The "Slutter'' (small staysail) rig.

Krusty

Krusty

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For those who have previously expressed interest, curiosity or scepticism about our 'abnormal rig' I have posted a series of pictures with comments in the Album 'PIOTA'. It can now be accessed.
We have found this rig ideal for high-performance cruising; as the wind gets up, so do its advantages. Except when we are too lazy to change headsails in light airs, we can usually out-sail comparable boats setting a Genoa and we frequently overtake larger ones.
This may not be a rig for the racing enthusiast, but even with a weight of cruising gear on board, our boat takes some beating.
 
Good stuff but not up to your Loch Ness sheltered(!) waters video standard !!

I use a similar setup on my NAB35 , 110% genny +small yankee staysail or a full hoist staysail(nicked off a Bene 40 cutter rig ,and fitted with hanks. Does exactly what you say, and gives crew(when aboard )more strings to play with. Also gives me a chance to blather on about 2 slots being better than one!
 
Ludd said:
Good stuff but not up to your Loch Ness sheltered(!) waters video standard !
Click to expand...

Thanks, Ludd. I just looked back at my "Loch Ness, sheltered waters" post and was dismayed to find the video clip had vanished from its place on Photobucket,
So here is a fresh link to it: (The mainsail set is a 20-year-old vertical-cut, roach-less, bullet-proof heavy-weather one kept for special occasions!)



And this is a clip to illustrate my main theme of the current post:



Cheers!
 
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Great pictures, but surely that is a cutter rig?

My understanding is that a slutter is when the inner forestay is very close to the forestay i.e. between a sloop and a cutter!

The attached is what I mean.
 
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It seems we may both be correct. If you Google Slutter rig you get this:-

"Slutter versus Rig

For single masted cruisers, the choice seems increasingly to be between the standard cutter rig and what might be called a 'slutter' rig. The difference between the two lies mostly in the placement of the inner forestay.

Cutters usually have an inner forestay which runs from the upper of two sets of spreaders down to a point about one third of the way aft in the fore-triangle. The staysail set on such a stay is pretty small. It is efficient when used in combination with the larger foresail on the headstay, but is not really much use by itself except in heavy weather. Unfortunately it is also often sheeted quite close inboard, which is not useful for heavy conditions. This cutter rig usually also carries running backstays which are set up to support the rig in strong winds. The alternative is a set of jumper stays; these may foul and chafe the foresail set on the headstay. It is usually possible to tack the foresail around the inner forestay.

The 'slutter' rig differs from the cutter in that the inner forestay, sometimes called a Solent stay, runs from very near the top of the mast down to a point only half a metre or so behind the headstay. The advantages of this arrangement are that a larger, more powerful staysail can be carried on the inner forestay and there is no need for runners to support the mast. Disadvantages of the rig are that the use of both headsails together is not very efficient and the foresail on the head stay cannot usually be tacked past the inner forestay. However, the staysail is big enough that it is likely to be used by itself in almost any short -tacking situation. The staysail is also efficient used by itself in moderate as well as heavy conditions."
 
SolentBoy said:
It seems we may both be correct. If you Google Slutter rig you get this:-

"Slutter versus Rig

For single masted cruisers, the choice seems increasingly to be between the standard cutter rig and what might be called a 'slutter' rig. The difference between the two lies mostly in the placement of the inner forestay.

Cutters usually have an inner forestay which runs from the upper of two sets of spreaders down to a point about one third of the way aft in the fore-triangle. The staysail set on such a stay is pretty small. It is efficient when used in combination with the larger foresail on the headstay, but is not really much use by itself except in heavy weather. Unfortunately it is also often sheeted quite close inboard, which is not useful for heavy conditions. This cutter rig usually also carries running backstays which are set up to support the rig in strong winds. The alternative is a set of jumper stays; these may foul and chafe the foresail set on the headstay. It is usually possible to tack the foresail around the inner forestay.

