BR20 Bermudian rig

[Colin Morley]

I am interested in converting from the traditional BR rig with a gaff to a Bermuda rig, just for ease of handing when I am sailing alone.
Does anyone have any experience or advice about this?

[Andy Dingle]

Colin.

Peter Cockerton's 'Joybells'  is the only BR20 I know of that has a bermudan rig.

My own WE BR20 'Psalter' that I owned until a few years ago had the standard BR gunter rig (I may be wrong, but I think the BR20 is a gunter as opposed to a gaff?).

Hence I, as Peter does as well, have a lot of experience in sailing both. I would say his bermudan was superior in a lot of aspects, obviously particularly when beating, and it was marginal on a run or a reach which one was better, not a lot in it at all. The sail shape he achieved was always leaps and bounds better than anything I achieved when set - the notorious leach flutter was all but impossible for me to eliminate.

Sail handling was maybe not so easy - reefing and furling, but Peter would have to comment on that. But I would say though that now I have the BC23, with the bermudan sail, handling it ie, hoisting , dropping, reefing etc is very easy. But I have lazy jacks and a sail bag to drop it into. I do of course have a track up my cf mast that I 'lubricate' regularly with silicon spray - so my main slides up and down like the proverbial on pay day.

The only major drawback was having a full length mast that could not stay in the tabernacle when trailing - but that is the same for the BRe and the BC's anyway.
Peter has a wooden mast, which is heavier but certainly manageable by one man, as Peter will no doubt testify to.
Your mast would have to be the same length as the boat (20') for trailing.
I'm aware Peter got a bermudan main sail new from Hyde especially for the BR20. So they are out there.

Personally, in my experience, I think it is definitely a positive move and opens up all sorts of avenues in sail shape, 'fat' headed? Fully battened?.. Laminate?.. 

I'm sure more knowledgeable people than me may differ ...  ?!

Love to see how you get on with this project if you go for it..

Andy

[Peter Cockerton]

I am interested in converting from the traditional BR rig with a gaff to a Bermuda rig, just for ease of handing when I am sailing alone.
Does anyone have any experience or advice about this?

Colin

As Andy has mentioned in his reply post my boat does have a Bermudan rig sail with a sprit boom. Matt built the boat with a very nice single piece hollow wood mast for one of the exhibitions in London.

One drawback is the need to move the mast from the tabernacle and slide it forward some metre in front of the bow when trailering.

I have tried different sail handling techniques for dropping the main tidily including just letting it drop into the boat but what works at the moment is three lengths of bungee cord spread out on both sides of the boom which when sailing run flat along the boom. I have two bits of string hanging from the stainless bracket on the mast where the stays attach ( must remember the nautical term for it) each with a spring hook attached. When I want to drop the sail I pull up the three bungee cords on each side of the mast and attach them to respective hooks on the string. This forms a rudimentary form of lazy jacks to help keep the sail under control. You can't have standard lazy jacks due to the front of sail dropping below the boom.

I had a new main made last year with three half batons and it sets very well, last week on Rutland I put two reefs in (22 mph wind gusts) and she still pulled like a train. Which reminds me I forgot to mention in my "we're you motoring" post that I was double reefed.

Will post some pictures if you would find it helpful

Peter

[david]

Hi,
          Matt may be able to help with this as the Bermudian option was available in the USA from the factory. Not sure how many were made, but understand a few were shipped. I will try to attach a picture.


 

[david]

Have you thought about using your original mast with a square top sail taken to the top of the mast and not using the Gaff/Gunter? 
 I think Graham may also has a smaller main sail that he can use with out the Gunter. This is a thought I have had. I single hand sail mostly and as I progress in years, would like to simplify the handling.
 I read in a post on here some time ago that someone had a sail like this made and the sail area was reduced to about the first reef point, with maybe a knot difference in performance?