Anonymous wrote:

What I would do, given your situation, is tabernacle-step the pole  as a mainmast, to carry a five panel junk sail, then set the foremast right up in the eyes of the boat and have a jib set to a removable bowsprit, from this (foremast) only.

With a mizzenmast and sail, these two small and easily manageable sails should be good for balance. Then it would also be possible to carry a good driving sail in the way of a fishermans jib/gollywobbler type sail between the fore and mainmast..... as a guadrilateral sail with its peakhauling line belayed to windward, you have  a measure of staying and have theconvenience in handling of the battened mains'l.

Not fully sure what you mean, but here’s a drawing of what I think you mean(though I didn’t make the junk sail smaller in this picture):

I’ve managed to transport my mast from the old Gaff rig it came from to the yard beside my boat. I’ve begun sanding it and resealing it. It’s in remarkably good condition, kept dry these last 4 years, but it sat on the boat it’s from for likely five before that. The builder used a treated unused telephone pole to shape it from and the smell of the all the preservative is strong as I sand.

Anyway, I’ve realised it’s a fairly robust mast, and wonder if there’s a way I could use it unstayed? I’ve got a 10mm steel bulkhead that runs port to starboard both fore and aft of the engine room. I wonder if it would be possible to build a steep step/tabernacle to seat the mast into above the partner level and accomplish this?

I’ve made a few drawings which I’ve attached here. 

Randy wrote:

As I mentioned in another reply, the bowsprit is to me, a beneficial device, if just for the pure joy! :) I also have a mizzen sail, main sail and two foresails, but all undersized. I imagine the foresails will work fine, but I'd likely take the Main and Mizzen I have and make one junk Mizzen, leaving me having to only make one large main from scratch.

For the Mizzen, I imagine I need the four shrouds, though, as you mention. Wouldn't I? I Could make this sail a wingsail, but actually, I think I'd i'm leaning to make both as junk sails. The challenge I have here on the mizzen is that it will hang over the stern, requiring something of a stern sprit?

If all goes well, I hope to make it to Brest for the big festival! And ideally the AGM in Brixham.

So I think you end up with something like the sail plan that Arne sketched for you. One or two headsails, staysail to the stemhead and flying jib on a furler to the bowsprit end, with two shrouds and forestay to support them. As big a junk main as will fit, with a high-peaked yard to clear the forestay. A small junk mizzen on a mast with four shrouds, and double sheeting, port and starboard, to make it useable as a riding sail and to avoid having a spar extending the LOA.

On sailcloth: 11oz Top Gun is favourite for this size of boat, but be aware that making large sails out of heavy cloth is a challenge. I've made a number of large sails from 9oz cloth and would be terrified at the though of making one from 11oz cloth. It would need a very large floor and sewing table, and at least two helpers to move the weight and bulk of the near-complete sail around while the machinist moves only that part of the cloth that is near the machine.

there's a way around this. The way that Roger Taylor devised for the sail on Mingming II, with the sail in sections, joined at the batten with alternating pocket sections on each panel, with the batten passing through them, so that it looks like a metal hinge when assembled. It would be much less daunting to make a large sail this way. I worked with Paul to make Aphrodite's sails out of 11oz Top Gun in separate panels, joined by the battens, but I'd be happy enough to make a large sail in three or four sections of two or three panels each. Anyway, make the mizzen first, to get experience in passing heavy cloth through the machine without too much total weight to manage. Another point is to think carefully about the number of layers that are to pass under the needle at once, and keep it down to three. That's easy enough to arrange along the batten pockets, luff and leech, but it's where three layers at luff and leech meet three layers at batten pockets at the corners of the panels that even the strongest machine will struggle, where you get as many as six layers of heavy cloth.

Randy

The hounds limits the size (height) of the junk sail just as it does with a gaff sail. If you move the hounds upwards, I can move the yard upwards as well, and maybe even make the battens a bit longer. I would not make the sail much wider, though, since a generous clearance for the main sheet is good to have, in particular on a sail over 40sqm.  However, if moving the hounds calls for a major surgery of the mast, I suggest you leave it as it is. After all, your vessel started as a motor trawler. These are not particularly fine-lined and easily driven, so in many cases you will be motor-sailing, using both sail and engine (one lower rpm), but still burning less fuel than before.

Flat or cambered sail.
When I wanted to upgrade my first flat junksail to camber, back in 1990, my motive was solely to improve speed to windward. I surely got that, but I also found the cambered sail to be much more powerful on all angles between broad reach and close-hauled. This is where your sail will give the biggest help ( the two 90° wide zones between 60° and 150° from the true wind). On these legs, a JR with a really good camber (10%?) will almost double the drive compared to a flat junk sail.

Sailcloth
I know some are using the stout 12oz.(?) Topgun canvas, for demanding tasks, and are happy with it.

Arne

Anonymous wrote:

Randy,

yes, to quote Tom Cunliffe in his book ‘Hand, reef and steer’:

“Hounds: The part of the mast which the main
shrouds are attached. In a gaffer it is well up the
shaft, because it must be above the gaff-jaws.”

Funny about the images. They are meant to be opened (after some delay) if you click on them.
Maybe this link to my member’s photo album will work better for you.

Cheers,
Arne

I never even considered opening the image! LOL I can see them fine when I do that. Go figure  

Hounds... got it.