Kite/ Parasailor...

[photodog]

I know that this is not the place for sailing stuff.. but a friend of mine back home runs a 35foot FB jobby... and he was wondering if he could run a sort of standalone parasailor or kite sort of thing downwind... thought it would be fun... he has heard about them on commercial ships...

Then I remembered that this was discussed here a LONG LONG time ago...

Any one got any tips that I can pass on... anyone tried it??

 

[AndieMac]

They look like serious fun..... They used to be everywhere over here in the 1990's but seem to have faded away.

The most popular launch/retrieval process is from a dedicated platform on the stern, and elevation controlled by a winch. Early ones started from the water, but that may not be such an attractive proposition in cooler climates. I would imagine you would need to keep the boat heading into the wind to encourage the 'lift factor', and a reasonably skillful operator at the helm.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

He means one of these

I think.


Not one of these

 

[AndieMac]

Oops.. my bad.. When he said fun......

 

[jhr]

I know that this is not the place for sailing stuff.. but a friend of mine back home runs a 35foot FB jobby... and he was wondering if he could run a sort of standalone parasailor or kite sort of thing downwind... thought it would be fun... he has heard about them on commercial ships...

Then I remembered that this was discussed here a LONG LONG time ago...

Any one got any tips that I can pass on... anyone tried it??

tcm has one on his catamaran and I think there's some discussion about it on his TransAt blog here. I've also got a feeling that there was quite a recent thread on here - try searching for Parasailor, cos I think that's the animal he's gone for?

 

[Nautorius]

Parasaillor

Yep,

TCM has got the German Made full monty parasailor on his sailing cat. I thought they would only be useful on a Displacement MOBO but not cheap! It would buy a lot of diesel for the price.

Paul