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bassman1956 · 18-07-2014, 23:37

Sorry, I haven't posted in a while... Girlfriend's business sort of took over my life. Progress on my Pete Culler Sharptown Barge with leeboards at near standstill...
(and yet I remain hopeful... ?)

Anyway...
For boat designs, I have noticed on many boats with 2 masts, schooners or ketches, cat or jib rigged, (but especially cat), the rear mast often has substantially more rake than the forward mast.

Why?

Thanks!

Snowpetrel · 19-07-2014, 02:49

Purely looks. Optically if they are parrallel it can look like they converge which is all wrong.

**GordMay** · 19-07-2014, 03:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

Purely looks. Optically if they are parrallel it can look like they converge which is all wrong.

Indeed.
See Post #6 ➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ing-39200.html

Blue Stocking · 19-07-2014, 04:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

Purely looks. Optically if they are parrallel it can look like they converge which is all wrong.

Well--maybe. I'm sure I read (can't remember where ), that there is an aerodynamic reason as well. Something along the line of a different airflow over the foil as it changes in length of surface, such as the taper in an aeroplane's wing from fuselage (root) to tip. The flow from mast to mast has a different pattern as the height varies. Old biplanes had different sweepback angles on upper and lower wings. IIRC, Huey Long's big Ondine, 81 or 83 ft, had different angles on the masts.

BTW, my Rhodes Reliant has parallel sticks, and is the prettiest boat in the bay

barnakiel · 19-07-2014, 04:50

Not only looks.

- with some rigs, you can fit more sail area,
- trimming of a fore-leaning sail is easier in light winds,
- etc.

In older designs, it is actually hardly ever the looks and nearly always pragmatics.

b.

SimonV · 19-07-2014, 05:12

To relieve weatherhelm.

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**GordMay** · 19-07-2014, 05:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimonV

To relieve weatherhelm.

I always thought that:
Aft mast rake adds weather helm; and forward rake adds lee helm.

Snowpetrel · 19-07-2014, 06:48

Good points... Them old timers where smarter than you'd think.

Tayana42 · 19-07-2014, 07:29

I also think that aft rake was often on working boats so the mast could act as crane to haul freight or nets aboard. Many yacht designs are developments from working boats.

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