Fast Junk Rig Cruising, on a Balkan Proa

rael dobkins

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1 Aug 2015
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A short vid that sums it all up. Junk Rigs, Drive Boats! Fast enough, easy and cheap to make, very simple to fix on the way, yet above all Very, Very Safe! Nothing reefs like a Junk, I even reef while running, no need to even stop...

About 9% of camber, 18 square meters of Polytarp, and the simple Mike Mulcahy's Dart System. We stitched it up in about an hour and a half, the whole sail could be made in a weekend, it cost 120 bucks!!!

Driving about 900 Kg's of an almost fully loaded Balkan Proa. We always do half wind speed, until I reef of course... We are faster than all the monos in the hood, cruising monos, average size, which are all much longer than us.

Junks drive boats, fast ones go fast, 60 degrees to the wind on both shunts, yet moving fast! 55 is possible, but speed drops and that's not so much fun...

reefs in seconds, with only 2 parrels, yard and throat. I also have a luff parrel, but it's useless, next year I will not rig it.

Keep Shunting guys

Balkan Shipyards

 
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isaachackett

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3 Feb 2025
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A short vid that sums it all up. Junk Rigs, Drive Boats! Fast enough, easy and cheap to make, very simple to fix on the way, yet above all Very, Very Safe! Nothing reefs like a Junk, I even reef while running, no need to even stop...

About 9% of camber, 18 square meters of Polytarp, and the simple Mike Mulcahy's Dart System. We stitched it up in about an hour and a half, the whole sail could be made in a weekend, it cost 120 bucks!!!

Driving about 900 Kg's of an almost fully loaded Balkan Proa. We always do half wind speed, until I reef of course... We are faster than all the monos in the hood, cruising monos, average size, which are all much longer than us.

Junks drive boats, fast ones go fast, 60 degrees to the wind on both shunts, yet moving fast! 55 is possible, but speed drops and that's not so much fun...

reefs in seconds, with only 2 parrels, yard and throat. I also have a luff parrel, but it's useless, next year I will not rig it.

Keep Shunting guys

Balkan Shipyards
This analysis of the Junk rig is fantastic! 🪐 It's amazing how you were able to use basic resources to make such a safe and effective sailing system. Your Balkan Proa is doing admirably, especially considering how simple it is to reef while moving! I'm inspired; keep sharing your exploits!
 

rael dobkins

Active member
Joined
1 Aug 2015
Messages
136
Visit site
This analysis of the Junk rig is fantastic! 🪐 It's amazing how you were able to use basic resources to make such a safe and effective sailing system. Your Balkan Proa is doing admirably, especially considering how simple it is to reef while moving! I'm inspired; keep sharing your exploits!
Thanks for the energy boost, it always helps!!! Sharing what we learn is truly what drives us...
I do believe that simpler and cheaper technology is the future, at sea one must be able to fend for oneself. Modern high tech vessels that were developed for racing, are expensive to maintain and usually almost impossible to fix on the way...

Keep Shunting,
Balkan Shipyards
 
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