Gaff rigs

Gentlemen

what is your opinion of a gaff rig on a 10m cruising cat

what comes to mind is

good down wind
cheaper spars - maybe wood www.ckdboats.com
main, jib and genaker = good light wind performance

Have you used this rig
what is the biggest yacht you have been on with a gaff rig

 

The gaffer is the relaxed way to go, and if you are handy, the cheap way to go as well.
I've got a gaffer, and when I bought it I decided to modify a lot of things. I also rebuilt all of the spars (and added two--- a sprit and a jib boom).
Only the sticks were retained, which were wooded and jaws made (exotic hardwoods, bronze, and leather). All of it cost me less than fifty dollars.
I make my own rigging, using deadeyes and lanyards. Virtually every part except cast bronze is done in the shop.
I think there are two big reasons to own a gaffer: They look great and they don't require a lot of money to build or keep up. Other reasons are their lower struck rig height and they will lower without bringing the boat up into the wind.
They put less strain on the hull, with less compression of the mast and less pull on the chainplates and forestay.
Really, it's a personal thing. They are not as efficient upwind compared to a modern triangular sail, though a lot of that has to do with a lack of development in the last seventy or eighty years.

Alan

 

Alan thank you very much.

really nice to hear, good post.

please please please post some pics - sail dimensions approx. and size of the boat.

Everything you have stated is my feelings exacly, all my endless hours / days on Delftship / Sailcad has shown that it is absolutely feasable and economical to go this route for cruising.

Innovation = digging up the old forgotten technologies will get me on the water sailing.

Given up on the lotto

 

Manie, I have a winKlebrig - a little pocket topsail gaffer, only 16 foot, but I have slept 4 on her and I love her to bits

[image=]http://www.jegsweb.co.uk/boats/winklebrig/images/winkle2.jpg[/image]

my only comment would be that it can be rather techniquey to get her to go about in a blow, and my only experience with cats has been dabbling with hobies and darts which can also be techniquey to get to go about. so you would be looking at techniquey squared. But I'm pretty new to the winKlebrig, she has twin bilge plates, and I have no real experience with cats, and nothing is the size you are talking anyway!

 

gaah! durn technology!

is that any better?
Adrian

 

Here's a shot of my gaffer last summer at Lucerne lake in Maine.
This summer I may have the jib--- I converted her from a cat boat.
She is fifteen feet and maybe 1200 lbs displacement, shoal full keel, no centerboard (I may add leeboards for better performance upwind.


Alan

 

A closer view. The coamings and mast relocation were done last spring.

 

Tiny Turnip,

If your photo is in Desktop for example, click on manage attachments and when you open the file with the picture, it will show in the top attachment box. Click preview and it won't. Preview helps to determine if the picture is the one you want.
Once you know you have the right one, click to open and the file name will show up in the attachment box. Click on "upload" and then write your message (you need to write something), preview, and post.

A.

 

Wharram uses gaff rigs on his catamarans.
He calls it the tiki wingsail.
It's a very practical rig : you can hoist the sail on all courses, and if you drop the sail it becomes a nice small package with the gaff on top.
I'm not sure if it's as efficient as he claims, but again, the ease of use is great.

Hans

 

I feel the development of the gaff rig would naturally go in the direction of a rotating foil mast and a foil shaped gaff,
The "Spitfire wing" elliptical shape has proven to be one of the most efficient sail shapes. You could get that shape with a gaff with a curving forward edge.
The sail would be battened to get the aft curve.
I think the sail would be superior to a bermudan type.

Alan

 

Hi Alan - thanks for your pointers.

The problem I was having was trying to post with an image from my pocketPC, running Windows mobile 5, and the WM5 browser was screwing up the posting page, so I could only use the 'quick reply' box, and trying to remember the BB coding on the fly. My images are hosted on another web forum, so I was trying to link to them, rather than upload from the desktop.
Lets have another go now!

jegsweb.co.uk/discus/messages/4/226.jpg

jegsweb.co.uk/discus/messages/4/224.jpg

jegsweb.co.uk/discus/messages/4/227.jpg

jegsweb.co.uk/discus/messages/4/228.jpg

 

btw, I like the look of your gaffer, Alan. Reminds me a little of the Nigel Irens Romilly, which I believe is now available with an electric auxilliary drive.

 

Currently on my drawing board is a gaffer for a client staying close by. It is a 13.4 meter LOD, hard chined hull with clipper bow, full keeler, schooner rigged with double headsails.

However, my client is now entertaining the idea of a single mast gaffer with double headsails - this is the configuration I personally prefers myself - only problem is , the interior is already drawn for the current double stick deck layout Such is life....

Wish I could afford a boat like this

 

Wynand the first topic on my agenda with you is affordability for south africans, it is a fu3ckup i know.

So i am trying my everything under the sun to see if i will ever get to a boat on the sea.

Paying ZAR 30k for plans is OUT
the boats are too big and fancy
steel is for wealthy folks

i am hoping to get to you soon
thanks

 

Tiny Turnip

your boat is

beautifull