June Bug Sailing (Lug Bug)
List,
I got an opportunity for about 1 1/2 hours on the tiny lake in the
Woodlands, Texas this afternoon. There was a line of T-storms moving in so
I checked the Weather Channel Local Radar and saw an opening and went!
Winds were shifting about 90 degress and blowing 5 - 15 MPH. I finally got
all of the balanced lug sail stuff working (June Bug has a sail from a
Michalak Pickup Pram). Needs parrals at the top and bottom (yard and boom),
semi stout downhaul and 5' longer mainsheet. Forgot my GPS, wanted to see
some speeds, but another trip. Just made it off the lake and the winds
piped up to 20 MPH. 25 minute drive home and then got about a 1 - 1 1/2
rainshower. We are REALLY DRY along the upper Texas coast, so the rain is a
BLESSING!!
The June Bug with a lug sail is kinda becomming knows as the "Lug Bug" -
apologies to Disney. The Lug is 69 sq feet and the leg o mutton it is
designed for is only 59 sq feet. The boats performs well. Points very high
into the wind. It also has nuetral helm. Positioning the boom to the mast
is somewhat sensitive to keep the nuetral helm tho. The Lug Bug also has a
pivoting leeboard similar to the Pickup Pram. The mast is "white wood".
White wood is not a good mast material. In any kind of gust, the top flexes
about 18". Each time I go out, I swear that it is going to break. I am
around 210 lbs and the boat is VERY stable with me sitting in the center of
the bottom in 15 MPH winds. When I move to the weather side, it develops
negative heel. A former June Bug I sailed actually planed on two ocassions.
Haven't made this one plane yet, but on the small lake, wind is really
shifty. Lake is narrow and there are 90' pine trees and 2 and 3 story
mansions on each shore.
Now, when am I gonna do the work that I missed to go sailing?????
Tim - Spring, TX -
I got an opportunity for about 1 1/2 hours on the tiny lake in the
Woodlands, Texas this afternoon. There was a line of T-storms moving in so
I checked the Weather Channel Local Radar and saw an opening and went!
Winds were shifting about 90 degress and blowing 5 - 15 MPH. I finally got
all of the balanced lug sail stuff working (June Bug has a sail from a
Michalak Pickup Pram). Needs parrals at the top and bottom (yard and boom),
semi stout downhaul and 5' longer mainsheet. Forgot my GPS, wanted to see
some speeds, but another trip. Just made it off the lake and the winds
piped up to 20 MPH. 25 minute drive home and then got about a 1 - 1 1/2
rainshower. We are REALLY DRY along the upper Texas coast, so the rain is a
BLESSING!!
The June Bug with a lug sail is kinda becomming knows as the "Lug Bug" -
apologies to Disney. The Lug is 69 sq feet and the leg o mutton it is
designed for is only 59 sq feet. The boats performs well. Points very high
into the wind. It also has nuetral helm. Positioning the boom to the mast
is somewhat sensitive to keep the nuetral helm tho. The Lug Bug also has a
pivoting leeboard similar to the Pickup Pram. The mast is "white wood".
White wood is not a good mast material. In any kind of gust, the top flexes
about 18". Each time I go out, I swear that it is going to break. I am
around 210 lbs and the boat is VERY stable with me sitting in the center of
the bottom in 15 MPH winds. When I move to the weather side, it develops
negative heel. A former June Bug I sailed actually planed on two ocassions.
Haven't made this one plane yet, but on the small lake, wind is really
shifty. Lake is narrow and there are 90' pine trees and 2 and 3 story
mansions on each shore.
Now, when am I gonna do the work that I missed to go sailing?????
Tim - Spring, TX -