Reverse "Scandalizing" ?

[Tom Galyen]

For those who don't know "Scandalizing" is something which can be done with a gaff rig. It is the lowering of the gaff peak usually down to the boom where it is tied off. It is normally then fastened to the boom which turns the 4 sided gaff sail into a smaller 3 sided sail and was done by some old timers in lieu of reefing, usually in those conditions where you may be thinking should I reef or not.

The benefits or damages of "Scandalizing" have been debated on many boating forums since there have been such things some for some agin it.

However I just received my latest issue of "Maritimes Life and Traditions" magazine and saw something which is new to me. On the back cover of the magazine is an advertisement with a painting done in 1810 by Scottish - American painter Robert Salmon (1775 ~ ca. 1845). The painting is titled "Shipping Off Birkenhead" and is oil on canvas 26 x 42".

In it just to the left of the vessel in the center of the painting you can clearly see what I think is a pilot cutter coming around behind the main vessel. I think this is a pilot cutter as it is a gaff rigged sloop with a number 8 on her mainsail. The tack of the mainsail is pulled halfway up the mast toward the throat. You can see the boom still where it should be. Is this some sort of reverse scandalizing? There seems to be quite a brisk wind in the painting and the sloop in question has the wind on her port quarter, with the main out to starboard.

If anyone has this magazine and can see the painting I would like some comments on what is going on.

Tom G. (Seaweed)

[George Ray]

picture?

http://www2.friend.ly.net/~dadadata/kemp/dictB1.html
Dixon Kemp:Balance Reef.--
In gaff sails a hand with reef points or eyelet holes for lacing, sewn from the throat to the clew. The reef is taken in by lowering the jaws down to the boom and lacing the sail along the reef band to the boom. Sometimes the gaff end is lowered down to the boom end; in which case the reef band is laced along the gaff.



http://www.humboldt1.com/ar/literary/knight5.htm
E.F.Knight:
BALANCE REEF.— A diagonal reef in a fore-and-aft sail extending from throat to clews

The BALANCE REEF (Fig. 3) extends diagonally across the sail from the throat to the clews. In taking in this reef, the jaws of the gaff are lowered till they touch the boom, and are there tied. The fall of the throat halyards will do for this purpose. When the reef has been taken down and the peak is hoisted again, it will be found that the gaff is nearly parallel to the mast, and a very snug little triangular sail is formed, under which the boat will tack or run — with boom well topped up — with safety; and the moment the peak halyard is let go, down the sail will fall into the bottom of the boat without making any fuss.



http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Etymology/English/Kipping(1847).html
Robert Kipping: "Elements of Sailmaking" 1847
Balance Reef. -
A reef that crosses a sail diagonally - that is, from the nock to the upper reef-cringle on the after leech - and is used to contract it in case of a storm.

The boat we are speaking of was remarkably cranky, but she would behave well in a strong gale under her balance reef.

The balance reef is much employed by our fishermen and coasters, but scarcely ever on board yachts. I believe that many amateurs consider this, together with some other useful wrinkles, to be unyachty.



http://www.hnsa.org/doc/luce/part10.htm
Text Book of Seamanship - part 10
To take the balance reef, if fitted, ease the peak halliards enough to let the jaws of the gaff come close down, pass a lashing around the throat, fit and tie the points around the foot of the sail, and pull up the peak halliards.

The balance reef extends from the close reef-band nearly to the throat.


http://www.hmssurprise.org/Resources/LeverSALex.html
"Young Officers Sheet Anchor"
BALANCE REEF
The upper reef of a fore-and-aft mainsail or spanker, crossing the sail diagonally from a point on the mast near the throat to the leach, a little above the third reef.

[John B]

I think you'll find that what you describe is the more original form of scandalising a sail. Brailing up the luff.
The more "modern" useage is dropping away the peak, although I've never heard of it being dropped off as far as you describe, or the gaff being tied off to the boom. Its usually the sort of thing you'd do for an emergency reduction of sail in a squall or perhaps for depowering coming into moorings etc.

[martin schulz]

Thanks John,
you can explain this much better than I.

I believe dropping the peak and brailing up the mainsail luff have different terms, I just forgot the right denomination.

[rbgarr]

I've never seen a set of gaff jaws or gaff-to-mainmast arrangement that would be capable of being dropped vertically from the throat (as far as described above) without binding or breaking. Even scandalizing to the point where the gaff is horizontal puts quite a strain on the sail fabric and gaff jaws. It's a last resort emergency tactic IMO.

I've seen the brailing in pictures of Brixham trawlers iirc and wondered what, if any, luff-to-mast connection there was on their gaff sails. Lacing it seems. Do you suppose that it was just slacked off for a balance reef or unreeved entirely?

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Tricing up the tack of a gaff sail was very commonly done abaord fishing boats in Britain.

The luff was generally secured with mast hoops; before tricing up the tack one set up the weather topping lift and eased the clew outhaul.

The object is to reduce the power of the mainsail and to make it easy to see ahead. The manoevre was carried out when fishing to adjust the load on the trawl warp and when entering harbour as a form of speed control. The tricing line is a light line running through a block hung from the gaff jaws.

I think that to "scandalise" a mainsail is to first set up the topping lift, then ease the peak down as far as the horizontal - but never below horizontal, as it may become impossible to hoist the peak again and the throat will be locked solid by the thrust of the gaff on the mast.

One can trice up the tack and scandalise the sail at the same time, should one wish to.

[Jay Greer]

Since both ships in the picture are flying "Blue Peter, all persons should report onboard as the ship is about to proceed to sea." The sloop, which is most likely a pilot boat, looks to be standing by in what appears to be a hove to or jogging position. The jib is backed over to weather and the main seems to have been depowered with a tricing reef, although there is no appreciable bunt showing along the foot. This form of reef also allows greater control at slow speeds as the wind is always fairer aloft. However, it also appears that there is the bunt of another sail on the main boom. This could be the lower section of the main that would be set with bonnets when a full main was required.
JG

[Ian McColgin]

Brailing is quite normal with loose footed sails.

Scandalizing is pretty normal and is indeed quite nice for depowering into a mooring or dock.

On boats like the Wianno Senior the gaff just hangs off to leeward and down about 60 degrees.

On a very long gaffed and heavy boomed boat like Marmalade, the weight of the boom is accepted by the topping lifts and it's as well to hold the gaff about about 45 degrees down angle to avoid straining the parrels.

Scandalizing is a normal start to the reefing process as it gives you nice sail area for heaving-to, the ability to get the reefing tack positioned, and the a nice pull on the clew before peaking back up.

You don't want to stay scandalized by the hour as the sail's bunt will flog a bit and in a seaway the gaff's peak will crash around unless vanged.

[George.]

We scandalize all the time on Dalia, by doing just what Andrew said - dropping the gaff to horizontal and topping up the boom. We do it to slow down when approaching a mooring or crowded anchorage, and also to leave the mainsail up during a lunch stop in a stiff breeze.

A scandalized sail will still draw quite a bit on a reach, but will not pull you to windward well at all. If you bear off, it can be as bad as a full hoist or worse, as it fills with wind like a squaresail.

As for brailing, sounds like something for a full crew to try... ;)