sprit sail rig

[1stnewyorker]

Hi gang,

Another question on sprit sail rigs. I've been reviewing the various postings on sprit rigs but still don't get exactly what the rig looks like at the snotter and foot of the sprit pole. Does anyone have a picture of it? It would be a tremendous help.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

I don't know what size boat you are planning to use this on.

Optimist setup (http://www.iod95.com/info/OptimistOwnersManual.pdf) see page 7.

Thames barges are different, and much heavier, if you want to play with these - find an expert.

[Tom Lathrop]

If you are referring to the sprit boom (leg o mutton) rig, here are some pics.

http://www.bandbyachtdesigns.com/cs17.htm

The rig on the Optimist above is the other general type which may be loose footed or have a boom as shown.

[ 03-27-2005, 05:02 PM: Message edited by: Tom Lathrop ]

[J. Dillon]

Here's another view of the sprit rig showing the snotter. The lead goes aft to easy reach of the helmsman. The tennis ball on the end is to prevent the end of the sprit from scratching up the bright work when the sail is lowered for reefing. Hope it is helpfull. JD
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid162/p8a966fe0cab6d01e50d364c726dcd5d7/f4b04907.jpg

[ssor]

I can't improve on those! :D

[ahp]

There has been a thread on this subject before. I assume yours is a small boat. I have a pram rigged very much like the Optomist, except that the sail is not laced to the boom, just attached at tack and clew. It works fine.

If you get into a big boat, the sail is without a boom, the sprit is standing, and the sprit swing is contolled by vangs running from each quarter to the upper end of the sprit. Study paintings by the Dutch masters.

[1stnewyorker]

Thanks for the all the helpfull responses. My boat is a 23-ft sailing dory, if that helps. In the diagram showing the snotter rig, where is the block attached to?

[ 03-27-2005, 09:59 PM: Message edited by: 1stnewyorker ]

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

That is one big boat for a sprit rig. My understanding is that typically the sprit rig is for smaller craft although there are exceptions to everything.

My eleven foot skiff has a sprit rig that is attached at tack and clew only - not laced to the boom. Originally it was boomless but I couldn't stand it. Now I'm a happier captain and find that I live up to my name less often with the boom. :D

Really you need Todd to weigh in on this one - he's the guy who knows all.

[ 03-27-2005, 10:05 PM: Message edited by: Captain Pre-Capsize ]

[Dennis M]

MIke, those are some fine looking craft. That is the type you are building, yes?

[1stnewyorker]

Thanks a million for all the great advice and pics. That cleared things up for me tremendously. I'll get some pictures of the "General Arnold" on the board as soon as the snow melts and I find a way to get it out of my tent/boatshop.

[Osborne Russel]

Mike, that's a very high peak spritsail in the pictures. Looks like it would be good for upwind, bad for downwind. Is that so?

[Tom Lathrop]

I suspect the apparent high peak is caused by the aspect angle of the sail in Jack's picture. The one above is more normal. I am confused by the position of the sprit at the lower end in Jack's picture where it does not seem to be connected to the mast with a normal snotter. Is the sprit perhaps from a larger boat and too long for this one?

Jack's boat is running on a broad reach with the centerboard up.

Handing the mainsheet in Sprit'sls can be a tough job. The pull can be hard on your arm and tacking while handling both tiller and sheet in a breeze can get dicey. Sail shape is not ideal in any condition but was adequate when working these boats short handed on the shallow sounds.

[ 03-28-2005, 02:53 PM: Message edited by: Tom Lathrop ]

[Mike Field]

.
I agree with Tom that the sprit on the boat in Jack's photo looks like it came from a larger vessel. The sprit in Jack's own boat Carrianne is properly rigged though, and carried a good deal higher on the mast --

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid10/p9f8889e9ed3fef496f9d6ebd54111f39/fe029891.jpg

and in fact is quite similar in aspect to Aileen Louisa's --

http://www.woodenboatfittings.com.au/public/aileen-louisa-s.jpg

.
The tension in the mainsheet can be better handled by double-ending the sheet, as I've done here.

Unlike the Cap'n, while Aileen Louisa's mainsail originally had a boom, I've been quite happy to have done away with it.

Not yet mentioned as a wonderful advantage of the boomless sprit-rig is the ability to trice the whole mainsail up against the mast in a hurry using a brailing line (which can be seen in the photo above, looping from the throat out past the leech and back again.) One tie round mast and bunt and you have a neat harbour stow --

http://www.woodenboatfittings.com.au/public/al-brailed1.jpg

[Mike Field]

.
Mike, sorry I don't have a very good photo, just a blow-up of one similar to the one above --

http://www.woodenboatfittings.com.au/public/mainsheet.jpg

How the sheet works is this --

There's a saddle fitted to each quarter-knee to which a single block is shackled. A couple of feet forward of each saddle a cleat is bolted to the inside of the gunwale. A third single block is fastened to the clew of the mainsail.

The sheet is deadended on one of the two cleats, then led through its quarter-block, up to the block on the clew, and down through the other quarter-block, the free end being the working end and held in hand.

As you're changing tack, passing through the eye of the wind you belay the working end on the second (so far unused cleat,) change sides, and free the previously belayed other end of the sheet, which now becomes the new working end.

The leads to the (moving) block on the sail give you something less than a 2x purchase (the narrower the transom the better in this respect,) and I've found that amount of purchase sufficient to control the 100 sq ft sail quite comfortably.

.
As for the brail, it's just a light line, one end being deadended at a grommet at the throat of the sail. The working end is led round the sail from (in this case, but it doesn't really matter which way) port to starboard through a second grommet on the leech. Then it goes back to the throat, passes through a third grommet immediately below the first, and so down the mast inside the lacing, ending in an easily-grabbed stopper knot.

It dangles freely until you want it when, having slackened off the mainsheet, a good pull will fold the sprit and sail up against the mast as easy as kiss-my-hand.

The only thing to be sure of is that the second grommet is placed just as far down the leech as the head width, so that it comes snugly up against the throat grommet when the sail's brailed up.
.

[ 03-31-2005, 08:29 PM: Message edited by: Mike Field ]