Thank you, Arne! I greatly appreciate your time and patience! I have learned a lot as I read back and forth through the postings, and my copy of Practical Junk Rig. I think this is a great solution with the mast in the forward hatch aperture.

I found your article from JRA Magazine Issue 76 about your mast step and partners on Ingeborg, and though I initially dismissed a more forward mast location, I am going to take a closer look that the previous thread regarding the Alberg 30 conversion with the mast step further forward. I had been concerned about the bury depth, but I think this can be resolved.

I’m interested in comparing your last sketch with the AR 2.05 sketch you did for the mast in the forward position, but with 40 square meters of sail instead of 43.5 square meters. I think this could bring the sail down, and put the CE very close to the CE of the Bermudan rig.

https://junkrigassociation.org/resources/photo/uTljNHN_T9II2VPclRSi4a0_AU23C3w34fu1_6KuiGi8tTD-h5QI6BUBrmBnzaRckjOKxGYdv4eMrzQ56kqgdw2

David,
generally I am not too fond of forward-raking masts, unless deck layout demands it. However, you may have a point here. Even this little 1.5° adjustment will let me move the halyard’s slingpoint back to the 5% point (not important).

What I would have done, is to rig the mast plumb, but have a slot in the mast step to let me  adjust the mast rake. It takes less than 50mm movement at the step to achieve 1.5° mast rake.

Just a thought.

(PS: can the word 'rake' be used as a verb, as I have done?)

Arne

(full size diagram in Arne's sketches, section 8, photo 17)

Well, now I have given it another try, hopefully the last one. By shortening the battens and increasing the AR, I managed to keep the sail area on 40sqm.

The mast balance is now 28.2%. I chose to go back to the 60° yard angle as this pushes the CE a little further forward than with 55° yard.

Personally, I would not be afraid of trying this rig.

Have a look, folks.

Arne

(full size diagram under Arne's sketches, section 8, photo16)

This was difficult.
I found that if  the mast is to go through that hatch, the mast balance in the sail would almost touch 30% to keep the CE of the sail in the same position as in the Bermudan rig.
If the boat were mine, I would be very tempted to try it, but I would not push that sail onto others before it has been tried.
That mast position almost require a SJR rig, which I know too little about.

Arne

PS: Anyway, I let you have a look.

(Full size diagram in Arne's Sketches, section 8, photo 15)

I'm somewhat reluctant to comment on rigs for this boat again, after the way that my suggestions of erring on the side of prudence and good seamanlike sense weren't well received last time; but since my name has been mentioned, perhaps I should.

The problem with a Badger-like rig on this boat is that when the mainsail area decreases relative to the foresail area, both masts need to move aft in the boat. I think that the mainmast is likely to clash with the sliding main hatch. A PJR distribution of sail areas, 67/33, would seem to put the mainmast just forward of this interference, with the smaller foremast being well forward and clear of the V berths. This is a practical possibility.

Yet I would question whether it's necessary to go for a schooner rig. 450 sq ft in a single sail, on a mast stepped through the forehatch area, seems to be reasonable and practical, without impacting the accommodation too badly. I think I'd favour it, using one of the 40ft hurricane-proof flagpoles you mention. Possibly the 8 inch thicker-walled variant (subject to verifying by calculation)?