The half canoe, half sailboat for cruising was recognized in the
1860s with John MacGregor’s series of Rob Roys. His boats were decked,
and the genre evolved well and quickly until the mid 1880s when sail racing
affected the utility of the pure traveling boat. By 1900, bicycles and
internal combustion engines had taken most of the energy from sailing canoe
development for cruising.
We have updated the idea of a good traveling machine, sailing well and paddling easily---with current aero/hydro thinking and modern materials. “We” includes those who have helped develop and build the six sisters to Meade Gougeon’s Serendipity.
My Puffin was the first decked sailing canoe using Dave Yost’s Bell “Starfire” hull. Serendipity was the second. Jan Gougeon's Serendipity sister is Spirit; Howard Rice’s is Sylph; my wife Kayann’s is Walela. Three sisters are still unnamed.
The Starfire hull of molded carbon fiber and aramid is 15 feet long, 34 inches wide. Hull with deck cartop weight is 40-45 pounds. Ready for the water, they weigh under 75 pounds with paddles, air bags, sail, mast, boom, steering system, leeboard and bracket, and seat. Sail area is 41 or 44 square feet, each with two reefs.
My apologies to those who have been waiting for a sailing canoe from us, or for a kit or plans. We have none for sale yet---but we continue evolving the genre.
We have been developing the systems: sail propulsion, steering, lateral plane, and seating. While we believe we used the most suitable proprietary hull, we think it can be improved. Thus we have begun developing other hulls.
Our approach has been to do the best we can, not seek the cheapest, nor the easiest nor the quickest solution. And we have not been interested in re-inventing 19th century sailing canoes.
Our goal is to evolve the best cruising, sailing canoe extant.
~Hugh Horton, January 2004
This next jpg has 3 parts & shows 27 year old Ben Gougeon (an ex U.S. Marine a few weeks back from Iraq) in Uncle Jan's Spirit. Meade is in another Serendipity sister belonging to him, so far unnamed. Meade now keeps the original Serendipity at his Florida home. We were sailing in the Shiawassee U.S. National Wildlife Refuge, on the Saginaw River in Michigan.
This next one is of wife Kayann, on the left, in her first sail in her
Walela (hummingbird in the Cherokee language); I'm in Puffin on the
right. This is from Cedar Key Florida December '03. Bill Ling shot
the photo.
The next pic is of K in Walela at Cedar Key the same December day, on her 1st ride in her Walela. I shot the image from Puffin.
Finally, there are two pictures both taken on 12 Nov 03.
The first shows Walela & Meade's Serendip sister on the Saginaw
River in Bay City Michigan near the Gougeon factory. Meade's sail is an
experiment following the one I had made for Walela. The second shows Meade
in his unnamed Serendipity sister with his latest sail unreefed. This sail
has now had its upper batten changed to a steeper angle.
Solid Comfort Boats---sail when you can; paddle when you must.
For more information: mailto: hhorton5975@wowway.com.
Hugh Horton, January 2004