reducing the mizzen?

In the process of converting from tiller to pedestal helm we have encountered a small boom issue...its too low. Is there any reason (given that this boat sails best on her main and jib anyway) that I should not raise the boom height for the mizzen by a foot+/- and make the appropriate sail alterations?

 

The whole thing comes down to whether your boat is stiff or tender or something in between. If ther boat's already a little tender, I would consult with the boat's designer if possible, or at least a good designer, and see how acceptable the new rig height will be relative to the boat.
If you are cutting down the mizzen's area, another question pops up. Will the smaller sail increase lee helm to any appreciable extent? Could both masts be raked a small amount \aft to compensate?
How did you plan on raising the boom?

 

Since she's not been sailed in MANY years..who knows? She is a Dickerson Ketch ( a bugeye) with a load of lead in an extra long keel. I doubt she'll be tender,= but, ...??

The boom mounts to the mast on a removeable bracket beneath the guide track. In fact, it appears that it may have been higher before. My need for a foot or so should not be much of an issue.

The few who have sailed these say they sail them with the main and jib mostly anyway..the mizzen and a storm jib..and only cruise with the three...and rarely....oh, and as for rake,...theses masts are already heavily raked...HEAVILY...by design.

 

Yeah, a bugeye has some extreme rake already. So why do you ask whether the boom could be raised, by the way, if you could simply try it out, or does something prevent you raising it without some serious modification?

 

A good question....raising the boom would mean altering the sail. Since I am reducing her by an amount much less than a reefing point, a trial position would not be terribly telling in terms of "honesty".

I was hoping someone might have done something similar and could offer the benefit of their experience/s....before I go playing tailor on my mizzen or am in the position of "have to" due to the helm height.

 

Well there is the possability of changing the headboard. The new one would be more flat-topped and you'd get your foot of altitude. That's the least involved way to shorten the sail. You could also recut the leech on a tapered curve from the uppermost reef cringle upward and I doubt you could see the change, which would look better than the headboard.
Have you talked to a sailmaker about ways to modify the sail?

 

No, I haven't discussed this with my sail guy yet...just batting around some ideas before hand. We JUST bought her.

So, in following you first idea....she might look quite sharp with a gaff, no?...flatten the top, add a gaff and up with her.

Whatdayathink?

 

You could go so many different ways. Changing the headboard is the simplest (with a 3:1 aspect ratio, cutting 12" off the head would mean a headboard 4" wider and a look at the masthead crane to see if any modification is needed there as well).
Recutting the leech from the last reef cringle up is probably the next choice. In this case you are involving the sail's head cringle and some batten pockets.
Going gaff is a bit drastic, involving at the least a new spar and a loss of sail area.
i'd look at simply replacing the headboard with one that takes the tip off the old sail. You lose a half square foot of area and you probably spend about $100-$200 at most. Your CE is slightly highher but you say the boat is very stiff. The sail will not look strange from the ground.
That's what I'd do. I wouldn't cut the sail's foot especially, which involves a lot of expense and a loss of area.

 

That seems reasonable enough...

Here is a picture of her I found on the web that the previous owner took...most likely his broker at the time..notice the "yawl" designation..

http://www.ablboats.com/details.php?id=78942

I find her sail plan to be a bit "rough" anyway so, a bit of re-design won't spoil a perfect picture...

 

Good luck with the job and the boat.

Alan