Changing the rig- sloop or ketch?

[hooligan6a]

I have a 32' Allied Seawind ketch and an thinking about changing it into a sloop. I sail 90% of the time without using the mizzen. also It interferes with my
windvane and just takes up space in the cockpit so why do I need it?

Anyone have thoughts on how it will effect performance?

[sabray]

I know you didn't ask? Seems like expense without gain. Maybe you have a good reason. If rig is intact the ketch will give you some great sail options. Spend the money on a mizzen staysl.

[hooligan6a]

The idea is to have less sails to mess with not more. Do you sail a ketch?

[sabray]

10 years on a ketch. I liked the sail options. Nothing against a cutter which I sail now. A ketch has some real fun balance stuff that I would not part with if it were my boat. Also I loved flying a mizzen staysl. I could sail with the mizzen and genoa. For more power the main would start going up. Great balance. Maybe sail it another year and have fun with all the sails.
Nice boat by the way.

[Cheechako]

As mentioned there is some great utility in the mizzen, (heaving to and keeping steady at anchorage come to mind.)....but then you know that. If you ditch the mizzen, you could get a full batten main sail with huge roach and probably perform alot better. You might get away with leaving the main mast where it is. (you ought to know by now how it balances without the mizzen) I'm probably in the minority, but I'll take lee helm to weather helm anyday anyway.

[hooligan6a]

Yes that is one thing I will miss, the way a ketch can hove too. Also sailing
with Jib and jigger.

[hooligan6a]

Yes, I could also add 12/14 inches to the main boom and with a bigger roach it will make up for any sail area loss. It would allow me to rip out some beams under the cockpit that support the mizzen mast, giving more access to the engine.

[SkiprJohn]

With your Allied I believe the mast is stepped closer to the bow than with a sloop. I could be wrong in that assumption but if it were then it would effect windward performance to just delete the mizzen and rigging.
I sailed a ketch for many years and opt now for sloop to get rid of complicated rigging, however, if I had a ketch and the rigging for the mizzen was intack I would keep it that way and just use the mizzen more and start rigging the mizzen staysail more.
kind regards,

[gjordan]

If you move the mast you might as well go taller to make up for the less mainsail area of the ketch rig. Moving mast, taller mast, new rigging, new main , comes up to a huge amount of money. Is it worth it???? I am not a fan of ketch rigs but changing it probably isnt a good idea. Since it interferes with your windvane, why dont you raise the mizzen boom by the needed amount of clearance. Recutting the mizzen will be way less money than a new main, and you will still have the traditional advantages of a ketch(heaving too, mizzen staysail, mizzen spinny,) etc. If you still dont like it, you are only out a few hundred bucks rather than many boat bucks. Just another way of looking at the problem._____Grant.

[daddle]

You don't think you need it. And don't use it. So remove it. Their utility is usually less than their cost in sails, maintenance, and clutter. There is nothing you cannot do without it that you will miss. Nerdy sail tricks are only good for bragging at the bar and here on CF. You will still be able to heave to. Your sailing performance will be exactly the same. You can always put it back on later.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by daddle

You don't think you need it. And don't use it. So remove it. Their utility is usually less than their cost in sails, maintenance, and clutter. There is nothing you cannot do without it that you will miss. Nerdy sail tricks are only good for bragging at the bar and here on CF. You will still be able to heave to. Your sailing performance will be exactly the same. You can always put it back on later.

Agreed. Of any ketch ever built, the Allied 32 is the one where the mizzen is most in the way. To put it in a worse place they'd have had to place it in the middle of the companionway. If it will add to your boating enjoyment to remove it, remove it.

(But keep it for when you sell the boat

[bobconnie]

If it were I, I would fix the wind vane so theres no clearence problem ! To give up Jib and Jigger sailing on a ketch is just to much to lose! Not to mention more stable anchoring. I have sailed many many sea miles on ketchs, and the many many possible sail combos are just to much to give up !! The Mizzen is one of the least used sails on a ketch, but one of the most useable sails you could ever use! with staysails, yankees,mules, ya could go on and on but the main thing is try useing it a little more !! hate to see ya with a bad handleing cutter- sloop. just my 2 cents

[pressuredrop]

allied made a handful of sloops from the factory... the mast is ~18" farther back on the sloop, my ketch was converted to a cutter by a p.o. and the mast was moved back...

[hooligan6a]

Allied built 3 or4 Seawind sloops and about 12 cutters. I don't know about the sloops but cutters
have the same mast as the ketch, only moved aft one foot(12") and a foot(12") longer
boom, same height. I will not move the mast back. But I can get a foot longer boom.

I would have to raise the mizzen boom 4 feet to clear the wind vane. I have already raised it a foot to clear the Bimini. Four more feet would make it useless.

[jnrdafoe]

Wow, Raising a mast/relocating a mast? Lengthening a boom? Buying a large roach full batten main? Removing a mizzen mast, rigging and chainplates? Ripping out supports? And what has become of the 32' Allied Seawind Ketch that you bought and would someday sell?

My thoughts would be to remove the windvane and buy a sloop that it fits on. Sounds a whole lot easier! IMHO