Rigging and sails

[c_witch]

Hiee all. Today being such a nice day we decided to step the mast (for the first time) and check out how our new mast step works as well as to see what shape the standing and running rigging was in. It seems as though originally this boat was a fractional sloop and then someone added the bowsprit and made it into a masthead sloop while also allowing it to be rigged as a cutter. Question: how do we set the Jib and inner sails? Today we just kinda guessed at what we were doing.

 

[Joe]

It appears there are cleats on the cabin roof for the sheets. Look for some small jib lead blocks or bullet hole shaped fairleads to guide the sheets to the cleats.

Some closer up pictures of the cabin top area and sides would be a great help.

 

[Ray Bowles]

The pictures are too small to make out the detail of the sprit. Are there 3 stays mounted forward of the mast? It looks like there is a forestay for the headsail and a babystay for the staysail. It also looks like there is another wire.
While not being an expert, but after having sailed many a nm on a 38' cutter, this is a different rig than most cutters. Additionally, what has been done to secure the bowsprit? There are some extreme loads on the bowsprit and it must be held down and to the centerline. I can't see the rigging that does both these chores.
The sails that you have rigged are small for the purpose of a cutter. Most headsails on a cutter are 110% to 135% with the staysail being about a 70%. The mast location on a cutter is also a little further to the rear than a sloop.
If the bowsprit is anchored and safe, then I'd tune the rigging and give the boat a cautious try.
By tuning the rig I mean that the shrouds and stays are all tuned to the specs required with a "LOOS" gauge or other instrument and that rake is set.
Wear your life jackets at all times until you are very experenced with the boat.
Ray

 

[c_witch]

Cutter rigging

Hiee Ray,

The bowsprit on this boat will be replaced as the PO seems to have run the boat into a seawall or some such thing with the bowsprit having taken the main inpact. I will post a picture of it but I have an idea in mind as to how I will replace it.

When the bowsprit was added it looks as though the original forestay was moved out about 12'' beyond the bow. A second forestay was added the end of the bowsprit to the masthead. There is also a second line ss from the underside of the bowsprit to the bow hook with a turnbuckle to tension it. The stay sail is actually on a furler now and the baby forestay is not used for hanking. The halyard for this is a ss line though.

What there isn't is any way to fasten the clew of the headsail and appears as though maybe there never was. We have tracks and cars on both sides of the cabin top to route the sheets for the staysail and there are pulleys on each side to the cabin on the grab rails to route the sheets for the headsail.

I think we need to add something to the staysail in order to raise it more above the deck and I suppose some system to allow for the headsail to be moved up or down.

Brina

 

[Ray Bowles]

c-witch, The best place to start is to define what you have and what you want. A mast head rigged boat makes its power from the headsail. A fractional rig is powered by the mainsail. Your boat started as a fractional and by adding horsepower up front you upset the balance of the rudder and keel. You now might easily end up rounding up or finding other "new" bad habits.
You say the current staysail is a furler. Does that mean that the orignal forestay is/was a furling sail?
Many sailors sail with great results but really never get the maximum available results their boat is capabile of. That said, I recommend restoring the sail plan as close to original as possible with the gear and parts you have. Then let's have this conversation again.
The other option is to say "that's a crock of crap" and try for a different outcome. To do that I'd remove the sprit, tidy up the forestay so the rig can be tuned and hang the smallest sail you have on the forestay and learn to sail her to the best of your and her ability. If this isn't hard to handle then move up in size and repeat that step until you run out of headsails. Only then will you be ready to hand two sails out front.
Sailors where I sail have tried added bowsprits and made cutters and all have failed to perform better than the original rig.
Adding a code zero or a sprit for a asymetrical sail is by far the best performance option.
Cutters are good for long trips or for storms. Our 38' cutter was a dream to sail in storms as we had so many options to power down.
Good luck,
Ray