The 'slutter' rig differs from the cutter in that the inner forestay, sometimes called a Solent stay, runs from very near the top of the mast down to a point only half a metre or so behind the headstay. The advantages of this arrangement are that a larger, more powerful staysail can be carried on the inner forestay and there is no need for runners to support the mast. Disadvantages of the rig are that the use of both headsails together is not very efficient and the foresail on the head stay cannot usually be tacked past the inner forestay. However, the staysail is big enough that it is likely to be used by itself in almost any short -tacking situation. The staysail is also efficient used by itself in moderate as well as heavy conditions."
Click to expand...

Points taken,but the pic you posted shows inner forestay VERY close to forestay--an either/or situation,you wouldn't use these together.That is a Solent rig.

A true cutter tends to have the mast set further aft than asloop (on same hull) or set 1st headsail on a bowsprit.

A "slutter" which is a term I hadn't heard before( even though I'd been using the rig !) is simply a sloop with a staysail(o f whatever size)fitted on an inner forestay(in my case the emergency detachable stay which comes to the deck 2/3rds of the distance between mast and forestay.

Yes it also carries the storm jib (sheeted as flat as possible). Don't understand the reference to sheeting inboard being a problem with a storm jib---that's exactly what you want!
 
The boat in the picture has just under a metre between the two stays and they are not meant to be used at the same time apart from on opposite sides of the boat!

Sorry to say, but that is known as a slutter rig almost everywhere in the world, apart from the UK where some people call it a Solent rig. Perhaps the Brits are the only ones making proper use of the term, but like all of these things, once 95% of the world agree, who is to say they are wrong?

Regards
 
SolentBoy said:
The boat in the picture has just under a metre between the two stays and they are not meant to be used at the same time apart from on opposite sides of the boat!

Sorry to say, but that is known as a slutter rig almost everywhere in the world, apart from the UK where some people call it a Solent rig. Perhaps the Brits are the only ones making proper use of the term, but like all of these things, once 95% of the world agree, who is to say they are wrong?

Regards
Click to expand...

Doesn't really matter what we call it,as long as we know it works! Thank God for the camera!
 
Ludd said:
Don't understand the reference to sheeting inboard being a problem with a storm jib---that's exactly what you want!
Click to expand...

The quandary I have is the choice of sheeting the small jib inside or outside the shrouds.
Inside you can bring the sail in flat but it fouls when the sheet is eased.
Outside it is impossible to sheet the sail flat.
 
doug748 said:
The quandary I have is the choice of sheeting the small jib inside or outside the shrouds.
Inside you can bring the sail in flat but it fouls when the sheet is eased.
Outside it is impossible to sheet the sail flat.
Click to expand...

Doug, this "problem" is common enough on boats like yours and mine; less beamy than is the current fashion.
But the solution in their day, and now, is double sheets: one pair inboard of the shrouds, one outboard. OK, it needs inboard and outboard tracks, or ay least fairleads, but well-equipped boats of that time had them as standard. Mine did:

02Cutterrig.jpg


Here we have the No.2 jib set using the inner track and the sheet between the shrouds: for a beam/broad reach we add a 'reaching sheet' from the outer carriage and outboard of the shrouds. (It is rigged that way on Port)
The No.1 Jib only need one sheet, outboard from outer track.
 
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Piotaskipper said:
Here we have the No.2 jib set using the inner track and the sheet between the shrouds: for a beam/broad reach we add a 'reaching sheet' from the outer carriage and outboard of the shrouds. (It is rigged that way on Port)
The No.1 Jib only need one sheet, outboard from outer track.
Click to expand...

I only experimented with this for half a season, after I blew out my genoa. The resullts were not encouraging. I see that you have a grand selection of track there which is what I lacked. The other factor is your nice set of matched sails. I was toying with an old No 3 plus a storm jib.
 
Perhaps this should be clearly stated: This is not a make-shift rig!

Like any other, it will only perform well if the whole suit of sails is professionally designed and made, with near-optimum sheeting angles. Having two slots this is perhaps even more important than for a sloop rig.
It is probably best suited to a 30' to 35' boat with a single-spreader mast and a layout allowing the 'baby-stay' to be moved to parallel the forestay: and there must be adequate tensioning below-deck.

Innerforestayconversion.jpg


This is a rig worth consideration when it is time for a new suit of sails for a boat which habitually sails in fresh to strong weather.
 
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