junket

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by paul t devine, Jun 10, 2012.

  1. paul t devine
    Joined: May 2012
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    paul t devine New Member

    just how long has the chinese junk been around,is it still worthy by todays standards?
     
  2. DStaal
    Joined: Apr 2012
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    DStaal Junior Member

    The ship design has been around since about 200 BC, so over 2,000 years. As a sail-powered cargo ship, it has the same problems as any sail-powered ship when compared to a modern diesel powered cargo ships. The overall design itself is very good, and has many features which weren't seen in Western ships until the 1700's. (Which was after the West got exposed to their design.)

    If you mean the sail design - you'll get varying opinions. General consensus appears to be it's not quite as good an all-around performer as the more standard bermuda rig (particularly upwind), but is probably easier to handle.
     
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  3. Tad
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    Tad Boat Designer

    What standards?
     
  4. BATAAN
    Joined: Apr 2010
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    BATAAN Senior Member

    The rig is as good as the materials you make it from.
    As an aerodynamic machine it roughly compares to a properly designed working boat's gaff sail with topsail, but is much much easier to control in large sizes.
    My wife can reef our 1000 sq ft sail in moments, on any point of sail including dead down wind, in very bad conditions with one hand by lifting out the pawl on the halyard winch and slacking the brake.
    No coils to foul or things that need two hands so you can hang on while you do it.
    In very small sizes the windage of battens and sheets makes it not very useful, but its main advantage is good performance coupled with very easy sail reduction in extreme conditions.
    Speaking from experience.
     

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  5. Squidly-Diddly
    Joined: Sep 2007
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    Junk rigs don't have the high stress points of a Bermuda, so....

    you can use damn near anything to patch between the poles.

    You will find numerous pics of comically ratty looking junk rigs, obviously been patched and repatched and with huge holes and new rips...but still very much in use and doing fine.

    IIRC, the patching of a junk rig is something that can be done while underway with the sail. You just stand on the spar (with maybe an extra rigging line to offset your weight) a little lower than the area to be patched and go at it with an old bed sheet and needle and thread. Almost like patching a mud wall.

    That is why I'd lean towards a junk rig for SHTF/post Zombie Apocalypse bug-out boat. That and the easy handling.

    Plus I think they look cool.


    What features did junks have that Western ships didn't?
     

  6. DStaal
    Joined: Apr 2012
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    DStaal Junior Member

    From Wikipedia:

    Watertight bulkheads.
    True stern rudders.
    Leeboads and centerboards.

    Those would be the major ones; I'm sure there were lots of little things that could be counted as features or differences depending on how you look at them.
     
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