James,
the rig I drew up for you yesterday is in my view already an improvement over my former boats like Johanna and Ingeborg - I mean when offshore travelling is on the menu. The shorter cord/waterline ratio and better angle clearance to the sea, with the sail squared out, would let it travel quite safely offshore.
However, since the word ‘circumnavigation’ popped up here, I think there is room for improvements.
This time I have fitted an almost identical sail, but with a 65° yard. This little change (and by keeping the same mast) gives more room for shifting the sail both forward and aft. It also lets one install running Tack Parrel (TP) and thus tilt the lower end well forward (5° in this case). I know that some has found this to be a useful measure to ease steering downwind, but I hope the two Davids; Tyler and Thatcher will share a bit of their personal experience with this method. Anyway, as shown on the diagram to the right, The CE of the tilted sail has moved ‘inside the rail’, so steering should be easy.
You will notice that I have also plonked on a new rudder onto the transom. This is probably an overkill for this boat. Better save that space for a servo pendulum gear.
Arne
