The types of sailing rigs are quite varied and depend mainly on the conditions in which the ship will sail and on its size. The armament of sailing ships differs mainly in the shape of the main sails.

Large sailing ships They wore (and still wear) so-called straight sails. They are trapezoidal in shape and rise on horizontal yards, positioned symmetrically to the mast and in front of it. Under such sails the ship sails well only with a fair wind; it can only go to the wind at a large angle - about 60-70. On sports yachts, straight sails are not used as the main ones, but on large cruisers, sometimes on passing courses they install a straight additional sail, called a brief.

Sports sailing yachts are equipped exclusively with oblique sails, which are located on one (rear) side of the mast and are attached to it with the leading edge. Oblique sails provide significantly better traction performance when sailing upwind than straight sails.

There are several types of oblique sails.

The quadrangular gaff sail (Fig. 12, c and 13, a) has a gaff-inclined spar, one end resting against the mast. The luff (edge) of the sail is attached to the gaff. The luff of the sail is attached to the mast, and the lower luff is attached to the boom, a horizontal spar, which is attached using a swivel (hinge). connected to the mast. A variation of the gaff sail is the guari sail with a very long gaff (often longer than the boom and even the mast) standing almost vertically.

Currently, double-cutters are used very rarely.

On small yachts, mainly on open sailing dinghies, rack or sprint sails are sometimes installed. They replace the gaff with a batten, to which the luff of the sail is tied, and its front end freely extends forward beyond the mast (Fig. 12, a), or with a sprint - a pole that stretches the sail, resting its lower end against the mast, and its upper end against the corner sails diagonally, as on the children's dinghy "Optimist" (Fig. 12, b).

About 40-50 years ago, almost all yachts were armed with gaff sails. Now triangular Bermuda sails are used, which are easier to use and provide better traction qualities.

The Bermuda sail (Fig. 12, d) does not have a gaff, which makes it easier to set. Its luff is attached to the mast, and its lower luff is the same as that of a gaff sail. - to the geek.

Based on the number of masts, yachts are divided into single-masted and double-masted. Vessels with a single mast rig are the cat, sloop and tender; with two masts - iol, ketch and schooner. Sports yachts rarely have more than two masts. An exceptional event in the practice of racing was the participation in the single-sailor race across the Atlantic in 1972 of the three-masted jib yacht-schooner “Vandredi 13” with a length of 39 m and a windage area of ​​about 100 m2.

A cat has one mast and one sail, called a mainsail. The cat's mast is placed relatively close to the bow. Kat is a very simple weapon, but it is used only on non- large yachts ah - windage up to 8-10 m2. With a larger windage, it is inconvenient - the sail turns out to be high, therefore the force of wind pressure on the Sails is applied relatively high. The yacht has to be made wide, with increased stability.

In the USSR and in most European countries, the cat (Fig. 12) is the dominant armament of single racing dinghies, operated by one person (for example, dinghies of the “OK”, “Optimist” and “Finn” classes).

To reduce sail height and increase stability, small and medium-sized yachts (sail area up to 60 m2) are most often equipped with a sloop (Fig. 13).

A sloop is a rig in which, in addition to the mainsail, the yacht carries another front sail, called a jib. The sloop can be gaff or Bermuda.

The Bermuda sloop is now the most common rig for small and medium-sized yachts. Among the Bermuda sloops, two varieties can be distinguished: the normal Bermuda sloop (or, as it is often called, “three-quarter”, since the staysail usually reaches 75-80% of the height of the mast) and the Bermuda sloop with a top staysail (the staysail is raised along the forestay, which goes on the very top of the mast). The first type is typical for racing yachts, and the second - for cruising and racing yachts (Fig. 13, b and c). The space between the mast and the staysail is called the fore triangle.

Rice. 14 Tenders"
A - gaff, B - Bermuda

When the sail area is more than 60-80 m2, it is divided between a large number of sails. Then they use a type of weapon called a tender. A tender (Fig. 14) carries two or more headsails in the forward triangle, which is why it differs from a sloop. These sails are called: jib (closest to the mast at the bottom), jib (in front of the jib) and jib-topsail (or fly) which is placed at the very top of the mast.

Tenders, like sloops, can be gaff or Bermuda. Gaff tenders most often have a mast that is not solid, but consists of two parts: a mast and a topmast (an extension to the mast on top that can be lowered).

