How to manage the sail of a sunfish when paddling?
The sunfish is a small sailboat with a lateen sail. Realistically you can not raise the sail while in it. Usually raising and lower the sail is done at shore.
It is occasionally necessary to paddle the sunfish, due to lack of wind and/or obstacles. The spars on the sail are about the same 14 feet (4.2 meters) as the boat is long, and need to rest down the center of the boat when down. Pretty much this means if you are paddling a sunfish the sail is up, you are becalmed (or in irons, heading into the wind) and sail flowing directly down the center line of the boat, with any slight side breeze making the lower spar (like a boom) push against you (or bang you in the head). It is easy enough to raise the spar and put it to the other side. but it is not effective for long.
I have been river sailing and sometimes need to move upstream past a wind block, so need to paddle for some distance. I am looking for a solution that will allow me to paddle for 10 or 15 minutes safely.
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Rig a topping lift
I realize this is an old question and my answer may be over-engineered, but here it is anyway:
You could rig a topping lift: a line attached near the aft end of the boom and run through a block near the top of the mast. When you need to paddle, ease the sheet and haul the topping lift to raise the boom up and forward out of your way. This has the added advantage of scandalizing the sail so if an unexpected breeze catches while you're paddling it will have less effect than if it were down and allowed to fill.
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You're a bit more cramped than a topper but it seems to be much the same game.
It's very much about the type of paddle you're using and the position you want to be in. We used praddles in the Toppers for which you need to be low and close to the water anyway.
Kneel in the bottom of the boat, tiller between your legs, and lean forward to get to paddling position, since you'll be close to the boat the boom should pass over your head. You'll bang your head once in a while but if you're sailing small dinghies you need to develop a thick skull anyway.
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Drop the main. We drop the main at dockside and raise it in the boat all the time. We destination sail around Long Beach to other harbors and slips all the time. I've never paddled for a long distance except for a hardware failure , but striking the main would be how I would do it. Getting clunked in the head 20 times a minute and the drag of a luffing sail, are both reasons to strike the main.
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