Roger Morrison

I have a 5 watt solar panel hooked to my deep cycle that trickles what's needed from old Sol. Works well for me. Lights, radio, PC et al... always ready... Roger

P Swan, not an answer, but a question about your Gaff Rig. Hope ya don't mind: Do You use two halyards on your main? I've converted my Gramp 23 to a Gaffer, and haven't got things quite right by using only one halyard... Before stepping mast this season i'm planning a second up-haul on the Gaff itself??? Any suggestions? How high above mid-point of the Gaff would be correct? Any help--from anyone--will be appreciated. Roger

Thinking of one to add to Motor-sailing my Gramp 23.. Any experiences, comments... Main concern is WEEDS! Would a thruster help cut through them? Or, clog up with weeds?? Advice? Roger

My DIYSers don't work as good as hoped. Any suggestions--PLEASE!

Par, thanks for your expertice! Seems as if this will work then. I'll do as you suggest, i think, and maximize the luff as long as possible "to get the most hoist i can." Is that correct? Thanks again, Roger

Thanks Craig, Mast is 17 ft (9ft cut off top) Stay attached to mast head. Horizontal distance from forestay mount to mast: aprox 9 ft. (Boat is under snow...) Foresay length: aprox 19 ft Boat is: "Grampian 23" LOA: 23' 7"; LWL: Aprox 21' 6" LOD:??? Beam 8' Fixed keel with a center board; Draft 28" Up; 5' down. I lost 15 sq. ft. of sail with the chop job...not much really... So i want to recoup it with this larger Genny. Current jib is about 70 sq ft. This one will be about 120 sq ft... Thanks for your interest.... Roger

Pasted from the other forum--no response: Any thoughts?? Roger

First thanks to all for yer wonerful advice re my chopped mast and Gaff innovation! I got it ALL working, and am the envy of every--well some--bridge-locked sailers on the Trent Water-way! Now, i wanna pick up sail area with a new genny to fit the shortened mast & main stay: Luff...........18 ft (Total area about 120 sq. ft) Leach........16 ft Foot...........16 ft Any obvious reason why this won't work? Some have suggested the 'foot' is too long?? Existing jib is about 70 sq. ft on the same stay, but with luff of 16.5 ft. ANY advice will be greatly appreciated! Roger

Thanks Barry, i printed the Hayard pages and will have them to check out my set-up. Also, your mention of 'leech-lines' confirms thoughts that came to me while enduring a slow lecture..."what about tightening up on the leech-lines?" :idea: Checking the time you e-mailed me---about the same time!!!! WOW!!! Senders and rcceivers?! :roll: I'll try that first, being the easiest... Roger

Dave, not picky--'instructive'--thanks! The long wrinckle runs diagonally from the 'throat' to the 'clew'. The sail is taut along the mast-side and looser along the 'leach' side. "Pictures"--IF only there was some way of posting 35mm snap-shots :roll: Barry, i'm using a single halyard--the sail is aprox 85 sq. ft. The 'ring' is SECURED to the rope bride about 1/4 the gaff length from the throat. Of course this prevents it from 'sliding'. Should it slide freely to find its own position under different wind/sailing condirtions? If it was "secured" closer to the mast, that might ease pressure off of the peak?? Should the bridle run to the peak end of the gaff, or might it be better attached 'X' distance from the peak? This is a sail that was originally a 3-sided Marconi used with this mast and boom before i shortened the mast to 17 ft. Might this account for the 'bag' and wind-spillage problems? It looks as if the sail wants to remain Marconi and spill the wind?? I think the "Bridle" questions are most important??? Thanks guys, for your patience, and expertice! Roger If i eased off the clew a bit??

Thanks to all IT WORKS!! I attached a lug to the end of the gaff that slides with no noticeable binding--very smooth! Main initial problem was more ignorance--not knowing that the "ring" on the bridle was "fixed" in position :roll: It now is, and is doing its job well. However: the sail is 'bagged' on a line from the 'head' to the 'clew', and as a result spills air at the 'leach'. (I was warned about that possibility.) What remedies are available?? Would one or two long, (or full) battens--set at an angle, or horrizontally--help? Having a sail maker take a 'tuck' in the sail to remove the 'bag'? Other options? Other than that it looks really good! And is the only Gaffer ever seen in this area of Ontario by most folks. ALL suggestions will be much appreciated!

