Square sail

Jackdaw · Jun 15, 2020

Was skeptical, but I read quite of bit of your blog. Much more than I expected.

This is the kind of madness that I can really get behind. Carry on!

rgranger · Jun 16, 2020

I've never really thought much about the physics of how square rigged boats work... but I have noticed that they can reach. I have done a little reading on the Viking long boats and know that they "tack" the windward side of the sail's foot someplace near the bow and then sheet the leeward clew.

In your research, have your run into any discussion about reaching with a square rig? Can you also rig a traditional genoa and have that deployed with your square rig on a reach?

I'm curious.

Jackdaw · Jun 16, 2020

rgranger said:
I've never really thought much about the physics of how square rigged boats work... but I have noticed that they can reach. I have done a little reading on the Viking long boats and know that they "tack" the windward side of the sail's foot someplace near the bow and then sheet the leeward clew.

In your research, have your run into any discussion about reaching with a square rig? Can you also rig a traditional genoa and have that deployed with your square rig on a reach?

I'm curious.

A well designed square rigger can do about 60 degrees to the wind. So its technically going upwind, but nothing like modern sloops can do. Downwind it suffers vs a actual spinnaker as well.

A fun experiment, but there is a reason we've moved on from them.

rgranger · Jun 29, 2020

Will Gilmore · Nov 17, 2020

@rgranger, came across this and thought of you.
2019 Festival Boats | Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

Gyrfalcon
For Sale

Home Port: Port Orchard, WA

Year Built: 1995
LOA: 22'5"

Owner: Jeffery Miller
Designer: Oslo Trebatbyggeri

Design: Kobberklinket
Type: Sloop

This boat was hand crafted in Norway and shipped to a Norwegian Merchant Marine living in Seattle with his American wife. It is constructed primarily of an oak frame and pine lap boards, and has a full length keel to allow sailing in shallow water. The mast supports a traditional main sail and jib, or the boat can be rigged with a red and white square sail reminiscent of the early Viking ships. Two systems can be used to steer the boat, a traditional rear rudder, or a side paddle which can be fixed to the starboard side. This boat is strictly a wind driven vessel and was never designed to be outfitted with a motor. There is a set of oar locks and 12′ oars should you lose your breeze!

-Will (Dragonfly)

rgranger · Nov 18, 2020

Sweeeet

nveater · Nov 18, 2020

Wow what a fun thing- I read your blog (or tried as I really couldn't follow the math) - I actually have sailed on a square-rigged ship for the last 10 years (historical reproduction)- a couple of sail controls I didn't notice were bowlines and tacks. Bowlines would run from the leech of the sail and pull the windward side of the sail forward (Jack Aubrey's sailing on a bowline). This is done when the yard is braced and you were trying to sail to windward- when yard is squared bowlines are slack. The tack is attached to the corner or clew of the sail and it also runs forward- again when braced the weather tack is hauled forward and the lee sheet is hauled aft. When sailing square, no tacks are used. I am partially convinced that the bowsprit on square rigged ships was a way to bring these lines forward.

capta · Nov 18, 2020

The Vikings had these great inventions called oars and I bet dollars to donuts they never even tried to sail to windward. Heeling an open boat isn't the best idea in any seaway.

DrJudyB · Nov 18, 2020

The Blog is wonderful fun to read!

nveater · Nov 18, 2020

LagunaJay- the square rigged ship I sail on is the Kalmar Nyckel, the tall ship of Delaware. We are a reproduction of the vessel that founded the colony of New Sweden (basically Delaware, southern PA and southern NJ) in 1638. Think Mayflower of Delaware although we made 4 round trip crossings and the Mayflower just one. There are bunch of videos on you tube and Vimeo - here is one we made for the school kids of Delaware about sailing

while further information can be found on our website www.kalmarnyckel.org. We are an all-volunteer crew with the captain and mates being paid. We do crew trainings several times a year (although the pandemic has temporarily curtailed that) and we get folks from all over the states and world doing the training.

rgranger · Nov 18, 2020

DrJudyB said:
The Blog is wonderful fun to read!

Hard to say which boat was my favorite.. there were so many interesting varieties but... my favorite story was Bjarne

DougM · Nov 19, 2020

I had the privilege of volunteering at Jamestown Settlement in Virginia for a few years. During the off season I participated in maintenance work on the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery. I had the opportunity to sail on Susan Constant and Discovery in Chesapeake Bay and to help move Susan to dry dock for routine bottom maintenance.
I enjoyed the work immensely, and got a tremendous education as a member of a crew sailing square rigged 17th century craft. Its not as easy as sailing my Bene.
Sadly, had to give it up due life changes and a knee replacement.

nveater · Nov 19, 2020

LagunaJay said:
I have never seen a mast mounted at the end of the bowsprit. Those Dutch ... very clever!

It's a sprit topsail an affectation which died out about 1700- if you look at paintings of ships from the 1600s you can often see them

Square sail

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