Sven Yrvind on balanced lug rig...

Misinformation madness, something needful about top soil, and in the "A Freudian slip of note" department...

Listening to some covers of fifty year old songs

So it goes...

Something interesting in development...

I have a bad feeling about all this, more about flags of convenience, and in the "a whole lot of kelp in our future" department...

One big issue I have with folks designing multihulls these days is that hardly anyone is thinking about smaller, more affordable cruising boats. 

If you get into your way-back machine, you'll see there was a pretty active trade in small affordable cruising cats with designs like the Heavenly Twins, Hirondelle, Prout Sirocco, Catalac, and Iroquois to name a few production cats. At the same time, just about every multihull designer around were designing 26-30 foot boats for home builders.

What happened?

The market is still there for smaller designs if the mail I get is any kind of indicator whenever I write about smaller multihull designs.

Now, I sorta/kinda understand why purveyors of cats and tris focus on big buck clients because they want the big bucks, and folks with lots of money want bragging right with their boats.

The why of what's keeping designers from designing smaller boats is a whole different thing. Designing for home builders has always been about stock plans. The idea is that if someone wants a specific type of boat and they hire a naval architect to design it, the rights to the design remain with the architect who can sell it as a stock plan for a lot less than it cost to come up with. A good example is when I commissioned Phil Bolger to design Loose Moose 2. I paid a large (to me at least) chunk of money to Phil to design the boat and afterwards Phil continued to sell the plans for about 10% of what I paid. 

The cool thing about stock plans is that for the designer, if done right, it's pretty much all profit for very little work because the design work has already been paid. For the buyer of stock plans, it's great because they are getting a good plan for 10% of what it would cost if they had commissioned the design directly with the naval architect.

So far so good.

The problem arises in that most folks who can afford to commission a design don't want a small cruising cat or tri, while the folks who do want one can't afford to commission. This leaves us with a few designers working on spec; 90% who work on spec are doing so to lure clients who want big expensive designs. Resulting in a whole lot of hungry designers drawing 50-foot condomarans on spec and leaving a big hole in the market where small affordable designs should be.

We're lucky that there are a few architects that are into their craft and art, rather than the big buck payoff.

Which is why I really like it when I get an email with a work in progress like this...

Michael Schacht has an interesting biplane cat design in development that has me excited. For starters, it's 26-feet and with about the same accommodation as a Wharram Tiki 30, with either a lug or junk rig.

I'll repeat that last part: lug or junk rig! Be still my foolish heart.

What's not to like?

Granted, not everyone is like me and groks just how great an open bridgedeck, biplane lug-rigged catamaran would be. It has it own character, aesthetic, and unlike what most people think a modern cat should look like. For those of that ilk, I'll point you to Michael's Ghibli design. It's well worth taking a look at.

I'll be watching the development of this new design closely and will share more info as I get it.

Listening to Crumb

So it goes...

Some thoughts on rigs...

An interview of note, some needful reading that made me angry, and in the "Sigh" department...

For a long time I was a big advocate of free-standing rigs. My main issue with standing rigging was its many potential failure points any one of which could make your rig fall down and go BOOM. Take it from someone who had a mast fall down that it's not something you want to do.

My current thoughts on spars and rigging has evolved to the point where I think the most sensible approach is somewhere between the two using a mast with more structural integrity in conjunction with textile rigging. The marriage of the two becomes much less prone to failure as well as more economical.

When I was considering adapting "So It Goes" to junk  or lug rig The diameter of a single mast figured out to be ten-inches in diameter which was problematic on several levels. A wood mast of that size done using traditional scantlings was going to be heavier than I thought prudent, the location of said mast would be problematic to the interior layout of the boat, and the cost was more than I was prepared to pay for in materials and time. While I played with various other junk/lug schooner or ketch rigs they all screwed up the interior to the point that I found myself going with the Simplicity Rig which Mark Smaalders designed and has worked out extremely well.

Since then, I’ve put a lot of thought into how I could have done the rig differently and in various ways to make textile rigging better and more affordable. In textile rigging, the problem seems to be that instead of embracing strengths of textile rigging they treat it like wire.

