Hi,

I'm interested in figuring out what the best gear would be for a
kayaking trip like this:

Fly to france, paddle on canals/rivers (not whitewater) and down to
the mediterranean, then bounce along the coast or out to islands in
the med. etc.

I'm looking into a folbot with sail kit, but of course wonder if the
mast can made to fold and also be brought as luggage, etc. etc. I
wouldn't want to have to paddle across large open bodies of water.
Also, it might be nice to be able to portage, so some kind of wheel
kit could be useful, and I would probably bring a large daypack for
hiking excursions, etc. etc.

Of course, this is just one of many places I would want to go with
this kind of setup.

Just trying to get an idea. So many places to go, so little time.
Interested in feasibility, cost, etc.

G

Galen Wilkerson wrote:
I'm interested in figuring out what the best gear would be for a
kayaking trip like this:

Fly to france, paddle on canals/rivers (not whitewater) and down to
the mediterranean, then bounce along the coast or out to islands in
the med. etc.

I'm looking into a folbot with sail kit, but of course wonder if the
mast can made to fold and also be brought as luggage, etc. etc.

Folbot and other manufacturers make sailrigs for their boats and you can
also buy such rigs from Balogh and others. The sailrigs fold up into
packages of various sizes - I believe Folbot's current upwind sailrig goes
into a bag that's about 4' x 1' x 0.5'. Simpler sailrigs are available if
you only need to sail downwind (and paddle when needing to go upwind).
Even a large golf or beach umbrella can work well as a downwind sail.

I
wouldn't want to have to paddle across large open bodies of water.

Be sure you know what you're doing before sailing across large open bodies
of water. Kayaks don't make particularly good sailboats so progress will
be pretty slow and give storms plenty of time to develop. Many of the
sailrigs (incl. Folbot's) come with outriggers for added stability but a
storm will put lots of stress on rather lightweight parts. The outriggers
provide stability against short gusts of wind that might otherwise
capsize you but aren't intended to work that well in large breaking seas in
the open ocean. You'd better be prepared to first reef the sail and then
take it down completely if the winds grow too strong.

Also, it might be nice to be able to portage, so some kind of wheel
kit could be useful, and I would probably bring a large daypack for
hiking excursions, etc. etc.

A cart is definitely useful if you need to transport the boat/sail/gear any
distance. If possible get or make one that can be used for either the
assembled boat or the bags. Some of the better quality folding luggage
carts might be adapted to also work with the assembled boat but usually
don't handle rough ground well due to small wheels. Regular canoe/kayak
carts are better for that type of surface but are awkward for carrying the
boat/sail in its bags.

The regulations in France regarding coastal paddling are pretty
restrictive -not sure about rivers and canals.
To venture more than 300m offshore (beachtoy zone) requires very
specific boat features most commercial seakayaks will not match without
modification -but I think non-nationals are under certain circumstances
not required to fulfil all of them-. Way more mandatory equipment is
needed than here in North America. Some of the equipment (like a VHF
radio or flares) requires a license and a certified operator. So much
to cross large open bodies of water in France in a kayak (requires a
group of 3 kayaks if I remember correctly).

You may want to investigate those issues before heading out. See what is
required, what you are allowed to do, and what kind of documents you may
need to get around some of the regulations. French authorities can be as
mean as the ones in the US if they think you don't play by the rules (or
whatever other reason), and most of them speak only french in that case.

A German seakayaking organization had a lot of those issues addressed
(www.salzwasserunion.de) , but most of their information is in German
only. As far as I understood you are OK if you have official (made out
by whom?) documentation that your boat and your gear go conform with the
legal requirements of your country of residence. Those documents should
be in French as well, otherwise... (see end of last paragraph).

UH

Galen Wilkerson wrote:

Hi,

I'm interested in figuring out what the best gear would be for a
kayaking trip like this:

Fly to france, paddle on canals/rivers (not whitewater) and down to
the mediterranean, then bounce along the coast or out to islands in
the med. etc.

I'm looking into a folbot with sail kit, but of course wonder if the
mast can made to fold and also be brought as luggage, etc. etc. I
wouldn't want to have to paddle across large open bodies of water.
Also, it might be nice to be able to portage, so some kind of wheel
kit could be useful, and I would probably bring a large daypack for
hiking excursions, etc. etc.

Of course, this is just one of many places I would want to go with
this kind of setup.

Just trying to get an idea. So many places to go, so little time.
Interested in feasibility, cost, etc.

G

Traveling with a folded Greenland II and a sail rig around europe is
impractical unless you hire porters. The Greenland II folds into
multiple bags. The Folbot outriggers are ridged and do not fold away too
well. If you must carry a sail, consider a rig from Balogh Sail Design.
I would also echo what a previous poster said: Kayaks do not sail very
efficiently. They are very slow up-wind to broad reach. They can move
pretty well down wind given you have enough wind. I sail a Klepper and
took it to Tahiti a few years ago. Two of us could not carry it packed
for very long distances.

I would consider a Feathercraft K1. It carries lots of gear, folds into
1 backpack bag that fits on a pull behind cart that can also be used to
wheel an assembled kayak. If you pack your supplies in a foldable
backpack, you can carry your supplies on your back and wheel the kayak
behind with great ease. If you travel light, you can use a Feathercraft
Kahuna. It fits into 1 backpack bag and weighs only 35 pounds.

Galen Wilkerson wrote:
Hi,

I'm interested in figuring out what the best gear would be for a
kayaking trip like this:

Fly to france, paddle on canals/rivers (not whitewater) and down to
the mediterranean, then bounce along the coast or out to islands in
the med. etc.

I'm looking into a folbot with sail kit, but of course wonder if the
mast can made to fold and also be brought as luggage, etc. etc. I
wouldn't want to have to paddle across large open bodies of water.
Also, it might be nice to be able to portage, so some kind of wheel
kit could be useful, and I would probably bring a large daypack for
hiking excursions, etc. etc.

Of course, this is just one of many places I would want to go with
this kind of setup.

Just trying to get an idea. So many places to go, so little time.
Interested in feasibility, cost, etc.

G

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 04:48:22 GMT, lcopps wrote:

Traveling with a folded Greenland II and a sail rig around europe is
impractical unless you hire porters. ....
I would also echo what a previous poster said: Kayaks do not sail very
efficiently. They are very slow up-wind to broad reach. They can move
pretty well down wind given you have enough wind. snip

I've used a Spirit Sail (http://www.spiritsails.com/home.shtm) with my
kayak, but mostly for an afternoon's diversion and entirely downwind.
I took it down when paddling upwind. The good part is that it is light
weight and compact... which may be useful in the right conditions.
--
cheers, Stephen