After my experience with locks and portage with Iki Wa’a in his lug rig setup I wanted something easier. The brief was a single spar and sail as a complete kit. Rolling a straight leeched triangle sail world give about 1.4 sq meters. Not enough. So to keep the mast manageable I decided on sprit style battens that could roll around the mast. The sail ended up with about 2 sq meters, ideal.

A tarp was purchased for the sail, about £5 and rods from Roman blinds would be the battens £10 (4 off x 3meters). Annoyingly Amazon don’t give the diameter but I took a punt. The battens are about 4mm diameter and a glass fibre extrusion. I thought 2 each side of the sail would be good. I figure the key to it holding the head would be tension in the sail caused by the battens. To enable this I used webbing sewed as a pocket near the luff and as a tension system at the head. I was too lazy to sew batten pockets so the line of the battens has eyelets and the battens tie wrapped together through the eyelets.

Holding the mast horizontally and pulling the clew the sail does appear to set well, time on the water is needed to test.

Initially the rolling around the mast was difficult to get started. I then added an extra piece of webbing to the luff end of the battens and took this around the mast. This was then screwed to the mast.

Rolling now appears good, not as tight at the head but think with rig actually in the canoe and some tension on the clew this will improve.

It is wet and windy here so I think testing will have to wait, hopefully next weekend