Kayaks Can Sail

Below is a picture from Kayakfishingstuff.com a great site if you are interested in fishing.

Is it a kayak or a canoe?  In the past the English referred to most paddle craft as canoes.  They called sea kayaks sea canoes.  They formed the British Canoe Union to teach sea kayaking skills.  And they used the name Canadian canoe for what we normally think of as a canoe in the states.  There are decked canoes, open cockpit kayaks, sit on tops and so many varieties of boats that I’d venture to say that it’s better to learn to use your boat well than to worry about whether it is a kayak or a canoe.  I have noticed that you can kneel in canoes and no one seems to kneel in kayaks. So maybe that is the distinction.  Now they have stand up paddle craft called SUP’s that look very similar to a surf board and a sit on top combined but they come with long paddles so you can stand and paddle them like you stand and paddle a canoe.  The important thing is to make certain you have outfitted your boat for proper use of the sail.  A stowable windsurfer rig would be ideal for a SUP.  For a rec boat like a Wilderness Systems Pungo 140 you’d want an electric pump for ocean sailing.  If your boat has no bulkheads you’ll need to rig it like a whitewater canoe with float bags, a bailer, and a pump. Remember this is sailing and you should plan to swim.