for Raggies who like strings....

[sarabande]

I saw this in Anstruther a few days ago. All the bits lead to a sliding topmast and sort of gaff rig.



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[Salty John]

I wonder what that sounds like with the wind whistling through it?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

It looks very complex, and I can't understand the rationale behind it. The topmast appears to support a roller reefing jib, so it can't be lowered easily. That means you've got a two part mast, with a lot of additional weight aloft coupled with a weakly supported topmast. The compression stresses imposed by forestay and backstay through the join between the masts must be high. Surely a one-piece mast would be stronger and lighter? If the jib was hanked on a simple forestay I could imagine it being a worthwhile means of being able to reduce weight aloft when the outer jib and topsail weren't needed, but the roller kit surely does away with that advantage.

Perhaps someone has been reading Jack Aubrey books, and hasn't realized that modern materials do away with the need to lower topmasts?

 

[Keen_Ed]

Fidded topmast. Very trad, but I've never seen one in Alu.

Advantage used to be that you can lower the topmast, to give a lower centre of gravity and less windage for when it's blowing.

Mainmast is held up by forestay to mainmast truck, shrouds and running backstays. Staysails to the topmast normally set flying, AIUI. With roller furling, just left on the furler and rolled?

 

[westernman]

Fidded topmast. Very trad, but I've never seen one in Alu.

Advantage used to be that you can lower the topmast, to give a lower centre of gravity and less windage for when it's blowing.

Mainmast is held up by forestay to mainmast truck, shrouds and running backstays. Staysails to the topmast normally set flying, AIUI. With roller furling, just left on the furler and rolled?

Really, when the wind and waves pipe up, are you really going up the mast to fiddle around and lower the top mast?????

 

[prv]

The topmast appears to support a roller reefing jib, so it can't be lowered easily.

Not necessarily - we can't see either end of it so it could equally be roller furling on a wykeham martin. That can be easily lowered - or just slacked a bit - to permit spars like topmasts and bowsprits to move. I did exactly this every time I berthed Kindred Spirit in a marina.

Agree that this rig is pretty bizarre though. I'd be intrigued to have a close look at it in person, but I can't imagine it's a success by any criteria one cares to name, except possibly generating profits for rope salesmen

Pete

 

[prv]

Really, when the wind and waves pipe up, are you really going up the mast to fiddle around and lower the top mast?????

Well, not on this boat you're not, as he has no ratlines.

Kind of surprising, really, he has everything else

But if the topmast is designed to be lowered, presumably some of that string does it remotely from the deck. Could easily be a heel rope there, together with a release lanyard for some kind of catch equivalent to a tumbling fid.

Pete

 

[Woodlouse]

It looks very old school. It would be interesting to see the rig in full and close up to try and work out the rational in such a set up. It looks like a boat that travels so I'm sure the skipper has his reasons.