How To Rig A Lune Whammel

[farquart]

I have recently purchase a Lune Whammel and this morning decide to put the mast up and havea look at the rigging.

Unfortunately there are so many diffrent ropes I am still not shore how to raise the boom off the deck.

Can anyone point in the direction of some diagrams of how I should rig the boat.

 

[LittleSister]

You could try contacting the builders, Character Boats
Phone: 01253 727004
E-Mail: enquiries@characterboats.co.uk
http://www.characterboats.co.uk/

 

[farquart]

Thanks, I do have the original manual that came witht he boat, but it is a bit wordy. Would prefer a couple of simple diagrams that I can visualise with.

 

[Achillesheel]

The website for Character Boats has some useful pics. It looks as though there is a topping lift that runs down either side of the sail, from the top of the mast. I guess it must split at the top of the mast so it becomes one line down to the foot of the mast. Then you'll have a halliard to haul the gaff up between the topping lifts.

When you lower the gaff, the sail falls between the topping lifts, without falling into the boat.

Hope this helps.

 

[prv]

It looks as though there is a topping lift that runs down either side of the sail, from the top of the mast. I guess it must split at the top of the mast so it becomes one line down to the foot of the mast. Then you'll have a halliard to haul the gaff up between the topping lifts.

I don't know this specific boat, but I sail another small gaffer.

Gaff rig topping lifts generally have two parts - they don't join at the masthead as you suggest, they come down separately each side. You can then top up on just the windward side to lift the boom without constraining the sail, for example while reefing.

The gaff will have two halyards, not just one. The throat halyard goes to the inboard end of the gaff, against the mast. The peak halyard goes to the outer part of the gaff, usually via a wire span along which it slides, not shackled directly to the gaff.

Pete

 

[Neil]

The topping lift also acts as a lazy jack and it's important to get their two lines from the block at the top of the mast between the two lines of the peak halyard going to the block at the gaff; it looks wrong when the gaff is down. Similarly, the throat halyard has one end fixed on the mast, and then to the block at the gaff and back up to the mast and back down. A third raises the foresail.

When raising sail, raise the peak until it's about the right angle, then pull both peak and throat halyards together. When the luff is tight, raise the peak of the gaff until you get a slight crease running from the peak to the tack, otherwise the sail shape won't be optimum.

 

[Red Admiral]

Not a Gaffer?

The original rig of the whammel was a standing lug. It had a loose footed mainsail attached to the boom which pivoted with a leathered fork at the mast. Jib was optional. The solid mast was unstayed. I bought three of these boats for a sailing centre I was running in the early nineties. For extra security I had forestay and shrouds fitted. The main sail had only one halyard attached about a third of the way from the front of the lug spar. Reefing of the main was by traditional points in the usual way. Ballast was by sacks of sand under the floor boards. The Whammel is a boat of which I became very fond. Safe and steady and carries a crowd.

 

[Romeo]

I have a Lune Pilot, which is similar to the Whammel but only 14.5 feet. When I got her she had 5 cleats at the base of the mast and lots of ropes. I stripped out what i assumed to be superfluous flag halyards and spare halyards and got it down to two cleats on the mast, and feel much happier! My boat is rigged with a Standing lug (ie forward part of the yard comes forward of the mast when hoisted, boom has jaws which fit aft of the mast when hoisted.) I think some whammels are standing lug and some are gunter rig. Do you know which yours is?

 

[farquart]

I have a Lune Pilot, which is similar to the Whammel but only 14.5 feet. When I got her she had 5 cleats at the base of the mast and lots of ropes. I stripped out what i assumed to be superfluous flag halyards and spare halyards and got it down to two cleats on the mast, and feel much happier! My boat is rigged with a Standing lug (ie forward part of the yard comes forward of the mast when hoisted, boom has jaws which fit aft of the mast when hoisted.) I think some whammels are standing lug and some are gunter rig. Do you know which yours is?

Not sure what rig I have, but thanks for the info

 

[SimonD]

Well worth giving Adrian at Character Boats a call. Set aside a fair bit of time for what will probably be a long, but undoubtedly helpful chat (he's the reason the manual is wordy!). Give him the sail number and he'll tell you how it left the workshop at least.

There are not that many books around on sailing a gaff rig, but Tom Cunliffe's "Hand, Reef and Steer" is probably all you'll need. On Amazon at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hand-Reef-S...=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324414189&sr=1-7

 

[petergh]

Lune Whammel

Bought a Lune Whammel this year. Best thing I could have done. Having great fun with her. Mine is a standing lug so you first have to decide which rig you have. First identify the boom which will have jaws and when the main is up rests on the upper leather patch. Next look at the yard. If this has jaws as well your rig will be a gaff. The halyard goes to the top of the mast then to the upper block on the yard, then the lower block back to the mast band about three foot down from the top and then back to the base of the mast. I just use one topping lift line from the base of the mast, up to the top of the mast and then down to the outer end of the boom. Am thinking about experimenting with topping lift next year.
My boat has a roller headsail. This runs from the bowsprit to the lower mast band. Forestay runs to the top of the mast from the bowsprit. Shrouds run to the lower mast band.
I agree that the manual is not totally helpful but Character boats are very helpful if you email them. Any more help I can give please let me know. Have some photos to help remind myslef how to rig her next year.

Peter

 

[TimSpurge]

Hi
I own a Lune Whammel - gaff rig, and have also owned a standing lug version. If you still need some help to rig I may be able to advise.
Contact: tim.spurge@btconnect.com
Kind Regards