Gafering a wayfarer

BlackPig

BlackPig

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I have an old wayfarer that I'm thinking of converting into a gaffer. Probably a sloop, (would love a cutter but sail mainly solo and with a small boat probably better with one fore sail) The jib set out on a short bowsprit to counter balance the weather helm produced by the gaff main. Plans?? draw out what looks correct and go for it. I plan on making the sails, mast, boom gaff, keep cost down as much as possible.

I have not done anything like this before, any hints.
 
Seems reasonable to me; considering how many Wayfarers there are around, may be worth asking the class association about people who've done it before ?

Obviously weight aloft will be an enemy, I'd make the gaff from a sealed alloy tube ( wonder if a Mirror mast would do ? ) so as to be light, and buoyancy if capsized.

A gaff main would lend itself to a row of reefing pennants too, so it could be made on the big side to make the most of light airs.
 
Not a loaded question but what are you trying to achieve? Classic looks? Shorter spars that will store in the boat? What do you plan to use it for, and where do you plan to sail it and keep it? What is your budget?
 
In many ways a "silly" thing to do, but if you want to, why not? :)

I used to part-own a 24' gaff-rigged boat and have done a little bit of sailing on bigger (plus square rig) so I might be able to advise on details - but would need more specific questions to answer otherwise the task becomes "write a book about building a gaff rig".

Thousands of gaffers down the centuries have been build by "what looks right", so unless your instincts are completely out of whack you should be ok.

Remember you want a somewhat shorter mast than for bermudan, and it wants to be straight-sided up to the hounds so that the jaws can fit properly. Assuming you don't want a topsail and corresponding tall masthead, you don't need any spreaders. Our boat had two shrouds per side, straight from gunwale to hounds, but for a dinghy I assume one per side would do. A Wayfarer doesn't have backstays, so I assume if you attach the shrouds to the existing chainplates you should have enough rearward support not to need runners.

One thing that's occasionally forgotten by first-time gaff-builders is that the throat cringle of the sail and the throat halyard block should be attached at the same point along the gaff (ie, in vertical line with each other). If you attach the halyard aft of the sail, then if the peak halyard is let off the whole length of the gaff becomes a lever to force upwards on the throat and overstrain the luff of the sail.

Don't go fitting any track on anything, the sails can be bent onto the boom and gaff with marling hitches, and the luff secured with a lacing. The luff lacing should not go round in a spiral, but go round from one side to the other and back again (I'm sure google has images). This lets it slack off as the sail comes down and prevents jams. We had mast hoops instead of a lacing but to be honest I can't really see any benefit in them.

Boom can be as heavy as you like - gaffers generally rely on weight instead of a topping lift. Gaff should be light as Seajet says, though I think you'd be ok with the right wood - a metal pole seems a bit naff however practical. You'd also need to make the jaws, which would be easy in wood but perhaps not (depending on your facilities) with metal.

Pete
 
Plan is to have the main sheet at the end of boom so I can turn the boom and roll the main for reefing. I do sail a gaffer (heard 23) and thought it would be nice to have a gaffer dinghy for sailing on the local loch. I would like the spars to fit inside to make trailing easier, but not go as far as a gunter rig.
 
BlackPig said:
Plan is to have the main sheet at the end of boom so I can turn the boom and roll the main for reefing. I do sail a gaffer (heard 23) and thought it would be nice to have a gaffer dinghy for sailing on the local loch. I would like the spars to fit inside to make trailing easier, but not go as far as a gunter rig.
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OK, I would say if you want something that doesn't totally ruin the Wayfarer you started with, don't underestimate the cost of your conversion. Some good advice from Pete, however the quality of your sails is going to be important too...don't underestimate the work involved or the costs of the materials, especially if making from scratch.

If you want the thing to point at all you will need a forestay that doesn't flap about...so you'll need a strong bowsprit, and possibly reinforcement on the foredeck to cope with the loads, and probably a bobstay too. And the whole lot would probably need to be removable to tow it too. Don't discount the staysail...you could easily fit a self tacker track.

I'd also recommend that you do some sums on CoE/CLR etc rather than just "going for it" it would be a shame to build it and find it sails like a pig where moving the mast back 6" would have helped.

Also, is a Wayfarer the right donor boat? It's big and heavy to manage on your own, and I'm not sure the chines and raked bow really "work" with a gaff rig? I'd be looking for something lighter with a more vertical bow and no chines...Merlin Rocket, N12 or Finn spring to mind. A guy at my club had a Mirror rig on a re-decked Finn...kinda worked...
 
CoE/CLR ?

It is the right boat, the one I have. I sailed my kestrel dinghy solo and my heard 23 so size not a problem.
Plan on getting the balance right would be to have longer bowsprit then move sail inboard on traveler till I get it correctly balanced.
If getting toppled would not wont a stay sail to release quickly as well.
Main cost will be material for making the sails. Wood I can find some old masts, booms, lying around the yard.
 
CoE...centre of effort, the point fore and aft where the combined driving force of the sails is centred
CLR...centre of lateral resistance, the point fore and aft where the sideways resistance of the foils is centred.
If the relationship between the two isn't right, you will end up with a boat that possibly carries lots of lee or weather helm and has handling vices.

Are you saying you will balance the boat by having a track running along length of the bowsprit and you will move the jib tack fore and aft until its balanced? Whole can of worms on rig tension, standing rigging length, luff sag, bobstay versus forestay position, mast rake, headsail sheet lead etc etc. Re size, you won't ever need to right your Heard 23 from a capsize, drag it up a slipway or hitch it onto a car, so comparing it to a Wayfarer isn't that relevant.

