Standing Lug Rig

[Romeo]

I have bought myself a fantastic wee boat that I can trail behind a car. She is a character boats lune pilot 14 footer of 1980's vintage.

Now I am used to gaff and gunter rig and was surprised with the standing lug at how awkward it is to lower the mainsail. Being able to get rid of the main completely and fast is, in my view, an essential safety feature for sailing in confined spaces.

My rig has a traveller for the single main halyard. The halyard pulls a ring up the mast. The ring has a hook onto which short strop about 1/3 of the way up the yard hooks. Good for keeping the yard close to the mast but the sail tends to jam on the way down as tension comes diagonally through the sail. One has either to unhook the yard or drag the jaws of the boom away from the mast to complete the lowering operation. Only been out in her 3 times, but have not managed to perform this operation in a dignified manner yet, which I find a bit frustrating.

Suggestions please for improving the halyard arrangement.

Many thanks.

 

[Boatmik]

See the old tome by Dixon Kemp called, I think " the manual of seamanship". It has a couple of illustrations on setting up lug rigs for sailing canoes and using a single halyard to both haul the yard and to hold it against the mast in a simple and ingenious way.

I've used it a lot on boats under 20ft and it works a treat.

Don't use it on larger blue water boats though. I used it once on a friend's boat and the chafe drove him nuts - its not a problem on inshore dayboats.

Here is some more info from the Woodenboat forum.

Lug sail setup Lug sail setup

It is mostly about balance lugs but there are pointers there that apply to all as well as a description of the halyard setup from Kemp.

Michael Storer

 

[ianc1200]

My 30' cruiser has steadying sails from new, and every now and again I put them up on a fairly windless day. The main is a standing lug, also the halyard is attached to a ring which has a hook which is attached itself to the yard. Getting it down is no problem, it's getting the yard at the right angle to pull it up that's the problem!

IanC

 

[Force10]

[ QUOTE ]
My 30' cruiser has steadying sails from new, and every now and again I put them up on a fairly windless day. (snip) IanC

[/ QUOTE ]

Why don't you try setting your sails when there is a bit of wind? Even motor sailing saves quite a bit of fuel, you could even try sailing the boat?.........Having the sails set when there is a bit of wind will also stop you flopping about from one beam end to the other. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Still takes all sorts I suppose? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[ianc1200]

Well that was the whole idea. I've added roller reefing to the foresail, a mizzen mast with a gaff mizzen on it, all to stop the rolling. However I've found the amount of effort required to put it all all, and particularly get it down safely, isn't worth the effort. The foresail is easy enough, but both the main and the mizzen are difficult to set.

The problem with the mizzen is I over sized the gaff and the boom, making it difficult to set whilst handing over the transom, and no proper way of sheeting in the boom. I've had a look and many craft that have a boom which hangs over the transom and can resolve this. The main is too big, and would be more useful as a smaller sail, again something I may do.

Still, when up it looks pretty enough!

IanC

 

[Force10]

Don't take my comments too seriously In, just teasing a bit, you enjoy your boat the way you want to, she looks quite nice by the way. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[ianc1200]

I should have added we seriously rebuilt/re-engined 4 season ago, and have been summer East Coast Blackwater based, wintering back on the upper Thames. Now thinking of keeping the cruiser on upper Thames, because the amount of times we have been able to go out this year has been severely restricted by winds of F4 and above.

Thinking of buying Anderson 22 or similar to leave in the marina berth, so I can guarantee there will be no winds next year!

IanC

 

[Force10]

[ QUOTE ]
I should have added we seriously rebuilt/re-engined 4 season ago, and have been summer East Coast Blackwater based, wintering back on the upper Thames. Now thinking of keeping the cruiser on upper Thames, because the amount of times we have been able to go out this year has been severely restricted by winds of F4 and above.

Thinking of buying Anderson 22 or similar to leave in the marina berth, so I can guarantee there will be no winds next year!

IanC

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh! if I was you, I would flog that nice little cruiser, and buy a Narrowboat, they just love 'em up the Thames.................. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ianc1200]

Grrrr!!!!!