When I look at a rig replacement, the first job at hand is getting rid of those potential failure points. As most rigs fail at the mast to stay and boat to stay intersections, that’s the problem areas that need to be dealt with.

In the boat to stay intersection you have the chainplate, toggle, turnbuckle, and whatever sort of stay termination you’re using, as well as however many clevis pins or shackles are in the mix. The average number of failure points at the chainplate end of the stay is six. Multiply that with the number of stays on a sloop and that equals forty-eight failure points and we haven’t even begun talking about the stay to mast attachments. 

Which is why I've been partial towards free-standing masts and rigs. More on those in the next installment... 

Listening to an album's worth of Go-Go's coverage

So it goes...

some scowish curiosity...

An apt use of lyrics, some math I'm having trouble with, and this really got to me...

So, here's a boat I've been coming back to for a long time.

Reuel Parker's Junk rigged Scow 33.

Part of the reason I like this design is it's mostly lumberyard materials. Formply is cheap as it gets these days and my exposure tests had it as good or better than marine ply and a whole lot better than pressure treated exterior ply. Down here in southern-most tRumpistan a 3/4" sheet of formply costs less than a 1/4" exterior which would be a huge cost savings when you're buying 80-sheets or more of plywood.

So yeah, this is going to be an affordable boat.

Another reason I like the boat is its rig. I've always thought that the junk rig communities' collective phobia with jibs is somewhat problematic to performance. Lastly, while I'm a big fan of free-standing masts, I've come around to the conclusion that a little rigging combined with a beefy spar makes all kinds of sense in terms of weight and cost.

The interior accommodation in the design is what I'd call very comfortable for a couple living aboard full time.

Truth be told, I pretty much just like everything about the design as drawn. The boat is easily built of affordable materials and I know enough about to boats to know it will float right side up and do the job.

So, why haven't bought the plans already (well that's a little too complicated for the moment) and why am I going on about the design again?

Well, Mr. Parker said something interesting on his website recently...

"Because so many people have shown interest in it, I have designed a new interior for the SCOW 33 design, and upgraded the Plans and Construction Notes."

Which means I'd like to know what Reuel Parker's new interior looks like. That said, I don't expect I'll like the new interior as much as the original but I'm opened minded so we'll just have to see what we see. 

Color me curious.

Listening to the Hadestown

So it goes...

On being unfit company today...

A book on my must-read list, EBM on the stupid shit, how the bar just keeps getting lower, and what fresh hell is this...

OK, I'll be honest and admit I'm not in a very good mood. Not just the current state of the world, but the fact that we have someone running things with a sub-room temperature IQ and zero empathy has left me somewhat out-of-sorts.

So, maybe, I should just post a picture of a boat design I really like...

Listening to Kim Wilde

So it goes...

A very cool boat...

Record Antarctic temperature, regarding that earthquake aid for Puerto Rico, and in the "Vindictive assholes just gotta be vindictive assholes" department...

Here's a lugger that caught my attention.

More information over at Bateaux Magazine

Listening to Zeke Manyika

So it goes...

A minimalist sailboat...

The color of the ocean, something to think about, and a missing word...

Boy howdy do I like this rig.

ÉCO is a boat from the board of Patrick Balta and to my mind it makes all kinds of sense. It's simple, uses inexpensive materials like CTBX (French exterior) ply, in an easy to build doryish hull form. What's not to like?

What's not to like?

Lots and lots of good info over on Balta's excellent website.

Listening to the Bahamas

So it goes...

It's nice outside...

Something to take wonder in, what passes for Easter spirit these days, some distressing situational awareness, and regarding FEMA/Puerto Rico...

It's a beautiful day, I have some errands to run, and, for the life of me, I can't think of anything to write that makes any kind of sense.

So, here's a drawing of a boat.

It's a pretty cool boat design by Tad Roberts and I'm sure Tad would be happy to tell you all about it.

Listening to  a timely cover playlist

So it goes...

Did someone say lug?

Dark days ahead, neo-nazis doing what neo-nazis do, and in the "That didn't take very long at all" department...

Purple!

