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roland stockham · 18-09-2020, 10:01

Looks like a good solution and keeps the boom well clear of heads in the cockpit. Only think I am wondering about for cruising is how you would reef it?

canman · 18-09-2020, 10:04

Freestanding rig with wishbooms. After 30 years of wires we’ve fallen in love with our Freedom schooner. No wires turnbuckles chain plates tuning spreaders whistling.... it depowers in gusts. Planes lost their wires decades ago. The simplicity is lovely. And yes we can go to weather amazingly well.

dadster3 · 18-09-2020, 10:18

It looks like a 2-masted Hinterhoeller Nonsuch. They made a few cat-ketch rigs, but I have never seen any Nonsuch with only half of a wishbone boom.

billb784 · 18-09-2020, 14:22

I'd call it a modern 'Sprit'. Historically the spar was straight and deformed the sail on one tack, like a standing lug. Popular on small working skiffs on the Chesapeake, usually a free standing mast. Modern materials makes it possible to make a curved spar stiff and strong enough to hold high out haul tension and not deform the sail. To me, curves spars on both sides of the sail is a wishbone, only on one side is a sprit; both act as the boom.

mfhent · 18-02-2022, 08:33

This is a Herreshoff Cat Ketch. The half wishbone booms allow for a free footed sail, which is quite efficient. Also, the rig is self tending and there are no winches on this boat. Very easy to handle. Reefing is also quite easy.