What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of the wishbone boom? What about the vang and reefing?
Wishbone?
- Thread starter Quoddy
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They work great for cat boats with masts that don't have shrouds. Given that the wishbone sticks froward of the mast it does not seem like a doable mod to an existing boat however.
A wishbone boom on a free standing mast is a fantastic design. All the sail controls are available to this design as they are in conventional rigs. One huge advantage to this rig is minimizing the need to reef. As the wind increases the top of the mast bends off to leeward effectively 'reefing' the sail. I've sailed on a Wyliecat 30 in 35kts with a full sail up with no worries. Their 44 is an awesome boat that has real speed potential.
I don't have a problem with a wishbone so much ; but the long boom on say, a Nonsuch 30, sailing downwind will dip in the water when the boat rolls to leeward in waves. When you roll the other way ... the boom comes out of the water, the wind catches the sail and the rig slams forward causing the boat to shake. Again and again. Count me in the "..Boom is too damn long" party! Jibes in wind are adventurous. The weight of the rig on the bow forces some design accomodatiions.
The Wyliecat is a different animal. But the boom is still "...too damn long!"
Just my opinion.
The Wyliecat is a different animal. But the boom is still "...too damn long!"
Just my opinion.
shemandr, what you describe is the fault of the helmsman not the boat. Driving down wind in waves is not a simple matter of pointing in one direction and holding course. Scalloped driving and surfing off the wave as it passes under will prevent this and give an exhilarating turn of speed as the boat rides down the face of the wave. I've been able to get my boat over 15kts doing this. Gybing is just like any other boat in big wind. You need to haul in the main sheet prior to gybing the boom to reduce the force on the gear.
I chartered one for a week and did not like it. I found the sail very hard to raise and gibing was a real chore. The charter company advised me not to gibe. This was a Nonsuch. Comfortable boat, tracked great, but I never got used to that huge main and the problems of the jibe. I would suppose that if one owned one, one would learn to get around the problems just as most of us get around the problems associated with a Marconi rig.
Usually the way the boom and sail is rigged a vang isn't needed. The tack of the sail extending below the boom acts as a vang.
With the weight of the mast more forward on cat rigged boats, would the boat tend to hobby-horse under certain conditions? Just asking.
Rich
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