I just saw a picture of Mascouche in this forum.
John, I know you moved to this rig because it was simpler to use and requires less cabin top activity to sail. Now that you have had it for a while can you share some comments about the new rig?
Thanks
Randy Gadikian
Paisley Moon
NS 26 C
Buffalo NY
Hi Randy, this has not been a good year for anybody evaluating rigs. In the Toronto area there has been little racing activity and when there is, the wind vanishes. Even sailing has not been pleasent for those of us on the wrong side of the hill. Too much heat and humidity. My comments on the standing gaff rigs of Mascouche 26C 1 & Pondus 26c 33 are based mainly on sailing trials in 2019 prior to modifications made over the winter of 2019.
The standing gaff rig has the standard mast, a 7’ gaff mounted on a collar and a 15’ 8" boom (as measured from the mast) mounted on a collar. The booms were shortened by one foot over the winter, but the goose necks were extended to permit the booms to rotate to 30 degrees past 90 for improved performance and stability when running. The boom extends to the aft end of the dodger. The booms are mounted 4’ above the deck to improve lines of sight forward. A big safety bonus in crowded harbours, especially when keeping track of foiling WASPS etc. The mainsheet is kept ahead of the dodger other than for the bitter end which tails on to a starboard side winch. For 2020 the main sheet is anchored to the cabin top ahead of the dodger on a rope or stainless steel horse and bridge mounted over the hatch. It is fed foreward to the mast along the boom and down to a block then back outside the dorad box to the winch. The gaff is adjusted by a dyneema sheetlet sheeted to the taffrail aft.
The sail plan has a 35’ luff, 7’ head and 15’ foot on Pondus and 15.5’ on Mascouche. There are five battens with number 1 being at the head mainly required while the sail is reefed due to the fixed standing gaff. This year we have been experimenting with soft battens to try to achieve a genoa profile for efficient windward work. We used Tides Strong Tracks which are not best suited for getting the best air flow since the sail is anchored amidships behind the mast. A better solution would be the use of traditional rings (hoops) or a parrel passing around the mast. These would keep the luff of the sail downwind of the mast for a better airfoil.
The whole purpose of the exercise was to create a rig that would allow us to continue single handed sailing in our old age with added safety and less mental and physical stress. The results so far have exceeded our expectations. Having the boom and sail ahead of the cockpit removes two hazards and frees up the taffrail for mounting gear without it being at risk of fouling the mainsheet. I appreciate not having to raise the sail a extra 7’ just to create a vortex by the 7’ top triangle ( which is why modern racing boats are adopting what they call a “fat head”. The gaff is a mega “fat head”. Neither do we miss the 5’ on the foot triangle aft as this only creates unnecessary weather helm which increases exponentially as the wind increases resulting in the necessity to reef early.
Based on last year, the rig was competitive with the standard rig on all points off the wind and the jury is out going to windward. This year we are experimenting with soft battens and found in ultra light conditions we were catching up on the 30’ plus fleet that started 3 minutes ahead of us. There were no Nonsuches participating and the TGIF was aborted due to lack of wind to complete it on time. This happened on two successive Friday evenings. We have an advantage over standard Nonsuches in light conditions due to the boom being fixed to the mast and the gaff steadying the mast from whipping in swells and wakes allowing the sail to capture what breeze there is. One major advantage is the light shorter boom makes gybing a relatively quiet non event. That coupled with its 4’ deck clearance means it is far less likely to dip in the drink while rolling down wind in following seas.
We hope that this rig will encourage sailors who like the design, but are not fans of the wishbone rig to realise there are are other alternatives such as this, the White Cat’s loose footed sail, or the “modern” sail that North proposed which is basically the same as ours without the gaff and the full 42’ luff and a “fat head”. It would have the same safety features as ours. I had already committed to the gaff rig and could not afford both options.
This year I added single pennant slab reefing which worked like a charm the first time out and much easier to use while single handed.
I will try to add photos, but have not had much luck with them on this site
Cheers,
John Newell
Mascouche 26C 1
Toronto
John;
I might have missed this, but what is this " “modern” sail that North proposed which is basically the same as ours"??
Thanks - John NS26C 046 Kingston
Hi John,
I enjoyed your great great pictures and the explanation of the performance of your new rig. I went with a nonsuch because of the ease of single handed sailing and the tremendous amount of space in the cabin. I never wondered why Nonsuch boats have the wishbone boom, I just accepted it as a given. Thank you for exploring alternatives. I have never sailed with a gaff rig, but I can see the advantage of having a wide sail up top as opposed to a pinhead sail.
You had mentioned a North Sail proposal of a fathead sail. Do you have specifics of this sail or can you tell me who at North to contact for a follow up?
Thanks
Randy Gadikian
Paisley Moon
NS 26C
Buffalo, New York
