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The final version of the Junk Rig Glossary is now available and can be found under the Junk Information menu, or directly here. This Glossary lists all the terms related to the junk rig, its implementation and use.
We were formed in the UK, and although our 'office' address and banking remains in the UK we are run by an increasingly international Committee via the Internet. A number of posts become vacant every year, at the AGM, so if you choose to join you could also put your name forward to help run the 'club'. It doesn't run itself. Our membership is now more than 50% outside the UK. Click the chart for detail.
October 2018 - Smokey Bob
Smokey Bob is a 16ft folding trailerable junk rigged trimaran. I started building this boat three years ago from a Richard Woods design. I was able to find one of his Pixie 14 catamarans which is the donor boat for the outer hulls, and this also provided the mast and sails. I built the centre hull, beams etc. As with all kit projects the finishing off is the real issue, so there are many fittings and bits and pieces still to sort out. I sailed her a few times with the original rig and the mini cabin top from the design, but I found it really got in the way so I removed it.
I have often toyed with the idea of junk rig in past years. I think it was Annie Hill’s treasured book ‘Sailing on a Small Income’ that first introduced me to it. Then Roger Taylor was also an inspiration. At this time my friend and fellow sailor David Hall decided to fit one to his boat and we began to discuss the matter in earnest. Having built the boat I was unwilling to commit to trying to make a sail as well, I’d had enough for the time being, sewing not being my forte. Then I found Jami Jokinen’s advert for his 18sq m junk rig in Finland, it looked just the job, if a little big with seven panels, a great colour scheme too. I reasoned that it might be fine to sail much of the time with one panel reefed and only let out the final one in light airs.
The design, construction and fitment of the tabernacle took quite a time, as did the setting up of the lazy jacks and parrels, finding the right size ropes of the right lengths, blocks, cleats etc all to be fitted in the right place. I guess if I were to do it again it would be very much quicker.
The rig is a real delight, now that I have it more or less sorted, and seems to perform very well. I wasn’t expecting much in the way of pointing ability, either from the trimaran configuration (there is no centre board) or from the rig, but it proved to be pretty good. Off the wind it’s terrific and very fast. The ability to drop the sail in seconds and have it stay in place above my head is great. I can also easily lower it down onto the deck where it can be laid at right angles and therefore completely out of the way of the cockpit. Look for, ‘Smokey Bob, junk rigged trimaran’ on Youtube for a short video (sorry the deck is a bit of a mess in the video - this is not my usual style!) More photos are available via this link: https://goo.gl/photos/NNq16NjBrgFMKBgSA
Reluctantly, and owing to health and age problems, I have, after much debate, decided to sell the boat and the advert will shortly be found on the JRA site and Ebay.
Our Boat of the Month Archive is here.
