SAILING UPDATE!
I've had the Klepper out twice to test the sails and wanted to report in with my findings.
First Outing: The day was overcast and the wind was about 10mph. My friend and I setup the boat on Lake Union noticing that there were frequent whitecaps on the lake (which isn't all that usual). We set up the boat with the outriggers, the cable board, keel boards and the mast with the jib tucked down on the deck and into the front of the boat. We paddled out and it started raining. We tried hoisting the jib sail and it worked fairly well, but with choppy wind and the rain coming down harder, we decided to head to shore. No sooner had we pulled the frame from the hull, the wind calmed, the sky turned blue and the waves calmed down. I told my friend I had to get back out and try out the main and jib together. He helped me put things back together and out I went. Right away, a gust of wind pushed the main forward and pulled me in between a yacht and a nearby dock. I was able to drop the main and paddle out to open water. That's when things went wrong. The wind started gusting and threatening to tip me over. I tried to lower the sails, but my lines got tangled and I lost control of the boat. The jib got pulled under the boat and I couldn't pull it in. Using the paddle, rudder and what sail control I did have, I kept some control as the wind blew me across the lake. I managed to guide it (not gracefully) into a waterside construction site next to a crane and a pile of driftwood. My friend saw where I got lodged and helped me pull the boat up the bank. No damage done, except to my pride. That night, I looked up the wind speeds online. They had gusted to 25mph during the time I was on the water. Clearly not safe to have been out there. Lesson hopefully learned.
Attachment:
WP_20150321_14_20_55_Pro.jpg
During the next week, I found that my legs were insanely sore. Didn't realize how much I was relying on my leg muscles to stabilize the boat when it was blowing across the lake.
Second Outing: The next weekend, I decided to have another go at it. Winds online were at 8-10mph, no white caps on the water and lots of other sailboats that were out and looked to be under good control. What a difference the right conditions made! The boat handled beautifully. I was able to sail upwind without much trouble and made it the entire length of Lake Union. It took some time (maybe 90 minutes?) but the boat seemed to be under great control. When I turned around and went with the wind, this thing hauled! I have no idea what my speed was, but I made it back to the north end of the lake in what seemed like 10 minutes. At that speed, the outrigger that was in the water did flip once or twice briefly acting as an anchor (not ideal). I also still had issues with the boom wanting to flip forward and out of control. Definitely need to watch out for that.
Attachment:
WP_20150328_12_54_05_Pro.jpg