Gaff Rig on a C-16?

[Pacman]

I am considering alternative rigs for my C-16.

Some C-16 owners have switched to lateen rigs for simplicity but I am looking for other options.

Our local sailmaker has had good results from using longer mast sections to support taller sailplans but lately I have been thinking of using a gaff rig on my stock mast.

Advantages seem to be that I can add more sail area that, with its lower aspect ratio, could offer additional power without significantly increasing heeling forces.

Has anyone here sailed a small gaff rigged boat?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the gaff rig for a small boat?

Are there other options I should consider?

[Spartan]

Pacman,

Here's a couple of links that might offer some food for thought, not specific to CP16 but might be helpful in understanding alternative sail plans

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/03/r/columns/welsford/014/john.htm

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/06/howto/lugsails/index.htm

[skip1930]

Goggle Image up 'Gaff Rigged Sail Boats'. You'll page to a CP-16 with a gaff rig.

Catboats are the bestest...and Nonsuch boats are tops in my book. I don't like that balsa on end core used in the Hinterhoeller cabin construction. But I'd sure love to own a Nonsuch 26 sloop never the less.

skip.

[romei]

It's mine :-)
Here are some pics
http://www.ronmeinsler.com/plain/minigal/index.php?dir=compac/gaffrig

and here are some of my blog post I wrote about it.
http://www.ronmeinsler.com/cantina/?p=561
http://www.ronmeinsler.com/cantina/?p=583
and some answers to some frequent questions I was asked about the whole project.
http://www.ronmeinsler.com/cantina/?p=596

I'd say go for it.  I love mine.  I doubt that I'll ever run the stock rig again.

[Pacman]

Ron,

That is exactly what I was thinking about.  It looks great!

I especially like the way you were able to install the mast in the forward location without cutting up your boat. 

The ability to return to stock configuration makes this a versatile system indeed.

It looks like it would outperform a stock rig on a reach, but can you tell us how it compares to the stock rig in terms of windward performance?

Any additional comments and observations would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

[capt_nemo]

Pacman,

I own a gaff rigged Sun Cat and really like the rig. I could even go so far as to call myself a "gaff rig nut". There is just something about the looks of the rig that just gets to me. It was a very popular and common rig before sailboat racing took its toll on boat and rig design. The high aspect ratio mainsail of the Marconi rig does go to weather more efficiently, but lord help them against a gaff rig boat on a reach! Gaff rigs perform reasonably well enough to windward and like I said are great on any kind of reach. Like the gentleman who already did it on his Compac 16 (and showed photos), I too have added headsails to improve my boat's performance in both light and moderate air. Reef in main was due to early strong winds on a day set aside to seatrial my homemade working jib.



Mess'in about in boats is what it is all about!

capt_nemo

[romei]

Ron,

That is exactly what I was thinking about.  It looks great!

I especially like the way you were able to install the mast in the forward location without cutting up your boat. 

The ability to return to stock configuration makes this a versatile system indeed.

It looks like it would outperform a stock rig on a reach, but can you tell us how it compares to the stock rig in terms of windward performance?

Any additional comments and observations would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

Capt_nemo prolly just told you better information than I can but here goes.  I've only been into sailboats for about 5 years now and the wind sucks where I boat because of the mountain range that surrounds my lake.  Most of the time when there is wind, it swirls and changes direction a lot so I don't even bother raising a sail.  Also, there is usually about a 3 knot current because the lake is just a dammed up river.  Having said that, there are days when the sailing is good and I'm all about riding the wind.  But I wouldn't consider myself an experienced sailor just yet.

The boat performs to me about the same as it did with the original rig.  It points better when the wind is blowing upstream and I am going downstream.  When the wind is blowing downstream and I am traveling upstream, I need a really strong wind to attain.  So, the stronger the wind the better it points, but that's the case with both rigs where I sail.  On any kind of reach, she's a thing of beauty in looks, feel and performance.  Also, I really like having to only deal with one sail. 

[philb Junkie19]

Pacman, 
Have you ever considered a Chinese junk / lug rig? They look complicated but are safe, easy to sail and quick reef.  When the wind picks up and you want to reef  you ease the halyard and drop the sail by one or more panels into the lazy jacks, take up the slack in two other lines and keep on sailing without leaving the tiller. With some balance in the sail ahead of the mast and individual panels, jibing is much more controlled.  When my wife was getting used to sailing I could drop the sail by a panel put her back on her feet, the boat that is, and keep going. That was in our old converted O'day 23, more than 15 years ago.  I've been planning to convert my C16, even have mast staves cut, but am bitten by the bigger boat bug again and may wait. I thought I'd learned.

Blondie Hasler, the WW II Royal Marine who took 10 men and 5 canvas canoes 100 miles up river to destroy cargo ships in Bordeaux wrote, along with Jock Mc Loed, the 'Practical Junk Rig' almost, 250 pages theory and great how to.  He also made a number of trans Alantic voyages aboard his junk rigged Jester. More recently, professional and do it yourself methods of adding sewn in camber to the sail have greatly improved the rig's pointing ability. Just some thoughts.

[Pacman]

I like the idea of a junk rig but have no knowledge or experience with them.

Do you happen to have a photo you could share?

I have read that they are easy to sail and work quite well.

That would definitely lend character to my little boat.

Please tell us more about it.

[Craig]

I love gaff rigs! They have many advantages for the average day sailor/cruiser. Low center of effort, lots of sail area for a given mast height, many sail "tuning" options  just to mention a few pluses. Google  "gaff rig" and check out some sites dedicated to the  " obsolete" gaff rig. The belief that gaffers don't go to windward is not  exactly true. Maybe not quite as good as the most efficient "modern"rigs but a lot better than the "common wisdom" would dictate!

[philb Junkie19]

I might have figured out a way to post a pic of the old Junk rigged Oday with a couple of panels reefed. The panels are wider than usual for a sail that tall and narrow. I resewed the sail from a discarded flat experimental sail. It would be easy to drop the sail another panel for coming into the dock.   Phil



http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2160575/sn/1430435025/name/Oday23+reefed+2.jpg

[philb Junkie19]

Pacman, For some great info on junk rigs go to

http://www.junkrigassociation.org/    then public domain pages, then Arne Kverneland.  Check out his Junk Rig For Beginners first. A person should be able to design and build a rig from his

'book', chapters and letters. 


The yahoo group covers a wide range of junk rig related topics

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/junkrig/

Phil