Two-masted rigs (Fig. 15) are used on large cruising yachts, where to reduce roll it is important to have an even lower windage than tenders. In addition, the distribution of the total windage over several sails makes it easier for the crew to work with them, which is especially important on yachts making long voyages. The purely nautical advantages of two-masted yachts are very great: by removing certain sails you can immediately reduce windage, and by combining these sails you can adapt to a wide range of wind forces without taking reefs.

Not very large cruising yachts (50-100 m2) are in most cases armed with a boat or a catch. The Iol has a short rear mast (mizzen mast), which is mounted behind the rudder head. The sail on this mast is called a mizzen. The sails can be either gaff or Bermuda. Note that for all two-masted yachts with oblique sails, the type of rig is determined by the shape of the mainsail. So, if the sail has a gaff mainsail, it is called a gaff sail, regardless of the mizzen on it - gaff or Bermuda.The area of ​​the mizzen on the floor is usually 8-10% of the total sail area of ​​the yacht.

Rice. 15. Two-masted yachts.
A - Bermuda iol; b - jib ketch. B - gaff schooner; G - Bermuda jib schooner

The ketch differs from the yol in its larger mizzen, which has an area of ​​15-25% of the total sail area, and in that the mizzen mast stands in front of the rudder head.

Like iol, ketch can be Bermuda or gaff. Sometimes a ketch has a mainsail without a boom, with a clew located at the top of the mizzen mast. The lower gap is then filled with a large mizzen staysail. Such ketches are called staysails (Fig. 15, b). A regular ketch or sail can also have a mizzen staysail, only in this case it must be removed when moving the mainsail from one side to the other.

On a mizzen, the mizzen is more of an air rudder than a sail; in addition, in some cases, the mizzen is more convenient from the point of view of the crew’s work on deck and visibility for the helmsman.

The schooner has a rear mast higher than or equal to the front one. The forward mast of a two-masted schooner is called the foremast, and the rear mast is called the mainmast. The sails are called the foresail and the mainsail, respectively. Schooners, like other yachts, can be gaff or Bermuda. Bermuda schooners are often armed with a gaff foresail (at the same height as the Bermuda foresail, it can have a larger sail area than the latter). There is a variety of the Bermuda schooner - a staysail schooner (Fig. 15, d). This schooner does not have a foresail. The gap between the foremast and mainmast (intermast quadrangle) is filled with one or more oblique triangular sails. As a rule, schooners are used to equip the largest yachts with a sail area of ​​more than 150-200 m2.

The types of sailing rigs are quite varied and depend mainly on the conditions in which the ship will sail and on its size. The armament of sailing ships differs mainly in the shape of the main sails.
Large sailing ships wore (and still wear) so-called straight sails. They are trapezoidal in shape and rise on horizontal yards, positioned symmetrically to the mast and in front of it. Under such sails the ship sails well only with a fair wind; it can only go to the wind at a large angle - about 60-70. On sports yachts, straight sails are not used as the main ones, but on large cruisers, sometimes on passing courses they set a straight additional sail, called brief.
Sports sailing yachts are armed exclusively slanting sails, which are located on one (rear) side of the mast and are attached to it with the leading edge. Oblique sails provide significantly better traction performance when sailing upwind than straight sails.
There are several types of oblique sails.
Quadrangular gaff sail(rice. 12, in and 13 , A) It has gaff- an inclined spar tree, one end resting against the mast. The luff (edge) of the sail is attached to the gaff. The luff of the sail is attached to the mast, and the luff to the geek, horizontal spar, which with the help of a swivel (hinge). connected to the mast. A type of gaff sail is a sail guari with a very long gaff (often longer than the boom and even the mast), standing almost vertically.
On small yachts, mainly on open sailing dinghies, they are sometimes installed rack or sprint sail. They replace the gaff rake, to which the upper luff of the sail is tied, and its front end freely extends forward beyond the mast ( rice. 12, A), or sprint- a pole that stretches the sail, resting its lower end against the mast, and its upper end diagonally against the corner of the sail, as on the Optimist children's dinghy ( rice. 12, b).
About 40-50 years ago, almost all yachts were armed with gaff sails. Now triangular Bermuda sails are used, which are easier to use and provide better traction qualities.
Bermuda sail (rice. 12, d) does not have a gaff, which makes it easier to install. Its luff is attached to the mast, and its lower luff is the same as that of a gaff sail. - to the geek.
Based on the number of masts, yachts are divided into single-masted and double-masted. Vessels with a single mast rig are the cat, sloop and tender; with two masts - iol, ketch and schooner. Sports yachts rarely have more than two masts. An exceptional feature in the practice of racing was the participation in the single-sailor race across the Atlantic in 1972 of the three-masted jib yacht-schooner “Vandredi 13” with a length of 39 m and a sail area of ​​about 100 m 2.
Kat has one mast and one sail, called grotto. The cat's mast is placed relatively close to the bow. Cat is a very simple weapon, but it is used only on small yachts with a sail area of ​​up to 8-10 m2. With a larger windage, it is inconvenient - the sail turns out to be high, therefore the force of wind pressure on the Sails is applied relatively high. The yacht has to be made wide, with increased stability.
In the USSR and in most European countries cat ( rice. 12) is the dominant armament of single-handed racing dinghies, operated by one person (for example, dinghies of the “OK”, “Optimist” and “Finn” classes).
To reduce sail height and increase stability, small and medium-sized yachts (windage up to 60m2) are most often equipped with a sloop ( rice. 13).
Sloop- this is an armament in which the yacht, in addition to the mainsail, carries another front sail, called jib. The sloop can be gaff or Bermuda.
The Bermuda sloop is now the most common rig for small and medium-sized yachts. Among the Bermuda sloops, two varieties can be distinguished: the normal Bermuda sloop (or, as it is often called, “three-quarter”, since the staysail usually reaches 75-80% of the height of the mast) and the Bermuda sloop with a top staysail (the staysail is raised along the forestay, which goes on the very top of the mast). The first type is typical for racing yachts, and the second - for cruising and racing yachts ( rice. 13, b And V). The space between the mast and the staysail is called the fore triangle.

