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Balanced lug rig.


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I have been considering adding another rig option to the Core sound series.

I don't have any experience with the rig but it seems to solve some problems: Shorter masts will be easier to step, easily reefable, no tracks or sail battens, very little hardware and should be quick to rig.

The balance forward of the mast should help to keep sheet loads low and hopefully should help to prevent the sail from twisting off too badly when off the wind.

I don't believe that the rig will be quite as eficient upwind but should be good with the sheets eased. The shorter mizzen mast may make the mizzen staysail not worth the effort.

post-186-129497651153_thumb.jpg

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Graham I had a lug rig on my Penobscot 14. It was a little different in that my boom did not extend past the mast. It did not point very well but that could have been the sailor or the hull shape. You are very right about rigging and set up. I folded my sail over then rolled it up on the yard and slipped it into a 4 inch pvc tube with end caps for trailering and storage. That part I liked a lot. But I ended up putting a boom vang to control the boom. It was down right scary down wind.

I think mine was called a standing lug.

Scott

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What a coincidence! Nice discussion going on in the Western Oregon Messabout Yahoo forum (where Joe Nelson and his new CS20 hang out), regarding lug rigs, mostly about dipping lugs, but with photos of all kinds.

Graham, which CS is that? Also, how does the performance of the balanced lug compare with the sprit-boom in light airs (assuming other points than upwind?

Regardless, it does look pretty!

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I would regret any loss of pointing ability. Also, I would not like the need for vangs to control the booms. The booms can be dangerous head-knockers.

The advantages would be smaller masts and lower CE for the sails. This is partially offset by full batten sails.

Wouldn't there actually be more weight aloft with the gaff at the top?

So, it may be that some prefer it but, at least on first glance, I am still sold on the sprit/wishbone rig.

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Interesting thread. Do a google search for "lug rig" and see what turns up.

A couple that I thought were interesting relate to the Sea Pearls, which apparently were once offered with lug rigs, but which have been dropped.

And this from a Sea Pearl owner:

Do you mean lug rig? If so I'd be happy to tell you about the differences because I have both rigs and have used them both alot. Right now I'm back into the lug sail phase. In fact - I've been waiting for months for someone to ask the differences!!!! Thanks!

The lug sails are faster off the wind - (and quite beautify wing on wing )- they are slower up wind than the marconis - probably evens out in the end. They need some modification from the way the came from the "factory". A good two part downhaul is essential - otherwise the sail sets too flat. ( the "factory system" was a cleat and a line.) A down haul seems to increases the draft in the sail somehow.... certainly makes it set better. I've also added jaws to the booms so that I can use a boom vang - an important addition downwind. I've added a brailing line on each sail so it can be brailed instead of dropped into the boat where it's on top of everyone. (Tho on a windy day it's a lot of windage up there.) I've added a jiffy reefing line so they can be reefed very easily. Another intersting feature of a reefed lug sail is that you can set it anywhere on the mast. If the wind is really howling you can set it so low that the boom is a deck sweeper (you use a rope thimble on the yard to keep it close to the mast). My 11year old daughter can raise and lower the lug sails easily - she can't unfurl or furl the marconis. I don't camp in mine, but if I did and there was a thunder storm I would prefer the short wooden masts over the tall aluminum ones - they can also be taken down and stowed below deck or on deck- and it's easier to go under short bridges. All that wood is pretty and the best part of all is that they creak like a wooden boat.

Marconis are faster to set up - no need to varnish and by far better performing upwind - tho' I do believe that the standard lug sails were cut too shallow in draft and that a more fully cut sail would do much better upwind. I can roller reef the marconi's more easily ( my forearms are stronger than my daughter's) than the lugs ( but in either case it's not difficult). The maconis, of course, have infinite depth of reefs possible. I never like that aluminum banging around in the boat - the wood is less abrasive on my fiberglass.

If I had to have only one - it would be a hard choice. I'd probably pick the lug sails because i like to tinker with lines and I love the wood.

Looks to me like the advantage of the lug is in small boats, and the ability to handle the sails. In this regard, it might work great for the Spindrift and prams, for a simple sail to raise on the water and one you can douse on the water. Seems to me it would benefit a dinghy that is mostly a tender for a cruising boat. If the sail will pop up and down and you can sail that mile or so from your anchorage to the city dock or restaurant or a more extended sight seeing tour, it would beat rowing (not that rowing isn't fun). A sail just extends your range.

On the bigger boats, there may not be that much of an advantage if the masts are tabernacled. Those sails have tracks and can be reefed down and still retain a good shape.

