Funny, I've been looking at the exact info.  I haven't bought the kit yet as I've been looking at Caladonia Yawl kit from Chase as it is a better sailing dory.  NED is easier to build and lighter.  Having more perfomace of 85 sq ft lug would definitly make the NED a better sailer in light air and the reef points would take care in heavy stuff.  It looks like you need a 14ft mast and I think 10 ft boom and sprit.  Chase has a company out of CT that does carbon spars so I was thinking of going carbon for the mast and sprit and wood for the boom.  This will definitly be the lightest that you could make it aloft I'd imagine. The short blurb on RSS site describes a NED builder doing the 85 sq ft mod and the boat with stock dagger board apparently is a blast to sail.  I emailed CLC and asked if I could order the kit with lenghtend spar timber and without stock sail but they never got back to me. Let us know where you are on this project modification. Best, Will - Jacksonville, Fl

Before building and sailing my lug-rigged Northeaster Dory, I thought I would like the larger sail discussed on the RSS site. But I stuck with the stock lug rig and am glad I did. With the standard dory you can go out for a row on a calm morning with all the pieces needed for a sail stored inside the boat (which is also great when trailing the boat). If the wind rises, you can mount the mast, connect the rudder, drop in the dagger board, and sail away. If the wind gets too heavy, you can sail upwind into a lee shore, drop sail, store everything, and row downwind to home.

And the standard lug rig is a delight to sail in a brisk breeze. Here is a YouTube video of my boat planing in a brisk breeze. I can get it planing at 10 mph and could go faster if I had the nerve to pull the dagger board higher. In those conditions I use hiking straps and plant my butt on the rail. I've even made foam cushions that I velcro onto the rail to make that perilous perch more comfortable.

I saw that planing video before I had ordered my kit, actually.  Looks fun!

I like the idea of hiking straps - I recently was in a friend's Goat Island Skiff (they usually are built with hiking straps) and was surprised by the similarities.  I'm a bit surprised there aren't more Dory sailors who are aggressively sailing their dories.  Or maybe there are, I just haven't seen them.  Maybe it's a demographic thing.  

We have light wind a lot of the time where I live, with quick currents.  It turns out I'm also too tall to row the NE Dory for any significant distance - I just don't fit between the thwarts (I'm 6'7'' for reference).  The oars just hit my knees and it makes for a not very pleasant experience.  I've considered adding a removable seat with some additional height, but honestly I'd rather sail than row, and if there's no wind, I'm not going out.  I'm considering a trolling motor, as others have done, along with decking-in the bow and possibly enlarging the rear seat and making it watertight for more flotation.  The Dory is beautiful, but I don't feel super safe when I'm out in cold water knowing how the dory looks when it's swamped (check out YouTube for the Maine Island Trail video).  It's also too heavy and unwieldy to carry for any significant distance and mostly is a trailer-launch boat, so what's the difference between 100lb and 115lb.  

I measured my NE dory timber mast (with sail track, gooseneck, etc. at around 17lb), and calculated the aluminum tubing I'd need at 14.8lb for the 89sq ft sail mast without any fittings.  I got a quote for ~$200 from a local metal supply shop.  Carbon sounds cool but $$$.  Since the timber mast tapers, there's comparatively less weight at the top, so I'll need to factor that in as well.  

So all in all, I'm looking forward to some big NE dory modifications this winter.  Not sure if its allowed on here, but if anyone is interested, I'm at Seabeckboatworks on instagram.  

My finished stock NE Dory mast weighs 10.6 lb.