Tenders, like sloops, can be gaff or Bermuda. Gaff tenders most often have a mast that is not solid, but consists of two parts: the mast and topmasts(extension to the mast from above, which can be lowered).
Two-masted rigs (Fig. 15) are used on large cruising yachts, where to reduce roll it is important to have an even lower windage than tenders. In addition, the distribution of the total windage over several sails makes it easier for the crew to work with them, which is especially important on yachts making long voyages. The purely nautical advantages of two-masted yachts are very great: by removing certain sails you can immediately reduce windage, and by combining these sails you can adapt to a wide range of wind forces without taking reefs.
Not very large cruising yachts (50-100 m2) are in most cases armed with a boat or a catch. The Iol has a short rear mast (mizzen mast), which is mounted behind the rudder head.

The sail on this mast is called a mizzen. Iolas can be either gaff or Bermuda.

Note that for all two-masted yachts with oblique sails, the type of rig is determined by the shape of the mainsail. So, if the sail has a gaff mainsail, it is called a gaff, regardless of whether the mizzen on it is gaff or Bermuda. The area of ​​the mizzen on the floor is usually 8-10% of the total sail area of ​​the yacht.
Catch differs from the iol in the larger mizzen, having an area of ​​15-25% of the total sail area, and in that the mizzen mast stands in front of the rudder head.
Like iol, ketch can be Bermuda or gaff. Sometimes a ketch has a mainsail without a boom, with a clew located at the top of the mizzen mast. The lower gap is then filled with a larger mizzen-sailsail. Such ketches are called jib (rice. 15, b). A regular ketch or sail can also have a mizzen staysail, only in this case it must be removed when moving the mainsail from one side to the other.
On a mizzen, the mizzen is more of an air rudder than a sail; in addition, in some cases, the mizzen is more convenient from the point of view of the crew’s work on deck and visibility for the helmsman.
Schooner has a rear mast higher than or equal to the front. The front mast of a two-masted schooner is called foremast, and the back - mainmast. The sails are named accordingly foresail and mainsail. Schooners, like other yachts, can be gaff or Bermuda. Bermuda schooners are often armed with a gaff foresail (at the same height as the Bermuda foresail, it can have a larger sail area than the latter). There is a type of Bermuda schooner - staysail schooner (rice. 15, G). This schooner does not have a foresail. The gap between the foremast and mainmast (intermast quadrangle) is filled with one or more oblique triangular sails. As a rule, schooners are used to equip the largest yachts with a sail area of ​​more than 150-200 m2.

