What rig and why?

[CharlesM]

Hello all

I wonder if you can tell me which type of rig you prefer, and your reasons?

a combination of...

Gaff, junk, marconi

ketch, sloop, schooner

cutter

I am interest in

-ease of use
-cost of maintenance
-performance (pointing and running)

Thanks
Charles

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[MarkV]

What is a marconi rig? I've only sailed a bermudan sloop so am in no position to comment!

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[Bodach na mara]

After last weekend, a bloody big engine.

<hr width=100% size=1>Ken Johnson

 

[CharlesM]

Hio Mark

A Marconi rig is the standard tri-angle we see on most boats nowadays. I believe it was called marconi because it is so high. Like the marconi radio masts. I would say your bermudan sloop is a variant of the marconi.

thanks
Charles

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[ShipsWoofy]

I quite like the gas rigs of Morecambe Bay, but I hear the big oil rigs in the North Sea are quite foxy too....

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>Woof</A>

 

[Twister_Ken]

Full number ones, medals, negative swords.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[mirabriani]

Charles, you are not having much luck with sensible answers are you?
I am happy with my 7/8 sloop rig with bolt rope main and head sail in a foil.
Friends ask when I am going to change to furling headsail - but I cannot (yet) see the need. My,rig on a 25 footer, is fast, points well and does what I need.
No doubt as time passes by my needs may change.
In her book Annie Hill describes the advantages of junk rig.
My yard owner would not have anything but gaff (and wooden hull)
Charlie Stock expounds the virtues of gaff cutter rig in his book.
So you see, it is horses for courses.
One thing though, I always feel one obtains the most honest opinion after the owner has parted with the original object of his affections. (Works for things other than boats too)
There you are, a sensible answer.
Regards Briani


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[Twister_Ken]

>There you are, a sensible answer<

The sound of distant applause could be heard.

Actually, I always fancied a bermudan cutter rigged ketch, but as I'm unlikely ever to be able to afford a boat big enough to carry it efficiently it's just a dream. But it would give you lots of smallish sail areas to perm.

OTOH, staysail schooners look brilliant, and go like manure off a garden tool on a reach.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Abigail]

Hi we have a ketch and would have liked a cutter rigged ketch because we wanted smaller sails with wider range of sail plan choices. It's expensive though.

A ketch can be a bit slower though we do 6-7 knots downwind under genoa and mizzen in F5 so so far we're fine. On a run at the moment we use our big genny and mizzen rather than main - it's faster and safer, despite boom brakes. We are looking at investing in an exciting new light sail twissle rig which would give us much more light air power and be brilliant downwind.

This is on a 40' Maxi 12o weighing in at 14 tons (normally would be about 11-12, but l.iving aboard always adds a lot of weight ). We use a swifgig tender and find that rig brilliant on a dinghy (but I would say that!) being safe, easy and fast as well as good fun.

What sort of boat are you looking to sail, in what situations (oceans or coastal) and how big a crew? With just two, for instance, we never use a spinnaker.



<hr width=100% size=1>Sarah & Pip

www.greatlittleboats.com
UK & Ireland distributors of Swifgig

 

[boatless]

Up to about 60 feet or so, I'd like to do a sprit main and 100% jib on a self tacking boom, boosted by asymmetrics etc.. offwind.

Over that, schooner does look beautiful if raked enough.

Bottom line isn't simple. Higher aspect ratio is aerodynamically more efficient... until you factor pitching in, when the lower the aspect ratio the better.

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[Vara]

This does it for me:

2 forestays big sail/littler sail
inner stay jib/storm sail
Main battened(I'm still not convinced about "in mast" furling)

Loads of combinations most launchable from cock pit.

<hr width=100% size=1>If it can't be fixed with a lump hammer dont fit it!

 

[snowleopard]

here's a different perspective...
a rig where the jib attaches not to the stem of the boat but the forward extension of the boom, unstayed and able to rotate 360 degrees. my little picture thingy shows us on a dead run with the rig set square across the boat.

less wind resistance as no stays, can instantly reduce drive to zero by letting go of the sheet on any point of sailing, reef while headed downwind, main never blankets the headsail, zero chafe, what more could you ask?

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[davidbuttriss]

Rig?
As per Daily Orders shippers!

Why?
Cos the Jimmy has decreed!

Seriously though, your choice depends on crew numbers, size and displacement of boat, area/s to be sailed. Personal choice and availability.

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[alanporter]

What a brilliant rig, Snowleopard. How does your main attach to the mast ? On a track or just head and tack ?

<hr width=100% size=1>Alan Porter

 

[Rob_Webb]

Best all-round average cruising rig = masthead burmudan sloop. Easy to sail, forgiving to 'relaxed' crew practices, usually pretty solid.

If you want to sport it up a bit go for fractional rig. More tunable with better performance esp. on the wind but lots of hassle with running backstays (sometime manadatory whatever the weather, sometimes only needed in fresh conditions). Tacking/gybing can become a major mission of rope work and not always ideal for cruising crew.

If you want to go offshore, more sails is better to get more flexibility. Enter the great cutter versus ketch debate. Current trend towards cutter = lots of sail area in light conditions, reduce to staysail and small main to get good balance in fresh conditions. Ketch has even more permutations but personally I find them fussy and the mizzen often useless e.g. on a beat it often backs uselessly, and if you tighten far enough to fill it actually slows you down. And on a run it shields the main and/or jib. Hence it often only earns it's crust in reaching conditions - good in the trades but not how often does that happen?

Lots of weirder rigs but I would always go for either simple masthead bermudan sloop or cutter i.e. as for sloop but with inner forestay giving you second jib. Nice.

Lots of other discussion points about overalapping ratios but I'm getting bored writing and you're probably getting bored reading.....

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[mirabriani]

Ken, you'll be sorry at next years Scuttlebutt Cherbourg!
(Will heckle)

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by mirabriani on 05/10/2004 02:40 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[mirabriani]

Snowleopard, you forgot to mention 9 knots on the mast alone!
Regards Briani

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[SlowlyButSurely]

For a cruiser, bermudan cutter with twin forestays for twin headsails when running.
I can't understand why more people don't use twin headsails, it's so much easier than a spinnaker.

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[snowleopard]

fully battened main, cars run in a slot in the trailing edge of the wing. main doesn't have the de-powering problems associated with fully battened rigs as it can never press on the shrouds and fill with wind, it lies totally docile however hard it blows.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.freewingmasts.co.uk/>designer's website</A>

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[CharlesM]

Hi Abigail

I am looking for a heavy displacement blue water boat. My initial preference is long keel.

Chances are it will most likely be ferror-cement as my budget is rather tight, and I want a boat for comfortable living and that is capable of carying dive compressor etc.

The reason I ask about rigs is I have seen a Falmouth Pilot Gaff ketch and it looks lovely.

regards
Charles

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