Umbrella Sailing a Rubber Raft

I received a message recently from a reader interested in umbrella sailing, and he shared with me memories of sailing with his dad years ago on a rubber raft affixed with an array of umbrellas and of the fun he had doing many cruises on Lake Washington.

Since most of us are locked into winter for the next three months or so, I thought that I would like to share this memory that Zach Jackson offered of his adventures in umbrella sailing. It may be another example of how nearly all of us can experience the fun of sailing without being wealthy owners of sleek cruising sailboats berthed at the yacht club. The following is a sort of “every man” type of sailing, and I like the story.
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Hi, Jay,

I recently googled "umbrella sailing," curious to see what would come up, and I found your blog entries on umbrella sailing in your kayak. I wanted to share with you my own umbrella sailing experience, though no kayaks are involved.

In the mid-'90s, when I was still in middle school, my late father and I used to like to go for leisurely floats down a few local rivers in an inflatable raft. We'd drop our bikes off downstream, drive up to the put-in, cruise down, and bike back to the car. This was all well and good, but we found the long sections of slow-moving water terribly boring. One somewhat breezy day, we found that the umbrellas we had brought along for shade could be used to move the raft around a bit, could hurry those slow bits along if the conditions were right. After trying this out on a few occasions, we decided we would step up our game and try the experiment not on a river, but on our local Big Body of Water, Lake Washington. Sure enough, as long as the wind held out, we were able to sail across the lake pretty well, as long as we stayed within about 15 degrees of downwind. But we had a problem - sailing across the lake was a bit more tiring on the arms than we'd hoped for, especially when the breeze was particularly brisk. Something had to be done.

"Something" came in the form of a plastic piping superstructure/mast system that could hold three umbrellas and provide a central trampoline for leg-shading and for additional storage capacity. The umbrellas had wooden dowels attached to the ends for easier steering, and could be detached or attached while underway to accommodate changing wind conditions. It was rather ungainly, but all told we could move at a fairly good clip. I'll defer to my father's account of one of our most exciting adventures:

Last summer [1999], a Harbor Patrol boat thought he could cut across my bow because . . . well, it’s only a raft. I shouted for him to get out of the way, but before he could back up, I smacked his craft amidships. No damage was done, but we exchanged words – mine to the effect that I always supposed the Harbor Patrol was supposed to prevent accidents, not precipitate them – and his words of chagrin and apology, “Nothing like that’s ever happened to me before.” Then he added the words that made everything OK, words to warm any sailor’s heart. He said, “I underestimated your speed.”

All told, I think we traversed Lake Washington at least a dozen times, and those days spent on the lake are particularly fond memories. I've attached some photos of our ungainly craft, the See-Worthy. I haven't gone umbrella sailing in at least ten years, but your articles have me thinking of taking a shot at it in a rudder-equipped kayak - it sounds a lot more useful, and you're not so helpless when becalmed!

Cheers, and happy sailing!

--
Zach Jackson

Beaver Lake - Umbrella Sailing Late Summer 2009

Over the past several years, I have tended to visit Beaver Lake in the early summer, a time when waterfowl have been in the nesting season. Today, I went out to this waterway located just outside of Humboldt for a late summer cruise. I arrived at the lake about 8:00 a.m. with a temperature in the low 60s, clear skies, and a light wind blowing down the lake. As usual, I was alone on the lake with no sight of anyone else during my time there.

With the agreeable wind, I decided to do a little umbrella sailing as a change of pace. I have a large golf umbrella that has a sail area nearly that of my Spirit sail. I just slipped the rolled up umbrella under one of the bungee cords on the bow of the kayak for quick access. As I set out for the island located to the north, across from the launching ramp, I found that the wind was just right for sailing.

After reaching the island, I paddled around to the eastern side of the island and sailed downwind to the western end of the lake. From there, I was able to alternate paddling with sailing as I moved up to the northern shore. Paddling into the wind, I returned along the northern side to the center of the lake and explored an opening into the marshes.

I was then able to sail nearly all the way back, past the island, to the launching point. My cruise this morning was about two hours.

Using the umbrella sail is probably easier and more functional than my Spirit sail. Since my kayak has a rudder, I can hang onto the umbrella and steer with my feet. Hanging onto the umbrella provides a better feel for the direction and velocity of the wind. Shifting the umbrella makes it possible to find the optimum aspect of the sail for the conditions; I found that I was able to sail nearly on a broad reach with the umbrella. In other words, if the wind is out of the east, I can sail about 80 degrees off the wind and still make headway. The rudder and shape of the kayak gives it “bite” and prevents undue slippage off the wind.