Content
	From the authors Introduction Sailing in Russia
	Classification of sailing yachts Main parts of the yacht Types of sailing yachts Differences between yachts by hull shape		Differences between yachts by type of armament Sports classification of sailing yachts Soviet classification
	Structure and armament of the yacht Frame		Basic parts of a wooden yacht set Sheathing and decking Steering gear and centerboard
			Additional and storm sails Useful items and yacht equipment Sailing yacht supplies
	Rigging work Rigging Terminology General information about cables Making cables Strength of cables	10	Stamps Release of coils and storage of cables Rigging tool Nodes
11	Splash and fire Buttons Benzels	12	Service Some sail work Some other rigging work
13	Ship work Vessel wintering Preparation for yacht repair	14	Repair of hull and weapons Painting works Launching and arming the yacht
15

The word "Bermudian" refers to the design of the sails and the way they are attached to the spar on ship. Characteristic features of Bermuda sails are:

• side view close to triangular;
• attachment to the ship and its mast along the luff of the sail;
• To control the sail, one angle is used - the clew and (or) the luff.

Word " sloop" means that the ship is single-masted, but with two sails:

• mainsail (attached to the mast along the entire luff)
• a jib connected by the upper i.e. halyard corner to the mast, the lower (called tack) corner to the bow of the deck, and the entire luff or to a cable (this can be a cable sewn into the luff of the sail, or a stay - a cable holding the mast in front, or stay-pier, i.e. rigid tackle instead of a cable in the form of a pipe or rod).

The stay-pier is undoubtedly the best option, but is used less frequently due to its high cost and (or) large mass.

Bermuda sloop looks like shown in Figure 4.1.

In the figure, instead of dimensions, letter designations are indicated:

s p - fin area.
s r - rudder area.
s k is the area of ​​the underwater part of the hull.
B max - the maximum width of the yacht hull.
B kvl - width according to kvl.
B stern - width of the stern.
V is the displacement of the yacht.
m pl - fin mass.

Explanations

1. Cool to the wind- when the yacht moves towards the wind at some acute angle. Modern cruising yachts this angle is about 45°, but the fastest large yachts can have 30°!
2. Tacking- a method (technology) of moving a yacht towards the wind, consisting of alternating movement: first on the left, then on the right tack (Tack - the position of the yacht relative to the direction of the wind. Right tack - the wind blows to the starboard side, from the right half of the yacht, left tack - to the left board, from the left half.
3. Get out into the wind- move towards the wind;
4. Bermuda sails have three angles and three luffs, each with its own name:
   - the upper angle at which the sail is lifted up the mast using a halyard (i.e. cable, rope) is called the halyard angle;
   - the lower corner of the sail facing the headwind is called the tack angle;
   - the rear angle of the sail, facing the direction downwind, is called the clew angle and is used to control the sail using a sheet (rope);
   - luffs are the edges of the sail;
   - the luff in the working position is facing the wind and a cable is sewn into it (it’s called a lyktros);
   - luff - at the back. The waste stream of wind flows from it;
   - the lower luff faces the deck.
5. Seaworthiness- the ability of a yacht to successfully withstand the elements of wind and waves of a certain strength. The stronger the wind and waves, the more seaworthy the yacht should be. A yacht that is more durable and better able to withstand unexpected weather conditions is considered more seaworthy.
6. Genoa- a wide jib, with its clew angle extending beyond the mast towards the stern.

Proportions of a Bermuda cruising sloop

Proportions of modern cruising yachts can be expressed through the main dimension L kvl. Actually L kvl usually lies within the range of 2.5 ÷ 20 m.

