Sailing a Course

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Sailing a Course With Spring Creek

When I first started sailing on inland waters I tried to plan my course ahead of time, but I
found that maps only tell you where you are and where you want to go, with nothing in the
margins about how to sail there. Sailing a small boat on an impoundment is tricky. Narrow
channels may mean lots of tacking to move in the right general direction, and if the
boundaries are small enough you're better off paddling to more open water. Wind is
extremely flukey where waterways are bordered by hills and cliffs. Instead of straight and
steady I often find wind pockets that shift in curves, sometimes even in rows of clearly
defined vortexes. You can go from dead flat water to a spinning updraft in a hundred yards.
Without a sail up you might not notice that unusual weather at all.

With no dependable winds to count on, the only thing to do is set the course and adjust
the sails to match, if possible. Plans and sail trim will change from moment to moment. A
good sailor can shift from run to reach to beat in moments and keep up with these
changes, running through all those different combinations of sail and helm and trim while
keeping the boat going pretty much on course. It would be a tough way to learn to sail, if
you knew nothing about it.

In the beginning, on narrow waterways where the wind is dependably changeable, sailing
may be an option that makes sense only when conditions are usually good. Otherwise,
drop the sail and bungee it to the spars neatly, lash it to the side of a seat and go back to
paddling. It's only fun if it works.

If possible, practice sailing on a lake where the wind conditions are decent. Exposed
waters surrounded by low shorelines will have better wind, so you find good inland sailing
in the flatlands, not the hill country. The bigger the water the bigger the wind, in most
cases. Kansas might seem like the last place in the world to find good sailing, but several
lakes in that state are known for good wind conditions and are favorites of small boat
sailors. In Arkansas one of the finest for sailing and canoe camping is Lake Quachita,
three miles across at its widest point and dotted with small islands where camping is
encouraged and no permit is required.

Even in country which seems like a bad decision, you might find good sailing in local
areas. On one impoundment in the Ozarks where I've sailed quite often, parts of the lake
follow old valleys running north and south, while the main channel runs east to west. The
widest arms of the lake get good wind, while the main channel is consistently spooky.
Some places there act like wind funnels, and in other areas the wind is always dead even
though you can hear it roaring through the trees on the surrounding hills.

Almost always, a day on the water provides good sailing if you're open to a range of
conditions. Wind so light that it barely churns a ripple on the water will move the boat well.
An evening breeze after a hot afternoon of calm air might even bring you home on a beam
reach, to the music of the boat's wake and just a little faster than a mosquito can fly.

Keel Boards

Most canoes and kayaks have almost no keel
-- smooth hulls shaped for quick turns don't
grip. Without keel boards you'll be pushed
downwind even on a beat.

Tacking and Beating

Shifting sail from side to side quickly when
changing course on a beat (going upwind) is
what we call tacking. In a converted canoe we
also call it a clusterf---.

Jibing, Running and Reaching

The fast way to travel will also get you into
serious trouble without constant planning.

Setting a Course

Sailing is easy. Getting where you want to go
by sailing there isn't. Some tips for journeys
in small boats.

Sail Canoe Camping

Suggestions for safely enjoying the thousands
of miles of inland lakes and rivers in the U.S.