Appendices -- Useful Supplemental Information

NOTES ON TRADITIONAL RIGS

Gaff, gunter, lug, and sprit sails can have their draft changed dramatically by controlling the tension on edges, and, particularly, the amount of “peak”, via peak halyard (gaff and gunter), luff downhaul (lug), and snotter (sprit tension).

Sails will not look good or perform well unless these adjustments are correct for wind strength and point of sail.

The luff and head are roped a little “short.” Tension must be applied with outhaul, halyard, or downhaul to take all the wrinkles out of that edge of the sail, and then some. More tension in stronger winds. Halyards, particularly those in dumb sheaves, may not exert enough tension to control luffs properly, so a tack downhaul in the form of a two- or three-part tackle may be in order.

The peak halyard for gaffs and gunter yards, the tack downhaul of the lugs’l, and the fall of the sprit’s snotter (origin unknown) should be attended to whenever wind strength or point of sailing change. Too little “peak” will result in wrinkles from throat to clew; too much, in wrinkles from head to tack.

Shape controls should lead near the helm, so they can be adjusted without going forward in the boat. (Sprit’ls with brailing lines should have that control led handy to the helm, also. We supply a light brailing line exiting at the tack grommet. Bend a larger line on this, and lead it aft to a cleat.)

Edges of sails attached to spars with lacing, robands, hoops, etc., should be perfectly straight, with the bolt rope and corner rings spaced off the spar the same everywhere. If not, the shape of the sail will not be what the sailmaker intended. Lacing line should be low-stretch, light, supple stuff -- polyester braid or three strand. One-eighth inch diameter is a good size for small sails, 3/16” for sails over 100 sq ft.

Watch out for too much outhaul on loose-footed sails. If horizontal wrinkles appear above the roached (curved) edge of the foot, it’s overstretched. It’s very easy to use too much outhaul when trying to sail close to the wind. Remember that the clew of loose-footed sails should be held close to the boom with a loose lashing, or roband -- to keep the boom high even when the outhaul is slacked.

A special requirement for properly deploying lugs’ls with reefs is that the yard must be prevented from drifting away from the mast when the reef is tied in -- with a parrel line or similar restraint.