new sail rig for mac 26

not trying to stir up a hornets nest, but i own a new mac 26m, and want to get some ideas and feedback with regards to this idea, before i go ahead with it.
my single biggest drawback with the 26m is the time it takes to rig, for when i just want to hop on the water for a quick afternoon of motoring and fishing.- we fish a lot here- part of our lives.
leaving the sail and rigging at home is not an option, but the current mast length and storage situation, doesnt lend itself to "launch and go" motoring.
but when it comes to sailing, i am more than happy to spend the time rigging, i do so with my other sailboat, and its fine.

so i am not looking for a quicker rigging situation, just an easier, more practical motoring option

so this is my idea, i always wanted to modify the mac to a cutter rig, and this has been done successfully before.
but i want to use a mast that is about 22 to 24 feet long, that would allow it to be still attached to the pulpit up front-when travelling/storing, but would just come to the back of the house, and this will take the horizontal mast out of the cockpit area.
i would build a new mast crutch/holder that would hold the mast just above my dodger height, but below the boom height.
i would change the shrouds to dyneema- easy to remove and stow.
would love to see the spreaders go- might the shorter mast allow for this?
if this is possible , i will probably move away from the revolving mast and use luff hoops.
i am looking at the possibility of a 2' tabernacle, with baby stays, that the mast sits on top of- this brilliant idea is not mine- but Mathew Strebe's.
and it not only allows me to add a few feet to the mast height, but the boom will be attached to the tabernacle, so that the boom does not have to be removed when de rigging- so much faster and safer!!!


anyway back to my point, with the shorter mast, i really want to move to a traditional rig, i know there will be a loss in performance going to windward, and i am prepared to live with that.
but with the current CoLR of the boat, and the current mast step, and with the cutter rig, (the staysail will run to the bow from the top of the mast, and the jib to a bowsprit from the top of the mast - bowsprit length to still be determined), could either a gaff rig or a sprit rig work!!!!????

i love the simplicity of the sprit, the only problem is the reefing issue, the gaff is surely a very nice rig but a little more complex, i thought i could even have a mast extender of a few feet just to run the gaff halyards off, but not shrouds etc. didnt plan on a top sail.
the sprit is a bit lighter up top, than the gaff. and thats probably a good thing with a mac!

now i know the mac has a lot of "latitude" in its balance( sloppy design/ good design- who knows, but i am not opening up that can!!!!)
people sail it with genoa alone, or main alone- i am sure the helm is not well balanced- but it seems to trundle along,
but even with the proposed rig, and the proposed mains c of e being further aft, would this be balanced by the proposed cutter rig. and as we all know a lot can be done- to a point.... to help balance the helm with sail trim alone.

but wouldn't the new plan enable the boat to sail flatter with less heel, and so less weatherhelm. which is what the further aft c of e would be inducing!

so many variables in this art/science-
what do you think- and please be gentle- its my first time!

Also.....should i just man up, and post this on the boat design sub forum!!

 

Oh, and one more thing - mounting the Bowsprit

You are going to need a substantial Bobstay, and getting at the inside of the bow for fastening and/or re-inforcing on the Mac is a possible issue. Whether the towing ring is in the right place and is suitable is an owners call, since Macs are not longer made.supported etc

Good reading at

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/Articles/Bowsprit Article.htm

 

thanks for the link Ray- just scanned it real quick, but will give it a study later.do you think the chainplates would stay where they are.
would one need running backstays for a sprit rig, i have seen gaffs that did not have the running backstays, but dont know what their rigging looked like.

guess i could still use the slugs and the mac mast , if the spreaders were imperetive!

i can get in under the deck- and lay up more glass if i need too, i will talk to the one fella i know that has a successful mac-cutter, and chat to him about his bowsprit arrangement. his sprit was 4' long with his genoa attached out at 3'.

thanks
wayne

 

Running backstays are to keep the luff of the jib(s) tight.

If you can put up with less than a bar taught fore stay, you don't need running back stays.

As the wind rises, the jib comes down first, as it puts the most stress on the system. With a 3/4 sloop rig, that doesn't move the CE aft far enough to make the balance intolerable. With each subsequent reef of the main, the CE moves forward again. This is why the 3/4 sloop is my favorite modern rig.

The problem with a sprit rig is it is very hard to reef.

I would consider a balanced, or even dipping, lug rig, and forget about the jib, but the fore stay, which helps hold up the mast, would be in the way.

A tantalizing thought would be the SEA FLEA rig, invented by Jason Neighbors.

It is a boomed Lateen rig that looks like a fractional sloop.

The Yard is connected to the Boom, but is slung dead vertical when under full sail.

When reefed, the jib is first taken in.

After that, Main is reefed with a series of pie shaped slabs, which cant the boom further back with each reefing. As this is done, the Boom connection to the mast is shifted aft, so some of the main ends up in front of the mast.

With the final reef, the rig looks like a typical Boomed Lateen.

This rig allows for a very short mast at the expense of two long spars and a little bit more trouble reefing.

 

so... busy with the project - and have decided to go with a gaff cutter rig. with the mast cut down, I will use a carbon top mast that slides into the ali mast, to give me the height needed to to run the rigging for the spar.
head sails to the top of the ali mast- spinnaker to the top of the freestanding carbon mast extension. shrouds and chainplates all stay the same, just the introduction of the bowsprit, and tabernacle.

 

I'm not sure carbon in direct contact with aluminum is such a great idea-better check that out.

 

thanks Doug, what do you think the problem might be-
i have seen carbon spars with both stainless and ali hardware.
the carbon would obviously have a good finish clear coat on it- a self leveling epoxy usually!

 

From what I understand, aluminum and carbon should not be in direct contact:
http://www.cstcomposites.com/market...s/how-to-care-for-your-carbon-fibre-products/
Read the whole thing especially the 8th paragraph from the top.
Good Luck!

 

thanks Doug,
makes sense- although they do say that in reality the corrosion does not really happen at a greater rate than the fittings wear. but it is a great point. and well taken- maybe enough to get me to build the mast extension out of glass rather than carbon. wonder what the weight difference would be. my intent was really to reduce weight up top.

many thanks
wayne

 

Couldn't you do it in a way that the carbon didn't touch the aluminum?

 

i did ponder that Doug, maybe a uhmw sleeve or something, but as i will be trying for a good close fit- and will have a removeable through bolt through the carbon and ali mast- the uhmw shroud might just not be the right idea- but if i build the extension from glass- it should all be good- i could always build it out of good sitka spruce too!!!- we have lots of that here. but maybe a glass tapered mast extension , with just a spruce plug in the bottom end where it fits into the ali mast.

thanks mate
wayne