Looking for gaff rig dinghy sailing advice and experience

[sasjzl]

Hi all I am new to this forum and am the lucky owner of a gaff rigged 14'9" reproduction of a Tuckup sailboat. I have experience
as a windsurfer but dinghy sailing is new to me and I am looking for gaff rigged experienced sailors
to compare notes with on some of the unique aspects of sailing with these classic sails.

The Tuckup is similiar to a Melonseed.
This is a website that gives a good introduction to them:
http://traditionalsm...kups/index.html

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee
14'9" Delaware Bay Tuckup

 

[Lon nan Gruagach]

Your link didnt work.. heres one that does. http://traditionalsmallcraft.com/Tuckups/index.html

 

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

There's some pretty basic stuff here that might help -- http://www.woodenboat.asn.au/about-...est/245-instructions-for-rigging-begonia.html (Ignore their reference to "sidestays" -- there are forestays and there are backstays, and then there are shrouds....

Mike

 

[DownWest]

Glancing at the site, I hope you are agile and prepared to get wet. Also, I doubt that you can self recover after a capsize, so, close to shore and help might be good idea to start. While 'real men' don't reef these boats, i would certainly work out how to.

 

[NUTMEG]

They look insane! Huge sail area, I'd stick on Opi rig on it first few times out

 

[sasjzl]

The builder already did some test sailing and went from a 130sq ft sail to a 90. Which I have been able to manage to be marooned only once in the middle of the lake and was fortunate enough to have a friendly motor boater tow me in to shore. I also discovered that I because of the amount of floatation built into the boat it can be righted and then rowed, albeit very deliberately, to shore. Once at shore I found that I can use one of those big yellow inflatable roller things to drain the boat and save myself from the tedium of bailing. Of course the goal is to get to know the boat well enough not to go over at all but it ain't always easy.

My biggest issue to date has been starting off from shore, as opposed to a dock, when the wind is directly onshore. I know from windsurfing that I am supposed to point the boat into the wind, decide on which tack to take, jump in and raise the sail fully but it doesn't always work out that way. Even with the centerboard partially down or at least inserted, I find that the bow gets blown back into shallow water before I can get going off the shore. Jumping into this boat without taking on water at waist height is not possible for me. So my first problem is that when I get planted in the boat I am in very shallow water. If the wind
is light I can paddle or row out but I would really like to know if there is something I am missing during my beach launch routine.

This is my best attempt to describe my steps:

1. I am in just above knee deep water and the throat halyard is up all the way but the peak is down so I have about half of my sail area out.
2. If I put the peak up and get full sail area I am afraid of keeping control of the boat. It can take off to either side of the wind to shore and
I have to start all over.
3. I get my body into the boat and center myself as fast as possible. Not a pretty sight. Then I raise the peak and have full sail I have never been able to sail
off without full sail up.
4. I keep my hand on the daggerboard to make sure that it is not impeding my progress. As soon as I can I lower it all the way.
5. Sometimes I manage to get off without hitting any paddle boarders or swimmers. Oft times the bow gets blown on shore before I can get out.

Any tips or suggestions on launching with an onshore wind would be most appreciated.

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee