Hi Martin!

I'm very interested in your idea.

Before I bought my folding boat, "Tycia," I actually wanted to convert a regular inflatable dinghy into a sailboat. I spent a lot of time reading about it on various forums. It was always a dream of mine to own a sailboat that I could check in as luggage on a plane and fly (with my wife) to warmer climates—Greece, the Canary Islands, and so on.

"Tycia" has similar dimensions to your canoe, although I suspect she is slightly wider (the skeleton frame is about 80 cm wide, plus the thickness of the side tubes). When folded, she fits in a passenger car (unfortunately not in airplane ;-) )

Much like your Palava, "Tycia" (in her rowing version) was designed to be carried in a backpack. Apparently, she weighed 20 kg back then (including oars) and already featured a rigid aluminum tube skeleton.

The previous owner, who converted her into a sailboat (using a single Bermuda mainsail made from a repurposed windsurfing sail), added a reinforcement to the top of the skeleton: a rigid 20x40 mm rectangular profile frame secured with transport straps It works very well.

For my part, I added longitudinal reinforcements to the bottom. I made it of 6mm plywood, and it also stiffened the skeleton. So, the boat now has its original rigid skeleton plus additional reinforcement at the bottom and along the top edges of the gunwales (mentioned frame).

The previous owner also added other modifications, such as the rudder mount, the mast socket, and a cross board with a hole for the mast and two swinging boards.

I have since replaced the skin (the old one leaked) and created a new SJR sail (the Bermuda version had excessive weather helm because a jib couldn't be mounted). I've also made many other modifications, including a solid aluminum mast socket, reinforcement of the bow section, etc.

Currently, I venture out in this little boat in winds up to 20 knots on a lake of about 7km² (=small waves).

I've noticed that in stronger winds (13-15 kn, sailing unreefed), the hull is subjected to torsional forces. This is logical because, as we know (referencing Czesław Antoni Marchaj), the heeling force—which I balance with my weight—is several times greater than the lift force. Similarly, in such strong free winds, when I sit close to the stern and the mast is bent forward by the working sail, it tries to push the bow underwater; the hull is then subjected to bending forces. I believe these forces try to do something opposite to this what happens with  the hull at 0:05 in the video of the Palava canoe (watch it in slow motion).

Therefore, before you start sewing any sail, I suggest you try to simulate the loads the hull might be subjected to during sailing. I think for these experiments, all you need is the help of a family member and a few simple gadgets like a stick, a tube, some string, etc.

This should allow you to identify the areas where the hull will require reinforcement.

Best regards, and good luck—I'll be rooting for you!

Jan