the sails.

I spent all day yesterday sewing patches on the sails with my 1920 Singer, and if it wasn't raining today, I'd be trying out one of these new (to me) sail rigs. The sail area is about double my cat-rig.

It does look like I need three (very small) blocks and three cleats for my canoe - to handle the sheets.

Is anyone on the forum familiar with the Klepper Kayaks or their sail rigs?

[Gray Wolf]

I'd heard of Klepper folding kayaks, as they were used by the SAS during WW II for Commando raids.

Here are plans for making a folding kayak. (it's a PDF file) Hope this helps. http://www.bushcraftuk.com/downloads...yak%5B1%5D.pdf

[RBB]

Put sails on my Bell Northwoods canoe. About ready for maiden voyage.

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A friend informs me this is a "Gunter rigged ketch."

[crashdive123]

Very nice set up. Have you done much sailing?

[Rick]

How do you stabilize it? It doesn't have a centerboard so are you going to use ballast?

[crashdive123]

That's why I was asking about the sailing. With a fairly flat bottom it may be difficult to "head up" into the wind.

[Rick]

If it were mine, I'm all the ballast it would need.

[RBB]

There are lee boards - which will be placed just forward of the center thwart, and outriggers - which will hopefully keep the open side up.

I crewed on a friend's sloop for a couple of years - many years ago. Besides that I've had a couple of small sailboats, and a cat rig for another one of my canoes.

Creating my own sail plan is new territory for me however.

[rebel]

That's beautiful. I hope it's easier to sail than it looks .

[RBB]

That's beautiful. I hope it's easier to sail than it looks .

Hope so too! I believe it will be just possible to sail by myself, but I'd sure like to have someone else along to crew for the first trip. Looks like it might be next Tuesday. First day with possible sun in the forecast and 5 to 10 mph winds - which should be just about right.

[crashdive123]

With the lee boards you ought to be able to hold a fairly straight line. The pontoons should keep you from heeling over too far. You should have a blast.

[chiye tanka]

RBB, that looks like a great setup.