L max ≥ L kvl. L max can reach 1.3 L qvl however there is a tendency to L max = L kvl.
H = (1 ÷ 1.5)Lkvl, most often H ≈ 1.3 L kvl.
h st = (0.75 ÷ 1)H; it is better when h st = H, however, problems arise with the strength of the mast.
h b = (0.07 ÷ 0.2) L kvl; the larger h b, the more seaworthy the yacht.
∆ ≈ 0,1L kvl - displacement of the CP to the nose from the central nervous system. A very important quantity that affects the handling of the yacht.
T total = (0.2 ÷ 0.3) L kvl; Tk ≈ 0.05 L kvl.
The fin, like the rudder feather, is hydrofoils. They act like a glider wing, only they are positioned vertically.
s k ≈ 0.6 L kvl × T k;
s p ≈ 0.6Sк = 0.036 L kvl × T k.
Much depends on the shape of the hydrofoil, i.e. on t, 1, b.
In cross section, the fin and rudder blade have the shape of a drop with a blunt end forward. t ≈ (1.8 ÷ 2.5)l = (0.18 ÷ 0.25) L kvl, where l ≈ 0.1 L kvl; b ≈ (0.012 ÷ 0.015) L kvl.
For the rudder blade, the relationship between t, 1 and b is similar, but for the rudder s p ≈ 0.25s p.
mpl ≤ (0.2 ÷ 0.4)V for cruising and keel yachts;
mpl ≈ 0 for light boats, dinghies, sailing boards and catamarans (in general for multihull yachts),
V = (0.0046 ÷ 0.007)L 3 kvl; S = (0.5 ÷ 0.75)L 2 kvl;
S st ≈ S gr, it is better when S st = 1.25S gr.
Bmax ≈ (0.3 ÷ 0.45) L kvl. V kvl ≈ (0.27 ÷ 0.4) L kvl.
B k ≈ B kvl.

Behind the diversity of designations, terms and numerical ratios, it is not easy to guess the charm of a classic cruising yacht. Therefore, we will formulate its advantages in a brief verbal form.

Firstly, and this is the main thing, a cruising Bermuda sloop of good proportions is a good tackler. The “dead zone”, where the helmsman cannot immediately and directly (except under the engine) steer the yacht, is only about 90° out of 360° (45° each on the right and left sides from the direction towards the wind). With sails of high aerodynamic quality and high similar characteristics of the fin and the underwater part of the yacht as a whole, this figure can be reduced to 80°.

Racing large superyachts even reach 60°. However, every degree into the wind costs more and more, which requires extremely expensive sailing fabric and, even more so, ready-made sails. The most modern masts, rigging, controls and equipment also cost more than conventional ones. The hydrodynamic qualities of the underwater part of the yacht are no less expensive: complex fin shapes, ultra-clean surfaces that do not allow the slightest adhesion of algae and other dirt, “narrow” gates of sailing modes: strict adherence to the angles of attack of the sails in relation to the variable wind, ultra-precise accounting of destabilizing factors ( waves, currents, etc., etc., etc.) require the use of expensive instruments and computers during navigation.

Secondly, a cruising Bermuda sloop of good proportions is easy to operate and does not require a large crew due to the well-organized wiring of the sheets and the mechanization of the controls: winches, blocks, stoppers, steering gear - are extremely simple.

Third, on passing courses, where triangular (Bermuda) sails are not the most effective, it is possible to install an additional sail made of light fabric - a spinnaker or gennaker (a gennaker is an asymmetrical spinnaker, a spinnaker resembles a parachute and is comparable in area to the total area of ​​tacking sails). This gives a noticeable increase in speed and the maximum possible is achieved. The use of a spinnaker or gennaker requires good coordination from the crew in control. Fairness requires saying that on a Bermuda sloop, the sails set “butterfly” on a jibe course allow you to go on a cruise without any hassle.

Fourth, a wide and flat bottom of the stern in combination with a high power-to-weight ratio (i.e. S/V = 24 ÷ 30 m2/ton of displacement) allows the yacht to exit the displacement sailing mode into the surfing mode and reach a speed higher than what Froude’s law limits it in displacement mode (according to Froude or taking into account 1 knot = 1853 m/hour, or 0.514 m/s, 1 foot = 0.3048 m. ). A reliable Bermuda sloop-type cruising yacht can be built relatively cheaply.

To the direct question: “What is the speed of the yacht?” The answer is: “It is always different.”

When the wind speed is zero (complete calm), the yacht will stand or float with the current or row with sails due to the oncoming waves and move slightly. In this case, a motor or oars come to the rescue. But this is a rare situation when there is no wind at all.

With a low wave (for each size of yacht this is its own value) with a wind of 3 ÷ 4 points (3.4 ÷ 7.9 m/s), a medium-sized yacht (≈ 6 ÷ 7 m by waterline) develops a speed according to the Froude formula of about 10 ÷ 13 km/h. For the same yacht, with a wind speed of 12 m/s, you can reach a speed of 25 km/h. Larger yachts go faster, smaller ones go slower.

In conditions of strong wind and storm (over 20 m/s), the fastest course is a gulfwind course along the wave or slightly obliquely. Courses counter to the wave at an acute angle to the wind slow down the speed greatly, and small yachts can no longer fight the elements and drift with the wind or stop at anchors.

