Silly Idea- Making a basic headsail rig for my rowboat

[FrogInTweed]

Hi there,

I'm the (unreasonably) proud owner of a Yankee Tender rowboat. A friend of mine won it in a raffle and never used it, and I recently took it off his hands. I've got quite a bit of work to do before it's fully seaworthy, but I'm toying with the idea of trying to make some kind of rig for it. I'd only be looking for something very simple to use cautiously, especially given that it's a flat-bottomed boat. I like the idea of making a basic mast out of an old oar and running a stay from it to the breasthook, and using that stay to support something vaguely jib-like. I've got some practical skills and have helped out in sail lofts here and there, but I have no idea how to begin designing a rig like this... Where should I put the "mast step", for instance, in order to maximize balance? Is there a formula or reference guide?

 

[HelmutSheina]

Here is a simple crab claw rig on a Lillistone "Flint" row boat with bamboo spars and a short bamboo mast. This person used an oar for steering and leeway modification, but it would be a better sailing boat with a proper foil board and rudder.

Flint - a capable boat

Eddie Guy with the very first Flint I think it was sometime in 2004 that Eddie Guy came to me for a new rowing and small outboard boat. E...

rosslillistonewoodenboat.blogspot.com

Regarding balance, this little article will give the idea.

The Physics of Sailing: CE and CLR

Hayward's Site | The Ramblings of a Tech-crazed Realist

hayward.peirce.me

 

[Tops]

Image and details from Small Boat Monthly:

Yankee Tender Design Plan Details​

DESCRIPTION
Hull type: Flat-bottomed, straight flaring sides
Rig: None
Construction: Cross-planked bottom, lapstrake sides

PERFORMANCE
*Suitable for: Protected waters
*Intended capacity: 3
Trailerable: Yes
Propulsion: Oars
Speed (knots): 1-3

Particulars
LOA: 12′ 4″
Beam: 4′ 4″
Weight: 125-150 lbs

I would start with finding something similar length/beam/shape that has a defined sail plan and go from there. I don't think I'd bother with a headsail. The little boat I am currently working on has a standing lug rig and sail from a boat about 18 inches longer. I built the rig with a non pivoting rudder and clip-on leeboard, in retrospect I should have made them both pivot, or at least the rudder, to facilitate launching and landing on a ramp or beach.

I'd be tempted to use the forward thwart/seat as the mast partner (drill a hole for the mast) and add a mast step step below.

@HelmutSheina thanks for posting an article about CE and CLR

 

[gonzo]

Are you adding a centerboard or leeboards? That will determine the location of the mast/sails.