RE: Free standing rigging for PMD?

 » Submitted by jimcav - Fri, October 9 » 12:19 PM

Sorry for "advanced" graphics. I think you'll get the basic idea anyhow...

RE: Free standing rigging for PMD?

 » Submitted by Christine - Fri, October 9 » 1:09 PM

The standing rigging is there to strengthen your rig and allow you to tension your jib.

I think you would take a big hit on efficiency if you take it off. The Gunter usually has standing rigging and is close to a bermuda rig in its ability to point etc. I think you would decrease the advantage you have with that set up.

The only rig I have seen with an unstayed mast with a jib is with a spritsail or a lug. I'm not an expert in this but traditional rigs have evolved as they have because they work. To arbitrarily change usually means you have to compromise the good points of the rig you are changing.

There are really nice rigs you could use if you decide to change the rig. I'm thinking a balanced lug is getting alot of thumbs up these days. You need to be sure to keep your sails balanced though.

I agree that an unstayed rig is much easier. 

Good Luck

Christine

RE: Free standing rigging for PMD?

 » Submitted by jimcav - Fri, October 9 » 2:55 PM

Thanks Christine - that makes a lot of sense.  I'll stick with the stock rigging.

  BTW - I visited your web site a while back and decided that I need to build a wooden mast for my PMD.  Thanks for the great "how to"! 

  Jim

RE: Free standing rigging for PMD?

 » Submitted by Christine - Fri, October 9 » 9:08 PM

Hi Jim

Its not a bad idea to have your first rig as the designer intended it. You know its been tested and works quite well.

THEN... you can play to your heart's content. There is nothing to stop you from making other rigs and trying them out.

That's my plan and so far its been alot of fun. I've tried 3 different sprit sails and each has had advantages and faults.

I really want to try a balanced lug next. Just for fun really, I also want to try and put a little jib on to see how it feels. 

Christine

RE: Free standing rigging for PMD?

 » Submitted by David Warren - Sat, October 10 » 1:07 AM

Difficulty with putting a jib on an unstayed mast (including a balance lug rig) is that the 'jib-stay' needs to be tight if the jib is to achieve any efficiency - and that means either backstays or a really solid (and therefore heavy) mast. 

On my Sassafras, I'm making an (unstayed) yawl rig (a big balance lug near the front and a smaller one on a 'mizzen' mast at the rear). Keeps the centre of effort low.

I'm a huge fan of the balance lug - easy to rig, you can make all your own hardware (even the blocks if you're feeling salty!), and it jibes gently (important in a narrow craft, particularly where my skull might encounter the lower yard/ boom!)

Re stayed rigs, at least on a regular small craft, the backstays are usually  fairly straightforward - once you have their length adjusted correctly you can just clip them in place with the mast laid down and the stays slack, and then, as you bring the mast vertical, everything settles into a nice straight package, simply by tensioning the forestay.

RE: Free standing rigging for PMD?

 » Submitted by jimcav - Mon, October 12 » 12:13 PM

Go with the tested and proven rig?? That's crazy talk!!!!  :-)

Okay, maybe you have a good point.  I'll go with  the standard rig to start, and then play around with modifications later.

 Thanks for the input Christine and David!

  Jim