Dear all and thanks very much for your responses Michael, Arne and David,
About Michael's comment... my John Leather book Gaff Rig has gone missing... But I think JL's opinion relates to the true cat whose mast is right in the eyes of the ship. And some of them had booms that must've been longer than their waterline. Pretty hairy in a blow.. But we are not quite in that league fortunately!
Thanks very much for the mast drawing Arne. My mast weight comes out very much as yours did when I re-jigged my previous much heavier one to dia at partners = 270mm. In fact mine was a bit less than yours at 363 litres "solid". Anyway it will be something around that. My timber is likely to be Douglas fir, a little heavier than spruce.
I've looked at the big scale drawing of the boat and I think this mast position is nearer to 14% of wl from the stem. I am very much reassured by your and David Tyler's comments. Interesting that Tystie's mast was this far forward! But her mast would be lighter I think... Our Annie has plenty of grip on the water up forward, so she should behave OK when reefed judging by your experiences.
Just out of curiosity I measured Annie's gaff rig for windage. Excluding the mains'l bundle but including bowsprit (which is 3m clear over the bow and .3sqm) it amounts to about 3.56sqm when at anchor. The bowsprit and headsails amount to over 1sqm, so removing those will reduce that windage far forward.. Under sail the windage is about 2.18sqm including the bowsprit and excluding the rolled up head sails.
Your question about the centreboard position is a really interesting one. And the quick answer is that I don't think the helm changes much with the board up or down, but I'm ashamed to say that I've never studied it! We usually only have it down if going to windward, as it clunks a bit in its casing when anywhere apart from near to fully up and I like the idea of reducing drag when it is stowed! How different from the de luxe arrangement on Roxane, where hers was completely silent. But surely if the weather helm is reduced by lowering the plate that's a god thing, or am I missing something?!
On balance, Arne, I feel we may need to maximise our sail area to nearer the gaff's existing area. Should I try to get to LAP 11.44 and 54sqm? Or more? What do you think yourself? I know mast weight will become an issue eventually. I just don't want to get caught wallowing in light weather....
Yes, David, there is now a wheeel on the boat which my Dad fitted when in his 70s to help with the weather helm. Unfortunately this was done at the same time that he lopped about a foot off the end of the boom so none of us are really any the wiser of the effects of that reduction in the leech area of the mains'l. But yes, it does mean that we have a bit more scope for a dinghy masted mizzen. I'd like a rectangular sprit sail, but we have to see what can be done there yet. Any sail area there, flat as Arne suggests, is going to help the veering at anchor.
Very many thanks again for all help.
Pol.