Roll stabilizing sails

[kharee]

How much sail area is needed for steadying sails, on a passage-maker type power boat, to replace "flopper-stoppers" ? Capt. Beebe did not say how much he felt would have worked , he just seemed to say that he did not have enough sail. Would adequate steadying sail make a minimal sailing rig practical?

[paladin]

I think it would depend on the hull type...on a power boat I would think that a low center of effort sail system would be desired, but there are lots of factors involved.....can you elaborate?

[ssor]

The book "Sail Maker Apprentice" has a section on steadying sails. Todd probably also has experience here.

[kharee]

George Buehler and some others have opined that since many people motor much more than they sail on long cruises,that its more practical to choose a power boat over a sail boat. A power boat with sail-assist, to get one back to shore somewhere in case of power failure. Put the sail money on fuel. Others say motor sailer, 50-50, 70-30, or whatever. I am primarily concerned with roll stabilization, steadying sails versus flopper-stoppers and their attendant gear. Yet it seems to me that once steadying sails reach a certain area or square footage needed to be effective you may get the secondary benefit of sailing for the same money spent on stabilization. I ask because I saw a Phil Rhodes " off shore" power boat from the 1940's with a large cutter rig for steadying which looked large enough to sail in a good breeze. I am not a sailer but a basic sail rig is a no brainer when it comes to survival and I also hear some sailing fun.

[Thorne]

I imagine it is a fairly complex calculation, heavily dependent on many factors like hull shape, displacement, mast size / height / stays, waters sailed, etc. Can you find any comparable rigs on boats similar to whatever you have?