Setting Tack on Dipping Lug Sail

[dovey2500]

Hello Forum,

I apologize in advance if I’m reaching out to the wrong sailing forum.
I need a lot of advise how to properly set the tack on a small home made wooden boat my son inherited from my deceased FIL. My FIL built a boat from a Greg Rossel design. I am struggling how to properly set the tack. I’ve tried to watch YouTube but I’m struggling to find Dipping Lug sail videos to learn how everything works. From what up little I’ve learned it appears the tack can vary too.
I’ve added a few pics of the ropes, anchor points, and dagger board.
The dagger board is something else I could get sone insight on.
I’d appreciate any feedback or references you can offer.

Best,

 

[shemandr]

Uhm... This should be a family project because the boat was handed down from FIL.
I don't know the dipping lug sail - first off. But it reminds me of the sailfish rig which I don't remember the name of. Maybe searching that rig may give you some insights.
I'm not sure the tack needs to be very tight. Or even hanging might br OK. More problematic are the wrinkles of the sail on the top boom. I would try to get those out, even at the expense on a tight tack.
There should be no assumption that the presumably home made sail was made correctly.

 

[dlochner]

I bet you can find all of your answers in one of Greg Rossel's books.

Here's one available as a free download.

Building small boats : Rössel, Greg, 1951- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

278 p. : 29 cm

archive.org

 

[rgranger]

Chesapeake light Craft sells a dipping lug sale kit here’s a picture.

You might nose around their website

Boat Plans | Wooden Boat Plans | Boat Kits

Begin your search for wooden boat plans here! Thousands of builders have assembled Chesapeake Light Craft boats from scratch with these plans. You might already have a stash of marine grade plywood and epoxy, or it might just be your preference to build the whole boat from the keel up.

www.clcboats.com

 

[dLj]

Sail questions seem addressed above. On your dagger board/swing keel/whatever it's called - there should be either a way for it to either swing into place (the box looks long enough for that to be a possibility) or for it to lock down into position. If you can get photos showing more of that system it might help.

It looked like there may be a missing dowel pin on the top of that board that might drop into some sort of locking mechanism. But I can't tell from the photos. It also looks like there may be a line missing that could be used to swing or draw up that board.

Beautiful work by the way. She's a real beauty!

dj

 

[Will Gilmore]

dovey2500,
She is a beautiful craft.
I would set the luff tight. That cleat at the base of the mast looks like the tack anchor point, from what I can see in the photos. Loosen the halyard a few inches, make the tack fast to the cleat, then tighten the halyard. Your gaff, as shemandr pointed out, isn't tight enough either. Your tack, gaff and sheet all work together to make a good wing profile. Experiment on the trailer, then again under sail.

I found this site: https://forum.woodenboat.com/forum/designs-plans/273677-

-Will

 

[PaulK]

The way the sail is laced to the upper sprit is twisting the material and making it bunch up, as noted above. Attaching it with a half-hitch at each cringle instead of just running the line through them might fix this. Agree with @Will Gilmore that the cleat on the aft side of the mast is where the tack should be pulled tight and cleated. It may look screwy on one tack or the other, depending upon how it is lead, but to some extent that is the way dipping lugs are. "Dipping" the lug -- moving it to the leeward side each time you tack - keeps it looking OK on both tacks, but is a hassle to do.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Attaching it with a half-hitch at each cringle

it reminds me of the sailfish rig which I don't remember the name of

The sailfish is a pacific lateen or a type of crabclaw.

-Will