Sailboats with Free Standing Masts

[Delancey]

Interesting square topped schooner Farfarer.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by NevisDog

I tried but failed to post a thumbnail or link to a JR currently for sale on Sailboat Listings - 36' Allied Princess - that ticks all the boxes for me, as she also has electric drive instead of diesel, composting head, Hydrovane self steering - all the eco-friendly bits and bobs to go with her low-tech hull and rig. A search by make and model doesn't find her; only by searching "JUNK" does she show up, very pretty yacht.

And that 7-masted schooner photo you posted, Steady - I think you'll find there is no redundancy there, as each mast will be stayed one to the other (triatic stays): when one goes, they all go. They seem too tall and close together to be individually stayed. That's one of the beauties of unstayed ketch or schooner rigs - no triatics .

Understood on the triatic point. Sometimes an illustration (with a wink) is added just for fun.

I will look for the Princess you mentioned and see about posting a photo of it here.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Earlier NevisDog mentioned a Junk Rigged Schooner based on an Allied Princess hull/boat.

Here is the photo.

Asking Price = $39K

Allied Princess 36ft 1978 Junk Rig Schooner

[Steadman Uhlich]

To: Dale, Micah, Delancey (and any others I may have missed)

Thanks for adding more photos to the thread! I have enjoyed seeing them, and I am certain others have too.

They go to show that the FSM concept is used in many forms and designs, from traditional to high-tech leading edge cruisers and racers.

The very simple luggers (and old traditional rig) and the latest Wing Masts (like that shown on the WOW) are two ends of a spectrum of sail technology. Really interesting to see them together in one thread.
_______________

Looking at the photo of the Beneteau Wing Mast that Delancey posted, my impression was "WOW, that is what I want!"

Then I saw the Wally boat named "WOW." I could call that the Double Wow!

I think that one looks AWESOME for simplicity of design. It may not be what I would want for a circumnavigation (for other reasons) but it sure looks sweet and "clean" as boat with sail.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Here are a few photos I found of a relatively small boat I have admired. The boat is a Tom Thumb 24, designed by Grahame Shannon, and plans are now sold by Bruce Roberts.

The Tom Thumb design is perhaps the smallest popular steel boat design. It can also be made in larger versions (also called Tom Thumb).

Not all of them have a FSM. This one is a FSM Junk Schooner! So it is only 24 feet long but has two FSM!

I like the Junk Rig, and think this boat looks very nice in that set of sails.

I don't know if the owner of this boat is a CF member, but if so, I hope they will add some comments here about their boat.

Note: The photographers are attributed by name in the file names for the images.

[micah719]

There are a few more pics here, and layouts...Bruce Robert's page. It also features the TT26 and TT28. Over on Boatdesign forum the member WynandN built several of them (he has since gone to the dark side and makes fibreglass things).

Boatplans Tom Thumb 26

[Colin A]

On the carbon vs aluminum. It should be noted that the Nonsuch series had aluminum masts that seemed to have worked well thou there were a few failures early on. There are a couple in the Thames yacht club here in CT that do well in the local PHRF racing scene.

[Colin A]

For smaller boats deck stepping the mast makes sense in which case a stayed rig usually makes more sense. More room below easier to step the mast etc. Which is likely one of the reason you see open boats with free standing masts but not trailer cruisers. Of course it can be done but there are a few practical reasons why it's not. I'm kind of surprised there aren't more builders at least trying one model with a free standing mast.

[micah719]

Here are some interesting pics I found on this site:
index





"The Storm" is an interesting collection of pictures, imho. Pass me my spare lifejackets and the brown corduroy trousers, please......

The following pic embiggenates nicely, showing details of traditional rigging on Chinese junks....even the hull is fascinating, the whaleback junk. From here:
http://indigenousboats.blogspot.de/s...hinese%20ships

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by micah719

... interesting pics I found on this site:
index "The Storm" is an interesting collection of pictures, imho. Pass me my spare lifejackets and the brown corduroy trousers, please......

Thanks for mentioning "The Storm" as "interesting" - I was awestruck. (Nothing to do with unstayed rigs - just awe-inspiring photography that I would not want to miss.)

[micah719]

Well, the poor guy was there to snap pics and clean up after, and while I was mainly interested in his pics of genuine Chinese Junks (some with shrouds, naughty naughty), I thought I'd draw attention to the other interesting stuff he's collected...like classic boats/ships. That water sure was lumpy though....

The other site features indigenous boats from around the world; it was the whaleback junks that grabbed me there. Check out the unique construction, and the offset masts, and the rudders, etc etc; and also, the cambered Junk sails...it's not a new development. Boats are systems, every piece and procedure has to function together...it's our interface between sky and sea, two fluids that can have some rather unpleasant family spats at times. That's my excuse for rabbitholes and thread drift, and I'm sticking to it...

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by micah719

... while I was mainly interested in his pics of genuine Chinese Junks...

Fascinating to see so many weatherworn sails with multiple patches sewn in, happily plying the seas - something we never see nowadays with our highly stresses canvass. As soon as a few stitches fail, our entire sail rips in half (as happened to me).
Also, the sheer numbers remind me of a photo I once noticed of countless crab-claw outrigger trading vessels, off PNG I think in the 1950s, with their enormous spread of sail dwarfing the tiny hulls. Sorry I don't have a link, but I recall the crab-claw was found by some western testing facility (CA Marchaj I think) to be the most efficient sail shape ever, being able to switch from vertical (for windward performance) to horizontal (downwind). Not always free-standing though, as most seem to have at least one shroud to weather.

[Greatketch33]

I was sailing this past weekend and my buddy came along for a sail. I showed him how easy it was to set the sails on the cat ketch to hold a line without any auto pilot.

Once set, we walked to the bow of the boat and sat down under the main sail. It was like an invisible driver was taking us for a ride.

He was impressed with the steadiness, and comfortable sail. Having free standing carbon fiber mast makes a huge difference in spilling air if they are not designed to be stiff.

Ah, such a nice way to enjoy a sail.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Greatketch33

I was sailing this past weekend and my buddy came along for a sail. I showed him how easy it was to set the sails on the cat ketch to hold a line without any auto pilot.

Once set, we walked to the bow of the boat and sat down under the main sail. It was like an invisible driver was taking us for a ride.

He was impressed with the steadiness, and comfortable sail. Having free standing carbon fiber mast makes a huge difference in spilling air if they are not designed to be stiff.

Ah, such a nice way to enjoy a sail.

I am enjoying reading your remarks about your boat.

It sounds like a nice boat to sail.

Post some more photos of it when you get a chance. Interior? Cockpit? Sail/boom/mast (closeup). Layout of winches? etc. I would like to see, and others here might find it interesting too.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by NevisDog

Thanks for mentioning "The Storm" as "interesting" - I was awestruck. (Nothing to do with unstayed rigs - just awe-inspiring photography that I would not want to miss.)

+1

Yes, thanks Michah for posting the link to the Petersen site. I went there and enjoyed reading the story of his life at sea and how he survived the Typhoon on that tanker.

The storm photos are some of the most impressive I have seen. The waves were HUGE, and really look mountainous, even from the bridge of his tanker which is 60+ feet above the water. He wrote that he was shocked when he had to look UP at the oncoming waves.

And his ship sustained damage. It was interesting to see how several of the crew and officers' compartments were flooded with seawater, with it sloshing around in their cabins.

Again, those waves were AWESOME.