to Joe (CSOH)

[Nanoose]

re your "Hey Steven Bauer" thread (wasn't sure you'd get this if I just left it at the bottom of that thread):

This is our first summer with a gaff rig, and I'm trying to learn from this thread...but I'm having trouble following you - so a couple of questions, if I may:

1. in both pictures, the saddle is located at the same spot on the mast. What difference did your adjustment make to it's final resting spot on the mast?

2. From your description, I'm not clear on which part of the sail you are loosening on the gaff and what is 'sliding down', and how you retighten it once the saddle is in it's correct position?

Thanks, Joe! Nanoose

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Ok I will try to explain. the sail is tied at two locations, the end of the boom and the top of the gaff peak. I had the sail tied tight to end of the gaff at the top. This caused a limitation on the hight i could raise the main. I loosened the tie line to the top of the sail at the gaff, allowing the sail to slide down the sail track. This allowed me to have more slack to raise the gaff saddle and the main to the appropriate saddle location on the mast. After I got the saddle in the proper location with the main line I peaked the gaff to get rid of any crease in the sail.

I hope that made sense ?

This is the sail before. Notice the location of the saddle and the big gap and poor shape of the sail just below the saddle.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid205/pc1185ac7859e5d4383b3bf367e198eb9/ef3bdd9d.jpg

This is the sail after. Notice what a better fit everything is.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid207/pcf80214917ca2975aa8324f0cc40cc59/eeb49dcc.jpg

[StevenBauer]

Unfortunatly the tip of the gaff doesn't show in either picture. Glad it worked Joe. We might be stopping by on Sunday July 2nd on our way back from the family reunion.

Steven

[Nanoose]

Ok I will try to explain. the sail is tied at two locations, the end of the boom and the top of the gaff peak. I had the sail tied tight to end of the gaff at the top. This caused a limitation on the hight i could raise the main. I loosened the tie line to the top of the sail at the gaff, allowing the sail to slide down the sail track. This allowed me to have more slack to raise the gaff saddle and the main to the appropriate saddle location on the mast. After I got the saddle in the proper location with the main line I peaked the gaff to get rid of any crease in the sail.

I hope that made sense ?

This is the sail before. Notice the location of the saddle and the big gap and poor shape of the sail just below the saddle.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid205/pc1185ac7859e5d4383b3bf367e198eb9/ef3bdd9d.jpg

This is the sail after. Notice what a better fit everything is.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid207/pcf80214917ca2975aa8324f0cc40cc59/eeb49dcc.jpg

Thanks, Joe. The 'before' picture helped me appreciate the 'after' picture more fully! Just working this through in my mind, recognizing our rigs have some differences...
When you are raising your gaff, is it horizontal? (If so, I can't see why slackening the sail's attachment to the gaff would affect where the saddle ends up.)
Is your sail attached to gaff and boom by use of a sail track? (hard for me to see from the pics if it's tied on or on a track.)
Obviously (from the pic), once it's all raised it's a thing of beauty!, but in my mind, I can't figure out how that loosened attachment to the 'out haul' end of the gaff doesn't end up making the sail loose along the gaff once it's all in place.
Thanks for getting back to us. Nanoose

[martin schulz]

What I don't understand Joe is. Why do you have the bottom of the sail attached to the boom. Nobody here does that and I wonder if that is some local custom.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid207/p2ab219e483333f849c9872ff1b6f8353/eebe2597.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid186/pd7d9c60a2df3e8d612d96b5e6d3aef8e/f2568b25.jpg

I woul imagine that when you loosen the mainsail a bit at the outhaul you will have a lot of little bulging sailparts.

[John B]

Its about boom scantlings Martin.
A sail that spreads its load along the boom with ties or track can have a lighter boom.
when you don't have ties or track. IE : loose footed , the boom is compressed more without the stabilising effect of the ties/robands/slugs/lacing and therefore needs to be thicker/stronger. This is also the issue with reefing when you don't tie in the points. SO. if you have a boom which is designed for a fastened in foot, then you can assume its not able to be slab reefed without the reef points.Or its risky anyway.

Modern boats with ali booms have such strength in reserve that those rules don't apply so much.Its pretty typical to find a boom with track but slab reefed without points .

[Uncle Duke]

John B - thanks for the concise, clear, and lucid explanation.
... (that's all...)

[John B]

No sweat. my pleasure.

When I converted my 20 ft x5 inch boom to a 28 ft x 4 inch boom , and changed fittings , I saved about 40 pounds in weight which was important in the scheme of things. If it was a shorter boom I think I'd still have it with a foot lacing or track, but I'd have it so I could just slab in without ties.
Why? I'm just not terribly comfortable with the whole loosefooted concept because of the end plate effect or lack of it. I know vast experimentation has been done on the subject and proved and disproved over the years but I'd rather have a foot shelf personally. Call me old fashioned:)

[Nanoose]

Then again, there's those of us with boomless mains. New boat to us - new rig - new learning curve. The ketch has both gaff and boom, but the main only has a gaff...

[martin schulz]

Then again, there's those of us with boomless mains. New boat to us - new rig - new learning curve. The ketch has both gaff and boom, but the main only has a gaff...

True...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid186/p907eb5c7572727a4fa7a51ae14754a96/f24e4964.jpg