Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Yachts and Sail => Topic started by: romainpek on October 03, 2007, 12:52:25 am

Title: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 03, 2007, 12:52:25 am
Hi,

Just received 2 days ago my biggest kit yet : a 1/1 scale klepper kayak !

It came in 2 boxes on Sunday Sept 30th...
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 03, 2007, 12:59:00 am
The kit consists mainly in an impressive amount of plywood parts. The cutting quality is very good, the wood parts are already varnished
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 03, 2007, 01:05:03 am
All the assembly is done by snapping (?) the pieces together. No glue, screws or nails needed.

After 15 minutes, you get something that looks like a boat skeleton
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 03, 2007, 01:07:08 am
The hull "planking" is quite simple : just introduce the wooden front frame and back frame into the skin, join them together and voila, you get a boat !
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 03, 2007, 01:10:57 am
There is no rudder servo supplied by klepper (this kit is quite expensive, but you save a lot on the radio, as it is supposed to be free sailing. Nothing to spend on an engine either) but there is an optional rudder that I bought as well.

It can come up and come down with 2 strings, and turn left and right with foot pedals.
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 03, 2007, 01:14:41 am
Finally, the kit did not include an engine, but the sail is an impressive option that I had to get.


The main problem of the sail is that it added about one hour of construction time to already 30 minutes of kayak assembly... I hope I'll do quicker next time !

The sail kit also includes leeboards and extra fittings that I installed, but it was too dark to take a picture. You get the main idea though...
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: andrewh on October 03, 2007, 08:27:38 am
Very Nice,

 I see you have 1/1 scale crew, too

Does it have any kind of keel or leeboard?
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: dreadnought72 on October 03, 2007, 09:31:19 am
I'd love to know how well this sails...please keep us updated!

Andy
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 03, 2007, 01:38:08 pm
Quote
Does it have any kind of keel or leeboard?

Yup ! This picture comes from the Klepper website ( http://www.klepper.com/en/index.php ), you see the leeboards...
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: MikeK on October 03, 2007, 04:11:18 pm
Looks more of a weather-board than lee-board to me  ?? Or have I got the wrong end of the stick/board ??
Do you have a board down both sides simultaneously ?
Mike
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 03, 2007, 04:53:44 pm
 :embarrassed: honestly, I don't know too much.... there is one strong plank on the deck, to which two (whatever)-boards are attached. You can set them from horizontal (they won't touch the water) to vertical, together or separately.

Aren't these leeboards ?
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: MikeK on October 03, 2007, 06:00:03 pm
Sorry - just me being smart- *rse.  ::)    ::) I think the board that is lowered is on the lee side, hence the name. In that picture it looks like the board (on the weatherside) would be under some extra strain without the support of the hull. Either way, it looks like it will be a heart- in- mouth experience in anything over a light breeze. Looking forward to hearing of your further adventures !

Mike
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 04, 2007, 01:49:39 pm
 :) At least, it works fine with paddles only !

We'll try the sails soon...
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: andrewh on October 04, 2007, 09:45:24 pm
That looks great, and good family fun!

Where are you sailing this?  I think you are a Beijing resident - is it one of the surrounding lakes?
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 05, 2007, 04:56:20 am
It's a lake east of Beijing, 100 km from where I live. As it is only 4 years old, it doesn't show on Google Earth nor on Chinese maps, hence less crowd.

The day before, I tried 2 lakes that I saw on Google Earth but the picture was old... one had shrunk from 2 km long down to 200m... the other one had been entirely converted to a cornfield. Beijing lacks water, it's the truth.

The funny thing is that the picture was updated since Monday and the lakes have now disappeared !

I also tried to sail my kayak at the State Planning Commission Recreation Center, but they wouldn't let us. We even went to the 2008 Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Center, but the facility is forbidden to the public...  :(

It's sometimes difficult to feel free in China.
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 08, 2007, 09:46:18 am
update : we drove 3 hours under the rain on Saturday, visited the mausoleum of Qian Long, slept by a Lake near the Eastern Qing Tombs and built the kayak on Sunday morning.

Alas, the wind was between force 4 and 5, so I did not dare trying the sailing rig as the Klepper is notoriously easy to capsize... (my kayak partner can't even swim !)

I just tried an umbrella as a drift sail, that worked beautifully downwind until it totally collapsed as the wind was really too strong. I also tried the rudder for the first time and it's a big help for small heading corrections, especially with strong winds.

As the wind was getting even stronger (the lake was getting foamy), we packed the boat after lunch, and thanks to a road mistake drove 4 hours behind weird trucks in clouds of dust, resting occasionnally in huge traffic jams.

I don't know when will be my next attempt, as the temperature has really dropped this week...
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 15, 2007, 05:27:06 am
I sailed it yesterday !  :)

No pictures so far... the wind was light, the kayak tracks well, the leeboards do their job to keep drifting to an acceptable level. The speed was not phenomenal, but pleasant. The boat heels very easily but then the crew of two leans the other way to counter it. I was holding the main sheet directly in my hand to let everything go should we heel too much, but the wind force was never threatening.

A great sailing experience !
Title: Re: Klepper sailing kayak kit
Post by: romainpek on October 21, 2007, 01:34:52 am
update : a few pics while sailing.