I got a new kick ass for my boat.

[TomY]

Spanker... Jigger... Mizzen?

There are more yawls on the coast of Maine than you can shake a stick at, but they are rare elsewhere.

I ordered a new mizzen main from my sailmaker this season. He advised a flattish shape(he's made many mizzens). I requested full battens and a loose foot as I've been happy with those features in a new main he built.

Testing it's fit: A little adjustment is needed in the battens.

The mizzen on a yawl is small and opinions abound on what it does - and doesn't, do. After A couple decades of actual use, here's my take:

First, much of what your read about the mizzen on a yawl - I've found, is nonsense. It's not a magic sail, nor is the mizzen a net loss of sail power. It's more in the middle of these two extremes.

The mizzen on my yawl effects the boats balance and helm on all points of sail. Sailing to windward, the mizzen sail and rig is a net loss, simply as added windage. It's easy to read this as mizzen luffs and flutters in the mainsails air flow. Often the sail is struck going to windward, for better performance.

Off the wind, the mizzen can be trimmed to add power and balance(proportional to it's size), especially on a reach. You can feel it and anyone who can read telltales can trim a mizzen to add power.

I finally got the new one hoisted and did a little sailing with it. On different reaching angles, the sail is in clear air. I found the shape better than the old one and the loose foot aids in trimming. The full battens help with shaping. A subtle sail because of the size, but it's fun to tweak (and easy) if you like to trim sails.

There is some magic in a yawl. Coming into the harbor on a broad reach(alone onboard), I rolled the genoa up, tightly cleated the mizzen sheet, and cast off the mainsheet.

As I brought the bow into the wind, the boat rounded up and coasted dead to windward giving me ample time to walk to the mainmast and slowly drop the luffing obedient(thanks to light air) mainsail, in nice flakes, onto the boom.

Then the bow fell off and the new mizzen hardened up and held us solid in the water drifting dead downwind at .4 knots. The hove to boat left a smooth, boiling slick to windward.

It was a beautiful day and we (the boat and I) had plenty of room in the outer harbor for our slow course. I sat on the cabin top and admired the scenery in the beautiful light, for some time.

September on the water. The best is yet to come.

 

[Justin_NSA]

If I read this right, you like being spanked.
I always enjoy reading your posts.

 

[SG]

I like the idea of a flatter mizzen for a bunch of reasons. You'll likely use it in a bit stronger winds with a "split rig" -- our on one of you long reaches.

The sail cut looks very neat -- even it does nothing but evoke admiration.

 

[Al Schober]

Tom,
The real beauty of the mizzen is that you can now fly a mizzen staysail when off the wind. Makes a BIG difference in your reaching performance.

 

[TomY]

Tom,
The real beauty of the mizzen is that you can now fly a mizzen staysail when off the wind. Makes a BIG difference in your reaching performance.

That's one of those few bits of info about yawls, that is easy to find. I remember knowing that when I first raised a mizzen staysail, almost 20 years ago. Today, I would say a mizzen staysail, makes a BIG difference in your reaching performance,...sometimes.

I find a mizzen staysail is easy to use, but hard to trim. Flying there in a space between the mainsail and mizzen, what is it? I depend on telltales for sail trim. Is it a headsail, so put the telltales just aft of the luff, like a genoa?

Or a bit farther back, like I place telltales on a symmetrical spinnaker? Or is it more of main in trim, and you place tell tales on a main or mizzen? Truth is I never have installed telltales for that reason. I read the sail by how it looks, generally letting the sheet out (that runs from the end of the mizzen boom) until the shoulder(sort of a shoulder on the luff edge) begins to collapse.

And on what sort of reach is it most effective, closer, broader?

I have more questions than answers now that I've used it many times over the years.

Here's what I know: It's easy to fly, so I do tend to use it quite a bit. The best info on mizzen staysail trim I've found, is studying old photos. And I'll add, I've had it really speed the boat up a few times, on a reach. Other times it's hard to say if it's helping.

 

[Jeremy McGeary]

My best yawl experience was on Iolaire with Don Street -- someone who knows how to sail one.
It was at the British Classic Yacht Club's annual regatta, in Cowes, 2005. I chose the mizzen as my station . . . I got to sit right at the stern, far away from spinnaker poles and other potential projectiles.
Some of the best times where when Trich, Don's wife, was at the tiller (yes, that's a tiller on a 46-foot 100-year-old full-keel boat).
"Could I have a little more mizzen, please?" or"Could I have a little ease on the mizzen, please?" I could see by where she was holding the tiller what effect trimming the mizzen had on the helm pressure.
And yes, we did use the mizzen staysail. Don is very much in favor of it.

 

[Al Schober]

Only sailed on the yawl for two seasons of racing, and I don't recall tell tales on the staysail - trim it till it looks good. This 37' yawl started out life as a 30' cat boat - the owner modified it a bit. He swore there was some original wood down there somewhere.
Boat was named 'Sandora' - we sailed out of Bayonne YC on Newark Bay. This was back when they were building Port Elizabeth, so we were always dodging sand barges in Kill van Kull.
One frequent competitor in our class was a 54' cutter named 'Hother' - I think it was owned by Eric Isbrandtsen (of American Export Lines). It carried a 180% genoa, which being a cutter, was HUGE - turning blocks were at the transom! During tacks, two crew would drag the clew of the genoa forward around the mast and down the other side.
One race going downwind from Sandy Hook to the ammo pier, we'd get a good surge from the following sea. Hother, being double ended, just sort of sat there - while we got closer and closer. Their skipper had the crew running around like mice in a frying pan.

 

[Rick486]

Wow Tom does this discussion bring back memories. We owned Silverheels (see pic), a Pearson 39 yawl, for 24 years before trading her on our now boat, Maxine. I went through the same sail selection process with the flatter cut mizzen also. Prior to that new sail the mizzen would luff when sailing to windward regardless of the strength of the breeze. Just wasn't ship shape. Part of those years we lived in Surry and sailed the coast from New Hampshire to Grand Manan. More often than not we had light winds similar to the pictures you have shown, and with our mizzen stays'l set. Silverheels has an inner forestay as well and we often emptied the rag locker to show 5 sails. Silverheels is now somewhere in Eastern Canada and it would be nice to hear from someone who has seen her in recent years.
One other yawl feature which I don't think anyone mentioned is how well a yawl lies to her anchor. With Silverheels in a breeze or in light air she would lie perfectly into the wind as the mizzen mast is very effective in adding wind force aft. We miss her very much but love our now boat as well.