Thumbs up for ketches

geem

geem

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We are in a very rolly anchorage at the moment in Dominica. SW swell and SE wind puts the swell on the beam. Boats are rolling here like a pig. Got a Jen 54, RM 1050, Bav 46, close by to name but a few and they are all doing death rolls.
The Aussie ketch, a Bowman 45 ketch and ourselves all have mizzen sails set over night. Ours is fully battened, loose footed so can be sheeted bar tight. Minimal rolling no flapping and a great nights sleep. We put our mizzen up first and the other two followed suit. We left ours up all day yesterday and went ashore to walk the dogs. We appeared to be the only boat not rolling. Ketches rule :), just saying.......
 
TQA said:
Rolling in Portsmouth Dominica?

Time for a stern anchor set to hold you stern to the swells.
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Not a good solution when the wind has been changing difection by 180deg. No rolling with mizzen set. The problem here is this anchorage gets full of numpty yachties. Had a french charter cat almost drag on to us this morning. Had a Yank with his dinghy almost touching our bow when we swang through 180deg. He anchored way to close. If you start setting two anchors here you are guaranteed to have it fouled by some numpty. We anchored a long way out so can never understand why somebody comes and drops right on top of you when there is so much room here.
 
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Used to do the same in our gaff yawl :)

Including when motoring, sometimes. Bit like a West Country fishing boat.

Sometimes it’s good to have a tail fin :D

Pete
 
prv said:
Used to do the same in our gaff yawl :)

Including when motoring, sometimes. Bit like a West Country fishing boat.

Sometimes it’s good to have a tail fin :D

Pete
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I like yawls, ketches, schooners and cutters especially when gaff-rigged and with topsails. In my opinion, the bermudan sloop is the ugliest rig of all.
 
Poignard said:
I like yawls, ketches, schooners and cutters especially when gaff-rigged and with topsails. In my opinion, the bermudan sloop is the ugliest rig of all.
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Not sure I would agree about sloops being ugly but the sloop rig is not versitile. On our ketch we have twin headsail furlers mounted one behind the other. 130 genoa on outer and working jib on inner. We usually go from big geno to working jib without reefing the genoa once the wind picks up. Closer to the wind then 60deg and the mizzen doesnt add performance bur once off the wind we get more speed. In light off wind conditions we fly the mizzen staysail with main and large genoa. Mizzen stay sail is the easiest sail to set that adds sail area equal to our mainsail. Down wind in rolly conditions we goosewing genoa and main but add the strapped in mizzen on the centreline to stop rolling. Works incredibly well. We like lots of sails to play with :)
 
just saying.......
I have a long keeled sloop and ugly shes not, in fact I'd I go as far as to say; If she could cook I"d marry her: encouragement:
 
geem said:
Not sure I would agree about sloops being ugly but the sloop rig is not versitile. On our ketch we have twin headsail furlers mounted one behind the other. 130 genoa on outer and working jib on inner. We usually go from big geno to working jib without reefing the genoa once the wind picks up. Closer to the wind then 60deg and the mizzen doesnt add performance bur once off the wind we get more speed. In light off wind conditions we fly the mizzen staysail with main and large genoa. Mizzen stay sail is the easiest sail to set that adds sail area equal to our mainsail. Down wind in rolly conditions we goosewing genoa and main but add the strapped in mizzen on the centreline to stop rolling. Works incredibly well. We like lots of sails to play with :)
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Hi...do you pole your genoa out when goosewinging it? I like the idea of the mizzen set dead centre to counteract the roll you always seem to get with goosewing....must try that (Colvic Countess 33 ketch...like Lady In Bed)
 
I would agree about the Bermudan rig being ugly if it referred to masthead rigs, but a fractional rig can look stunning, especially when hard on the wind. Yawls can look awkward (not always) because of the 'gap'.
 
While we have some ketch owners on a thread..... I've been thinking about mounting my Rutland 913 on a bracket on the mizzen (rather than selling it) as there seems nowhere to mount it on deck without getting in the way.