Riding on a following wave puts the yacht into surfing and planing mode. The speed increases to wind speed and more!

The helmsman (captain) of the yacht has a large selection of different options: try to move in the chosen direction, hide in a shelter, anchor, try to use the motor, despite the fact that a cruising yacht is a self-righting yacht, even if it turns out to be with the mast down - this is for counting the mass of the fin.

When the wind force is excessive for your yacht, when a dangerous (large and jerky) list and strong drift occur, reduce the sail area, in nautical language: “take reefs”. This operation is greatly facilitated and accelerated if the yacht has devices for furling the sails: furling the jib around the luff, reefing the mainsail for furling it along the lower luff while simultaneously releasing the halyard.

Passion for yachts - speed wringers for everyone possible ways, already at the design stage leads to a deterioration in their habitability (i.e. living conditions) and, most importantly, to a decrease in reliability, since ultra-lightweight yachts often find themselves in conditions on the verge of their strength. Operating such yachts requires the highest qualifications of the crew.

In these times of dominance of Bermuda sloops, it is rare to see a gaff schooner at sea. Nevertheless, my “Chava” is equipped exactly like this. What is this, a reconstruction of a classic, desperate savings on an aluminum spar, or a tribute to romance?

The project allowed, among others, the option of arming the yacht as a Bermuda tender or a gaff schooner. Let's try to consider in detail and impartially the pros and cons of these sailing options for a specific project, as well as some features of the design and operation of a gaff schooner.

Bermuda tender.

Bermuda weapons have long been the standard for sailing yacht. New materials and technologies used in the development of sails and spars have led to very effective and easy-to-control weapons that have no equal on sharp courses.

On full courses, a yacht so rigged can carry twin staysails or a gennaker instead of a spinnaker when sailing with a small crew or alone. The main problems of Bermuda weapons are a large number of standing rigging and serious loads transmitted to the hull by the spar and equipment.

The relatively large cross-section mast is supported by two rows of spreaders. The sail area of ​​the project, armed with a Bermuda tender, is 78.2 m2.

Gaff schooner.

The gaff rig masts are relatively short and of large diameter, secured with shrouds and stays in the top area, since the gaff tendrils moving along them when setting the sails do not allow the placement of additional attachment points.

The mainmast is installed on the deck, the loads on the hull are distributed by the submast pilser. The foremast shrouds are located in the bow of the hull; the width of the hull here is much smaller than at the midships, where the mainsail shrouds are installed. In addition, the mast is additionally loaded with bow sails.

Therefore, the foremast passes through the deck in steps on the bottom, and is additionally braced at deck level.A special feature of the gaff rig is the absence of backstays. The shrouds of the standing rigging and boomsails take the entire load from the installed sails, and the booms of gaff sails, even at full courses, almost do not extend beyond the deck in plan.

This leads, on the one hand, to an elegant and swift silhouette - the masts have a noticeable design tilt towards the stern, on the other - long booms at full courses require mandatory block hoists, short drawn from their legs to suitable attachment points on the deck - as a rule, to the leeward side and slightly forward.

They rigidly fix the booms against involuntary jibes.The rather long bowsprit is another feature caused by the shape of the gaff mainsail and the need to balance its windage with forward bow sails, otherwise the yacht will be strongly driven to the wind.Main sail area –65.8 m 2 . Taking into account the additional windage, the yacht can carry about 100 m 2 sails.

Spar design.

The choice of a steel pipe in the project as the basis for the mast columns seems, at first glance, strange. There is an opinion among sailors that steel is not a suitable choice for a spar. They believe that such masts will be too heavy, the boat will lose stability, and corrosion will make them very short-lived.

However, the mass calculation tells a different story. A traditional timber spar requires an increase in mast diameter and will be heavier in weight. Aluminum alloy provides virtually no advantages over steel. If we introduce a couple more criteria - the cost of the material for making the mast and its availability, then steel certainly becomes the best choice.

The mast is assembled into a single unit by electric welding and sealed to prevent corrosion, after which it is protected with paint and varnish coatings in the same way as the steel body. All necessary electrical cables are routed externally, along the cables, as well as the running rigging.

Booms, gaffs, topmast.

These spar trees, according to the design, should be made of wood and hollow inside. The designer does not approve of their manufacture from solid pieces of wood due to excess weight and the risk of cracking.