PAR, a friend uses HDPE in his business, so easy to get. BARRY, i've thought about a light mast piece as a gaff and think it'd work well... combining ideas as they are coming together, and working with what i have started, i think i will: * Use the mahogany gaff i have, and fasten two lugs to it. * Run a strap, already made by the sail maker, above the gaff to attach the halyard. This will leave the sail-head "soft", and allow more flexible permanence--as i understand its need--at this critical point of sail, mast and gaff union. IF i have undestood things correctly??? IF this works, i'll switch to an aluminum gaff, with the same throat connection, for a lighter weight ease of operation??? Edited PS: "Bridle"-- How best to connect the halyard to the gaff-bridle (if i have the term right?)? As it appears in pics, i've seen 2 ways with a single halyard: >>> The halyard is led through a "ring" that slides on the bridle (should the B be taut or slack?) then to the sail-head??? >>>The halyard is attached directly to the bridle, hauling all up from the gaff??? This seems to be when using a short gaff?? >>> It also appears, with the former, that the pull from the gaff bridle seems to be about 1/3 from the throat end, and angling up 10 to 20 degrees?? >>> Should the bridle be attached at the very top-end/peak of the gaff or some placer lower?? >>> My halyards run through blocks in the mast-head. My last questions??? I would REALLY like to make this work! However, if it doesn't, i now know more about "yokes, jaws and saddles" sooooo...... thoughts? Thanks again to everyone!!! Roger

More THANKS!! Dave the pics were great and i linked to England and their pics...most helpful. Par: Maybe a home made headboard with a HDPE slide about 6" long attached (lashed maybe) to it. The HDPE (StarBoard) will slide nice, is self lubricating and is about the easiest stuff to work with files, drills and other tools. The headboard can be aluminum plate (both sides of the sail) and pop riveted over the sail. Holes in both the HDPE slide and headboard can receive the lashings, which would permit the articulation needed to prevent most of the binding issues from side to side. Sounds like where i'm heading. I just bought some LEXAN to sandwich the sail and beef up between the the 2 pieces that extend above the sail. This will give aprox 3/8 inch thickness to which the gaff will be pinned. Also found aluminum tubing 1-1/2 inch dia. I'll fill the ends, about a foot, with wood to add strength and bearing... Questions: what is HDPE? IF i visualize your suggestion of a 6" slide: Proper plastic material formed as a long-lug...small holes drilled through which "lashing" (maybe stainless picture wire?) attaches it to the 'rope-bolt' of the sail...at the headboard...to which the gaff is attached??? Today i'll check out the 'cars' on the full-battens of the sail that was tailored last year with a stiffened, rounded top. Which works well, but having my original sail...why not a gaff?? So here i is....What's life without a, "messing-about" project, eh? Ever yearning, ever learning!! Roger

WOW!!! So much response so soon! Thanks loads!!! I'll try to clarify a bit?? Pictures would help but don't have a digital camera. MAST TRACK, is a slot in the aluminum mast, probably better called the sail track. Conventional 'lugs' attached to the sail, slide up and down... It is in this "track" that i hope to have the 'gaff' slide... The mast is 17 feet, very sturdy and the slot also of course, contending with all forces etc. The sail is aprox 85 square feet and the gaff about 5 feet. I thought about one of the "adjustable sail/batten cars" but $$$ However i think that is the principle that i want to adapt??? Using an aluminum gaff sloted and pinned to an extended--customized-- sail head that is raised from a hole just above the pinned gaff, seems to be workable IF there are sufficient lugs appropriately spaced--close enough/not too close--attached to the over-sized sail head... The gaff could then swing as need-be with the sail, using the same attachment mechanism: lugs in the mast/sail track... Why not use the conventional, varnished piece of craftmanship? The "protrusions"--this is a mast that once had spreaders--cockpit light, side stays, etc This presented a challenge to design an alternative that seemed more fitting and do-able with modern materials and techno-stuff... Are most/all gaff-rigs on Cat-Boats??? Maybe that should have been my first thought, eh? Thanks to each! Your suggestions and questions have been most helpful! Keep 'em comin'! Roger

I've just altered my sails (Grampian 23) to match my shortened mast which allows me to go under bridges of the Trent Canal's 22 ft clearance. Seems i have it about 95% correct...that is all but having the 'gaff' ride in the mast track properly. I can't have the conventional "yoke" because of mast protrusions. The sail maker who did the sail work seems stuck in convention and talked me out of my idea to attach the gaff to the sail's brass head with a pin through both the gaff--sloted to receive the head--and the sail-head; with additional lugs. I think that will work. But my question is, should the gaff be constructed as light as possible? Aluminum tubing, etc how relevant is the weight to its working? ALL help will be greatly appreciated! Roger