Appendices -- Useful Supplemental Information

DETERMINING SPAR BEND

The amount unstayed spars bend under the influence of the sails attached to them determines, in part, the design of the sail. Use these guidelines to get accurate spar-bend data for masts, gaffs, yards, and booms.

1) Support gaffs, and lug, gunter, or lateen yards, at the ends. For masts, support the spar at the tip and where it passes through the partners. (Booms are a special case. If the sail is loose-footed, i.e. attached only at the tack and clew, no bend data is needed. If the sail is laced, sleeved, or otherwise attached along the boom, bend data may be required.)

Hang from the midpoint (masts & gaffs) or halyard attachment point (lug, gunter, and lateen yards) a weight equal (in pounds) to: 1/2 the sail area for masts bearing Bermudan, gaff, or sprit sails; 1/2 the sail area for lateen yards and booms; 1/3 the sail area for gaffs and lug or gunter yards. Water @ 8.3 lbs/gal makes a convenient weight (don‘t forget to weigh the bucket).

A 50 sq ft Bermudan sail on an unstayed mast, for example, requires a weight of 25 lbs (3 gallons of water). A 50 sq ft lugs’l yard would be tested with a weight of about 16.5 lbs (2 gallons of water).

2) Measure, against a string line, the offsets at three equidistant points on the spar. Call these the 1/4 (nearest the butt), 2/4, and 3/4 points. If the spar is rectangular, be sure the long section is vertical. Try to measure to 1/8” accuracy.

Masts bearing lugs’ls do not need to be measured. Ditto for sprit booms and sprits’l sprits.

If the spars are not available for this simple exercise, the sailmaker should at least have their dimensions, material, and type of construction, so he can attempt to predict their bend based on past experience.