What rig and why?

I like ketch rigs -- they look very pretty, the sail plan potential is good. The mizzen makes a great steadying sail when motoring and the mast is a convenient place to radars, windgen etc. Sails can be smaller too.. makes for easier handling.

You aren't going to get sparkling perfomance especially when loaded up with dive equipment etc, so go with something you llike the look of, and a gaff rigged ketch takes a lot of beating.

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I am very happy with the cat ketch I have; unstayed masts, wishbone booms and wrap-around sails. All lines lead to cockpit, single winch copes with all the work, making single-handed sailing straightforward. Main can be let fly on a run, boom then acts like a bowsprit (really!) and away you go. Not the fastest vessel to windward, but then, as we all know, gentlemen (and ladies) never.....

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Best looking

cruising rig I can think of. The Dutch seem to have these quite often. Terrific but boat needs to be min 40ft.

<hr width=100% size=1>Real men do it 2handed.
 
Ken - agree on Bermudan cutter - but why ketch - I would not bother with the stick at the back again - mind you I would need some where to hang the radar, wind generator, mizzen staysl etc.

Next boat will be Bermudan Cutter.





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10 reasons a ketch

1. Ketch looks prettier
2. Mizzen mast is 'cool' to lean against in 'Master & Commander' mode (thx JaneK)
3. Good place to hang stuff like radar, wind genny, back end of cockpit awning
4. Spare mast if the big one falls down
5. Mizzen staysail (yee-hah)
6. Steadying sail when anchored
7. Staysail and mizzen is a good rig upwind in a blow
8. If you want to do silly tricks under sail in marinas (a la John Goode), you don't have to hoist a storm sail up your backstay.
9. You stand out from the AWB crowd.
10. Err, that's all folks.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>
 
Re: 10 reasons a ketch

Ken I would go for a yawl rather than a ketch because it's a compromise between the two positions mentioned. It's smaller, cheaper looks good in steadying sail mode and you can still hang things off it. Not so good though with reverse counter boats.

As far a head sails are concerned I would have a twin headed configuration both going to the masthead: a self tacking stay sail (solent) of reasonably heavy cloth for hard upwind work (probably non furling but reefable) and a large furling yankee of lighter cloth. Hopefully there would be enough sail area up front to forego a spinnaker but an assymetric (furling...?) on a bowsprit might be an idea.

That's if I couldn't get hold of an aero rig.

John.

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An old post on an ageless topic I know, but we used a twissle rig last year for +- 5000 miles and it worked well and had it up for weeks at a time in the trades.

Don't know how to do links here but just search on Google for Twizzle Rig and you will get to my descriptive site with video clips of the rig in action.

Works well, no chafe, bit short of canvas in light airs but ideal for cruising in the trades.
 
Prawner

i started my cruising in a prawner and still think it is one of the prettiest boats around. the gaff rig has a lot going for it with bags of power on a reach and it's easy to handle though in the larger sizes you need a fair bit of muscle.

you can't beat a bermudian sloop to windward but the gaffer gives a good account of itself off the wind.

i've heard it said that no one ever buys a second ketch though i know there are many here who'd disagree. i sailed one across the atlantic and was unimpressed. the mizzen wouldn't set to windward and was no help on a run.

i sailed briefly on a berm schooner (lloyds bank's Dark Horse, now owned by a forumite i believe) and was surprised how well it went to windward though nothing like as close winded as a sloop.

a berm cutter works well though again not as close winded as a sloop. the ability to drop the yankee and leave the staysail up is a great benefit but the fact that runners are needed to counteract the inner forestay is inconvenient.

i am convinced that the best rig is an unstayed fully-rotating rig. above all the ability to turn downwind and let the boom out over the bow for reefing is the most reassuring feature when it really comes on to blow. not being limited on sail angle by shrouds greatly improves downwind performance and removes the danger of accidental gybes. examples of this type of rig are the freedom, aerorig and in my case the freewing. the downside is the high cost of custom-built carbon spars but the main reason for the lack of uptake is the intuitive feeling that it's not as strong as a stayed rig but that is an illusion.
 
Re: Prawner

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i am convinced that the best rig is an unstayed fully-rotating rig

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You fail to state how this goes to windward /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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