The umbrella is also easy to stow and access. I just rolled it up and inserted it under the bow bungee cords. It is a simple matter to get it out and open. Also, I think that the umbrella provides a more stable sailing rig than the Spirit sail. Moving the umbrella slightly allows more or less wind to be captured. If there should be an unexpected gust, spilling the wind is not difficult. Also, if the situation should require release of the sail completely, it is a simple matter of just letting go of the handle and retrieving the umbrella.

While hanging on to the umbrella is more tiring than just letting a fixed sail move the boat, it is also possible to rest the umbrella on the hull of the kayak or to shift hands. I guess that sailing for a long distance would be easier with a fixed sail. Most of my sailing, though, is for short distances and for some novelty in the paddling experience. For sailing back down the wind for 15 or 20 minutes or for just messing around in the kayak, the umbrella is a good choice. For a long haul with the wind blowing from a consistent direction, perhaps the fixed sail is better.

For further description of umbrella sailing, see the appropriate menu link on the right side of the blog. There are also four earlier narratives describing Beaver Lake under the area waterways link on the right.

Lake Alvin - A Late Fall Cruise on Familiar Waters, Oct. 2007

After my cruise on Split Rock Creek last Friday, I just left the kayak on the rack atop my car in hopes of going out again within a few days. Today was a magnificent Indian summer day with clear skies, light winds, and a temperature in the 70s, a day not to be wasted with inside work. On days like this, I congratulate myself on being retired and free to take advantage of such a gift.



I decided to return to familiar waters. Lake Alvin is often the first and last paddle for me in the season. It is only about 10 miles from my eastside Sioux Falls home, and I can go from driveway to unloading the kayak in 15 minutes.



We had a killing frost this weekend, and I wanted to see the effect this descent into deep fall had on the vegetation along the lake. Most of the leaves are down from the deciduous trees, the grasses are all brown, the algae has largely disappeared from the lake surface, and there were very few birds to be heard or seen.



The lake was full. I was able to easily go up into the channel leading to the spillway and to kayak around the several bays that lead off the main body of the lake.



With a light wind, I was inspired to take my golf umbrella out with me and do a little umbrella sailing today. I sailed from the put-in on the north side of the western end of the lake nearly up to the northeastern end. My speed was about half of what I might have done paddling, but I just wanted to cruise along the shoreline with the umbrella slanting out into the wind. After 20 minutes or so of sailing, I got the paddle going and cruised the perimeter of the lake. After all, I thought, I did come out for some upper body exercise, and holding the umbrella out was just a novelty.





The lake was deserted, as usual on a weekday late morning. There were no boats on the water, and there was no one fishing. When I returned to the put-in, however, there was a pick-up there with three guys standing around drinking beer and enjoying the wonderful day.



Once again, I was reminded that Lake Alvin is really a nice body of water for kayaking. I am drawn to explore other lakes, creeks, and rivers and sometimes don’t appreciate the attractiveness of this area: maybe it is just too close to home. I was a little reluctant to go out to some of my other haunts during pheasant hunting season. I don’t want to see a bunch of guys with red caps and vests totting shotguns when I am silently cruising by below the banks and the shoreline growth.

Umbrella Sailing in Colorado

A few days ago I received the following message about using an umbrella sail with a kayak. Rod had read my posting on this blog about umbrella sailing on Lake Alvin near Sioux Falls and related his experiences in doing the same sort of thing on a lake in Colorado. As you can see in his photo, there is a marked contrast in landscape between the two locations. Also, it appears as though Rod was engaged in an early effort to sail without a rudder, and, as he says, that is a rather challenging task. Using a rudder provides some keel effect and allows the kayaker to hang onto the umbrella with both hands while steering with the foot-operated rudder.

I have been carrying my umbrella in the trunk of my car for months, and reading about Rod’s experiences gives me some motivation to get it out and do a little sailing before the winter sets in. I think that sailing on a small and sheltered body of water like Lake Alvin is best for me. There is a little sense of unease about sailing a kayak; a good gust of wind can be an unexpected challenge, and I like being in a position where I feel free to just let the umbrella fly and take up the paddle if necessary.

You can review my own adventures with umbrella sailing by clicking on that topic on the menu on the right hand side of this blog.

I appreciate Rod sharing this experience with us, and I also encourage any other kayakers to share some aspect of their slant on the hobby with the readers of this blog. Just contact me by e-mail, and we can work out a guest blog entry.

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Hello Jay,


I was Googling "Umbrella Sailing" and came across your article. I live
out in the woods near Lake George, Colorado. I am relatively new to the
sport, having paddled for the first time last season. We live about 10
minutes from a large mountain reservoir, with several others within an 
hour's drive, so getting involved in some sort of water activity seemed 
almost mandatory, even though I've never been a "water person" in the 
past. I am also involved in Motorcycling (for 40 years) and SkiBiking.