Voile Magazine has more.

Listening to the Real Good Radio hour

So it goes...

Lugnuts are doing the happy dance...

Democracy can be problematic, here's a thought, and a post-mortem  of interest...

Reuel Parker draws a lug rig!

Doing the happy happy dance!

Listening to Ziggy Marley

So it goes...

Love at first sight...

On that bathroom issue, all sorts of depressing, and in the "cold-blooded lizard people" department...

A lug rig that resonates with me in a big way.

Listening to L.E.J.

So it goes...

It floats!

Something really interesting/scary, nowhere near enough, and so much for infallible courts...

Skrowl floats!

Right side up too...

Listening to NineBullets radio

So it goes...

When was the last time you had a Holy Shit moment?

I think this just broke my irony meter,

 a good point, and about that so called recovery...

Where boats are concerned I have to admit I'm just a little bit jaded. It takes something pretty special to make me sit up and and go...

Holy Shit!

So, when a friend pointed me to a boat design over at Chesapeake Light Craft I expected to be interested but not excited.

Holy Shit!

A truly awesome minimal cruiser for one...

There's a lot more information and pictures over at Cheasapeake Light Craft so you might as well check it out.

Listening to Tropical Popsicle

So it goes...

Something interesting...

On the subject of "Enlightened self-interest", something to think about, and proof positive that SNAFU is a very real thing...

Here's something small and simple from Tad Roberts...

I'll talk about it in some depth later.

Listening to the Texas Tornados

So it goes...

something on my to do list...

Pete Seeger is no longer with us, the coin drops, and something greedy, selfish bastards should take note of...

Of late, I've been putting a lot of thought into a bit of gear to improve the balanced lug rigs handling and make it easier to reef/furl... Not exactly rocket science but something of a difficult task to keep it simple and affordable.

As it happens, I came across this picture the other day of Chuck Merrell's Jessie Cooper "Tomboy" scooting right along...

Listening to the Alabama Shakes

So it goes...

VolksCruiser friendly rigs...

Something to think about as we enter the holiday season, not the "New frontier" I was hoping for, and just another faux emergency in aid of someone's agenda...

The successful VolksCruiser is not just about spending less for stuff. A lot of it has to do with thinking how sailboats work. That said, if you actually suss out how/why sailboats work and act on your findings. It's a pretty safe bet that you'll wind up saving money if you do.

For instance, you'd think that the most commonly used rig in sailing would also be the most logical rig... Common sense right?

As it happens, a while back, someone by the name of Tony Marchaj did a study of how boats work with a special emphasis on rigs and the results were exactly what most people who sail would never dream of. Heresy upon heresy such as the fact that lug and gaff rigs would outpoint a Bahamian sloop (the rig 99% of folks use). No opinions, just plain old scientific method.

Marchaj's book "Aero-Hydrodynamics of Sailing" pretty much spells out the gory details (and is well worth the read) but the reason I mention this is that it proves that not only is it OK to use an alternative rig like junk, balanced lug, or gaff but it really makes sense to do so.

My personal favorite is the balanced lug because it is simple, cheap, and has pretty much zip in the way of things that break or fail. Throw in the fact that it has more power per square foot of sail area than the Bahamian sloop rig at a fraction of the cost, it makes lots of sense for anyone but for someone on a budget, it's pretty much a slam dunk.

Another rig that makes a lot of sense for the VolksCruiser crowd is the junk... Not quite as powerful as the balanced lug but with a slew of advantages that makes it a pretty equal choice when all is said and done. For me, the choice hinges on whether you like to fiddle with line or not... I'm lazy so the balanced lug tends to win out.

Listening to Laura Cortese & Jefferson Hame

So it goes...

Something in a 38'...

Something of a curious time to start buying up voting machines (just a quick FYI on voting machines), an interesting observation, and a meeting of two great minds...

How about some more balanced lug eye candy from Tad Roberts in a 38-footer...

Listening to Los Lonely Boys

So it goes...

Some more balanced lug goodness...

Something to make you bang your head against the nearest bulkhead, this is scary on so many levels, and about that tax plan...

