Swallow Yachts Forum > Technical

1) Mast rake 2) Sprit booms

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Craic:
Hi Bill,
the beauty of the harbour furl is that it gets the mainsail and the gaff yard quickly, neatly and completely out of the cockpit and out of the headroom above it. If rolled in neatly, and secured with an auxiliary haliard slung around it, you can even leave it up over nights and when motoring a bit.

With regards to building a curved spritboom: One ingenious Drascombe Dabber guy built himself a half wishbone boom by glue-laminating together strips of flexible pine timber, using the gunwhale as a gauge and guide. His aim was a removable boom sprit and the gunwhale curve ensured that he could store it inside the gunwhale when it was not in use. These boomsprits are very long and it must be taken into consideration right from the start where and how they can be stored aboard the boat without cluttering deck and cockpit.

Again, I would not want one, I am sailing fine with my straight boom which I can roll into the mainsail or tie to the mast whenever I want it out of the way.

Bill Wickett:
Hi Claus,

How are you? Is your raid calendar filled for this year? Will you be going to Venice? I am curious about that one. Have you been to it before?

When we had the Naiad with the wishbone, we would often lift the furled sail up by just hauling the lazy jack slings tight across the wishbone.
The wishbone works very well to adjust the draft of the sail with a choker line that moves the wishbone forward or aft. Gives great sail control. Much like an outhaul on the boom, but working from the forward end. It worked well for that rig. Now we do sail a boat with a straight boom, and loose footed sail as well as a headsail.

I like the Swallow system with the boom up higher and the foot of the sail angled down to the mast. That acts as a self vanging system somewhat. Last year at Golfe was the first time I had sailed with that system. Wish I could have been there for the full week.

I think some people look for a curved or wishbone boom or sprit to give full sail shape. I personally don't think the straight spar affects the performance noticeably.

Regards,

Bill Wickett

Craic:
Bill,
agree with all you say.
Yes, Venice is on. Entirely new adventure.
See you in Brest / Douarnenez?

Michael Rogers:
A sort of progress report - 1) Mast rake: what I should have done before raising the subject has now belatedly been done. I have made a new rake gauge and very carefully checked, as per the original construction manual. Lo and behold, I got it spot on! So Cadenza's rakishness is legit.      2) Wishbone sprit boom: I have now sailed with this, and it functioned beautifully. I have taken some photos (not sailing shots, which in my experience are professional photographer territory) and will do a brief account of construction soon (I hope).

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