Pros and Cons of Ketch?

[wingssail]

Lotta ketch lovers here, I'm impressed (but not convinced). As for the "heart stopping beauty of the rig!", seems somewhat subjective to me and maybe a bit of nostalgia; I love the beauty of a tall sloop on the horizon (with a plumb bow).

[TNRivers]

The advantage to a ketch is that mizzen sail pushes the bow away from the wind, as the jib snd staysail pull the bow toward the wind. A balance between these forces erases weatherhelm. Sailing under mizzen and staysail is our heavy weather technique of choice. Infinitely adjustable, easier to manage with serous winds. Cutter ketch is the way to go.
Terry and Melissa
sv Privateer III
41 Islander

[Alltalk]

It's not the rig, but how it's set up. Built a 36-foot Herreshoff Nereia ketch in aluminum with a modern cutter foresail tall rig. The jib/main slot is what controls upwind performance. The boat weighs 10 tons but is fast on all points of sail, including upwind. Motorsailed her in the worst possible conditions under jib and mizzen. The divided rig offers a lot more sail combinations. Easily outsailed bigger, supposedly faster boats with cutter rigs.

[jt11791]

Originally Posted by TNRivers

The advantage to a ketch is that mizzen sail pushes the bow away from the wind, as the jib snd staysail pull the bow toward the wind. A balance between these forces erases weatherhelm.

That sounds backwards to me. How can your mizzen push the bow to leeward? On my sloop, I'd say that the jib pushes the bow to leeward and the main pushes the bow to windward.

[Cap.George]

A-h, whatever, they look simply more pretty

[sailingunity]

Originally Posted by jt11791

That sounds backwards to me. How can your mizzen push the bow to leeward? On my sloop, I'd say that the jib pushes the bow to leeward and the main pushes the bow to windward.

There's some physics going on here I think, as the wind doesn't actually push on the sails, rather the low pressure on the front side of the sail pulls the boat through the water. So, since we're not pushing on the front of the boat, but pulling, it pulls it windward. I'm no sailing expert but I suppose this explains why boats tend to round up.

https://www.kavas.com/sailors-guide/...-the-wind.html

[Training Wheels]

Originally Posted by sailingunity

There's some physics going on here I think, as the wind doesn't actually push on the sails, rather the low pressure on the front side of the sail pulls the boat through the water. So, since we're not pushing on the front of the boat, but pulling, it pulls it windward. I'm no sailing expert but I suppose this explains why boats tend to round up.



https://www.kavas.com/sailors-guide/...-the-wind.html

If it were being “pulled” to windward,
Wouldn’t the boat be heeling to windward?

[boatman61]

Think about a car going round a bend.. which direction does gravity want you lean against...
Every action has an equal opposite action.

[ScottMeilicke]

We loved out ketch for:

- less rolling at anchor with a reefed mizzen
- sailing off the hook with mizzen only, then unfurling the jib when the hook was up. Once we were clear of other boats and obstructions, we would raise the main, but only after the second cup of coffee.
- dinghy motor hoist using the mizzen boom
- itching my back on the mizzen mast, like a bear on a tree
- drying linens and other large items on the mizzen boom
- testing my agility by myself navigating the extra rigging with grilled goodies in one hand
- sailing jib and jigger on lazy sail sails, especially single handing or with non-sailing friends. Using the main usually meant I had to set my beverage down.

I could come up with lovely ketch benefits all day.

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by peterstoops

Why anyone wants to deal with yet another mast is beyond me. The mizzen (and its boom) is most often located in an inconvenient spot, it has rigging that is stayed to the deck that gets in the way of movement and storage, and is another cost for sails, stepping/unstepping, storage, and maintenance. The ONLY advantage I see is balance and the ability to have smaller sails to handle, but modern means of reefing pretty much makes that moot. I've covered many offshore miles with a sloop, and see no significant advantage that outweighs the downsides...

You answered your own question.

[Markhunter1097]

Can’t do this on a sloop

[Markhunter1097]

Sometimes putting up the main is too hard, boom flying around etc, just fly the Genoa and mizzen staysail. Can’t do that on a sloop

[BBill]

I've had one cutter, six sloops and three ketches. The pros are already posted...multiple sail combinations for easier handling, motion and trimming. Single sticks don't compare in overall versatility.

Offshore is where the ketch shines. My first reefs are usually done by dropping one sail. The mizzen mast also makes a good handhold to brace yourself in big rolling seas...big in my book when having hang on. The con is one extra sail and rig to deal with. Pointing isn't as high but I normally ease the sheets on sloops for comfort anyway. I think a person needs to spend some time on each rig to fully understand all the pros and cons.

[AJA]

I bought a ketch because I wanted a bigger boat, (going from 28' sloop to 37' ketch). I found the mainsail on a sloop was difficult to singlehand manage, A ketch splits the load onto two sails - much easier to manage. The mizzen virually tends itself. Often I run just the headsail and the mizzen. This way I can use a boom tent to cover the whole cockpit.
A ketch offers more options on sail configuration. The only drawback I find is that it doesn't perform as well (pointing). Also, some travel lifts can't accomodate the ketch rig. But I would not go back to a sloop.

[AJA]

Originally Posted by peterstoops

Why anyone wants to deal with yet another mast is beyond me. The mizzen (and its boom) is most often located in an inconvenient spot, it has rigging that is stayed to the deck that gets in the way of movement and storage, and is another cost for sails, stepping/unstepping, storage, and maintenance. The ONLY advantage I see is balance and the ability to have smaller sails to handle, but modern means of reefing pretty much makes that moot. I've covered many offshore miles with a sloop, and see no significant advantage that outweighs the downsides...

I think you're referring to a much smaller boat, or a small yawl. Most of the ketches I've been on have plenty of room around the mizzen mast which is usually mounted on an aft deck, not in the cockpit.