Trawler to Motor Sailor conversion - Mast and rig advice needed

[Honey Ryder]

Hello all,

I have a 45' canoe ended steel trawler with a saloon roof mounted mizzen mast (a steadying sail -for stability). It is similar in design and looks to a circa 1980 Nordhavn 46. But, as the boat was originally designed as a sail boat, it has a long 5 ton keel and draft of 1.9metres (about 6 feet).

I want to add a mast, and am intending to mount a 35-40 foot wooden mast just forward of my wheelhouse, about 15' back from the bow. With a gaff rig to keep the aspect low, and bowsprit plus two head sails, I should be able to get some decent forward propulsion on sail alone in anything above a F3.

I have added 6mm steel plates to the deck (inside and out) to spread the load, and have a 2 metre steel compression rod sandwiched between 10mm steel plates, which are bolted and welded to the deck and steel section supports attached to the hull. This should suffice in taking the load of the new mast.

I know where the center of lateral resistance (CLS) is for the hull, and intend to ask a rigger/sailmaker to design and make the sails so that the center of effort of the sales is 15% forward of the CLS.

The end result should be a gaff rigged trawler (with a mizzen) which can sail reasonably well on a beam reach, or off the wind...or at least that is the intention.

Can anyone comment re the theory, or suitability of the gaff rig, positioning of the main mast, size, material, bowsprit and headsail ideas before I make a big mistake?!!

Many thanks to you all,

David

[olepedersen]

I love gaff rigs , but would need drawings to determine size etc, and do you have crew or do you go alone they are heavy to hoist Ole

[olepedersen]

Oh and where the h---- are you I am in the Chesapeake for a while, like your project, good luck Ole

[Honey Ryder]

hi ole,

i am in the uk, presently in london.

i usually sail with crew, but could add a winch or two too.

i don't have any drawings but could email you a picture of her in her present set-up?

thanks for the interest,

david

[olepedersen]

hello David I was born in Denmark and during the war and until 1948 I was looked after by my uncle who had a 65' wooden fishing cutter with gaffrig and mizzan we sailed the baltic during the war but the faroe islands after .We used the sails but mostly we motor sailed,as I was only a small kid memory is faded, but also biased in favour of your project ,so good luck, you will do Ok and perhaps find better advice from this thread, so post a
picture or email me at olepedersen@yahoo.com . and please keep us posted Ole

[svHyLyte]

I suggest you contact Bob Perry at: Robert H Perry Yachts Designers Inc. Home Page . Your project would be just his Cupa'a Tea. Anything worth doing is worth doing right--the first time.

FWIW...

[olepedersen]

I will second svhylytes advice
Ole