Need expert advice on fitting out

Hi, guys, I'm here in Yucatan thinking of buying a local fishing boat to use as a daysailer. It has a centerboard and mast step, but no one here uses anything more than a bamboo pole with a sheet tied to it when running before the wind on their return trip.

To me, it looks like the mast is too far forward; would it be possible to move it aft to just forward of the centerboard trunk and gaff rig it? Most of the time I would be sailing alone and I just don't want too big a mainsail to handle (although the gaff might be a bit much, too).

Also, would I need to change the centerboard from fiberglass to steel? It's a pretty big boat (about 21') with no other ballast.

I'd appreciate your input.

 

Boats of a similar Ilk, albeit, gaffers and clinker built , fished the worlds grounds for 3 centuries
I would change bugger all until you FELT her balence.
Ballast no, she has form stabilty and one learns to set rag accordingly
,maybe in an open boat like this I would also build some bouyancy aft
Looks like fun
In this case the plate is for directional stabilty and making good to windwards, not for ballast, so IMO not much point in fitting a steel one and IF you did a flat steel plate is not going to lift the boat to windwards, you would have to make a foil section

 

Keep fiberglass c/b and put a good sized sprit sail right where the mast is now. Make one from a painter's tarp. Mast should rotate and have no shrouds to work best. Go sailing and have fun. Make ballast bags from truck inner tubes. One tube makes 3 ballast bags. Sew end with s/s wire, fill with gravel with sand, tie other end. These stick in place when heeled, don't damage the hull, cost little and are disposable in a hurry. Pile about 15 or 20 of these around the center board trunk. Boat has form stability but ballast still helps a lot.

 

Thank you for the info. I've got a lot to learn about the local boats here and how they would sail.

I'll send some pics when I actually buy one. Thanks again.