Posted by Tom Napier on May 25, 2011 at 09:41:12 user Didymus.
During five years of sailing on a local lake I have occasionally had a distant view of a dinghy with a gaff-rigged red sail. I always wondered if the owner was a Ransome fan and whether the boat was named Scarab but our paths never crossed.
A few weeks ago I was near the launching ramp as the owner of this boat was bringing her ashore. I button-holed him briefly, he was in a hurry, and found he had no idea who Ransome was and that his boat wasn't gaff-rigged, it was spirit(?) rigged.
On looking more closely I saw that the peak of the sail was supported by a gaff that ran from a point about half-way up the mast. I assume the throat was held to the mast and halyard in the ordinary way.
Is this a rig that anyone else has encountered?