BUT....wont it get in the way of flying the mizzen staysail....or am I missing something here?...LadyInBed mentions a WG on his mizzen so was wondering about the arrangement?
 
Tim O said:
While we have some ketch owners on a thread..... I've been thinking about mounting my Rutland 913 on a bracket on the mizzen (rather than selling it) as there seems nowhere to mount it on deck without getting in the way.

BUT....wont it get in the way of flying the mizzen staysail....or am I missing something here?...LadyInBed mentions a WG on his mizzen so was wondering about the arrangement?
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I had a 913 mounted on the mizzen. Marlec advise shutting down the turbine in very windy conditions, although they decline to define "windy". There is a Stop switch on the regulator, but you are advised against shutting down with it, if it is generating. The above means that if it gets " windy" it is necessary to turn the turbine to stop it rotating, before shutting down at the voltage regulator. Simple to do if the generator is mounted on a pole, but very difficult when it's 20 feet up on the mizzen.
With my ketch, I have given up on wind generators, and gone over to solar. Quiet, no moving parts, far cheaper, and much better.
 
Tim O said:
While we have some ketch owners on a thread..... I've been thinking about mounting my Rutland 913 on a bracket on the mizzen (rather than selling it) as there seems nowhere to mount it on deck without getting in the way.

BUT....wont it get in the way of flying the mizzen staysail....or am I missing something here?...LadyInBed mentions a WG on his mizzen so was wondering about the arrangement?
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Hmmm....interesting...I was thinking of a Rutland on the mizzen mast as well...but I have no idea how to rig a staysail so I can't help you.
 
OK just googled it....so a mizzen staysail would effectively be a Genoa for for the mizzen but without the luff bent on to the shroud...I guess in light airs it would set far enough forward of the Rutland to clear it. I wouldn't bet on it though..and if the sail is sheeted too tight or comes across the deck the Rutland would probably slice it up.
 
A good mate of mine will tell you "Ketch is indeed a great rig for not going anywhere, particularly upwind."

Maybe that's not really fair, but it's rare to get overtaken by one.
I quite like his line 'if you want more spars, get a bloody bowsprit".

Ketches are normally classified by the power of their diesel engines.
 
lw395 said:
A good mate of mine will tell you "Ketch is indeed a great rig for not going anywhere, particularly upwind."

Maybe that's not really fair, but it's rare to get overtaken by one.
I quite like his line 'if you want more spars, get a bloody bowsprit".

Ketches are normally classified by the power of their diesel engines.
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Ouch.
 
Sea-Fever said:
OK just googled it....so a mizzen staysail would effectively be a Genoa for for the mizzen but without the luff bent on to the shroud...I guess in light airs it would set far enough forward of the Rutland to clear it. I wouldn't bet on it though..and if the sail is sheeted too tight or comes across the deck the Rutland would probably slice it up.
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Our mizzen staysail tacks down to the base of the main mast and hoists on the mizzen. We dont fly the mizzen at the same time as we find the mizzen sail interfers with the air flow of the staysail. Instead we sheet the mizzen stay sail to the end of the mizzen boom. This gives us lots of adjustment. Its like flying an easily handled cruising shute when broad reaching. I definately wouldnt have a wind turbine on the mizzen if you want a staysail.
 
lw395 said:
A good mate of mine will tell you "Ketch is indeed a great rig for not going anywhere, particularly upwind."

Maybe that's not really fair, but it's rare to get overtaken by one.
I quite like his line 'if you want more spars, get a bloody bowsprit".

Ketches are normally classified by the power of their diesel engines.
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Not all ketches are the same and not all sloops are the same. There are some pretty miserable sloops about.
The right hull and rig combination is important. We find we lose slightly to windward in the way of speed compared to friends with the sloop version of our boat. We point the same. Off the wind we are faster. We have 7’2”draft on a fin keel. The same as some other friends here with an X boat of the same length. In a narly 25/30 kt sail we left them behind. They complain there boat is too light in big seas. Very bouncy and stopped by the waves. Going to windward they gripe up so tend to sail with a reef where we dont. Boats can look good on paper but not so great in reality
 
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