The fittings and other useful things for the wood were already ready when, for reasons of durability, strength and reducing cost and labor, the decision was made to replace it with affordable aluminum alloy pipes.

In particular, this was prompted by correspondence with the owners of the American sistership schooner “Adventure”. They had to replace the booms after ten years of use of the boat, although the masts and sails were still in good condition. Just at this time, pipes made of aluminum alloys ceased to be in short supply, and the issue of spars was resolved in one fell swoop.

The blanks were thoroughly washed from grease and first coated with primer for aluminum, and then painted. The fittings, gaffs, and other hinged components and parts are made of stainless steel and installed on screws and threaded rods, as well as polyurethane sealant.

The gaff mustaches are covered with technical leather, the “stainless steel” is polished with a felt wheel with GOI paste, clamped in a drill. The topmast is installed in its place in ezelgoft through insulating bushings machined from caprolon to prevent electrochemical corrosion.

The bowsprit is made of larch. I managed to select and purchase for this purpose dried boards 20 mm thick of the “zero” grade. The bowsprit is glued together from these larch boards using epoxy resin with the addition of dry wood dust.

Larch has a high resin content in the wood, so before gluing, the surface must be thoroughly cleaned of it with acetone to ensure adhesion. In order to smear this amount of resin (more than 2 kg) on ​​the surface of the boards and assemble the package, I needed to make five batches.

To prevent the resin from setting up prematurely, I worked in the shade in the morning. The next day the bowsprit was already processed with an electric plane. Then, when the extra piece of the workpiece was sawed off, it became possible to test the tensile strength of the resulting adhesive seam. When the board was torn off, it tore to the quick, and did not burst anywhere along the adhesive seam.

Standing rigging.

The shrouds and stays are made of stainless steel cable and 619 galvanized steel cable, with thimbles and hand-made stops. The fires were sealed according to the classical scheme - through one strand under two against the lay.

After manufacturing, each fire was painted for anti-corrosion protection and capped. Standing rigging turnbuckles and mounting brackets must be at least as strong as the cables attached to them.

The shrouds of the foresail and mainsail, installed on the bulwark gunwale, were strengthened during construction, and therefore are used not only for their intended purpose, but also for lifting the boat with standard 6-meter slings.

Galvanized wire rope for standing rigging is much less expensive than stainless steel wire rope, but requires periodic maintenance. According to classical technology, at the beginning and end of each season it must be removed from its regular place, boiled in drying oil and rubbed with paraffin.

Often they also use coatings based on varnish, paint, or coated with modern compounds designed specifically to protect the rigging. In addition to being cheap, there is another important advantage of galvanized cable - it always warns of corrosion with rust spots, which makes it easier to control the condition of the rigging.

Such a cable does not break unexpectedly, like a stainless steel cable. Therefore, the use of galvanized cable for standing rigging is quite justified.For the forestay and jib rail, as well as the waterstay and waterbackstays, it is advisable to use a stainless steel cable.

The bow sail carabiners quickly wear away the galvanizing, exposing the steel, and the waterstay and waterbackstays are constantly bathed in sea water.Marine galvanized lanyards and connecting brackets have a rather unsightly appearance, are huge in size and have questionable durability due to corrosion; those purchased from import catalogs cause justified mistrust due to poor quality and manufacturing technology.

In addition, their price is unreasonably high. Therefore, the turnbuckles and shackles for the standing rigging were made to order: the turnbuckle body and locknuts were made of bronze, and the tips and pins were made of stainless steel. Lanyards must be attached to the pins through hinges, giving the joints a second degree of freedom.

The traditional scheme for protecting sails and spars from abrasion on the rigging includes installing bear protectors on it in the right places. Such protectors can be made from scraps of worn-out gear using the technology of making printed mats.

Attaching sails to the spar, setting and steering.

Gaff sails are tied with the luff to the gaff, the luff to the mast and the luff to the boom. They are placed with a gaff-hardel tied to the heel of the gaff, and a dirik-halyard tied to its end. Gaff sails are controlled using gear tied to the boom and called a boom sheet.

There are many options for attaching the boom sheet to the hull, the simplest is a block attached to a butt (U-bolt) welded to the deck. This option is provided for by the project and was originally implemented on the Chava for the mainsail and foresail.

