Serenity Upwind Kayak Sail and Canoe Sail Kit (Red). Complete with Telescoping Mast, Boom, Outriggers, Lee Boards, All Rigging Included! Compact, Portable, Easy to Set up - Makes a great gift !

I purchased the Serenity sail kit for use on my Driftsun 11 foot inflatable kayak. I have had the kayak for 6 months and have been using a 46 inch Aunazz wind paddle to sail downwind. I bought this sail kit to be able to sail upwind.My previous small sailboat experience is with a Super Snark.I unpacked the sail kit and test fit it to my kayak in my driveway with no problems. Everything needed is included in the kit and the 10 pages of instructions are very detailed.The first time out was to test the fit and function of the sail kit. Two problems were encountered and easily fixed. The first was that the crossbar twisted towards the back of the kayak causing the mast to tilt aft. This was easily corrected by rearranging the second strap that pulls back on the crossbar to go under the crossbar and connect from the front. This pulls the crossbar towards the front. The second problem was that the end of the boom dragged in the water. This was corrected by tightening the forward shroud line to the point the mast looks like it is tilting forward. Now the height of the boom is about the same as the top of my shoulders when sitting in the kayak. The fit and function of the sail kit on my inflatable kayak was good after the first time out.The second time out was to learn how to sail the kayak. The biggest difficulty was learning to use the kayak paddle to perform the rudder functions. I did not master this on the second time out. The boom is light and easy to move over my head when jibing. Be careful not to jibe quickly or the boom can hit you in the head. The one problem encountered sailing was that the kayak will not tack into the wind as it slides downwind. The leeboards were not as effective as the conventional centerboard on my Super Snark. The next time out I will try to adjust the position of the leeboards to see if it works better. Paddling with the sail kit installed is not easy because the boom gets in the way and there is a lot more water and wind resistance.After the second time out I noticed 2 of the rings holding the sail to the mast were missing. They are 1 ½ inch loose leaf binder rings that were easy to get and inexpensive. There are also two places on the sail where the material seems to be separating. I have had this happen on nylon outdoor gear in the past. Sometimes it never gets bigger and sometimes it becomes a big tear. I will wait and see if it gets bigger or not over time.The third time out I did not install the outriggers. They are not needed on an inflatable since it is more stable than a rigid kayak or canoe. It will still not tack into the wind. The leeboards are only 4 – 6 inches deeper than the outer kayak tubes when extended straight down. I figured out the best way to steer with a paddle, and was able to paddle without the sail by shortening the boom to get it out of the way of the paddle. Two more rings holding the sail to the boom came off. They do not appear to have enough tightness to stay on. Also, the sail material separating seems to be happening in more places and getting bigger.The bottom line is that not being able to tack into the wind is a big problem. I would rather use my wind paddle since it is smaller and lighter and folds out of the way when paddling. The sail separations and weak clips will always be a problem.