Re: Cartopper Spritsail Rig for June Bug?
FWIW, I really don't like spritsails without booms in a small boat.
The sheet forces are quite high because the sheet has to hold the
clew away from the mast as well as down and in toward the centerline.
You can, of course, put a block on the clew, but then when the sail
luffs you have a block flailing around, which IMHO is a worse hazard
to life and limb than a boom. The best sheeting point varies for
every point of sail. Even worse, this rig sometimes exhibits really
evil habits downwind. You can't hold the clew out, the sail bags, and
you can get some really interesting rythmic rolling under just the
conditions when you don't want it. The short spars are a definite
advantage, but I can't see any other.
The triangular sail with a sprit boom, OTOH, is a model of docility -
low sheet forces, easy control of sail shape, works reasonably well
on all points of sail. I had that rig on a Gypsy, and I wouldn't
even consider the spritsail for my cartopper variant under
construction (off the mold and right side up!) at the moment.
For an exhaustive treatment of the subject, you might want to look at
Bolger's book, 103 (or 101 in the earlier edition) Sailing Rigs.
The sheet forces are quite high because the sheet has to hold the
clew away from the mast as well as down and in toward the centerline.
You can, of course, put a block on the clew, but then when the sail
luffs you have a block flailing around, which IMHO is a worse hazard
to life and limb than a boom. The best sheeting point varies for
every point of sail. Even worse, this rig sometimes exhibits really
evil habits downwind. You can't hold the clew out, the sail bags, and
you can get some really interesting rythmic rolling under just the
conditions when you don't want it. The short spars are a definite
advantage, but I can't see any other.
The triangular sail with a sprit boom, OTOH, is a model of docility -
low sheet forces, easy control of sail shape, works reasonably well
on all points of sail. I had that rig on a Gypsy, and I wouldn't
even consider the spritsail for my cartopper variant under
construction (off the mold and right side up!) at the moment.
For an exhaustive treatment of the subject, you might want to look at
Bolger's book, 103 (or 101 in the earlier edition) Sailing Rigs.
--- In bolger@y..., michaelgalvin@h... wrote:
> I am almost done building a June Bug and am now working on its
> sailing rig. . . . .>
> Can anyone see a problem with using the spritsail in a June Bug?
> Perhaps those of you who built a Cartopper can explain why you
chose one rig over the other.
I am almost done building a June Bug and am now working on its
sailing rig. Phil originally drew a leg-o-mutton type rig for June
Bug. When he later did Cartopper, he drew two rigs, one a leg-o-
mutton identical to the one on June Bug, the other a spritsail rig.
I am tempted to try Cartopper's spritsail rig on my June Bug. I like
its looks and I like its shorter spars. Because the centers of
effort for each sail are in the same fore and aft locations, and
because sail areas for the two rigs are almost the same, I assume
there should be no problem using the spritsail in my June Bug. I can
see that the leg-o-mutton mast is raked aft, while the spritsail
rig's mast is exactly vertical, so the mast step would have to be
adjusted accordingly.
Can anyone see a problem with using the spritsail in a June Bug?
Perhaps those of you who built a Cartopper can explain why you chose
one rig over the other.
sailing rig. Phil originally drew a leg-o-mutton type rig for June
Bug. When he later did Cartopper, he drew two rigs, one a leg-o-
mutton identical to the one on June Bug, the other a spritsail rig.
I am tempted to try Cartopper's spritsail rig on my June Bug. I like
its looks and I like its shorter spars. Because the centers of
effort for each sail are in the same fore and aft locations, and
because sail areas for the two rigs are almost the same, I assume
there should be no problem using the spritsail in my June Bug. I can
see that the leg-o-mutton mast is raked aft, while the spritsail
rig's mast is exactly vertical, so the mast step would have to be
adjusted accordingly.
Can anyone see a problem with using the spritsail in a June Bug?
Perhaps those of you who built a Cartopper can explain why you chose
one rig over the other.