Al Stead Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 Hello all, I am just about at a place where I need to start considering how I am going to rig my weekender. Because I installed a lazarette hatch, I don't plan to rig a block in the middle of my aft deck like the plans call for. I have seen a rigging style that uses a rope fixed to both sides of the aft deck, but cannot find the pics of it. Could someone point me in the right direction? Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hagan Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I have several examples on my "hidden" Gaff Rig Pages ... here's the one I used: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisObee Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 Here is a fine resource for small boat rigging. http://www.glen-l.com/free-book/rigging-small-sailboats.html Chapter five has four or five different options for avoiding your tiller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Stead Posted June 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 Thanks guys. I made a box full of wooden blocks long before I started the boat proper. I hope I made enough to rig her now that I have gone off plan. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markfitz Posted July 4, 2010 Report Share Posted July 4, 2010 The one in frank's picture is the one we used as well...we haven't have a chance to try it out yet but, we did put the sail up in the driveway while still on the trailer, and it seems like the boom is too low....when the sail is out to the left or the right, the rigging is pretty much sitting right on our tiller. I'm not sure if the issue is that our tiller is too high, the boom is too low or a combination of both. I'm hoping it won't matter that much.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Pyeatt Posted July 5, 2010 Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 Mark, You may want to double check the angle of the base of the mast to the bottom of the boat at the forward surface of the mast box. If it isn't as set on the plans, (93 degrees) then it would be best to change that angle thru some sleight of hand with shaping the mast base before you go out. Too much of an angle and the boom sits low the boat has too much weather helm and you will have trouble with handling and not understand why. Can be very frustrating to a person trying out a new boat. :? Tacking will be extremely difficult if not impossible and you will have handling issues from the get go. Not to mention that you will really need to duck to keep your head from getting hit by the boom. If that angle is more than 93 degrees then take not of how many degrees it is more than 93. The easiest solution is to take a wedge cut off of the aft side of the tabernacle equal to that measurement and then attach that wedge to the front side of the tabernacle. From the side it would now look like the mast has an elbow in it that will adjust the mast to sit more upright when raised to a 93 degree angle. This will raise the boom so that it sits where it should, give you top of head clearance and give you less weather helm so that the boat is easier to control and sail. I've seen and applied this fix to two Weekenders in the past. One had front of mast box angle set at 112 degrees. The boat had been purchased by a friend thafrom a builder that couldn't get it to sail at all. Bad enough that the original builder had recut the main sial to raise the boom enough that it offered some clearance above the cockpit but still not enough to offer clearance. Couldn't get it to sail because it turned right into the wind and he couldn't get it to sail in any direction. once he cut a wedge off the base of the mast (19 degrees) cut from the aft side with base tapering to nothing at the deck level and attached it to the front of the base he had a boat thata sailed pretty well. Then he needed a new main sail. cut to the correct dimensions. Other one had an angle of 107 degrees. Same story. In both cases the front bulkhead and mast box had been set at the wrong angle during the early stages of building. So...rather than tearing things out this simple fix works and your mast (above deck) will be at the right angle. If this isn't clear, I can make up a little drawing for you if it will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markfitz Posted July 5, 2010 Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 I didn't mean to hijack the thread -- should I move this somewhere else? Barry, a sketch would be great -- I think I understand what you mean -- the goal is to get the mast more perpendicular to the deck of the boat, thus raising the boom height? Here's a bad picture taken with my cell phone of what the sail looks like up: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Pyeatt Posted July 6, 2010 Report Share Posted July 6, 2010 Sorry , I didn't intend to hijack this thread either. Mark, I'm posting a reply to your launch thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Stead Posted July 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2010 Hey! I started the thread, and I don't think it is highjacked at all. I lifted my boom up about 8 inched higher than the plan calls for just to clear my delicate pate. I also made a mast boot setup with wedges to fine tune my mast angle. I got the idea from an article in the current Wooden Boat. I don't think my mast angle is off by too much or I would certainly do the adjustments that Barry recommends. I like the mast boot idea though, because it is both traditional and pretty much water proof. I'm off to pound away on my $50.00 boat trailer today so I can get the Duck on it by the weekend. Going sailing next week if it all works out! Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hagan Posted July 7, 2010 Report Share Posted July 7, 2010 Mark, your boom and mast look about right to me. In my Weekender, found that I had to duck when the boom went across (or I would find out why they call it a BOOM). When the wind is filling the sails, and you have the mainsheet let all the way out, the boom will lift itself quite a bit (some people even install "boom vangs" to try and prevent this). Plus the rigging isn't "slack" like it is when you are testing in the driveway. And finally, you probably won't ever put the main out that far (at least not intentionally ... more about that later!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hagan Posted July 7, 2010 Report Share Posted July 7, 2010 Hey! I started the thread, and I don't think it is highjacked at all. I lifted my boom up about 8 inched higher than the plan calls for just to clear my delicate pate. I also made a mast boot setup with wedges to fine tune my mast angle. I got the idea from an article in the current Wooden Boat. I don't think my mast angle is off by too much or I would certainly do the adjustments that Barry recommends. I like the mast boot idea though, because it is both traditional and pretty much water proof. I'm off to pound away on my $50.00 boat trailer today so I can get the Duck on it by the weekend. Going sailing next week if it all works out! That is good news! Launch day in July, party at Al's house afterwards! The Weekender is a pretty forgiving boat, and unless you're in a really big blow, you can grab the boom and help ease it over while tacking (and stop it from smacking you as long as you're watching for it). The boom will lift while under way. One thing you guys might consider is a topping lift; a line from the top of the mast cleated to the aft of the boom so you can manually push up the boom, cleat the line and keep the boom up while you are motoring (or rowing) along. I wouldn't delay the launch to put one in, but its an inexpensive option that helps quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markfitz Posted July 20, 2010 Report Share Posted July 20, 2010 Hey! I started the thread, and I don't think it is highjacked at all. I lifted my boom up about 8 inched higher than the plan calls for just to clear my delicate pate. I also made a mast boot setup with wedges to fine tune my mast angle. I got the idea from an article in the current Wooden Boat. I don't think my mast angle is off by too much or I would certainly do the adjustments that Barry recommends. I like the mast boot idea though, because it is both traditional and pretty much water proof. I'm off to pound away on my $50.00 boat trailer today so I can get the Duck on it by the weekend. Going sailing next week if it all works out! That is good news! Launch day in July, party at Al's house afterwards! The Weekender is a pretty forgiving boat, and unless you're in a really big blow, you can grab the boom and help ease it over while tacking (and stop it from smacking you as long as you're watching for it). The boom will lift while under way. One thing you guys might consider is a topping lift; a line from the top of the mast cleated to the aft of the boom so you can manually push up the boom, cleat the line and keep the boom up while you are motoring (or rowing) along. I wouldn't delay the launch to put one in, but its an inexpensive option that helps quite a bit. Dumb question on this: How would you do a topping lift from a gaff rig? If you did it from the top of the mast, wouldn't the line be in the way of the sail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted July 20, 2010 Report Share Posted July 20, 2010 The topping lift is slack when under sail, so it should not be in the way of the gaff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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