Pros & Cons of a Staysail Schooner Rig

[GoatGuy]

Hey All,

My family and I currently sail around the Saginaw bay area of Michigan in a Catalina 30, and I assume, like many on this forum, often dream of buying a bigger boat and casting off (especially after rough days at work, haha!). Also like many on this forum, I frequent craigslist and yatchworld while daydreaming.

Anyhow, I came across this Tayana 55 in, what seems to me, an unusual rig setup.





After a bit of research, I see that Tayana made the rigging style an option for a few years and called it thier "Staysail schooner" rig.

Anyhow, To me, it looks like it's probably a piece of cake to handle, and easy to singlehand. But wow, it sure looks like it'd be underpowered, especially in light winds. Also, with the sail shape, it doesn't seem like it would go windward very well and it wouldn't point very high.

Do I have that right? When buying used... exceptions could be made, but why would someone choose a rig like this when buying new?

Edit: It is also cutter rigged, so maybe with a large enough genoa, it can still do decent in light air? However, that still wouldn't help it's pointing ability much.

[GoatGuy]

Just a friendly bump, Are there advantages to a dobule headsail setup like that, advantages beyond easy of sail handling and reefing that is. Are there any advantages in terms of sailing performance and if so what conditions and angle to wind?

[Triumphant]

I sailed on Jumbalaya see Caribbean Sailing Vacation—Traditional Schooner—Crewed Yacht Charter in the Grenadines a few times and also in the Antigua Classics on her, very good fun to sail and lost of sail options.

Not massively effective to windward but in the Caribbean trade winds very quick

[Jim Cate]

It is also cutter rigged, so maybe with a large enough genoa, it can still do decent in light air? However, that still wouldn't help it's pointing ability much.

Cutter rigged???? I don't think so! Not even close... where did you come up with that idea?

As to your question, I believe that ease of sailing is the only rationale for such a rig. It will be poor to windward for sure, be rather limited in sail area whilst reaching unless a kite or code zero is flown and in general give up performance for ease of use... and nothing wrong with that design aim.

Jim

PS To me, it isn't very good looking, either... kinda unbalanced with no mainsail... but that's personal!

[GoatGuy]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Cutter rigged???? I don't think so! Not even close... where did you come up with that idea?

I meant cutter in the sense that it had two headaails (the boomed jib and a genoa). I admit that The similarities to a traditional cutter ends there. ALso, yes, I agrees, it certainly does not score high in the looks department.

[markpierce]

I've been under the impression that sailors don't rely on sails much in light winds or to windward. (My direct observation of weekend sailors is consistent with that practice.) Good to have a large fuel tank for the auxiliary motor on those occasions.