How Can I Make An Upwind Canoe?

To sail upwind, aim 45 degrees upwind of your target and paddle hard. Canoes can be made to sail up wind as quickly as a small dinghy by having a well-cut sail of a decent size (30 sq ft to 50 sq ft) and having the leeboard correctly lined up with the center of effort of the sail. To sail upwind as quickly as possible, keep the boom pulled into the center of the canoe and steer to keep both flying. If the near side starts to droop, turn the canoe slightly.

To make an upwind canoe perfect for your needs, make a combination of a Pacific Action sail pulled back to serve as a jib, a home-made tossed leeboard on the downstream side to provide lateral resistance, and Leeboards are wooden blades mounted on both sides. Wind shifts can occur when sailing towards a headland that is upwind of you, so it’s important to observe and adjust the angle of both port and starboard to the wind for the same amount of time each.

The first step is to get the boat moving forward while side on to the wind. Set a range halfway between oncoming force (wind or current) and where you want to go, also called a vector. Low-cost self-adhesive tell tails can be found from chandlers and online retailers, or you can make your own by poking red wool through the sail with a needle. Learning to trace the edge of the wind by keeping the canoe sailing on the edge of the no-go zone is a key aspect of learning to sail up wind.

Leeboards are wooden blades mounted on both sides, and it’s essential to let the boat speed build up before attempting to turn upwind.