Would you wish to be able to operate an inflatable boat with a sail? Have you considered purchasing sailing equipment for your inflatable boat but found it to be prohibitively expensive?
Then you are in luck since making your sailing gear and sail for an inflatable boat isn’t tricky. Here’s how to make a sail for inflatable boat:
- Prepare the materials
- Make the sail
- Make the mast holder
- Mount the sail
- Test and use the sailing
Let’s check it out!
How To Make A Sail For An Inflatable Boat?
Make Your Own Sail For Inflatable Boats
Follow the following steps to get on this task.
1. Get Ready With The Materials
Here’s everything you need to get started:
- A minimum of 15 ft of 1-inch schedule 40 PVC is necessary (the correct length will depend on the size of your boat)
- 1 ripstop tarp (6′ x 8′) or nylon tarp
- Super Glue or gorilla glue (or any strong adhesive)
- 2 1/2 ft of 1 ½-inch schedule 40 PVC
- Four eyelet screws at a minimum
- Parachute cable
- PVC elbow, 1 1” (90 degrees)
- Screws at many sizes
- One old or discarded fishing pole
2. Make The Sail
- Cut one 6 ft length of PVC and a 12-inch piece of PVC to begin. It will be the mast for you.
- An elbow joint can be responsible for connecting these.
- Arrange the tarp on the ground.
- Place the linked pipes onto the tarp diagonally, with the loose end of the 6ft piece of PVC about one foot from the tarp’s corner.
- Cut the tarp to fit around the PVC, allowing about 6 inches on both sides.
- Check to see if one of the tarp’s grommets is now in the free area of the tarp you’re cutting.
- Wrap it around an extended length of PVC 1 to 1.5 times and adhesive it in place.
- Fold the tarp around the 12-inch length of PVC as well as the elbow joint, then glue it in place.
- To make the boom, trim one 4.5ft length of PVC.
- As the base batten of the sail, utilize an old or discarded fishing rod and attach the base of the sail over it the same manner you did earlier.
- Attach the boom to the mast with an eye bolt. For a more robust connection, put the pipe over the eyelet and knot it in place.
- Make holes each 8-12 inches in the tube.
- Burn holes within the tarp at regular intervals around the sail’s bottom. You may do this by heating a screwdriver using a lighter.
- Link the boom and the sail, thread parachute cable via eyelets in the holes, and the sail in the crash.
- To strengthen the tarp, tie it to the mast in locations where it appears loose or may become so.
3. Make The Mast Holder
The following instructions will show you how to construct a mast holder.
- Cut two 2x4s to the appropriate length for the boat.
- Create a hole in the center of a 2″ thick square wood piece.
- Attach the 2x4s to the square piece.
- Cut a 12-inch piece of broader PVC to fit into the square piece’s hole in the middle.
- You should pierce two holes in this and insert eyelets into these holes. To keep the mast in position, tighten them or release them to remove it and disassemble the sail.
- Insert the mast into a larger PVC piece.
- Under the square portion, screw an eyelet into the PVC. This way ensures that your sail is now at the proper height.
4. Mount The Sail
Depending on the sort of inflatable boat that you have, you may need to install your sail in another distinct way. These guidelines are for a rigid-floor inflatable boat.
- Decide where you would like the sail to be mounted.
- Place the foundation piece – the square piece from above – in this spot and glue it in place.
- To keep the sail stable, lay the bigger 2x4s across your boat’s bowl.
- Replace the inflatable pontoons with lengthy pieces of PVC pipe if they can’t hold the load of the 2x4s. These should be bolted together to make them the proper width for the sail to slide through.
5. Test And Use The Sail
Give It A Try
Constructing the sail is just the beginning. Now you have to figure out how to utilize it. Here are a few pointers on how to get the most out of your new sail.
From the eyelet in the bottom left corner of the sail to the boat, tie a length of rope or parachute cord. This way will keep your sail in position, and you do not have to put your hands on it all the while.
Loosen this rope, shift the sail, and knot it in place once more when you need it to face a different direction. It’s worth noting that you do not connect this sail to a rudder.
For this, it won’t be as triumphant as particular sails in getting you where you like to go. Adjust your sail as you gain experience and learn what you require.
You could opt to add a longer mast, a taller boom, or make other changes. Making your customized sail has the advantage of allowing you to recreate it however and whenever you choose.
Taking a sailing lesson may assist you in getting the most out of the sail. These are available at most ports and are suitable for people of all ages, from youngsters to adults.
Related posts: Inflatable boat with Hard Floor assembly instruction
Final Thoughts
We hope you can understand how to make a sail for inflatable boat after reading this article. Let’s head out on the lake and give your inflatable boat a try that you’ve got a sail.
Ensure you practice with the sail on a calm day; then, you can get acclimated to operating it in ideal circumstances.
You must be able to accomplish more with the sail as your confidence grows. Therefore, you’ll never have to paddle the boat again. Windrider of The Rockies!
Thanks for reading!
Reference: DIY Inflatable sailboat details
