Cutter Rig?

[Mundaysj]

Here is one for you.  Somewhere along the line of owners of my Compac23, someone decided it should be a cutter rig.  So... I have a staysail that comes off the mast ( about 3/4 of the height) and attaches at a loop halfway across the bow.  Now the mast hasn't been moved so it wouldn't be a true cutter, but I am wondering if any of you have seen anything like this.  I am thinking about taking off the extra stay as I don't have a sail to go with it anyway.  Just interested in your collective thoughts on the matter.
Thanks,
Sherie

[Craig Weis]

Yes a while back 1-1/2 years someone talked or did do a cutter rig on this site.
My friend with Wind Rover had a soling stay placed on his mat and that will handle a small storm jib.
Still won't fly enough canvas to go fast. skip.

[newt]

Skip, do you still have the cutter rig? I am thinking about making my that way for a staysail in heavy weather.

[mrb]

Welcome back Sherie

Nice to see everone finding their way back.

Are you saying that the inner forstay is up on your boat, but you do not have a sail for it.  If that is so I would definitely take it down.  One of the major problems with a cutter rig is when you tack you have to get your jib over that inner stay.  When you are on the ocean and maybe going hundreds of miles on the same tack that is no problem but in bays and areas where your constantly tacking that could get old fast.  As you say even with the added stay but mast still in sloop position you do not have a cutter and that makes the for triangle way to small for all that rigging and two sails.  Good luck and hope some of your friends at your club can help you.

newt  instead of adding extra rigging have you thought about either adding reef points to your jib or having a small storm jib made.  If you have roller furling maybe upgrade to a system designed for roller reefing.

melvin

[newt]

Hi Melvin, good to see you.
The problem with roller reefing (which I often do on my CP because of windy days around here) is that it puts the center of effort too far forward, and I am unable to fly a jib alone, which would be nice some days. I also would like to put a second reef in my main. My little boat does well when the wind picks up, but I just like to sail her, not turn the outboard on.
Sadly, however, I may be outgrowing her. I just want to do more and stay out longer. I just don't think she is designed for an ocean liveaboard, no matter what I do to her.

[mrb]

Hi Newt

It is nice being back here.

As to the cutter style rig, were you thinking of putting a movable inner forstay. One that would be permanent fixed to mast then lower end hooking up to deck mount when needed.  When not in use unhook it from deck and move back to mast where it would be out of the way.  That should work for what you want.

As for other problem, Think your right.  I love my 16 for what it's meant to do but find myself thinking about something a little bigger for privacy.  Hard to take people out on small boat and still have needed privacy at times.  Just knowing your boat can stand up to the wind and waves doesn't necessarily mean you would really want to go Island hopping in her even though you know others have did it in smaller.

One of the irony's of life I like to think on is that we think of old timers ( our grandparent and parent time) as being so prim and proper.  Yet when we look at boats of their day such as Herrshofs and so, there was absolutely no privacy on those boats.  No handy enclosed heads with doors or two or three private staterooms as modern boats like to advertise.  When some one went below and closed the hatch, no problem when they came on deck and emptied the bucket. 
Well, good luck on however you go.  Good Talking
melvin

[Mundaysj]

Hi Melvin,
Yes... that is how it is currently set up...Fixed to the mast and hooking up to the deck mount when desired.  The only problem is that the boat did not come with an extra cutter sail, and I have been wondering whether it would make sense to purchase one or just take off the extra forestay.
Thanks,
Sherie

[mrb]

Hi Sherie
If the extra stay is not in your way I would think about leaving it. How many shrouds do the 23' have. If they only have two and neither is set forward of the mast which I doubt then that extra stay could always be used temporally to keep mast up in a situation where main stay looks weak. i.e. broken strands of wire. 

I had a boat once that had three shrouds per side.  Upper had chain plate even with mast then one lower was set aft of mast and other lower was set forward mast.  I always liked that as felt if one of the stays let loose my mast I had a better chance of mast staying up if I was quick to act.

Do you have roller furling like newt?  I think what he talks about in his case makes sense.  No not the bigger boat issue.  We all have that problem now and then.

Sorry about the snow, I think North East Arkansas sent you that. 

Take Care
melvin