crab claw rig on H16

Dear Gerry

I just joined beachcats today because I wanted some advice on rigging.. and I found your crabclaw. Go figure... Here is what I'm thinking and I'd like to hear your thoughts. I want to design a junk rig for a cat. I've purchase the "How to design a Junk Rig" book but I have never seen one on a cat. I've seen gaffs on and crab claws on out riggers but no Junks. So I'm worried that there might be a very good reason you don't see them.

Any input/insight is welcome.

r

Hi R,

I quickly looked in Marchaj's "Sail Performance" book, and about the only thing he had on junk rigs was a short description of Hasler's 1960's Folkboat Jester. I don't have any experience with that sail, but every rig has its strengths and weaknesses, and the key is to match them to your sailing. I can't imagine a junk is faster than a typical Bermuda rig, but it may have other attractions, especially if you like the appearance.

I didn't start out wanting an unusual rig, I just wanted a simple solution to fast single handed rigging my kids enjoyed. It so happens I ended up with a sail whose ease and performance and looks I really, really like! As I said, variety is the spice! One of my wishes is for more people, especially younger people, to discover the flavor of sailing that floats their boat, regardless of what everybody else is doing. The end result will be better for all sailors-cruisers, high octane and everything between. Keep me posted on your progress.

Gerry

Hi Gerry

So after I typed you yesterday I found this link to a page

where another guy had done almost the same thing you did

http://www.rclandsailing.com/catamaran/construction.html#hull

It is a nice page with a lot of details about his trials and tribulations etc. I learned a lot from it and I'm guessing you will find a kindred spirit here...

I also found this page where a guy put a sprit rig on a 16' cat

http://slidercat.com/blog/wordpress/?page_id=2

it is also a very well done page with a lot of good insights.

As soon as I sell my Coronado 25' I'm going to start the construction of my cat in earnest.

Best
r

(Rob)

Hey Gerry since I first saw your videos a couple of days ago I've been trying to locate you so I could correspond with you about your rig. (BEACHCATS, of course! I should have known.) Because I too have been experimenting with crabclaw rigs on various boats the last few years for all the reasons you describe so well. My rig (and boats) are quite different from yours however, but I am very happy with the crabclaw and continually tweak it for handier sailing. I no longer have any Hobie Cats (I have owned four) or Prindle Cats (I have owned two) but I still have a Sea Spray 16 cat and three monohulls. My current "test sled" is a 1966 aluminum Grumman Flyer 16 foot monohull that I rescued from a barn back in April. It came with a nice roller trailer, mast, boom, etc. but only one sail-the spinnaker! So, I tossed my crabclaw rig in it that I put together two years ago and took it sailing the day after I brought it home. My rig is very portable since I use a single short mast and the 14-foot spars from a sunfish. But the performance from so small a sail is amazing and the rigging so simple that I usually step the mast and hoist the sail once I'm on the water in well under five minutes. Send me your email address and I'll send you some pics. I look forward to discussing our "thousand year old rigs."