Penny Fee rig options

[Steve Hornsby]

Hi all,

I have been away for a long long time - no not that place, still behaving. The forum I mean.

Some may remember that I have been sailing a Skua/Penny Fee for about 3 years. Its the one on the Classic Marine site.

Since I never had the actual plans for the Penny Fee - just upsized the Tammie Norrie plans by 18% (SKUA at the time), I have never seen the rig options for PF. Is there a sloop option? Not asking for them, just wondering.

I went with the lug yawl options (as per the TN plans - upsized of course) and love it for the all the reasons mentioned on this site. Since I have a relatively new little one - my absense partially explained - I have no time to take on another building project, only to tweak what I have. So, I am interested in maybe exploring two rigs for my Penny Fee - a sloop in addition to the current rig. I sail in the Thousand Islands of Ontario near Gananoque - tight sailing, lots of Islands, weird winds, etc. The sloop would be a good learning experience, provide a little more opportunity for those on board to participate (the jib) and I feel like experimenting especially with all the up-wind slogging I do.

The sloop rig shown on TN plans and those of the Gannet/Fulmar are different - is there a reason linked to hull design? A visual thing? I am drawn to the visuals of the sloop rig on the Fulmar and Gannet, and not so drawn to the sloop rig on the Tammie Norrie.

1. Thoughts on using the sloop config seen on the Fulmar on the Penny Fee? (sized appropriately)

I will of course seek out Mr. Oughtred for a plan if I go forward, but wanted to get the thoughts of people here first.

Thanks and hope all are well
Steve

[stromborg]

I have Iain's catalog in PDF, if only I was savvy enough to select page 33 I'd post it here. Anyway, he says there are 4 options for rigging Penny Fee. Balanced lug with or without a mizzen and gunter sloop, also with or without mizzen.

Steve

[Yeadon]

Don't forget square sail, lateen, and crabclaw.

[Yeadon]

Don't forget square sail, lateen, and crabclaw.

Yeadon, you fool, he didn't ask about those.

[James McMullen]

I used to own a Gunter Sloop rigged Oughtred Fulmar once upon a time. . . . .

The curved yard was a pain in the ass. The sail could never be gotten to set right throughout a range of changing wind speeds, and the inconvenience of the curved spar for preventing a clean and tidy furled sail bundle, even after adding the extra complexity of lazyjacks was a hassle. Also the whole shrouds and forestay thing. . . .plenty of extra time to hang out with all your closest friends at the launch ramp. And the jib did indeed give somthing for crew to do, not only in sheeting on each and every tack, but also serving as a now very necessary lookout because of how it blocked sight lines. Everything looked better and worked better on paper in Iain's lovely draftsmanship than it ever did in 3-dimensional real life.


None of these things used to bother me as much before I owned a lug yawl of my own, but now that I do, I just can't get past how inconvenient and less handy sloop rigs are for these little boats. Unless I'm sailing a performance racing dinghy like the 505, I want nothing to do with 'em until I'm back up to the size of a boat big enough to have a foredeck to walk on, with lifelines and/or a pulpit. Certainly for an open boat, I absolutely can't stand 'em.

Now it's possible you might have have different preferences than me, but I'm afraid you probably most likely will have spoiled your appetite for a sloop rig on that Penny Fee if you've already gotten used to a lug yawl. But by all means try it out for yerself if you are curious. I'll be happy to hear what your experience with it is.

[Steve Hornsby]

Thanks all,

James, I hear you. I like my rig. Yes, I'm looking to try it out and would be pleased to report back. So, are there any significant differences in the Fulmar vs Tammie Norrie sloop configs? The Fulmar's look more performance orientated - given its a planing hull?

[g_wolf]

Thanks all,

James, I hear you. I like my rig. Yes, I'm looking to try it out and would be pleased to report back. So, are there any significant differences in the Fulmar vs Tammie Norrie sloop configs? The Fulmar's look more performance orientated - given its a planing hull?

Hi to all, I completed a 'Penny Fee', with a plywood hull kit provided by Alec Jordan, in June 2011. First with a single main mast and a balanced lug. However, in feeble winds she had considerable lee helm, and in a fresh breeze a surprising lack of weather helm when tacking. Following one of Iains subsequtent advices (transplant the mast partner a few inches towards the stern or add a mizzen) I added a mizzen last winter. However, this is just 1.5 square metres, as I re-used an existing mast of mine only 3 m long. I reckoned this didn't matter, as the main mast is more aft than usually in the 2 mast option.

This summer, I sailed her with the new rig quite extensively in force 1 to 6 winds in the lakes west of Berlin, and I must say I am quite happy with her balance now. I don't know whether Iain altered the plans, regarding the position of the main mast, if used alone. Anyway, the mizzen is quite fun and useful, as discussed extensively elsewhere. In conclusion, the boat is fine now, but of course, as designed, a compromise between sailing and rowing, and as such not 'competitive' when tacking, and of course, unlike Fulmar, it is not a planing hull - but doesn't drag when heavily loaded. Sometimes, in low winds, I needed help from the crew, with a few paddle strokes, to get her through the wind ... Reaching etc. is fine, and I remember you (Steve) praising her downwind abilities - very right. Also rowing is quite OK. Even though I inserted a 40 kg stainless stell centreboard, and with 3 on board, it is possible to row at a pace of 4-5 km/h for several kilometers - if there is no head wind, this is to say. Else we resorted to our Torqueedo e motor. Alas I seem to be able to add pictures of just 14 kB size, otherwise I would share a few photos. Maybe I set up a skydrive folder, including building pics, and share this, if of interest.
Wolfgang
PS: I didn't wait for encouragement - here is the link to some build and much fewer sailing photos (a balance well representative of the shares of time spent ... so far) for those interested: https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resi...MnfGNUOOhcfgjs