An aluminium gunter rig

[dylanwinter]

I am probably about to find out why the previous +1 owner of my boat decided to invest in fitting a bermudan rig to Katie L.

It must have cost him a lot of money - whover he was.

The boat has been rigged in the garden for a couple of weeks and I have been playing with it a fair bit between rain showers.

First of all there is a lot of rope - no denying it

but the mainsail is amazingly flexible and has a good shape both reefed and fully out. You can really flatten it or leave it fairly baggy.

What is does give me is the chance to drop the mast fairly easily and without incurring a lock gate catching overhang at the back of the boat.

I love the look of the wooden spars - but blimey they are much heavier than they would be if they were made of alumium

I wonder if some of these trailer sailers might not be better off with an aluminium gunter rig.

Dylan

PS - at one time we had hoped to be able to organise a day for PBO where we got David Thomas (who designed the Minstrel) to sail the boat with both the gunter and the bermudan.

 

[maxcampbell]

Carbon fibre?

I wonder if some of these trailer sailers might not be better off with an aluminium gunter rig.

Dylan

Or carbon fibre - indeed the Deben Lugger has just that.

 

[DJE]

.... an aluminium gunter rig.

Like this one?

 

[Seajet]

Dylan,

even the Mirror dinghy evolved into having an alloy mast; I'd think an alloy rig for your boat could be done relatively simply & cheaply.

I agree the gunter is a very handy rig and would suit your needs well...

 

[Blueboatman]

The weight aloft can actually be a good thing sometimes ( not a complete oversimplification I hope), think moment of inertia, steadier motion at sea..

 

[lw395]

The weight aloft can actually be a good thing sometimes ( not a complete oversimplification I hope), think moment of inertia, steadier motion at sea..

It will promote rolling further but more slowly.
But weight aloft is generally bad due to pitching motion, it pushes the bow down into every wave and robs speed.

 

[Seajet]

Like most things it's good in moderation; those who have been a board a dismasted or yet to be rigged yacht will know the very rapid rolling without the inertia of weight aloft.

 

[Searush]

Compromise may be in order, keep the wooden mast & fit an alloy top mast or gaff.

If you like it, cut the wooden mast down to the required height & fit an alloy boom too. I have some alloy spars off a Skipper dinghy that may meet your needs if you can work out approx dimensions.

Wooden gunter or gaff looks the business, but I don't like the idea of half lowered lumps of heavy wood swinging about (at head height) powered by a big flappy sail when one is about to carry out a tricky manouver in congested or constricted waters.

 

[Tradewinds]

You could always paint the alloy gaff to match the wooden mast (scrumble?).

There's a big 70 ft custom epoxy/wood yacht at SYH that has modern alloy spars painted in wood effect. Can't tell till you're close up.

 

[DownWest]

I liked the trip boat that covered the steel tube mast in wood effect fablon, not trimmed at the top, just stuffed down inside. (I happened to be on a bridge as it passed below)

FWIW the Mirror went to ally because the wooden masts tended to break.

 

[Blueboatman]

Poor mr Dylan, we are redesigning his rig and spending his money on fancy carbon and stuff he ain't even reached the sea yet. Tops'l anyone?

 

[Seajet]

Well I reckon Dylan needs a quiet electric 'crawler' engine for short range wildlife observing trips, and big solar panels.

It's also madness of course to close such shallow areas without a forward looking sounder, that's only £1k or so, and night vision would be handy too.

A set of glowing instruments would make a good dramatic cut - in to the films, especially if they have the facility to select the wind & boat speed required for effect.

-------------

Incidentally in reality I formed a poor opinion of Forgen vertical axis wind generators too; bought one and

A, it was very heavy,

B, it would have taken a hurricane to get it turning; I can only assume the ones I see spinning merrily have knackered bushes.

So it went straight back unused and swapped for another 30w solar panel, which works, doesn't make a god-awful noise all night, doesn't have bearings to give up and won't scalp anyone standing up under it as conventional wind jobs will.

 

[Blueboatman]

A Plus.

And then there is the wireless autopilot and electric winches so that filming of 'The Mother Vessel" can be done from the electrically powered slipper launch.

In fact a touch of the Lakesailors could be applied to the crew surely?..Anyone got Kate Winslet's number? That would be good for the yootube hits..

 

[Sybarite]

I am probably about to find out why the previous +1 owner of my boat decided to invest in fitting a bermudan rig to Katie L.

It must have cost him a lot of money - whover he was.

The boat has been rigged in the garden for a couple of weeks and I have been playing with it a fair bit between rain showers.

First of all there is a lot of rope - no denying it

but the mainsail is amazingly flexible and has a good shape both reefed and fully out. You can really flatten it or leave it fairly baggy.

What is does give me is the chance to drop the mast fairly easily and without incurring a lock gate catching overhang at the back of the boat.

I love the look of the wooden spars - but blimey they are much heavier than they would be if they were made of alumium

I wonder if some of these trailer sailers might not be better off with an aluminium gunter rig.

Dylan

PS - at one time we had hoped to be able to organise a day for PBO where we got David Thomas (who designed the Minstrel) to sail the boat with both the gunter and the bermudan.

I started off with a gunter rig on my Lysander many years ago.

One little thing; if you are lacing the sail to the mast, when you thread the line in the cringle, bring it back round the same side of the mast.

You'll find that the loops will run up and down the mast more freely.