Morningstar update.....sort of.....

[smoolie671]

Well Let me start by saying that I have been very forgetful about taking the camera to the shop when I work on the boat.....sorry. I'l try to get some photos up here soon.

I have made a big change(for the better) in the design of the masts. As much as I love the look of the traditional stepped masts, I had to consider the ability to have fun while sailing this thing. With all of the ropes to furl and unfurl the sails, it was becoming a nightmare. Not to say that I couldn't do it, I just want to enjoy the time on the water instead of constantly adjusting a small forest of rope!

Salvation came when I happened across the website for the Pelican. She is a new tall ship in the final stages of sea trials. The website described the "Polacre" rigged vessel (pole masts). The masts where generaly one piece construction. This allowed all the yards to be dropped to the possition of the lowest yard just above the lower shroud lines. Plus with just a bit of re-rigging I can close haul the yards to 18 degrees allowing the boat to sail closer to the wind. All of this, and the mast design fits the overall time period that I'm shooting for.

So last week, with a bit of sorrow, I removed the original masts and set them aside for later use. In the process I found that I could recycle one of the top masts and mast cap for a better bow sprit and jib boom!

The last thing that has changed is she will now sport a brigantine rig instead of a brig rig(only a gaff sail on the mizzen mast). Actually it might be considered a ketch because the mizzen will be shorter than the fore mast. When I have become comfortable sailing it, I may consider converting to a brig.

[Frank Hagan]

Sounds like a good solution, and having it fit into your design time period is a definite plus. Does the pole mast interfere with moving her around at all? I'm wondering about the height above the pavement when she's on the trailer.

[smoolie671]

Well the mast is still hinged, although at 7 ft from the bottom of the boat. There are 2 reasons I did it that way. 1. I wanted to have the shroud lines permanetly fixed so they wouldn't be flopping around when the mast is down. 2. the height of the mast needed versus the storage space at my shop dictated the height of the hinge. In other words the higher the hinge, the better she will fit. If the mast tabrenacle was too short, I would be looking for another shop. Or there would be a big hole in the back of the shop kinda like the one I put in there 2 weeks ago when I forgot to collapse the mast before rolling her in. :shock: :oops: :x