14' Hobie cat

I also been thinking about a kite boat. I been sailing for over 50 years and I think a kite is a
good way to go. I plan on making me about a 12M2 NPW for a 16 foot john boat I have here.
it is 6 foot wide and I could put some dagger boards on it and a rudder. I don't think you have to worry about the boat flipping, all the force is coming for above. What I was thinking was to put about 1 foot or 18 inches mast with a T on top where the lines from the kite will connect to the boat. Than you can rotate the T part of the mast to fly the kite. here is bad set of plans. I am no artist. If you need any help that I can give you, let me know
renny

Quote: Originally posted by blturner

I have decided to get a kite to pull my boat around. I have a lot of experience with an old 8' flexifoil stacker power kite I got back in the 1990s. I could use come help deciding on how big a kite to get and if kite surfing training would apply to kite boating. I am thinking that I should get a small 6 meter or so to start with and an 11 meter or so for best fun in typical 12 mph winds we get here in the Kansas City area. Longer lines to get the kite up high enough to reach the winds that are not blocked by the hills that always surround the lakes in this region. But I don't know if longer lines would make the kite too sluggish. I am thinking 50 to 75 meters. I don't really understand how a kite bar can cost $450. Makes me think I am missing something. I have to make something to hook the kite to the boat and that means that I need to understand the de-powering and any other functions of the kite bar. Total weight of the boat and 2 people should be about 500 lbs I don't think that a 6 Meter would be able to flip the boat unless the wind was over 20 mph. That should let me and my co-pilot get our act together before things get too risky. Brian

ok considerable endeavor , yes kitesurf skills would make what will seem a daunting task MUCH easier.

for tube piloting fewer skill for sure, but for foil operation really would need to be flawless error free piloting. the kite you need is gonna big and slow, but once up to speed, where it all flows, is fast and speed control is kite rudder dance that makes regular cat flying seem like kindergarten.

and considerable size for what your asking 14m -16m range is gonna make good sailing power anything smaller is going to be a sit and wait for air kinda day. the boat would choke a 6 just by rudder action alone.

the element your missing is speed . the threshold for power involves speed (v. low speed power with even slower big foil). with right setup you WANT a SPEEDY ride , slow is kinda of rescue ride may not even be up wind. faster than most fearless pilots care to stitch together let alone with a passenger, who would have to rudder the unit or pilot the kite.

long lines... without a mountain of time piloting in light air on the water the kite will be in water in matter of moments.

keeping the boat DOWN and speedy ....and by the way 14' cat and 2 people is twice the limit on a regular surf bar kit(limits around 275 lbs.) without JUMPING it really would not matter(until you reach about 15knts for speed)
this just gives you a picture of the direction your headed.

what you really need could be x2x3 the money for that kinda weight.

in flat water <15mph , there can be fun, but really gets fast , and a faster gets messy. be careful. you really need to be way more than just some kitesurf training.

this is definitely in the EXTREME category . even a little error can tear the boat apart and body parts with it .

here some stuff to watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjUEq6yhX-s

Quote: Originally posted by Randy

I'm thinking of something a lot less ambitious. Maybe a 3-4m NPW on one of my windsurf boards or an SUP. Working on the kite part of it. Check out esp. about 3:10 and 6:50. I'll edit it down and post a better video later.

Randy, that was a nice video showing the relaunch but keep in mind that once you get chop and then waves and landing a kite in deeper water further from shore a lot of things change. Kites that seem relaunchable and sit on top can easily be swamped and rolled in waves and then in a matter of seconds are a ball that is rolled under and lines tangled. And standing on land keeping just the right amount of line tension on a kite in shallow water is way different when you and the kite are both drifting and you have nothing to brace against. Don't venture further than willing to swim or paddle back for the once in a while incident when it doesn't go as easy. Have fun, not trying to dampen spirits just be aware for a work around.

Quote: Originally posted by markite

Quote: Originally posted by Randy   I'm thinking of something a lot less ambitious. Maybe a 3-4m NPW on one of my windsurf boards or an SUP. Working on the kite part of it. Check out esp. about 3:10 and 6:50. I'll edit it down and post a better video later. Randy, that was a nice video showing the relaunch but keep in mind that once you get chop and then waves and landing a kite in deeper water further from shore a lot of things change. Kites that seem relaunchable and sit on top can easily be swamped and rolled in waves and then in a matter of seconds are a ball that is rolled under and lines tangled. And standing on land keeping just the right amount of line tension on a kite in shallow water is way different when you and the kite are both drifting and you have nothing to brace against. Don't venture further than willing to swim or paddle back for the once in a while incident when it doesn't go as easy. Have fun, not trying to dampen spirits just be aware for a work around.

No question about any of that. Being able to relaunch from shore is by itself not enough. Still a long way from what it needed. I will have to see how the floats I built in work in real conditions, but its a start. I'm thinking more lightwind condition so that chop won't be as big of an issue, and I usually bring a paddle for windsurfing and will most definitely do so when I try this. SUP board or longboard is how I will go.

Here is a picture of one of the back floats. There is also a float in the nose, but hard to see in a picture. If this seems promising I will probably sew pockets in to hold the back floats.

Quote: Originally posted by blturner

PhreeRider, thanks for the information. Looks like the videos also say that a larger kite is the way to go. I did not know about the surf bar weight limit. Does the bar typically include the lines. I know the lines would need to be larger. At some point the kite might get overstressed. I figure that I will need to make my own bar anyway. Hooking to the boat looks safer and that is a not a configuration that works with a standard kite bar. Looks like I should start with standard length lines if that means easier control. Then extend them after that. Thanks Guys, I will keep you posted.

you want the setup that comes with the kite, the bar is not the issue, its the limit of the lines, and yes lines come with bar set up. any chicken loop can easily attached to a cat , YOU WANT ALL SAFETY SYSTEMS INTACT right down to the chicken loop.

SS comes with super heavy lines 800lbs fronts and thats the heaviest shelf bar set on the market. a big light wind kite like zephyr, draft or edge . definitely favor wave style units over others as well. a custom bar setup is far more sensitive than you realize some light wind kites have very narrow sweet spots .

extending the lines maybe to 30m(total) anymore and feedback and drag start to decay response and feel.

Quote: Originally posted by PHREERIDER

AD72! nice set up man where u been.

Kiteboarding whenever I can. I have not been since October though. Going to Los Barriles Baja next week for Lord of the Wind. Can't wait!