The really wonderful thing about the balanced lug rig is just how little gear is needful to make it work... Some line and a few blocks is pretty much all you need.

Some folks feel the need to use a winch whenever a line needs to be pulled but, until you get into the near 500 square foot area sort of sails, just a simple single or double purchase halyard does the job. Considering the big yard, this surprises a lot of people but the reason most folks have problems raising their mainsails in the same old same sloop rig is not because of the weight of the sail but the amount of friction caused by track and whatever attachment system is joining the sail to the mast. The lug being by its very nature pretty close to frictionless does not need a lot of oomph to get it up...

Astute readers of Boat Bits (I'm sure) have already twigged to the fact that the mast on Bolger's ESC is not stepped on the centerline. I won't really go into that just now except to say that there are any number of advantages to doing this and the only downside is that it will drive dock walkers and folks of limited vision bat-fuck-crazy and they will make your life problematic from time to time. Yeah... I know this because our first Loose Moose (a Jessie Cooper design by Phil) also had an off-center mast.

So how to make an already pretty wonderful rig even better?

Well for one, as it seems most folks sailing these days have a strong grasp of foresails and suchlike, a small jib goes a long way to making the transition to a balanced lug facile and gives you another sail for better balance to tweak. Of course, adding a small jib is a complication as you'd need to add a couple of running backstays and maybe a forestay (I used the word "maybe" as foresails can be set flying and don't necessarily need a forestay). A small jib would also require one or two small winches (small here is the operative word) and a couple of blocks which, while adding some cost (not a lot, 20-30 bucks at a flea market) would make up for it in a good way.

See more over at Bigornick

Lastly, while slab reefing works just fine on a balanced lug rig (that big yard scares the bejeezus out of a lot of folks though) the truth is not everyone wants to go up to the mast to reef and so you might want to think of a roller reefing system of the DIY sort (face it, anything you do with a balanced lug rig is an ALL DIY proposition). The good thing about roller reefing a balanced lug rig is that it is a simple, cheap, foolproof system, and it works...



Listening to Tedeschi Trucks Band

So it goes...

a really smart rig...

Sensible Simplicity pretty much nails it, a book worth reading, and Lectronic Latitude talks outrage...

Here's a design by the late Phil Bolger...

It sports a simple rig but simple in a good way.

Simple means it's inexpensive with a free standing mast. Of course, a free standing mast means no need for standing rigging which is both expensive and prone to failure. The balance lug as shown does not require any expensive gear (spelled no winches/tracks/cars/reefing systems).

Better yet, it's a powerful rig... Truth is, I doubt you'd be able to find more HP per dollar invested in any other rig. Its more powerful than the junk rig and has most of it's advantages and none of the craziness in the running rigging department...

Which is not to say you can't improve on a good thing, but more about that tomorrow.

Listening to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

So it goes...

Another cool design from Chris Morejohn...

I have been a fan of Chris Morejohn's designs for like ever... His Hogfish Maximus continues to hold the top spot on our next boat short list but the catketch of a couple of days past reminded me of another Morejohn design along the same lines.

As you can see it is a junk schooner and while the junk rig has many admirers it also has a rather vocal group who really hate it... The funny thing about both of these groups is that most of them have zero experience with junk rig in an up close and personal way... Just something to keep in mind.

For the moment, just accept that there are quite a few sailors with junk rigs who are very happy campers...

Now this thirty-four foot shoal draft (2') boat has a very livable interior for a couple, lots of stowage space and it will sail well enough to get you wherever you want to go in safety and comfort. The fact that it is an easily built boat of common affordable materials (spelled plywood/epoxy/polyester) and rigged with free-standing masts (spelled flag/light poles) means that you can build the sucker and be cruising with some spare change in a reasonable amount of time. There is a LOT to be said about an affordable, easy, and fast to build boat.

If I were to build the Hogfish Maximus I'd ask Chris to pencil in this rig but I would not run it as a junk but opt instead for a balanced lug sail as it would both perform a bit better and be simpler and cheaper than the junk sails. Using Matt Layden's roller furling system for the balanced lug rig would make life very simple...

Listening to Weezer

So it goes...