Your canoe sail is terrific, and real easy to set up using the web directions for the Goat Island Skiff. I’m experimenting with different thicknesses of bamboo for the spars. It’s all lashed, with Iccicle knots on the ends of the spars. It works well.

I do have one question regarding how the directions for the GIS do not apply to the canoe sail:

The GIS directions call for lacing the sail to the boom. However, the canoe sail lacks grommets along the foot to do this.

Is it enough just to attach it to the clew and the tack?

What is the theoretical reason for lacing the GIS sail along the foot but only attaching the canoe sail?

Thanks in advance for a reply that I am sure will be enlightening.

Hi Dan,

Not sure about this .. You will have to experiment. You can use the diameters of the designed spars as a guideline to try and find pieces that will bend the right amount.

Living in the Philippines now, I have found some interesting information about bamboo.

The outside diameter of the bamboo doesn’t change much as the bamboo piece gets older, but the wall thickens up considerably.

So bamboo under a year would probably be good for the yard (light for the diameter) and three year old bamboo good for the mast (strong for the diameter.

Spar bend is very important for getting the best performance out of the sail. We have spent time trying to get this right in the plan. The most important spar for the right flexibility is the yard as it controls how flat or full the upper sail shape is.

If you choose bamboo, you are at ground zero and have to work it all out for yourself.

Which can be fun, but might take a degree of trial and error.

HOpe this helps with coming to grips with bamboo!

Best wishes
Michael

I have access to a large collection of cured bamboo, since I live close to a bamboo botanical garden on the Georgia coast.

My question is this: how thick should the bamboo be for the spars for the canoe sail. I plan to rig it as a balanced lug.