ketch

Can any one suggest any titles on the subject sailing this particular type of sailboat? I have no problems with the sloop or the cutter but find a boat with mizzen a bit intimidating. Mostly sloops around here.

 

Have a browse through: http://www.shannonyachts.com/Sails.html

Or - better still do a search of past 'posts' on Boat Design Forums. But you'll find with a little practice 'ketch' rigs are no more formidable than any other...you just need to be a bit more athletic...
However - I've no doubt further advice will come flooding in.

 

Oh I do like the mention of a "Scutter" in that piece! Invented by some smart ar*e naval architect who wants a "name" and can't be bothered to check his history! Looks like a twin headsail sloop to me - Like sloops were once - Oh but that's a "cutter" I hear you say! Rubbish, cutters have reeving bowsprits is all!!!

As for sailing your ketch - sail her as a sloop at first, keep the sheets about the same as the main and let her tend herself - just duck regularly! Go out in light airs only at first and play, how'd you learn to sail in the first place? It's in reefing that the ketch comes into her own these days - bit of a blow and drop the main - that's you reefed down PDQ Try it!

 

You can try reading Donald Street's "The Ocean Sailing Yacht". He discusses various rigs suitable for cruising. He really disses the ketch, and I think he is totally wrong. The ketch is a marvelous and practical rig for cruising. If I had to settle for a conventionally rigged boat (not being able to afford one of my own free-standing cat-ketch wingmast designs--I may be innovative but I am not rich), I would go for a ketch, definitely. Their practicality comes in the variety of ways you can set sails for a broad range of wind and sea conditions. And with two masts, there is always a lot of places that you can put stuff like radars and antennae.

Steve Dashew's book "offshore Cruising Encyclopedia" also discusses cruising rigs.

Finally, look at Ted Brewer's book, "Ted Brewer Explains Sailboat Design". All of these are good references.


Eric

 

The rig has a lot to recommend it, practically I would offer the following advice:

Try and keep the mizzen up. The effect of the mizzen is considerable on the sails set further fwd. Lowering the mizzen has a considerably greater effect in reducing drive than you would expect from the proportionate size.

A big advantage of the ketch rig not seized by many owners is the ability to fly a mizzen staysail from an apparent wind around 40 degrees and off. This really gives the rig some get up and go. Light air MPS and maximum size light weight Mizzen staysail are a very good combination too.

In "The ocean sailing yacht II" Donald is kinder to ketches.

 

they also make very good maxi racers, both Steinlager and Fisher and Paykel blitzed the sloops in the last of those races
yes these are yawls but same thing more or less