Cutter rigs on smaller boats.

[KipH]

Canvassing opinion here. Is a cutter rig on a boat of less than, say, 30 ft LOA worth it, as compared to a sloop. Does the combination of a roller furling jib and self tacking staysail give the advantages of both a self tacking jib and roller genoa, without having any disadvantage?
Opinions please

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[tillergirl]

Good question! I had cutter rig on my first boat a 25' clinker centre-boader.
First problem was the jib fighting its way past the inner stay on tacking. Never looked particularly elegant but I can't say it was a real problem nor did there seem to be excessive wear where it made contact. Second problem was that the jib never really liked going downwind with the Staysail and Main set - obvious really. Whilst my Staysail was not self tacking and therefore bigger than it would have been if I had such arrangement, it was still a little small for downwind work and I supplemented it with a Cruising Chute.

I always felt that the extra slot made a difference but, of course, I have no way of knowing if that was better than a larger Staysail. Certainly the extra sail gave additional choices on reducing sail and to have had the Staysail at least on roller reefing would have been handy. Real ugh weather tactics was to put the jib on the inner stay and double reef the main. Having brought all the sail in the mast really made her snug and handy.

Having smaller headsails was handy even if there was a little more work on tacking. I quite liked it.

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[KipH]

Bingo, as I'm thinking of sailing from the East coast, and a 20-25 ft centre boarder might just be the sort of thing I'm looking for, and many of those have cutter rigs.
I must admit that for short handed work, the thought of a "nifty gearbox" up front appeals, and with the jib furled a self tacking staysail could make short work of short tacking upriver, or create the weather helm monster of all time! Any cutter sailors got some words of wisdom for a hitherto Solent sloop sailor.

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[jonjo]

The well travelled Pardeys strongly promote a cutter rig plus bowsprit on a yacht of this size. One argument is that as the sail plan is reduced the centre of effort of the main and foresails both move in balance towards the mast.

Some of the Pardey's thoughts on the ideal long distance cruiser are echoed here

http://www.samlmorse.com/Comments/Index.htm

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[KipH]

Good reading. I like the argument about the balance of centre of effort as sailplan is reduced, I can visualise that for a Bermudan rig. Although I've never sailed one, I don't see the centre of effort moving forward on a reefed gaff main, so I guess it comes down to learning which headsail balances which reef on the main on your boat. Thought provoking for a newbie anyway!

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[tomg]

I've got a cutter rig with a club-footed staysail - but admittedly on a 40 footer. I never use the staysail unless the wind is forward of the beam but on aclose reach or beating it really comes into its own. in really grotty seas, hard on the wind, a double reefed main with the self-tacking staysail makes for stress free sailing. Westward across Lyme Bay, F7, wind SW, sick, sick, sick, tacking on the autohelm for six hours, push button sailing and thankful for the easy cutter rig.

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[Peppermint]

Re: Depends

On the sort of sailing you do and the crew available.

Tacking a cutter up the Solent, on a busy weekend, singlehanded might be more complication than you need. On a fully crewed boat it does give one more person a job.

The benefits of cutter rig really only come into play on bigger boats and on longer trips where a split sailplan offers less sheet load and sail weight together with more options in heavy weather.

I think there's a bit of a price to pay in windward performance.

On balance then I'd say that for the avererage cruising sailor there's no advantage at all.

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[jonjo]

Re: [url]www.samlmorse.com[/url]

> Good reading

Indeed, I printed out the 12 A4 pages in order to read it properly. Most production yachts fail to meet the exacting standards specified there.

I also noted that Samuel Morse has resorted to selling hulls in kit form once more, it is a sign of the economic times when such a respected builder has to resort to this to generate some turnover.

> I don't see the centre of effort moving forward on a
> reefed gaff main

It depends on how high-peaked the gaff is but I take your general point. The Pardeys sail with a Bermudan main.

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[alec]

I find the biggest problem on all boats is weather helm when reaching. Tests show that foresails produce very little power when compared with the main on this point of sail. Hence that unfortunate and tiring arm ripping experience. It seems to be even worse on cutters, particularly those with gaff rig who will probably have large mains . Racing boats overcome this with sometimes three or four different jib tracks and specialist reaching spinnakers.

I find that small cutters sail very poorly to windward , probably due to disturbed flow of the two sails and the tendency to sheet in too hard to the centre line when the type of hull ( beamy and centreboard) does not seem to blend. Having two sets of jib sheets also becomes tiring after a while when single handing.

I agree that this type of rig favours larger boats . However, I am probably talking a load of nonsense as Charles Stock on the East Coast sails one of 16 feet ( with a topsail as well ) who contributes to sailing mags and swears by them. Mind you he has only done so for a short time – 50 years and no engine.


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[KipH]

Thanks for everybodies' responses. Seems you only truly get the benefit on a larger boat, on a smaller boat you either like them or you don't. I must confess that having largely learned to sail on a club 41 ft sloop, grinding in a big 150% deck sweeping genoa, being a skinny, isn't my idea of fun (even if it does make you point 5 or 10 degrees higher). Maybe I should just limit myself to a 130% genny on a sloop, or invest in bigger winches when I get my own boat!

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[Peppermint]

Re: Don\'t grind then

Get the helm to give it a luff and cut down the grinding.

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[KipH]

Re: Don\'t grind then

Well yes, but some skippers of the racy persuasion can't bring themselves to do it!
And I really am a bit of a beanpole.
<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by KipH on 24/11/2003 21:43 (server time).</FONT></P>