What on Earth is this rig?

[oldrascal]

I first saw this 50 footer a couple of months ago when it was moved into Birdham Pool. It was without masts and was in the last stages of a complete renovation by her current owner. I understand that the yacht is American but there are no markings so I can't tell the manufacturer. She is however SSR registered.

On the way back from lunch at CYC today, I passed by her again and saw that she had been rigged. Well what with the profusion of masts from a distance, I couldn't make out how she was set up so I went to have a closer look.

What I saw looked like a type of schooner rig with 2 identical height masts tensioned across their tops. So far so good, but I then started to notice some inconsistencies with my ability to make sense of what I was looking at.

Firstly, she appears to have self-furling forestays on both the main and, for want of a better word, mizzen mast. The foretriangle on the main mast has been set up with a self-tacking track for a high-clewed jib I imagine.

Its the furling forestay for the mizzen which has me baffled as it cuts across the top of the spray hood and reached to the foot of the main mast. So no room for a main jib.

Also, there appears to be a secondary furling mechanism set above the level of the spray hood which seems to be designed for a very high-set jib. There is also a self tracker set in front of the sprayhood.

Finally, there is no boom fitted to the mizzen mast. If there were to be one fitted, it would have to very short to clear the mizzen backstay. So, all in all, a complete and utter mystery to me as to how she sails.

Here are the pictures which, in spite of the mobo blocking the view, give a pretty good idea.

So, any ideas?

 

[oldrascal]

Whoops - it looks like my first attempt at uploading from Photobucket has not quite worked as planned.

Still, the images are there but I would appreciate some guidance for next time.

 

[BrendanS]

you have posted the url of the page, not of the image. At the side of each image there is a IMG Code - copy the url under that, and paste in here directly

eg

 

[damo]

You need the bit of the code, in a box below the one you copied from.

Interesting rig - essentially a bermudan, with the "main" reversed?

There is a yacht in Bristol harbour with a very strong looking bipod mast and 2 furling foresails, like a cutter, but no main. The "boom" carries solar panels.

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
would appreciate some guidance for next time.

[/ QUOTE ] Click on "IMG Code " below the thumbnail in P'bucket. That auto copies the url complete with image tage to you clip board. Just paste that into your post.

With two or more : tick the boxes below the thumbnails of all the pics you want to include. Scroll down. Click the box that says "Generate HTML and IMG code" then click on "IMG code for message boards" to auto copy all the urls with IMG tags. Paste that in.
Even better click "IMG Clickable thumb nails for message boards" to auto copy the code for clickable thumbnails. Paste that in and guess what, you get clickable thumnails.

With experience you'll find out how to get the thumbnails side by side instead of underneath each other.

 

[oldrascal]

Thanks all for the quick advice - just a bit more care with sizes next time and all will be hunky-dory.

Now back to the strange rig?

 

[purplerobbie]

The radar is behind the mast too?

Rob

 

[Stemar]

Staysail schooner?

Seems to be a bit like this:

 

[paulburton44]

You can't put a main up on the aft mast due to the radar

 

[snowleopard]

In the 70s there was a large French singlehander called Vendredi 13. She had 3 masts, each carrying just a furling headsail. This looks similar.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Yes, staysail schooner. Odd she doesn't seem to carry an aft sail on the rear mast. I note she's got a slot in the foremast, probably for carrying a higher sail to fill in the upper part between the masts in lighter winds.

 

[oldrascal]

The sketch of the staysal schooner goes some way towards a solution except that the boat in Birdham Pool has no bowsprit and would have a very small jib which is self-tacking in front of the foremast.

Also, the 'mizzen' jib would also be tiny as it needs to furl from above the height of the sprayhood and also self-tacks in front of the 'mizzen' mast. Nor does there appear to be any provision for a boom on the back mast.

As the yacht is of the older variety, she will clearly be quite heavy and I just can't see how she could make any sort of way at all with the current configuraion.

The mystery continues.

 

[jimbaerselman]

[ QUOTE ]
can't see how she could make any sort of way at all with the current configuraion.


[/ QUOTE ] I think that's where the slot in the foremast comes in. Did you mention a higher furler between the masts in addition to the one on the stay?

 

[oldrascal]

Yes.

You can see the double furling set up quite clearly in photo 3. The heavy duty 'big gun' where it should be at the base and the much smaller one a meter or so up the stay.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Ooops! I think the smaller one is the upper swivel, waiting to be pulled up to the head of the stay - with a sail attached!

 

[Slow_boat]

There was a live-aboard for sale in the states a year or two ago. She was unusual in many ways, one of which was having a piano built into the saloon. The rig was twin masted with a genoa, for want of a better word, on each mast. Apparantly she sailed very well, including to windward. I would certainly consider that rig for long distance cruising.

 

[FAITIRA]

Staysail schooner.

 

[Wunja]

Modern square rig yacht?

It would account for the location of the radar, and the mizzen foresail

 

[oldrascal]

Having now done some Googling on 'staysail schooner', our mystery yacht certainly is headed in that direction. But there is a great, big 'but'.

Every staysail schooner that Google throws up has a boom and sail on the aft mast. Our boat does not and doesn't look like it is capable of flying any sort of sail from the aft of this mast because of the radar equipment.

That said, there is a winch on the mast for hoisting something. Still not sure that the mystery is solved.

 

[FAITIRA]

It would still be a staysail schooner if it had a boom and sail aft of the after (main) mast.