If you are looking at this as a fun "find some bits in the weeds" and bang it together, just go for it. If you are looking at this more scientifically and expending any effort or money on it, I think you need to read a few books on the principles of boat design and sail power, or you will have something that is nowhere near as good as the boat you started out with.
 
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I'm with Ian C. Sort of. Wrong boat, but you have it. So.. Draw the original sailplan, then the new gaff rig. Work out the areas and centres of pressure and then figure out how to shift the rig to make them match. I would make wooden spars, cos I like them. But ally is cheaper, must any number of scrap spars for the asking. I made my sails from scratch, cloth from 'net. But cut down second hand might do. Have a ball, but be prepared to get it wrong.
 
You can easily move the centre of pressure on the centreboard aft by just raising it a bit.
So getting the balance right is not too critical - you can always counter act excessive weather helm by raising the centreboard (Wayfarers have pivoting centreboards and not dagger boards).
 
Iain C said:
Are you saying you will balance the boat by having a track running along length of the bowsprit and you will move the jib tack fore and aft until its balanced? Whole can of worms on rig tension, standing rigging length, luff sag, bobstay versus forestay position, mast rake, headsail sheet lead etc etc.
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I'm sure he wasn't thinking of a track, but a traditional traveller. An iron hoop wrapped in leather that slides around the whole bowsprit. You generally have an outhaul, but let the sail act as an inhaul.

Perfectly standard on gaff cutters, where everything about the bowsprit is somewhat moveable. Of course, they have a forestay to the stemhead which is what actually holds the mast up. Most gaff cutters always pull a jib out to the bowsprit end, but some do set the smaller sizes from intermediate positions. Just needs a stout enough spar to cope with the offset loads.

Inevitably the luff of a jib on this sort of moveable gear will sag a bit - a good gaff sailmaker can allow for this and still have the sail set well. Sag only ruins the shape of a jib when it was designed to run up a bar-taut wire.

Pete
 
I reckon it would be worth reading Charlie Stock's writings, Sailing in Shoal Waters or Sailing Just For Fun.
SImiliar sized boat and a great advocate of gaff rig.
 
Yes, this project is for fun, I have Charlie Stocks book and The Gaff Rig Hand book, Hand Reef and Steer, Inshore working boats,.
A traditional traveler was intended. The one on the Heard has a in haul as well. It's a continues loop.

"centreboard aft by just raising it a bit" for weather helm, same solution as Privateer 20's use (A big dinghy with a lid, my last gaffer)

"Are you saying you will balance the boat by having a track running along length of the bowsprit and you will move the jib tack fore and aft until its balanced? Whole can of worms on rig tension, standing rigging length, luff sag, bobstay versus forestay position, mast rake, headsail sheet lead etc etc."

"That's Bermudan talk, from were I come from partner"
 
A quick option is to buy used sails and/or rig from an existing boat. A 12 sq m Sharpie would probably fit. If you just want the convenience of short spars you could consider a Drascombe rig. They are easy to handle but the gunter isn't quite as elegant.
 
BlackPig said:
"Are you saying you will balance the boat by having a track running along length of the bowsprit and you will move the jib tack fore and aft until its balanced? Whole can of worms on rig tension, standing rigging length, luff sag, bobstay versus forestay position, mast rake, headsail sheet lead etc etc."
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My first cruiser, a Morecambe Bay Prawner, had heavy weather helm so I fitted a very long bowsprit (12' on a 25' hull) and tried different positions for the traveller. Once I was satisfied I sawed off the excess.
 
BlackPig said:
"That's Bermudan talk, from were I come from partner"
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Ha! I think you're right! I've done rig conversion work, but that was making a Cherub a foot longer and sticking a dirty great carbon twin wire rig on it. None of your iron and leather there and flappy forestays on that...I think there's people infinitely better qualified than me to help you on this gaffer project! Keep us updated though...it does all sound fun!
 
Once upon a time, before modern sailcloth was invented, a boat of Wayfarer size would probably have had a lugsail.
A dipping lug (tacking would be interesting if you didn't have a crew) for choice although you could have a standing lug (wouldn't impress the traditionalists so much but would make life easier); a balanced lug has as bit of wood to hit you on the head. Jib optional. Simpler, and possibly more efficient, than a gaff rig (which also implies a bit of wood to hit you on the head, possibly harder), also gybes perhaps wouldn't be quite so exciting as with a gaff rig.

Or you could have a spritsail just like a mini Thames barge (or maxi Optimist). Bit of wood to hit you on the head might be optional.

Anyway, sounds like a barrel of fun. Do let us know how you get on.
 
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snowleopard said:
A quick option is to buy used sails and/or rig from an existing boat. A 12 sq m Sharpie would probably fit. If you just want the convenience of short spars you could consider a Drascombe rig. They are easy to handle but the gunter isn't quite as elegant.
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Funnily enough I was fantasising only the other day about altering the rig on my 17' small light bermuden cruiser ( Newbridge Topaz ) . The main benefit in my view would be the smaller mast involved . I find it annoying to have one thing i.e. raise and lower the mast that I can't do on my own. I always sail solo and it would be nice to go under bridges etc. It is however good with the present tall mast and topping lift to be able to raise the boom and lowerd sail out of the way of the cockpit when anchored. I had thought of using Drascombe or mirror spars too. In winter the mind wanders and soars as soon as 'the season' comes one is just glad to play at sailing.(A personal view! )
 
The rig from a 12sq m Sharpie ( lovely boats, our club used to be one of 2 in the UK to have a fleet ) would probably be very good for the purpose, but they're not exactly lying around all over the place are they ?!

I'd think a useable rig might fetch big money too, but thanks for the reminder of the Sharpies, full of the character the Wayfarer is so conspicuously devoid of !

I'm not surprised the OP is looking to change things around a bit.
 
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