Don't tempt me.

After all, the Thames is nothing other than a linear narrowboat park.......

What's worse, I find I've offered to drive one for the "Save Our Waterways" protest cruise past Parliament 16th January.

Save our waterways for more narrowboats?

IanC

 

[Force10]

I got to be honest, and I aint winding you up, I really do not understand all the antipathy, Narrowboaters are moboters, just like the rest of 'em?

Some of the Thames lot say it's because they take up mooring spaces and wont raft up, but that in itself doesn't seem justification for the level of animosity displayed?

 

[Romeo]

[ QUOTE ]
I got to be honest, and I aint winding you up, I really do not understand all the antipathy, Narrowboaters are moboters, just like the rest of 'em?

Some of the Thames lot say it's because they take up mooring spaces and wont raft up, but that in itself doesn't seem justification for the level of animosity displayed?

[/ QUOTE ]

er and standing lug rig???

Thanks for the link boatmike. I will look out a block and try the single line method over Xmas.

R

 

[Force10]

Erm yes, ARC has one? anything else I can help you with?

 

[ianc1200]

Have a look at the Thames Forum for an idea of feelings. My view is that it's unfair on the nb's to get them to pay a lot of money for a temporary/gold licence, then not provide any addition nb-friendly facilities, and for those existing boaters on the Thames it's very unfair to find the visitors moorings/sanitary stations/lock waiting areas clogged up with them.

IanC

 

[fidra]

Well that is a coincidence - I have a 14' Lune Pilot and I also live in North Berwick. I've had my boat for about 10 years. Kept her on the Medway for about 4 years when I lived down south, and have sailed her on the Solent, Dart, Cleddau, Orwell, and Loch Lomond on family holidays - but I can't help you with your question. I just let the mainsail come down in a heap, and either disconnect the jaws from the mast or unhook the gaff. Not very elegant - but it gets the sail down quick.

Are you planning to keep your boat in NB harbour? I had mine in the harbour for a season or two, but found it difficult picking my way through the crowd of yachts to get out. But single-handed launching from the beach can be a bit of a trial. Not sure what to do next season.

 

[Romeo]

Hi Fidra, good choice of name. My boat is in the harbour at the mo on a friends mooring. Was out in her yesterday, and again my daughters were not impressed by the yard inverting, swinging round and wrapping them in brown terylene. I am planning to experiment with the halyard arrangement suggested by boatmik over the next week or so. As the boat is against the wall where she is moored it should be reasonably easy for me to see what is going on at the top of the mast!

Planning to sail on New Years Day at about 1300, if the weather is reasonable. Are you brave/stupid enought to launch at the same time? Frostbite regatta is on, and I thought we could split the honours for the lune pilot class between us.

R

 

[fidra]

I quite fancy a sail on New Years Day, but we have visitors and it has been made clear to me that my absence would not be conducive to good domestic relations. So doesn't look as though I will be able to make it. Looking at the forecast for the next few days I suspect that if the race goes ahead it will be in a bit of a breeze. But you should be ok - the Lune Pilot goes pretty well with a couple of reefs in in my experience.

 

[kds]

Would a downhaul from the front end of the mast help to keep the peak up as you lower it ?
Ken

 

[kds]

Sorry - I mean "yard" not "mast"
Ken

 

[Romeo]

Hi KDS. I think the problem would be keeping tension on the downhaul: it would simply go slack when you start to lower. I have rigged the single halyard arrangement suggested by boatmik. Works very well in harbour, although I will need to fit some leather to the yard where it swings into the mast on the way up and down. I will report back after some sea trials.

Fidra: have sent you a PM. sounds like the wind is starting to blow some! (although the forecast seems to be not quite so bad as it was. ) Surely your visitors would benefit from a spot of fresh air and salt water on NYD.

Anyway, Happy New Year everyone, and may the wind always be on your quarter.

R

 

[Constance]

'Single line' approach in action. On lowering the yard the traveller loop expands to let the yard lay down on the boom, so no need to go forward to unhook anything. The halyard leads aft of course.