I came across some mention of umbrella sailing on the web, and, suitably
impressed, I ordered in a "Gustbuster" to give it a try. I also have a
yakking buddy who did the same. What a kick! It adds a whole new 
dimension to the sport. On a typical day we can paddle around the coves 
in the AM and then hitch a downwind ride on the breeze for the trip back 
to shore as the wind picks up in the afternoon. It's amazing the power 
of that umbrella, I calculated that there is over 20 sq. ft. of sail area 
in a 62" canopy, pretty substantial. My friend lost his grip on the 
handle and it slipped into the water, it sunk like a stone, which I
found surprising. We now use leashes! I consider sailing fairly safe, if
the wind speed gets too strong, all you have to do is lift the canopy up
horizontal to spill it.





I started out with a 12' rec boat, an Old Town Loon (my wife has a 10'
Loon). But, as I discovered, sailing without a rudder was quite a
challenge. In a mellow breeze, I would hold the umbrella with one hand
and rudder with the paddle with the other. As the velocity picked up, I
would have to hold the sail with both hands and the boat would just
gradually weathercock. Kind of a pain. So, I used that for an excuse to
buy a new boat, a 14' Dagger Specter w/ rudder. What a difference it 
makes to have a stick in the water! Now I have that little extra
something, otherwise known as directional control...

I am considering purchasing a Pacific Action (www.pacificaction.com) kayak sailing rig for next season ($250). It has some advantages, although the umbrella works quite well. I love the strange looks you get
from other people!

By the way, how would you rate the tracking stability of your Dagger 13,
with the rudder up?

Rod Ratzlaff

Umbrella Sailing

I always wanted to sail; in fact, at various times in my life I have actually owned a small sailboat that I used on area lakes – mainly Lake Alvin, near Sioux Falls. A sailboat generally means keeping a trailer, worrying about where to store it, and finding that the romance of a sailboat is generally more powerful than the reality. I did not use my sailboats much. There are sailing rigs made for canoes and kayaks, but these are pretty expensive – often $1,000 or much more. Also, adding a sailing kit to a craft that is essentially designed to paddle presents compromises and complications.



Somewhere along the line, I heard about sailing a kayak using a golf umbrella. Golf umbrellas are just larger versions of the common rain umbrella, and they are readily available for purchase. I gave umbrella sailing a try some years ago on Lake Alvin and found it enjoyable to cruise past fishing boats while hanging onto an umbrella, laughing in the wind.



My 13 foot Dagger kayak has a rudder, and that is really necessary. After all, both hands are needed to hang onto the umbrella, and the foot operated rudder makes steerage possible. The umbrella can be easily positioned to adjust on either a horizontal or vertical plane. I have found that you can sail a kayak to about 45 degrees off the wind, so the umbrella effectively functions as a down wind sail. The rudder functions as a weak centerboard as well, so side slippage is reduced.



Sailing with an umbrella is an inherently unstable act. It is necessary to hang on to the umbrella with both hands and to slip it through the wind so that the force is sufficient to propel the kayak but not so strong as to roll it over. I have found that it is easy to slip the umbrella into a more forgiving angle to the wind when it begins to gust or if the kayak begins to feel unstable. At all times, though, the kayaker needs to be willing to just let go of the umbrella if instability develops or if the speed becomes uncomfortable. It is easy to go back and pick up the umbrella if it needs to be cast aside. Remember, the paddle is usually just laying across the cockpit of the kayak, and the kayaker has to be aware of that dynamic as well.



Today, September 7, I went to Lake Alvin with my son Derek to cruise around the lake with him. I took my golf umbrella to see how it would work with this kayak, and my son took the following photos to illustrate the cruise. We put in at the public access point on the western part of the lake, and I sailed nearly to the eastern end of the lake with the umbrella. The speed varied markedly because of the varied landform along the banks. My son was using my Folbot, and he is quite strong. He moves the kayak through the water at about its maximum speed. With the umbrella sail, I was unable to keep up with him over the long haul; he had to wait for me. Still, when the wind was blowing at a reasonable rate, my kayak cruised along raising a bow wave and leaving a wake.



I guess that I would caution anyone using an umbrella sail that maintaining stability is the critical issue. The umbrella adds an additional element to the cruise, but it also increases the chance of an upset. While I have not overturned a kayak yet, I know that using the umbrella adds some risk. I am prepared to let go of the umbrella whenever I feel any hint of instability. I also always wear a life jacket in a kayak, and I think that it would be foolhardy to go umbrella sailing without being prepared for the possibility of an upset.

It really is quite a sight to see a kayak cruising down the lake with a big umbrella held aloft. I keep the golf umbrella with my kayaking gear, and I will probably give this another shot this fall. It is a pretty inexpensive sailing rig!