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We searched the net for ideas on building landsailers
and came up with this basic design. Most small single seat landsailers have
this basic triangular design. The front bracket off a woman's bicycle served
as our front steering. There are a ton of calculations you can perform to
attempt to get the perfect design for balance and performance. We attempted
some of the calculations and made certain design adjustments, but in the
end you just have to go for it and build the thing! |
| We used a simple arc welder for all of the welding
on this project. We're certain that better (nicer looking) results could
be obtained from better welding equipment and through more welding practice.
We're a woodworking shop after all. All of these welds are sound. They just
don't look that great. Welding tube can be problematic. Just take your time
and be sure everything is welded together well. Its not that difficult once
you get going. |
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Here we are testing out the landsailer before
the adding the set brackets and painting. |
| Clicker can paint job. |
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We couldn't resist saving the emblem off the
bicycle. |
| The finished landsailer. The sail we salvaged
is a 5.0 sq meter sail which works well in moderate to high wind days. Overall
rider weight plays a big roll in sail performance also. You can see that
this is just a windsurf board setup on a cart. We extend the boom out as
far as it will go to get better leverage on the pulley system. |
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The steering system is ultra simple. We used
riding lawnmower ball joints and the handlebars from the bicycle. You steer
with your feet and hold a rope in your hands. Sounds weird at first, but
it is pretty intuitive once you get going. |
| There was a little woodworking involved. The
seat was made from poplar and leftover fabric from another project. |
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The maiden voyage. We've had the landsailer out
several times now and its just a blast. |
