Which rig is best for a dinghy?

[NewEnglander]

What if I fitted a bracket at the centerline to attach a centerboard when she's upside down on deck. (I wonder how I'd calculate the proper size for such a thing.) It could then be removed for stowage, along with the mast/yard/boom/etc.

[captjcook]

NE,
It would make it impossible to beach...glassing a trunk in, not that difficult. I have a 9' glass lap strake sailer could get pics over the weekend of trunk. I think I have 3 rigs from Dyer Dhows...keeping one, will check on completeness of others pm if yer interested...
Jim


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[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by NewEnglander

What if I fitted a bracket at the centerline to attach a centerboard when she's upside down on deck. (I wonder how I'd calculate the proper size for such a thing.) It could then be removed for stowage, along with the mast/yard/boom/etc.

Bad idea. Either glass in a center board or dagger board trunk or go with lee boards.

[NewEnglander]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

Bad idea.

How come?

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by NewEnglander

How come?

As CaptJCook said you would not be able to beach the boat. Even with the board off the bracket would hit when you beach the boat & the last thing you want to do is add to the draft. There's no need to reinvent the wheel here.

[UNCIVILIZED]

For a rig, the Sprit is a decent idea. And, honestly, there are whole chapters in books, full of viable ideas. Although my personal preference would lean toward a 2-piece, freestanding one. Much akin to what's on the PT11 dinghy at www.ptwatercraft.com
That way, when the breeze is a bit much, the rig automatically spills off the excess.

Odds are, you could fab up something from some windsurfer spares/cast offs, for a dink of that size. Possibly even to include scrounging some hardware, or even a boom.
And none of that stuff is hard to DIY anyway.

The perk of a 2-piece mast being, everything should fit/stow into the dink pretty easily. But be tall enough to catch enough breeze to move you when the wind's light. As seen on the PT11's vid's on youtube.
There's no need to handicap your dink with an undersized rig or sail.

As to leeway prevention, to some degree, you can prevent it by the use of a well shaped, oversized rudder (a counter balanced one). That, & of course, there are the other options, already described.
But even an oar, properly rigged up/manipulated, does wonders for this. And too, proper weight placement is HUGE. Though as to where, depends on the dink's hull shape (CLR), your sailplan's CE, & point of sail.