Welcome to the JRA.  Thanks for the link to a great cruising blog and the links within it to other cruising blogs is also excellent.  I converted my cutter to junk in 2011 which was an interesting exercise.  I'm a bit technologically challenged and it took me a while to get my head around it but now I feel as comfortable with the rig as I did with the old bermudian one.  What I like most about the junk rig is the ease of reefing and general sailhandling.  No more working on a wet foredeck, poling out headsails etc. Also the low stress, low tech qualities of the rig, excellent for long distance cruising. All rigs are compromises and I get annoyed with the yard and battens banging around sometimes in light winds and sloppy seas.  And I miss having a huge lightweight drifter in 5 knots of breeze (once the wind gets to 10 knots my large junk sail gets going just fine).  I also curse when rolling at anchor and the furled bundle keeps squeaking on the mast (because I am too lazy to lower the sail into the gallows, then set the topping lifts up again afterwards), but taken overall I LOVE it.  You'll find a wealth if material to ponder in these fora and in the JRA magazines.

Hello!