Tuning and trimming a ketch

[gregorius]

There are several good texts describing the correct tuning the rig and trimming the sails of a sloop. I have, however, not come across any dealing specifically with a ketch. Are there any?

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[alan54]

there are a few snippets in various off shore passage making books. i had a 50` steel ketch for a number of years. a few rule of thumb points would be close hauled forget your mizzen, off the wind all sails come into there own. the mizzen depending on its size is a good balancing sail. use at anchor as well.
good luck
radar

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[Mudplugger]

Sorry can't agree with previous post,IMHO it depends on the boat and the quality of the sails, on my West.33 for the last few years I would be a tad upset if she wouldn't tack thru 70-80 degs. and the mizzen was an important part of the set up. particularly going to winward....Wasn't Steinlager a Ketch?....Of the wind Mizzen staysail was worth its wait in gold...60o and the turbocharger went up...an extra .75knot.and a 5 sail reach was bliss personified.. Tight luffs, Backstay tensioner, 4'' prebend, and you are ready to rock & roll..and all the sails are easier to handle..

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[bigmart]

I sail large Ketches on the odd occaision & my experience is that the Mizzen is a liability when close hauled. It does nothing for the speed of the boat & tosses the stern around, making it difficult to steer a good course. Its a different matter when the wind is free but everything sails nice then.

Love em or hate em you do get more strings to play with.

Martin




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[AlanPound]

I'd have to agree with the previous poster. Close hauled, the mizzen is flying in dirty air.... well, whatever the reason, I seen no increase in speed under these conditions (it looks nice though).

Sail rather freer, and 0.5 to 0.75 knots is the result... (well worth having..)

Alan

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[gunnarsilins]

Don´t agree!

I´ve been sailing my ketch (Moody 42) since -99, and with good sails (3 years old, fully battened) the mizzen definetely adds some speed even close hauled.
But when running goosewinged the mizzen blankets either the main or the genoa and does not seem to add anything in speed.

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[johna]

Mudplugger

Can you explain the shape and how a mizzen staysail is rigged please.

I have the halyard but no sail and no idea how to rig it if I had one.

Johna

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[bigmart]

I'm not Mudplugger but I'll chuck my two penn'th in.

On the boats that I sail the rigging position is thus:

Head = halyard

Tack = attached to a convenient block/cleat near Mainmast

Clew/Sheet = lead through a block, attached to the outer end of Mizzen Boom, then made off to a suitable cleat or winch etc..

Everytime we get the Mizzen Staysail out there is much discussion about attachment points & we're never quite sure we've got it right, but it works.

Hope that helps.

Martin

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[Chris_Robb]

Mizzen Staysail is rigged as follows:
Foot - attach on a variable lenght of line either to the foot of the main mast or sometomes to a cleat furthr outbpard to windward.

Head - to the halyard!

Clew: a light weight sheet taken to the leeward side of the stern of the boat. I take mine to a block on the mizzen boom to give it a wider setting angle.

Jybing: Take it all down and put it up the other side.

Backstays: If you have twin backstays - set it outside (to leeward) of both stays -

Shape: Lightweight Nylon material with non stretch luff. Three sided sail.



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[LadyInBed]

I have a small Geniker (from a 22 footer) that I rig in that fashon for lighter down wind conditions.

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[Goldie]

Our mizzen staysail is tacked to a windward chainplate and sheeted - outside everything - to a block on the end of the mizzen boom. Pulls like a train & easy to handle; ease the halyard and it virtually falls into the cockpit. Don't know why they're not seen more often. We point to about 60 degrees off, althought the advantage of flying it at that angle is fairly marginal. With the wind freeer, an easy extra 0.75 kt. Give it a go, you'll be impressed!

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[Chris_Robb]

We now sport a large second hand spinnaker as well, which has absolutley transformed our down-wind sailing. On anything wider than a broad reach we now rarely motor, except this summer when for nearly 3 months (alternate weekends) we had no wind what so ever. We often have both up (Mizzen staysail), which gives her a huge downwind sail area. We hardly ever bother with putting the mizzen up though - survival sail only.

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[heerenleed]

On our ketch

a Nicholson 48, the mizzen staysail is rigged:

tack: to windward chainplate of main mast using a lenth of line which can tension or loosen up the forward leach

head: halyard on mizzen mast

clew: light sheet to end of mizzen boom and from there to cleat on aft deck.

It is very easy to handle, especially taking it off in a blow is relatively easy, much easier than a chute or spinnaker.

Further, I do agree with others that, when close hauled, the mizzen is in the mainsail's turbulence and therefore not as effective as on a course more off the wind.

We do need it to keep up our speed on all courses, except on a run.

It very much depends on the ketch, especially on the distance between main and mizzen masts and the size of the mizzen.

Furthermore, I agree that there is very little literature on the tuning of a ketch.



<hr width=100% size=1>Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: Mizzen Staysail

PBO #383 Nov 98 p80 did a short article on mizzen staysails.

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[johna]

Re: Mizzen Staysail

NigelB
Thank you for reference I have a copy to hand if anyone else would like to read it.

Also thank you for other contributions re rigging the staysail I will certainly have a go with some old sails.

Johna

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