At the AGM in Whangarei NZ this year, I suggested that the JRA invest in some professional level graphics and video resources to help illustrate and explain the junk rig to newcomers. The purpose is not to recruit new members like missionaries but to help those who have already chosen the rig.
The following are some of my thoughts. So far, I have not had much luck finding local talent to give us a quote but that may happen yet. Meanwhile, I will put out these suggestions and perhaps interested members could find among themselves or in their own locale, the appropriate expertise.
Here is what I propose:
3D GRAPHICS
I suggest a 3D interactive drawing of a typical junk rig mounted on a boat such as Footprints. Capable of being rotated in any direction and zoomable to get in to see details.
It should consist of several layers, each depicting a separate category of parts. E.g., sail, mast, yard, boom, battens, standing rigging, running rigging, mast step, and so on.
Each layer should have check boxes. Like Google Earth. These will reveal notes in balloons pointing toward an item. Another check box to go to a separate drawing and/or text explanation.
The boat layers should be very basic. No details to distract. It should be showable as opaque, transparent (ghost-like) and invisible.
A gallery of photographs should accompany this set.
GRAPHICS ANIMATION
A step up from the a fore mentioned would be animated features. When you see what has been achieved today for video games, it’s quite amazing what can be illustrated and is such realistic detail. However, unless we could piggyback on someone else’s work, I imagine it would be too expensive for us to go that route.
VIDEO
A series of videos to post to our archives and YouTube illustrating the components of our rig and how it is operated in different modes.
Video aboard boat from various locations. Limited to close-ups but instructive.
Videos from heretofore remote perches. E.G. From the top of the mast. See GoPro cameras.
Suggest a temporary bipod, or single pole, a “selfie stick” if you like, to hold a camera off the stern of the boat to bring more into view than is possible from a video aboard. It’s cheaper than a chase boat.
Suggest using a camera with a “video stabilization” mount to cope with jerky motion. (E.g. Gopro HERO5 + Karma Grip). With appropriate distance and lens, one can get quite a bit in one view.
(BTW, I have no financial connection with anything in this article.)
Another suggestion: Employ a 360 degree, stabilized video camera on a stern mount. This would guarantee that just about everything we need to show is in view. Don’t know what editing possibilities are. For our purposes, we might want to limit that because we don’t need to know what’s behind us. Then there are other mounting points. A selfie-stick from the bow, on centre, off centre, deck level, off deck level and water level. A Mast top view would be interesting.
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
We should consider having a commercial photographer do some of this work. They understand the challenges of lighting, perspective, framing and so on, to make the video instructive and entertaining too.
I suggest a photographer on a chase boat. Video from a distance at different angles or in motion, such as circling the boat.
Scenarios: Raising sail, adjusting yard hauling parrel etc.
Sail set for pointing; close reach; beam reach; broad reach; running.
Heaving to.
Reefing one panel, two panel etc.; depicting sheetlets resetting themselves.
Gybing
Alternating scenes showing junkrig versus Bermuda rig to demonstrate difference in visibility; time and effort to reef/un-reef, no flogging when heaving to, etc.
DRONE VIDEO
Everybody has seen drone footage these days. This could be another way to illustrate the junkrig in operation. It can be very pleasant to watch. This might best be done by a professional. Or not. The drone would have to cope with wind. But the technology gets better all the time. I see a scenario where a junk rigged boat is sailing in tandem with a Bermudan rigged boat, on a port tack to windward. Then both boat turn to weather and heave to. The difference between their sails will be obvious, one flogging, the other not.