lug rig. where is Jim M when I need him?

[Rex Fearnehough]

Hello world,
I am going to re-convert my 16 ft hull back to sail. I wish to build my own mast for a lug rig. The reason I wish to build is the ridiculous cost of shipping from anywhere to Shetland.
I believe that I should be able to use a mast diameter of approx 3". Should I build a laminated solid mast or is it ideal to build hollow? If laminated would it be better to step with the laminations fore & aft or athwartships. I don't intend to race so what is the ideal mast length?
I read with interest Jim M's post on his Melville serendipity rig. Where are you Jim? Could you please send me a diagram of your rig.
I will be grateful for any help given.
Thanks, Rex.

[ 09-30-2002, 04:53 PM: Message edited by: corra58 ]

[cs]

corra:

I just recently converted my 14' sharpie from a sprit sail to a balanced lug. I used the existing mast and increased the designed sail area by about 20%. I've got a layout for a lug sail that uses a 13'-8" mast, a 10'-6" lower boom, and a 11'-0" lug. The sail area for this sail is about 90 square feet.

On my boat the mast is right around 12' high so that makes for some tricky tacking (you really got to watch your head). Here is a shot of my boat.

http://a3.cpimg.com/image/D9/0F/12063193-d7d6-02580190-.jpg

Chad

[bud]

Hollow is better, and fun to make. The article in WB from 3-4 years ago is all you need.

[Rex Fearnehough]

Hi Bud & Chad,
Thanks for the advice. It's always good to hear from people on this forum.
Bud, you've convinced me that I should add some excitement & frustration into my life. I will build the mast.
Chad, your rig looks pretty much the way I envisioned it.
Rex. smile.gif

[John B]

Hi Corra. another subject.My boat is hauled 2 away from VARANGIAN down at Okahu bay here in NZ. I've been talking to the owner. He brought her out here in about '81. He describes it as the biggest of the type ever built in the Shetlands. Built circa 1960, Larch clinker hull. looks about 34ft? heard of it?
I'll get a photo for you.

[Rex Fearnehough]

Hi John B,
I only moved to Shetland in '95 so I hadn't heard of "Varangian". I have made some enquiries
& lots of people remember him & the boat. I would love a picture of the boat, I could show it around up here. Folks always like to see the latest pictures of such an auspicious boat. The owner I believe also wrote a book about his journeys with "Varangian". Is it still the same owner? Strangely enough, the owner may know my boat. It is a yawl 16ft long built for sail in Yell, Shetland around 25yrs ago, it was named Rhua Mona or Rhuad Morna or any combination of these words. I was told that it may have been a Maori name. Help? I would love to know what rig she had then.
It would have been a perfect time to publicise his book but I am never sure about giving names out on the web. I live in Bressay, Shetland, he will definitely know that.
Thanks for the info,
Rex. :D

[ 09-30-2002, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: corra58 ]

[Jim M]

The serendipity came about by me wanting a multi-part purchase on the downhaul or what I call the tack line (after Percy Blandford). There was a mahogany collar around the mast at the deck that I didn't want to remove, so I moved the tack line attachment and the deck block (through which the tack line runs) out about 3 inches from the mast. This has the effect, when the boom is aligned fore and aft, of pulling the boom away from the mast, in my case, to port. On starboard tack, the boom is pulled away from the mast same as normal, by the wind, but on port tack, the offset holds the boom away from the mast almost completely; voila, no bad tack. So all you're doing is making a long tall triangle, from masthead down to boom, over to mast, back up to masthead. It wouldn't take much more than another inch to keep the sail off the mast entirely. And I suppose if your were doing it on purpose you might move it back as well, i.e. aft of an athwartships line through the mast.

But my sailing canoe is real small. The boom, yard and sail together weigh maybe 4 pounds. I wonder what would happen in a larger setup when you start moving things off center.

I don't know if it makes a great performance difference but it saves some chafe of the sail against the mast. Also when the folds start to pull out of a reef they don't chafe the mast until they get real bad.

[Rex Fearnehough]

Thanks Jim M & all the other folk,
All messages taken on board & filed. I'm at the moment preparing another cry for help & a very serious one it is. So see you soon.
Rex. :confused:

[dadadata]

Several folks have reported excellent results with a sprit boom on a standing lug. It keeps the sail shape correct and also prevents the boom from flying up and away when running downwind.

There is some creasing on one tack, but I've yet to see in any practical sense that the sprit acts as anything but a batten and might actually help the sail shape some.

[Todd Bradshaw]

But it does limit the amount that the top can twist to spill wind if you want to depower the sail by letting it twist, so it's a trade-off. A simple boom vang would do the same thing, yet be adjustable. Sprit-booms are neat gizmos, but act like a boom vang that's pulled tight and cleated on all points of sail, which may not always be desired.