a gaff saddle from 1900

[John B]

Tern II again.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid61/pe3730ed7bda4338b5f677a4976df52bd/fc30f0b6.jpg
I would have loved to see something like this when I was designing my own saddle.
Wrought iron stirrup shape first, riveted onto the sheet to create the saddle proper. I could feel the rivets through the leather which leads me to think that perhaps there was some extra padding material of some sort in there originally. I don't think they would have allowed the bumps of the rivet heads to be felt.... that will generate a wear point or two. Beautiful job I thought. Linn got a saddle maker to leather it up.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid61/p58d3f367b70eec8c6742ee30db4dfb98/fc30f0a9.jpg
Very strong construction as you can see. loads go on gaff saddles in some funny places, it's not just all compression on the centre of the saddle.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Yes, very nice indeed. The people who made the fittings of that era were not making a few replicas for a specialist market but making them all the time, which makes a difference (also, their bad products have not survived!)

Fife's drawings for gaff rig gear for a 10 tonner (actually the Dublin Bay Restricted Class) can be found in Dixon Kemp, 11th edition, edited by Linton Hope. A book to look out for, even in tatty condition.

[John B]

That's one I've looked out for in a passive sort of way but never found ,Andrew. I dragged 'Yacht Cruising' out last night ( again) and matched up some of the fittings with the ones I've photographed. The roller reefing gear he had fabricated , for example.
He's a good writer, isn't he.( Worth ,I mean) Easy to read.
I had forgotten that MAUD was a Fife.

[ 05-13-2003, 04:34 PM: Message edited by: John B ]

[J. Dillon]

Reminds me of a medieval helmet. Maybe from a half cocked knight ;)

JD

[Lion]

John,

Very interesting, best I have seen but there is not much to compare around here. I am getting a bit ahead of myself but as I work thru the rebulid/completion of our FW 18 'Catboat in my head I have been musing over the gaff jaws versus gaff saddle. The plans show jaws and John Leather's 'Gaff Handbook' is open verdict on either option.

To my mind a saddle for a relatively low and substantially parallel mast would be fine and give more effective control. The topping lift (or should that be 'peak halliard' - you know the thing that hauls the gaff up the mast) could connect directly to the pin that passes thru the eye of the saddle by way of a shackle.The gaff could attach with a firmly secured fork tang that might reduce the tendancy for the gaff boom to fall away. Downside - can't see any ? Comments anyone ?

Any chance you could post a dimesioned sketch so I could think about getting one made in due course.

Thanks,
Lion

[ 05-15-2003, 12:08 AM: Message edited by: Lion ]

[John B]

I'd go jaws for that size of boat myself although It might depend on the gaff angle you choose.The reason is that there tends to be a twisting moment come in on the gaff when running. There's a good website run by Classic marine in the UK which has data on the different sorts of Saddles for different peak angles. I'll see if I can find it....
I'll look for my little tragedy too. IE "what can go wrong with a saddle" Twisting of the gaff. I haven't beat it yet although I have made progress.

[John B]

This is the tragedy I was telling you about... caught by a friend of mine John Rawson.a lurker.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid15/p7a53920eca332a76826d4d86f597f15f/fde76d3f.jpg
you can see that the gaff has twisted and cocked the saddle up off the mast. Looks more like a lug rig than a gaff!

[Lion]

Wow !

So are we saying that a bit of slack and give that is characteristic of jaws is no bad thing ? A stiffish saddle which might give you a better sail shape could be more trouble than its worth ? Hmmm....back to the corner chair.

Lion

[John B]

Possibly, Lion. But on the other hand, what's happening to my saddle is telegraphing to me that there is an issue, and although it looks like a busted bum, it's not binding up or crushing the mast,doing any damage.
My theory as to why it's happening is twofold.
1. is that a gaff should be round in section. mine is ovoid. I supposed that that would be good. I don't think so now.
2. is that you have to get the attachment points for the throat of the sail and the throat halyard right.You referred to topping lift before. I beleive you mean the throat halyard.
I now think after experimenting this year, that the throat ring of the sail should have some travel, some movement in a loose shackle rather than be locked into a fitting like I had before. This is to allow the saddle to settle into position on the mast without the twist of the sail trying to pull it back .( hard to describe).

I think you could avoid a lot of this sort of issue with both the boom and the gaff on jaws because they could then revolve around the mast together like a hinge. when you have a gooseneck, the tack of the sail basically stays in one position ( relatively) while the gaff revolves around the mast. This is a component in my problem too.