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From: Owen H. Morgan (no email)
Date: Sat Feb 02 2002 - 13:25:53 EST
Hi.
This post started as a comment on cutters, but somehow evolved into a long description of my rig and how I use it...
Thanks to all who replied to this thread. I've looked through most of my English language sailing literature, and nowhere do I find the word Cutter used to describe a hull form, so it looks like we are right and my boss is wrong... I designed Naomi's rig myself, so it's useful to know what I've built... :o)
I would have liked to post a photo on my site of the hull shape that is known in Norway as a "kutter", but unfortunately, the screen cable just broke on the palmtop that has the FTP software on it and the disk on this one is too full to install the software. :o( Seems I'm in the market for a new Psion...
The way I use my rig varies slightly from Rick's description, at least downwind. Different ships, different customs... :o)
When going to windward or close reaching, I start off in light weather with the big jib, staysail and full main. As Rick describes, trying to get to windward under main and either of the jibs without the staysail just doesn't work, Even with the big jib which overlaps the mast, Naomi just feels like she's going up and down in the same hole. When I set the staysail, she picks up her skirts and takes off. The acceleration from setting that tiny scrap of sail (10 sq. metres = 108 sq. feet) is far more than the increase in sail area would imply.
When it pipes up, I start by putting a reef in the main. Then as the wind increases, I change the jib to the smaller one, sometimes shaking out the reef in the main again. Changing the jib is really easy, as it's unstayed with a wire luff and roller furling, rather than roller reefing. I simply let go the halyard, and the whole rolled sausage comes down on deck. It is attached to the halyard and roller drum with snap shackles. The jib that is not in use is stowed ready rolled in its bag with a sail tie around it at the clew. This means that unlike roller reefers, I can change jibs in weather where it would be dangerous to unroll the big one. Of course, this only works on a cutter rig where the inner stay supports the mast.
If it's a really miserable night and I don't fancy a trip to the foredeck to change the jib, I'll just roll it away and continue a bit undercanvassed under main and staysail. I am still able to point well enough under this rig even though progress is a bit slower. The advantage is that it is also drier.
The next step if I did change jibs is rolling away the small jib and finally putting the second reef in the main. That leaves me with just the staysail and double reefed main, a rig which will confidently, (if not necessarily comfortably) take me to weather against a force 7 - 8 with the windvane steering and me huddled behind the cabin bulkhead. (Now show me the modern 28 foot racing yacht that will do that...)
If broad reaching with the big jib when the wind is not far enough aft that I can pole the jib out, I drop the staysail to stop it shading the big jib. With the wind further aft, I sheet the staysail relatively flat to close the "hole" between the main and poled out jib. (See the photo on the front page of my site.)
The big jib gives a lot of power downwind, and I'll often have two reefs in the main before I feel the need to change the jib. When this happens, I may or may not reset the staysail depending on how far aft the wind is. I've been quite comfortable running before a force 8 under double reefed main and the small jib.
I always rig a preventer when running or broad reaching. I have two lengths of line permanently attached to the end of the boom port and starboard. These lines are the same length as the boom and when not in use, they hang idle under the boom and are clipped to the mast just below the gooseneck. When I need a preventer, I run a line from a cleat in the cockpit, through one of the bow cleats, outboard of the shrouds and round to the end of the permanent preventer line by the gooseneck. The lines I use for this have rubber dampers. It is then simple to unclip the preventer line from the mast and take up the slack from the cockpit. It takes longer to type this than to do it. The great advantage is that I never have to mess around tying anything to the end of the boom. It's so easy to rig that there is no excuse not to use it.
If it gets really nasty, it is time to change down to storm sails. The storm jib sets on the inner stay in place of the staysail. I've never used Naomi's storm sails in anger. I still have to fit a second track to the mast to accommodate the trysail as I don't think unshipping the main in a gale in order to set the trysail is a viable option. When I ordered Naomi's storm sails, I made sure they were built from high visibility orange sailcloth. It makes sense to be as visible as possible in dirty weather.
I've always wondered why the cutter rig isn't more popular. I suppose the answer is that as with many other aspects of design, rigs are influenced by the racing scene where yachts more often than not are crewed by several large strong men rather than one skinny wimp.
I've often seen the argument that cutters aren't a good option for cruising because they need running backstays, but this simply isn't true. The Naomi J. has no runners. Instead she has jumper stays which require no attention at sea and also offer some sideways support for the masthead. It's a very snug rig with which I'm very happy.
After nine years of extended cruising under this rig, I can't think of a thing I would want to change. I have sometimes toyed with the idea of changing her flying roller furling jibs for a reefing genoa on a roller stay, but when I think it through, I always decide to stay with simplicity. One huge advantage of the present configuration is that I can change jibs without unrolling them. Last summer I added a halyard ahead of the jib to set a cruising chute or a second flying jib for long downwind legs, but I can't afford to buy a chute this year.
When I first designed the rig, I did consider putting the staysail on a roller. My feeling now is that this would have been a waste of money. Apart from broad reaching and running in lightish weather when it shades the big jib, I hardly ever drop the staysail at sea. It has a row of reef points, but the only time I've reefed it is at the dock to check that everything worked. I also considered making the staysail self tacking, but have decided against it, as this would make it more difficult to heave too. Unless I need to set the storm jib, I never remove the staysail from the stay. In harbour, I simply tuck it into the sailbag and lash it to the pulpit.
My main is loose footed, a choice I'm very happy with as it gives much better control of the sail than one which is attached to the boom along the foot. It is interesting to note that since I built the rig, this particular aspect of the design has become common in many racing yachts.
I'm convinced my rig is the best solution for short-handed cruising on a boat this size. If she were big enough to sport two masts, she'd have a junk schooner rig.
Owen
-- * This e-mail was accelerated by EPOC and REM * * Then it was brought to its knees by the Internet and GSM * Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-9311 @ Sjøhussenteret marina 68°43.13'N 15°24.74'E Sortland in Vesterålen, Northern Norway http://home.no.net/naomij ___________________________________________________________________________ || The Live-Aboard List : send a "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" request || || in body of message to: ||
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