Why a mizzen?

[Neil]

No nav lights if caught out & returning a bit late at night?

I was thinking of getting those battery emergency ones

My current thinking was to get a portable PV panel with USB output - my phone and iPad both have Navionics, and my handheld VHF is also USB charging. Bits of wool on the stays for wind direction and mark 1 eyeball for windspeed based on Beaufort observations, though I have been looking at a handheld anemometer.

You can get electrics on the boat but I've ticked so many options already, the boat is getting very dear.

 

[Daydream believer]

I was thinking of getting those battery emergency ones

I bought a set years ago & they were next to useless.
I do not know your sailing area, but an echo sounder is useful for some areas, coupled with a decent compass.
For an echo sounder one needs electrics. One day you may find that you have to bite the bullet. Unfortunately that is sailing.

 

[Neil]

I bought a set years ago & they were next to useless.
I do not know your sailing area, but an echo sounder is useful for some areas, coupled with a decent compass.
For an echo sounder one needs electrics. One day you may find that you have to bite the bullet. Unfortunately that is sailing.

Well, on the one hand, I'll have a lifting keel and rudder. On the other hand, I have a battery operated fish-finder (it take 4 C batteries). I also have, apart from the transom mounted sucker transducer, a P79 through hull transducer that I might usefully employ.

What was the problem with the battery nav lights? any particular type to avoid?

 

[Daydream believer]

Well, on the one hand, I'll have a lifting keel and rudder. On the other hand, I have a battery operated fish-finder (it take 4 C batteries). I also have, apart from the transom mounted sucker transducer, a P79 through hull transducer that I might usefully employ.

What was the problem with the battery nav lights? any particular type to avoid?

Come to think of it, my echo sounder was powered by PP9s. Backed up by a bamboo cane.
The nav lights were Mc Murdo & had glow worms for ilumination. Did not realise until we used them. Very nearly run down by a ferry in the Dover Strait, until the Ferry shone a massive search light on us, until well past us. We had shone a torch on the sail & they obviously saw that. Very near thing, but the ferry skipper was awake.

 

[TLouth7]

But it forces the cockpit further forward making the cabin smaller . so it has its minus.

I was talking specifically about the small, typically open boats described by OP. These tend to have the mizzen pretty much at the transom with a bumkin, so marginal reduction in cockpit space at the stern, especially if that space is full of an outboard in a well anyway.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I think yawls look pretty. Probably good too if you anchor a lot. In some instances handy for getting out of a marina berth a la John Goode.

Stack Pac probably a requirement for the mizzen in a ketch. Would expect to use it more too. Running backstays a bit of a pain but I suppose you get used to it.

 

[capnsensible]

A few other benefits I get from my mizzen are that it's a handy place to hang the radar, wind gen, solar panels and a halyard to hold up the cockpit cover or tent. On top is the radar reflector and ais antenna.
It's also a handy back rest when I'm manually steering ?

You can hang your dhobeying from it too without it flapping in your face.

 

[Bru]

Stack Pac probably a requirement for the mizzen in a ketch.

Why?

Running backstays a bit of a pain but I suppose you get used to it.

What running back stays?

 

[dunedin]

A mizzen can work in a bigger boat also, IF you get the right wind angles (reaching all the way) and prepared to invest plenty of cash in an all Carbon/high tech mast and sails ….. 11th Superyacht Challenge Antigua - Round Antigua Race

The requirement for “over 40 crew” (mostly presumably very expensive professionals) suggests the rig was not chosen for ease of handling though

 

[geem]

A mizzen can work in a bigger boat also, IF you get the right wind angles (reaching all the way) and prepared to invest plenty of cash in an all Carbon/high tech mast and sails ….. 11th Superyacht Challenge Antigua - Round Antigua Race

The requirement for “over 40 crew” (mostly presumably very expensive professionals) suggests the rig was not chosen for ease of handling though

The first photo in the link is the same boat I posted a photo of earlier in the thread. It is a truly massive boat and extraordinarily pretty in the flesh

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Why?



What running back stays?

You seem upset . I can only apologize if I have caused you to be so.

 

[Bru]

You seem upset . I can only apologize if I have caused you to be so.

Not upset at all, just puzzled!

Why is stac PAC required?

And our ketch doesn't have running backstays!

That's why I'm puzzled ?

 

[geem]

Not upset at all, just puzzled!

Why is stac PAC required?

And our ketch doesn't have running backstays!

That's why I'm puzzled ?

Our ketch has running backstays on the main mast as we have two furling forestay roller reefing systems. The mizzen also has running backstays as we fly a huge mizzen staysail of over 400sqft. It's fairly normal on some ketches

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Not upset at all, just puzzled!

Why is stac PAC required?

And our ketch doesn't have running backstays!

That's why I'm puzzled ?

As mentioned by Geem tacking or gybing can often require making running backstays on and off. In the larger type of ketches , the main boom could take out the forward lowers of the mizzen mast if fitted. Not a problem just a little more work.

The mizzen mast can often overhang the stern. Also, depending on cockpit, difficult in getting high enough to hand the sail. A stack Pac seems an ideal safe and convenient solution and would probably encourage more use of the sail.