Grumman canoe sail rig question

[GiovanniCaboti]

I know, Grumman canoes are not wooden boats. But I have an old one in the weeds behind the shed, and feel like making a sailing rig for it, just for the heck of it. I have a copy of Todd Bradshaw's excellent sailing rig book (or at least I did have one until I foolishly let someone borrow it), so I have a pretty good idea of how to proceed with mast, sail, leeboards, etc. What I have never understood is how the Grumman-designed mast step is supposed to mount on the bottom of the canoe. There's an integral plate above the keel with four holes in it that I have always understood to be the mount for a mast step. But how it works is beyond me, probably because I have never seen the mast step itself.

Can anyone help me out here? One clear photo of how the step secures to the mount would bring joy to my heart.

[Todd Bradshaw]

Re: Grumman canoe sail rig question

This might help

https://archive.org/details/grumman-gunter-sail-rig-instructions/mode/2up

and these might also

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275635066617

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266128396683?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818143230%26meid%3Dd56eb1c3a07d4053b63693e2af0c5223%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D275635066617%26itm%3D266128396683%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWebV9BertRefreshRanker%26brand%3DUnbranded%2FGeneric&_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1

The only time I ever sailed with the Grumman Gunter rig we used it on an Old Town semi-decked canoe, so I don't remember how we rigged it. There is a fair bit of halyard tension though - probably enough to keep the mast butt inside some sort of cup-shaped gizmo. The main function of the step is just to prevent the mast butt from sliding around, so I don't believe there is any real reason to lock it into the step.

ojibway 001.jpg

[GiovanniCaboti]

Re: Grumman canoe sail rig question

This might help

https://archive.org/details/grumman-gunter-sail-rig-instructions/mode/2up

and these might also

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275635066617

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266128396683?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818143230%26meid%3Dd56eb1c3a07d4053b63693e2af0c5223%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D275635066617%26itm%3D266128396683%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWebV9BertRefreshRanker%26brand%3DUnbranded%2FGeneric&_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1

The only time I ever sailed with the Grumman Gunter rig we used it on an Old Town semi-decked canoe, so I don't remember how we rigged it. There is a fair bit of halyard tension though - probably enough to keep the mast butt inside some sort of cup-shaped gizmo. The main function of the step is just to prevent the mast butt from sliding around, so I don't believe there is any real reason to lock it into the step.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]138014[/ATTACH]

Man! Speak of the devil and you'll see his horns...

Thanks for the links, Todd. I had seen the first ebay seller, but not the second. I'm guessing that the little hatchet-shaped items with the two holes in that second listingare the "nuts" that the Grumman directions mention, but don't bother to describe. (In fairness to that long-ago Grumman technical writer, when you're trying to hit a word count, I suppose it's reasonable to assume that any kit purchaser reading the direction would have all the parts in hand, making it easier to figure things out.) I had wondered about screws and nuts, but couldn't see how a nut would fit under that integral plate, which is very close to the bottom. So instead of actual nuts each, side has a little L-shaped plate with two tapped holes [slaps self on forehead]. Nice!