The physics of sailing include the wind, the current, the underwater hull shape and the sail area. It is really a battle between the non-compressible water and the very compressible wind.
Once I raced in a nine-ton staysail schooner against about a dozen 26’ Thunderbird sloops (average weight about two tons). The first leg was to windward. Of course, after lots of tacks, we were last in rounding the buoy. The wind was now light and on our stern. With mainsail, fisherman, foresail and the upper and lower jibs setting wing-on wing, we glided past the T-birds. How cool was that!
I like square rigs, sprit rigs, gaff, lateen, lug or Marconi rigs placed in the right position on the right hull, single, double, trimaran or scow. Tried them all. But the best rig for sailing in ponds or on the ses is a yawl. The mizzen is your friendly ghost. When you are at the helm and sailing to windward, you can read a book or write a poem while the mizzen keeps you on course.
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Ginny Jones says:
Couldn’t agree more and another beauty of the yawl rig is that you have a mast at your back rather than in your face and in your way when you are at the helm and trying to see off in the distance.
Slim McCann says:
I have a 30 CAL, and have been noodlin’ on adding a cutter. Any thoughts, pro or con?
randy hines says:
yeh your right! im glad you guys put one in for thr Yawl, i have a 36 Allie dPrincess Ketch, and all i can say is i hear you guys saying the same thing, you sail quite comfortably under a much greater range of wind /sea conditions and sail efficently, i would love to try the Yawl after owning a ketch, and first mate on a schooner 4 years
thanks guys1
Robert R. Hines
Richard Heilman says:
In the summer of 1956 or 57, I was dating a woman whose family owned the Concordia 39 yawl Priscilla (#32). I went aboard at Cuttyhunk and spent the next few days sailing in the Elizabeth Islands on the most wonderful sailing creation I have ever encountered. Malay had won her class to Bermuda not too many years earlier so it was a special treat for a young sailer to get a chance to see what all the buzz was about. My first morning aboard, I managed to spill a full bowl full of pancake batter through the companionway ladder onto the engine which was a bit of a trial to the owner but Mr Hopkin’s reaction to all this was tempered by the pleasure of his daughter having brought aboard a sailing enthusiast.
I cleaned up the engine as well as could be done, but entering and leaving port for the rest of that cruise at least, the accomodation smelled like a bakery when the engine was running. As cruising misadventures go this was probably not the worst thing that could have happened to such a distinguished boat.
Dick Heilman
Doug Cameron says:
On small (20 foot) planing boats like the Core Sound series or the Sea Pearl (shown in your video about gunkholing), I have come to love the cat ketch rig. Heaving to, steering without the rudder, low center of effort, good windward ability, good in light air with a mizzen staysail, shallow draft and easy to trailer.
What about getting Graham Byrnes to do a piece in this series about that rig. And maybe Matt Layden on the balance lug rig.
Christophe Matson says:
Hey Dick/and/or/Frank,
What’s that little cat-ketch beauty in the background with the leg-o-mutton spritboom rig?
Dick Wagner says:
Hi Christophe,
That beauty is The Center for Wooden Boats’ replica of a New Haven oyster sharpie. We give free rides on some of our Livery boats on Sundays in Seattle and on Mother’s Day weekend at our Camano Island, Washington, campus (where the photo was taken). The cat ketch is the BETSY D., given to CWB in 1983. The builder lived in Port Townsend, Washington. When he got a job in Hawaii he decided to donate his engine-less, stove-less, radio-less. low freeboard, flat-bottomed boat rather than single-hand it to his new job. He sailed her to my house and she became the queen of the CWB Livery. The other boat in the photo, JOSHUA, is a replica of Slocum’s SPRAY and was built and is still owned by CWB member Bill Harpster.
Dick
James Thompson says:
Exactly so. After 60+ years of sailing I have ended up with an old Tartan 27 yawl and I love it. On the worst of days I keep going under jib and jigger–not fast but safely, On the best she rolls off the miles under plain sail, all but on a hard beat when she becomes a sloop. Plus yawls are lovely!