I've noticed that most of these particular boats are gaff rigged and the
sails have a luff sleeve(?) that slips all the way around the
mast. My questions are:
1. What is the luff sleeve called?
2. How are they installed on the
mast? Did I see a full length vertical zipper?
3. Would I be correct in assuming that there would be considerable friction on the mast so uphauling or reefing especially in strong winds might be a bit hectic?
4. I've also seen similar rigs but the
sails are attached to the round masts with webbing or
rope instead of a sleeve. Is there a particular name for this?
5. Can the gaff be attached to a modern mast track so it can be raised and lowered with the sail?
6. Are the gaffs ever attached permanately at the top of the mast? If so how do you keep it from banging against the mast when the sail is down?
I've checked the
Wharram site and Wiki and sail maufacturing sites with no success. I just wanted to know this to broaden my knowlege. Thanks BOB