Need a boat for my sail!

B

Baydog

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May 6, 2022
7
Oday 20 Morristown
Hey everyone, I found an old sail and mast in the garage that belonged to my father. I haven't sailed in at least a decade but have been looking to get back into it and this seems like a sign that it's time! It's sort of a strange sail, it has a boom attached and a second piece of wood that fits into (the short) mast. I was wondering if anyone can give me some info on what type of rigging this is, what kind of boat would be appropriate for it, and how to rig it!???

I found an old Boston Whaler Squall nearby for a couple hundred bucks. Cosmetically it needs some attention, but appears to be in good condition otherwise. It comes with the boat only, no rudder, although the centerboard still works apparently. Would this be a good fit for the sail/mast?

Thanks in advance for all the great advice this forum is known for!
 
Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,216
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Well, that is a bit of an oddity! It doesn't really look exactly like the rig on a BWS but it does look similar enough that it could work with one. I suppose the 2-piece mast is intended more for ease in transport than to perform as a lateen rig. That probably matters little. I will suggest that if you are more interested in sailing than you are in having a fairly unique set-up, I would look for something different. Morristown suggests New Jersey .... where do you want to sail?
 
D

dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
12,280
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
That is a gaf rig. The upper spar is the gaff, the lower the boom, and the vertical one is the mast.

Post a photo of the symbol at the top of the sail. That will help us identify the type of boat.
 
Rick Webb

Rick Webb

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Jun 2, 2004
3,453
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
I totally get the sentimentality but the grommets on that sail look like they do not have much life left and to make it fit on a boat it was not designed for may take considerable effort and expense.

I wouldn't want to rain on your parade it's a nifty idea just wanted to offer a weather forecast to help you avoid a storm.
 
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Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,216
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
dlochner said:
That is a gaf rig. The upper spar is the gaff, the lower the boom, and the vertical one is the mast.

Post a photo of the symbol at the top of the sail. That will help us identify the type of boat.
Click to expand
I beg to differ ... a gaff rig has a 4-cornered sail, where the gaff is a spar that controls the fore and aft corners at the top. This appears to be a 3-cornered sail and the upper spar is just an extension of the mast.
 
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B

Baydog

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May 6, 2022
7
Oday 20 Morristown
The symbol is two D's overlapping each other. My father sailed it on a little fiberglass dingy (called the Anyday) back in the day on the St. Lawrence River, mainly around Morristown NY, which is where I intend to sail as well.
 

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jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
22,220
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Congrats to you. Perhaps your find is talking to you.
You asked about the application of this sail to a Boston Whaler Squall.
1656006354107.png


The sail on this squall looks a bit bigger than the Sail you have from the garage.

It would work. Fun for puttering around. Likely a bit underpowered. Not an issue - go for it.
 
PaulK

PaulK

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Dec 1, 2009
1,313
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
The overlapping DD symbol most likely stands for Dyer Dhow. We use them for Frostbiting at our club. It is not a gaff rig. Though I'm not sure what it is called, it is perhaps something more like a fixed Gunter rig. (As opposed to a sliding Gunter rig.) This keeps the spar lengths short, so they all fit, along with the oars, inside the dinghy's length when you are towing or stowing it. Dyer Dhow masts now have a socket system so that the two pieces (still short enough to fit inside the boat) slide together instead of having the Gunter setup that your sail has. It may have been put away when the new mast style came out, and not been used since. Or it may have been cobbled together as a quick fix when the original mast broke or got lost at some point. Or perhaps your father got hold of the sail and made something to hoist it on whatever boat he had. SailboatData.com - DYER DHOW Sailboat
 
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B

Baydog

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May 6, 2022
7
Oday 20 Morristown
The Dyer Dhow resembles my recollection of the origional boat almost exactly, I think thats it.

The Squall seems like it would be perfect for puttering, although not suitable for some of the rougher conditions we regularly get on the St. Lawrence. I have an 8 hp I could slap on it, but I was hoping I could rig the sail as well. I will do a little more research on how the DDs were rigged, but any advice on how to fit it on a Squall would be much appreciated!

Thanks for all the replies so far
 
D

dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
12,280
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Scott T-Bird said:
I beg to differ ... a gaff rig has a 4-cornered sail, where the gaff is a spar that controls the fore and aft corners at the top. This appears to be a 3-cornered sail and the upper spar is just an extension of the mast.
Click to expand
I stand corrected. The correct term for the upper spar is a yard. According to Wikipedia yards and gaffs are often confused. It is comforting to know I am not alone in my err.

The rig is a Gunther rig. The rig @jssailem posted is a lantern rig also used on Sunfish.


 
D

dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
12,280
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Baydog said:
I have an 8 hp I could slap on it,
Click to expand
An 8 HP outboard would be way too much power for a small dinghy, especially a 4 stroke OB. A 3.5 HP would probably power the boat comfortably and safely.
 
PaulK

PaulK

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Dec 1, 2009
1,313
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
The Squall is supposed to have 75 square feet of sail. SailboatData.com - SQUALL Sailboat, though it appears that there are different variants on the sails for it. SailRite shows the Squall with two options - lateen, as shown in Js's post #10 above, and a Gunter rig. Sailboatdata shows a Marconi setup. The Dyer Dhow sail is supposed to be 45 square feet, so it's roughly half as big as it would need to be to move the somewhat heavier Squall. It might be worth trying. The Squall does not seem to have a forestay or shrouds. You could simply stick the mast into the step and see what happens, though you might have to lengthen the lower section to raise the boom high enough to clear crew sitting on the thwarts. (The Dyer Dhow has a forestay and shrouds, and the mast is stepped on the forward thwart, so it isn't as long.)
 
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B

Baydog

.
May 6, 2022
7
Oday 20 Morristown
Sounds like the Squall isn't the best fit for the sail, but might work anyway...
Now that I know a little more about the sail and mast I can look for something a little more suitable for it. I was hoping not to spend a whole lot of money on this project, but I supose that's wishful thinking anytime a boat is involved.
 
jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
22,220
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
The sail size could work on an El Toro

4AEB7398-2D35-44D5-8108-BD6B1E6A366F.jpegE292FC9C-F66B-42DE-BEE2-F1183DF008CA.jpeg
The sail area is about 49sq ft. Closer to the size of the sail. They are a fun pram about 8ft in length. Great boat to learn in.
 
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