Annie Hill wrote:

On reason why most people go the DIY route to converting boats is because of the expense.  Now that second-hand boats, particularly small ones, sell for relatively little money, it is hard to justify spending a lot on them, unless you intend to keep it 'forever'.

Therefore, it may well make sense to buy.  The Freedom ketch will probably sail very well.  The Virgo I suspect, less so, being short and wide with twin keels.  Either would be good for your harbours around Brittany (I think the Freedom has a centreboard).

Eric

As I have to go to Brest next week , I shall certainly go to le Port du Chateau and look for these 2 junk rig boats.

Petit aparté en français : comme tu indiques posséder Ming Ming, je suppose qu'il s'agit de Ming Ming 1 et que tu serais donc le traducteur des ouvrages de Roger Taylor. Est-ce  le cas ? C'est en fait en voyant la série de videos You Tube de Ming Ming II que l'idée m'est venue de transformer mon Tilapia Ar Vag melen. Le fonctionnement de son gréement actuel est tellement insatisfaisant que je ne m'en sers quasiment plus et c'est bien dommage. Merci de tes suggestions car je me pose des questions sur l'opportunité de la transformation envisagée qui suscite de fortes oppositions de principe insuffisamment argumentées pour me ramener tout de suite dans le rang. Une opinion ?

Claude

Oui, c'est moi ! (yes i'm Roger Tailor's co-translater to French!). Nous nous sommes rencontré au départ du premier Jester Challenge (We met at the start of the first Jester Challenge).

J'avais aussi commencé à traduire Practical Junk Rig mais j'ai abandonné le projet. (I also started the translation of PJR, but I cancelled the project for personal reasons. )

Un Junket a été organisé au port du Chateau en 2015: https://jra.wildapricot.org/general_forum/3352193 (A junket was organized in Brest in 2015)

Mon opinion à chaud, c'est qu'un changement de gréement ne rectifiera pas un mât trop lourd et trop avancé avec un manque de volume à l'étrave. Il faudrait réduire fortement la hauteur du mât.   (My opinion, but I dont have all the elements, is that a mast too heavy too much forward will remain too heavy and too much forward independantly of the rigging. An other way to say it would be a lax of boyancy at the bow. A way to solve the problem would be to shorten the mast drastically.

Une autre voie serait d'essayer une aile de jonque. Cela résoudrait les problèmes d'interaction de la voile et du mât. Le mât serait emprisonné dans la voile. (An other complementary option would be to experiment a Junkwing. It would solve the issue of mast to sail jamming. The mast would be kept inside the wingsail.)

Eric

David Tyler wrote:

Claude,

When our webmaster has fixed this page:

http://www.junkrigassociation.org/junk_rig_sailing

I suggest that you find someone to give you a familiarisation sail, so that you gain some hands-on experience. This will answer at least some of your questions. 

Thank's for the idea, I found one adress nearby in Arzal and I shall get in touch with this JRA member

Eric Andlauer wrote:

There are, at least, two junk rig boat at Brest "Port du Chateau" and one on the Rance close to St Malo. There is also a Coromandel (member of the JRA) in the Golf du Morbihan but one year ago she was not sailing and neaded some refit.

As I have to go to Brest next week , I shall certainly go to le Port du Chateau and look for these 2 junk rig boats.

Petit aparté en français : comme tu indiques posséder Ming Ming, je suppose qu'il s'agit de Ming Ming 1 et que tu serais donc le traducteur des ouvrages de Roger Taylor. Est-ce  le cas ? C'est en fait en voyant la série de videos You Tube de Ming Ming II que l'idée m'est venue de transformer mon Tilapia Ar Vag melen. Le fonctionnement de son gréement actuel est tellement insatisfaisant que je ne m'en sers quasiment plus et c'est bien dommage. Merci de tes suggestions car je me pose des questions sur l'opportunité de la transformation envisagée qui suscite de fortes oppositions de principe insuffisamment argumentées pour me ramener tout de suite dans le rang. Une opinion ?

Claude

Sorry for this french aparte but there are so few french JRA members ! Eric does confirm I may not find  any boatyard or sailmaker with a sufficent knowledge in France 

The idea of Eric to have the conversion made in England, with the benefit of a low £, then led me to have a look on internet and I found plenty junk rigged boat for sale at good (Virgo 23' boat for about 6 000 £) or reasonable prices (for instance a 28 Freedom ketch at 12 000 £ at Sunbird Marine). Is it then worth to keep on going with my Tilapia conversion project ?

I am now puzzled ...

Claude

Postion of the mast of your boat could be a bit of an issue Claude.

Putting the mast straight up will be quite a challenge.

You might have to move it.

Your best bet would be a tabernacle on deck or you would lose the uncluttered  cabin layout you now have.

Fairly complex project I would think.

And you now have all desirable features junkrig offers too.

I can see why you find a junkrig attractive and every person deserves a challenge. Time for some serious pondering of pros and cons I would think.

Claude,

When our webmaster has fixed this page:

http://www.junkrigassociation.org/junk_rig_sailing

I suggest that you find someone to give you a familiarisation sail, so that you gain some hands-on experience. This will answer at least some of your questions.