Posted by Terence McManus on July 23, 2004 at 08:28:59 from 211.150.241.132 user Terence_McManus.
In Reply to: Re: Mast Hoops on the Goblin posted by Jon on July 22, 2004 at 21:05:04:
The Nancy Blackett still uses mast hoops, see the final picture in the photo gallery on the Nancy Blackett website. The same photo shows a winch on the mast like a large fishing reel: so presumably she uses a wire halyard on the main. This should allow the main luff to be set up pretty hard. Since the unsupported section of the main is fairly short this should allow a fairly good windward performance. Off the wind they may even allow the sail to assume a better shape than conventional luff slides or grooves. Do those who have sailed on her have any comment?
I have long wondered if the use of mast hoops was the designer's idea: or did AR specify them. Does anyone know of any evidence either way?
Having sailed on both gaff and bermudan rigs I have a nostalgia for mast hoops, apart from the wonderfull rattling sound they make when the sail is hoisted, they are practical. Unlike the slides or luff grooves used on marconi rigs of the time hoops are not prone to jam and they help stow the sail as it is lowered (a plus when sailing short-handed). They also make a convenient ladder to the cross trees - someting I remember with delight from sailing on a gaffer on the Broads as a boy.
Now for the sister-hookery. The statement "one of the arguments that's been made in favour of gaff-rig rather than Marconi (Bermuda) is that the top part of a Marconi rig doesn't do very much any way because it's so small" could be taken as an invitation to esoteric discussions of sail design and aerodynamics. However to keep things simple I would just comment that on most gaff rigs, the gaff sags to leeward when on the wind thus reducing the effective area of the sail. It was to mitigate this effect that AR had a vang fitted on Racundra (see Racundra's First Cruise).