Posted by Jonathan Engdahl on August 29, 1997 at 05:09:08:
In Reply to: How to rig a lugsail? posted by Jonathan Engdahl on August 27, 1997 at 23:13:59:
Thanks, Peter and Forrest, for your suggestions.
I tried it again tonight. I lowered the fastening of the halyard
block to mast and hoisted the gaff right up to the block. I
still had the sail up too high, but it worked a bit better. There
didn't seem to be excess tension along the luff once I got the
sail raised. Considering the rather light wind it sailed well.
I lowered the block a second time until the boom jaws were
just above the gunwales. I ran a small line from the halyard cleat,
up around the boom, and down again, and hauled down until "the
crinkles in the sail go up and down, and not across." By the time I
got all this done the wind was about gone -- I had to sit to leeward
to keep the boom out -- but it looked a lot better. I rowed back
in the dark. By the way, the Cape Dory 14 is a real joy to row. It
doesn't like to turn, and one stroke sends you a long way. If you
row with one oar it goes almost straight anyhow.
I have to figure out how to raise and lower the sail without dropping
the whole affair in the water, especially with the water as green as
it is now. When raising and lowering, the weight of the gaff puts a
lot of tension on the luff; I'm afraid the tarp is going to tear.
The last time I lowered sail tonight the sail came down over my head
so I couldn't see what I was doing. I was blindly feeling for the gaff,
trying to keep the sail out of the water, and wondering why I couldn't
get the gaff under control. It turned out that the long end of the gaff
was extending over the bows, and the boom was in the water. Sort of
like Dot and Dick during their first trip in the Scarab. Sigh.
I think a traveller or parrels might help raising and lowering. Once I
have the right dimensions for the mast I'll replace the tree I'm using
now with a smooth (and straight) piece of lumber, and give the
traveller a try.
[Thanks, Mom, for hand stitching my tarp into a sail. It's still
holding together. You are truly the best of all natives.]
Jonathan Engdahl
Bass Lake
Chardon, Ohio, USA
BDTDINDWD