The only concern I have about the "as designed" marconi sails and sprit rig (and it is a cosmetic one), is how to make them look neater when reefed and/or stowed. I'm used to flaking sails neatly on a boom and covering them. Perhaps the sprit can be dropped and the sail stowed on it? Or maybe just put a couple fairly stiff battens in the sail cover?

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Travis, I think that you have the best rig on your boat right now. I am only considering the rig for the Core Sound boats for people who are not comfortable with raising the larger mast. You have a tabernacle so there would be very little gain for you with a shorter mast.

Gary, as I said to Travis, I was not suggesting the balanced lug rig for boats with a tabernacle.

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My rig goes up and down pretty easy. When I take it down, I loosen both snotters and sheets, loosen halyards and toppinglifts, move the sprit booms over out of the way, and drop the masts. (I can drop or raise either mast by myself, and I'm an old geezer, 70 in August).

I then tighten halyards, toppinglifts, position the sprits along the masts, tighten snotters and sheets, place padding, and lash it together.

I'm still learning how the best way is to do all this, but it is definitely better not to have to re-reeve the sheets and snotters every time I want to rig up.

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Travis:

Are your masts off-centered slightly? Wondering how they lay together when down.

Could you drop the masts with the sails on to slide under a low bridge?

As I recall, you have a horse for the mizzen, but what do you use to support the main sprit and sail? Just a topping lift?

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Howard, like Scott says, the tabernackles are rotated slightly to allow the masts to lie down parallel and next to each other.

I've never tried to lower the masts with sails up, but if you pulled the clew loops off the sprits, I suppose you could do it. I think I'd need a couple of strong helpers to catch the masts, though, as they would be heavier and a lot more unwieldy with the sail up. The sail could be lowered and left on the track, though, and be lighter and easier to handle.

The mainmast would come down without too much fuss, but since the mizzenmast folds forward, I'd have to release the toppinglift (no big deal) in order for the mizzen sprit to just lie down. I may try all this sometime when I've got a couple of good crew aboard.

The gallows catches the mainmast when down, but I don't have anything rigged (hint,hint, Charlie :) ) to catch the mizzenmast - I just tie it off against the main tabernackle and mainmast to keep it off the forward hatch.

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G'day,

As a newbie to the forum who is trying to decide what boat to build next, I was attracted the the Core Sound design because of its good sailing ability and apparent simplicity to sail. I think it would be a shame to complicate the boat and introduce booms as a potential hazard. If the need is for a shorter mast and easier reefing it might be worth looking at the sail/rig of Wabi which is purportedly a very fast boat:

http://www.chantiermer.com/pressewab1.htm

The design seems very easy to use and rig and the bottom of the sail is simply unzipped and rolled up to reef. It seems simple and efficient, a good combination in my book.

One other thought, if a 3 piece carbon fibre mast (like in the Norse boat though I believe that breaks into 2) was used you could always remove a section of the mast when really reefed down.

On a cosmetic note I drew Wabi's sails on the Core Sound and I thought it looked way cool!

What do you reckon, am I getting carried away?

Regards,

Adrian

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Ahoy Graham,

We haven't spoken in some months but I wanted to let you know I'm still interested in adapting your CS17 to my Sea Pearl lugs. (I have to get the lake house built first).

An earlier reply commented about the potential for a lower CE with the lugs. I'd just like to add a bit of caution from my Sea Pearl perspective: Marine Concepts literature mentions that their lugs actually raise and move forward the CE (compared to their wishbone Marconi's which I also have), giving a potential for lee helm in light airs. This has yet to get a reality check as I haven't yet put the Pearl in the water this year. (I know, I know....)

Will keep in touch.

Ned

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Graham, you may want to chat with Kilburn Adams. Before he designed the SkiffAmerica 20 (http://www.skiffamerica20.com/), he owned a Sea Pearl which he outfitted with a balanced lug rig. Over dinner one night at Jim Michalak's Midwest Messabout, Kilburn explained to me in great detail how to properly rig and use a balanced lug. He also related that he raced with that sail configuration, and had won the Sea Pearl nationals.

His contact info is on his website.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Last year I took an course in building the Caledonia Yawl. The instructor brought his 19' Caledonia. It has a Lug rig. It sailed very nicely. However, I did not have other boats to compare it to. It was nice in that the masts and all the rig fit inside the boat.

We were told that the lug rig is self vanging due to a line that runs from top to bottom on the forward edge of the sail. It did seem to work in this way when sailing off the wind.

I think it would be interesting to see one on the CS17.

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