Piccolo sail canoe

[Saint]

Is the hull shape of the Piccolo sail canoe such that a single person in the boat can completely relax? (While not sailing of course.) Or is the boat so narrow/short that they are actively balanceing the boat all the time? In a calm, would you be able to take a nap in the boat?

Saint

[Popeye]

i once tipped over in my swivel chair at work, and then there was the time my head hit the boardroom table,, i mean, hey the lights were out and the projector was on and 'boring speech guy' went on and onn...zzz

well, anyway, a nap in a boat sounds good. bring along a ukelale for when you wake up...

[Bruce Taylor]

Piccolo is quite stable, as round-bottomed canoes go. In a gentle breeze I sail mine lying down with a leg draped over the windward gunwale. Very relaxing indeed.

Would I take a nap in mine? I don't see why not. I sometimes lie in the bilge and let the river carry me along. I've had her out in some pretty lively winds and never felt insecure.

Of course, when sailing in gusty conditions you do have to shift your weight constantly to keep her on her feet. There's nothing capricious about her stability curve, though...no sudden decrease in bouyancy at heel.

If Piccolo has a defect it's her sluggish performance in stays.

[Saint]

What do you mean by your last comment?

Did you solid plank yours like the WB article or did you do the glued plywood thing?

How much do you use the 2nd mast possition? (single mast) I presume you mostly sail with the mizzen up.

[Bruce Taylor]

I mean she's slow to come about. Piccolo's long keel can make tacking difficult. Also, she's small, and loses way quickly. Sooo...I generally gibe, when I can; when that isn't convenient, I'm not too proud to pull out a paddle to bring her across the wind smile.gif

It's possible that a leeboard would help (R. Cullison seems to suggest that it does). I've also considered deepening the rudder slightly, to get more purchase.

I built in white cedar on ash, as described in the article. I never use the single-sail rig. She balances better as a yawl, and the mizzen helps her come about (and can get her out of irons, when she fails to make it!)