TOP OF THE MAST
Mascouche has a block at the top of her mast for fitting a Blooper. In the early days of Nonsuching, there was concern that a Nonsuch needed more canvas when running. The answer was a Blooper which was sort of a spinnacker. However it was a solution that did not require solving, The rig was more efficient without it or the need to store and manhandle the bundle and its sheets. In fact, in San Francisco the local PHRF lads decreed that Nonsuches have to sail in the “Flying sail” slot and not white sail as they get fed up with Nonsuches and other similar rigs trouncing the white sail PHRF fleet on runs. We can sail down the rhumb line as long as we have a sufficiently long mainsheet and ease the choker, others with stays cannot approach the 90 degree angle of the boom so have to tack/gybe downwind.
The standard Nonsuch rig allows the boom to go slightly past the 90 degree mark. This year I hope the boom on my rig will be able to go 30 degrees past 90 which was established as the most efficient set of the yard on square riggers and the modern Maltese Falcon.
Cheers,
John Newell
Mascouche 26C #1 (1981)
Toronto
PS: It is a pity some owners fail to maintain their boats as they were well built and worth spending a little time on maintenance. Usually it is because the owner is too old to cope or died and the estate just left it. Happily one 26 is being restored after a decade of neglect on the hard. Steve and Anne have been working very hard for the past few months restoring their Nonsuch 26 to her former glory. She has been re-christened ANU . I wish them fair winds and much fun in the seasons to come. JN