Main-less rig

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by Spiv, Feb 10, 2008.

  1. Bruce Woods
    Joined: Sep 2007
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    Bruce Woods Senior Member

    Rob, whilst on the subject of unstayed rigs, How did your sail on Rare Bird go?, you mentioned in another post you were sailing it in December on the gold coast.
     
  2. Fanie
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    Fanie Fanie

    Hi Stefano,

    How high is your bridges,

    How long is your cat,

    and how much sail area do you expect your boat to have ?
     
  3. rob denney
    Joined: Feb 2005
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    rob denney Senior Member

    G'day,

    Didn't happen, the boat is still in Coffs while the new owner sorts out the financial details. New plan is to race it in the Brisbane Gladstone this year. Could be another one entered as well if the new build technique is as quick as it appears to be.

    regards,

    Rob
     
  4. Spiv
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Spiv Ancient Mariner

    Fanie,
    did you mean my bridgedeck or the bridges I want to go under?
    Anyway, I will be able to go under bridges about 3.5~4m high, as long as they are more than 8.5m wide.

    The bridgedeck clearance is 110cm.
    LOA 16.7 (55") But in reality the boat is just a 12m cat with long hulls.
    BOA 8.3m

    Yankee ~120m2
    Jib ~60m2
    Mizzen ~40m2 (see drawing above)
    Storm s. ??m2

    I am still working on the final measures.
     
  5. Spiv
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    Spiv Ancient Mariner

    Hi Rob,
    You are right, but I want to go under bridges...
     
  6. Fanie
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    Fanie Fanie

    Phew... a 4m bridge is going to have you get down to a low profile.

    The only way I can think of is if you can loosen some stays and lower the mast using a jin pole.

    The masts I plan for my cat has slots in the hulls so the masts can hinge up or down. The slots are intended to guide the mast one way up or down only. This won't be a problem in my case since my planned sail setup is very simple.

    You don't want sails to create a problem when you lower the masts, I assume you're going to use a motor to go through the bridge.

    Just thinking out loud.

    Start the petrol motor
    Furl all sails
    Drop the mast
    go through bridge
    pull the mast up
    open sails
    stop the petrol motor.

    It could work. Your sails have to be made to furl easy and quick though. Also the winch rope for lowering the mast should have a specific length so it will drop down to just the right height even if not supervised.

    What I'm thinking is to start the mast dropping almost automatic and unattended. You can then drive under the bridge and have the mast pulled up. I would consider using an electrical winch for this... although hydraulics may also be a possibility. A hydraulic cylinder has the power to lower and erect the mast. Electrically driven you only need to push buttons.

    One would have to keep wind in mind during all this. A horizontal mast may well be quite windy if the wind is to port or star.
     
  7. oldsailor7
    Joined: May 2008
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    oldsailor7 Senior Member

    "Simplicate , and add less weight". (ref:- Cessna).
    Not to mention less complication.

    From 1964 t0 1968 I owned a Piver Nugget cabin cruiser trimaran.
    We travelled in the chain of lakes just North of Toronto Canada. The lakes are linked by the Trent Canal with locks and bridges.

    My Nuggets wooden mast had a tow ball screwed into the base, which sat in an oak socket on the cabin top. The back edge of the mast at the base was chamfered back allowing the mast to tilt backwards. On approaching a bridge under power (with mainsail furled), a halliard was hooked to the bottom of the forestay, via a block, to the main winch.
    The mast was simply lowered down backward into a simple crutch,( two 2 x 4s bolted together near the top) in the rear of the cockpit.

    Having passed under the bridge the mast was simply pulled up again, using the winch and some guiding hands and sailing (or motoring ) was resumed.

    Worked for me. :cool:
     
  8. Manie B
    Joined: Sep 2006
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    Location: Cape Town South Africa

    Manie B Senior Member

    Stefano thanks for the input

    yes most definately

    great stuff :D

    maybe a couple of more photos ??? underway ???

    jeez it is so nice to know that somebody somewhere also thinks this is a good way to go for cruising :D

    and please some pics of your previous boat??
    and while you are at it some pics of your new project what ever you got:D
     
  9. Spiv
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Spiv Ancient Mariner

    Mast lowering

    Oldsailor,
    That is what I used to do with my last boat. You can see two pics on post 17 of this tread, that was a 17.5m wing mast, but I used an electric winch.

    Manie,
    2 pics on post 17 + I just added 10 pics to the gallery that show the boat under sail and the mast lowering system.
    They are not available right now pending approval, let me know when you can see them.

    Fanie,
    The wishbone mast I drew above, is hinged above the rooftop and will lower forward, releasing the back stays with an electric winch.

    The two fore furlers are 'stay-furlers'; they do not have the alluminium pipe, nor s/s wire, just a Dyaneema rope, so the sail can easily be folded on the tramp.
    Yes, the wind can be a problem, if it was blowing over 25kn, I'd lower and raise my old mast pointing into the wind. With two motors it is quite easy to keep position.
    The biggest and most annoying problem is the wake of stink boats going by. :mad::mad::mad: Some people are very inconsiderate, some plain stupid, a few will understand, slow down and pass at a distance.
     

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    Last edited: Feb 8, 2009
  10. Spiv
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Spiv Ancient Mariner

  11. peterAustralia
    Joined: Mar 2006
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    peterAustralia Senior Member

    A catamaran with a bipod mast and a lateen sail suspended from apex.

    Appears to allow angle of the lateen sail to be adjusted. Additionally it ought be possible to cant the rig towards the wind if desired.

    http://www.rclandsailing.com/catamaran/

    n peter evans
     
  12. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

  13. Spiv
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Spiv Ancient Mariner

    Lots of boomless rigs

    I am in Turkey and when I visited the port of Fethiye, I could not believe my eyes: Hundreds of boats with the best cruising rigs!!!

    They are mostly Schooners, but some are Ketch rigged.
    In this port, contrary to some other I have been, it seems they hate booms and standard mainsails, so they fitted a furling sail behind their masts.

    Also twin parallel, furling headsails and believe it or not furling mizzens.

    Brian and many of us have been promoters of parallel headsails for their greater efficiency.
    All those furlers give you a practically infinite sail trimming capacity AND, at any wind angle!

    Schooner or Ketch, I am not so sure what's more efficient, but I think the Schooner looks better and you could probably tension the headstays more.

    A free beer for anybody that can find an easier rig for a cruiser!
     

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  14. Pericles
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    Pericles Senior Member


  15. waikikin
    Joined: Jan 2006
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    waikikin Senior Member

    Thanks for sharing Stefano & Perry, that Panoramio is really cool, kinda like being there but not as much fun:)...... one day I would love to see these places for real.
    Best regards from Jeff.
     
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