Published by the Open Canoe Sailing Group

brackets and straps to each sponson, and I have found them to be quick to attach or remove from my canoe. The kit is held in a bag in the front locker of my canoe. I really prefer to sail my canoe in benign conditions; my days of challenging nature, or anything uncomfortable, are over, but as has happened, whilst out sailing, the weather has "blown-up" beyond my comfort level, and before it gets to that point I am able to get out my kit and very quickly attach the sponsons and easily inflate them. I have used them in challenging condition, by my standards, in the company and added assurance of members of our group, and have been pleasantly surprised at how well they performed, with little or no adverse effect on the sailing of my canoe. I feel sure they will help and not hinder "self rescue".

Finally, I should like to make clear, it is not my wish to explore the delights of cruising off the west coast of Scotland, although I envy our members who do, so the development of my sponson kit is very much personal to me, but I do think that it is a very useful addition to canoe stability, if one is learning to sail, or if travelling with camping gear that is reducing freeboard. They also give me confidence to sail on the lakes alone, when I am not fortunate to have the company of the members of the OCSG. If any member feels that my kit is worthy of further enquiry, I am always delighted to share my knowledge; also there is a lot of knowledge on the subject on the Internet.

Personally I find the proliferation of outriggers in the group rather sad; do they encourage the sailing of a canoe beyond the design limits of the hull/rig, and also the ability of the sailor? Other small sailing craft do not seem to include such accessories i.e. Mirror, Topper, etc. The sport of sailing involves a degree of intimacy with water, and with correct clothing and personal floatation jacket, the risk of a swim must be considered part of the sport. My sponsons do not enhance the racing performance of my canoe. For those that wish to sail offshore or large lochs there is definitely a need for added stability, but the RNLI use a rigid hull fitted with inflated tubes attached to the gunnels...

Canoe Sailing In San Blas (TyroneC)

We are 6 months out of the UK on our catamaran Gillaroo and had the chance to visit the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama before transiting the canal. The islands are an autonomous zone, peopled by the Kuna Indians. Their tribal area encompasses a stretch of islands and a coastal strip. Most of them keep to a traditional lifestyle; farming on the mainland, harvesting coconuts that are traded with Colombia, and fishing.

We arrived at Porvenir after 3 days fast sailing from Curacao; it had been an exciting trip with winds up to 35 knots and at one point we were sailing through the night with just half of our small self-tacking jib up. On the final stretch we launched our spinnaker in 19 knots only to get a gust of 25 knots and we hit our maximum boat speed yet at 18 knots; a bit faster than we would have wanted in the waves. Comments of mad Irishmen from the other cruisers! Porvenir was just a tiny wee island, about 5 houses, a disused airstrip, plus customs and immigration; well immigration was on holiday for a couple of weeks but at least we could clear customs.

Next stop was a small lagoon where we had to come in through a channel perhaps 20m wide and anchor behind a shallow reef, the area crowded with half a dozen other cruisers. Within 5 minutes we were approached by canoes of locals in their dugout canoes selling fish and molas (a local craft -

designs hand-stitched onto cloth).

Later that evening we had fresh barbecued tuna and dorado on Honeymoon, one of the other boats we had crossed with from Curacao. A real treat for us as so far we have not had much success with fishing; the score is Fish 2 (lures), Gillaroo 0.

Dugout canoe.

Kuna canoes were carved from one log - they would harvest the tree on the mainland and take them out to the island villages for finishing. Generally the small ones varied from about 10 to 20 feet long. Simply carved in one piece, they would leave notches in the sides to fit seats and a mast thwart (these were just loose fitting with no nails or lashings). The mast foot was also carved integral to the hull. Sails were invariably sprit rigs with a high set snotter; a few canoes had a small jib, which probably helped to keep the mast vertical more than anything else. Steering is with a freely held paddle - no leeboard or other foils.

Their sailing skills were impressive, we would often see solo canoeists a couple of miles offshore in strong winds and big ocean waves. Two hands to steer while holding the sheet and every couple of minutes there would be some frantic bailing (generally with an old hard hat). Fortunately the winds were almost invariably onshore. The canoes are heavy; one advantage of this was the helm could sit in the stern with almost no effect on trim. They don't sail too fast but paddling speeds are good. Some larger canoes had a sheer plank nailed on and possibly a transom for a hefty outboard, but

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