A slightly more complex option involves installing a boom-sheet shoulder strap and, thanks to the shift of the thrust point to the leeward side, allows you to increase the tension of the luff and reduce the “twist” - the twisting of the upper luff into the wind relative to the lower one.

This should increase the efficiency of the sail on sharp courses. This design combines well with the installation of a stern stop to support the main boom when the mainsail is in full swing. The foresail gaff on a schooner is equipped with additional tackle, called the foresail backstay, which goes to the top of the mainmast.

Each mast has cable strips installed on the shrouds, which also turned out to be convenient and safe supports for the back when working with sails near the mast. There are four dowels on each floor plank, three cleats on each mast, and four cleats are installed on the deck.

Nevertheless, this is the necessary minimum for such a weapon scheme. Efficiency of weapons during ocean cruising It is quite clear that in the conditions of the Olympic Triangle race, a yacht armed with a Bermuda tender will come first.

This type of sail is by far the best on sharp courses, and when the wind moves to the stern corners, there is always the option of setting a spinnaker or gennaker. However, the specifics of a long-distance voyage impose slightly different requirements on a sailing vessel.

Two more important aspects that are worth considering are the increased stability of a gaff schooner and a lower tendency to broach due to the low center of sail.

Sturdy and securely braced steel masts provide confidence in stormy conditions, and the low center sail allows more sail to be carried in fresh weather, making the boat a true storm bird.

Distributed along the length of the sail with a long bowsprit and main boom to the transom allow you to accurately center the boat in different weather conditions, facilitating the helmsman's watch and simplifying the adjustment of the thrusters.

The schooner successfully maneuvers and gains altitude even in very fresh weather, but this cannot be considered decisive when deciding on the choice of armament for a cruising yacht.

Drive with a family crew or alone.

To work with the sails of a Bermuda tender with an area of ​​about 100 m2 in such conditions, serious mechanization will be required. Bow sails are furled, the mainsail is mechanized (for example, retractable into the mast), powerful clew winches.

At the same time, the expenditure of muscular strength becomes minimal, the boat is perfectly controlled by two people and even alone thanks to the efficiency of the sailing armament.However, there are also problems here. In order for all this to work reliably, you will need to invest a lot of money in purchasing high-quality equipment with an appropriate margin of safety.

In addition, this modern technology, working in sea ​​conditions, will require ongoing ongoing maintenance. Do-it-yourself repairs of high-tech components during a long voyage are excluded or very limited, so it is necessary to provide for the possibility of duplicating equipment or other options for restoring the functionality of weapons.

When rigged with a gaff schooner, the total sail area is divided into several fairly small sails, each of which can be set by a single person.

There is no mechanization, and in order to select the sheets of the bow sails, a pair of small winches on the cockpit coamings is sufficient. You only need one more small winch on the main boom for reefing.

The foresail and mainsail gaffs are lifted manually through pulley systems. The absence of lip openings on the masts eliminates many problems when setting and cleaning the mainsail and foresail, which are typical for Bermuda sails.

At the same time, the use of new materials - relatively light gaffs made of aluminum pipes, sails made of Dacron - gives this type of weapon new useful qualities. As a result of such innovations, a modern gaff schooner tacks much better than its traditional counterpart. As the weather cools, the fisherman is removed successively, then the topsail, leaving only the main sails. As the wind picks up, the mainsail begins to reef as the boat begins to “beg”, showing a tendency to drift.

The time to remove the jib usually comes when the mainsail is already reefed to a couple of shelves. By the way, the gaff schooner is drifting steadily. To do this, it is enough to leave the bow sails on the windward side during the tack and put the rudder slightly into the wind.

The problems with servicing gaff weapons are traditional and well known. There are much more different types of gear than on a Bermuda boat, and they require special wiring and fastening points, for example, cleats on the shrouds, so working with sails is generally more difficult and takes more time.

As a safety measure, a net is stretched between the water backstays and runs under the bowsprit, which also adds to the charm of the boat. Routine maintenance and repairs boil down to timely replacement of running rigging gear, leather on the gaffs and restoration of worn out protectors.

A traditional wooden spar also requires constant attention, but in our case we were able to get rid of this, since the masts and all other spar trees are metal. The most they need is periodic restoration of paintwork in areas of wear.

It’s clear - you can justify anything, and there is some subjectivity here. Nevertheless, the choice was made, the boat was built with a gaff version of the armament, it passed sea trials on the open sea with access to the ocean and so far fully justifies the design decisions laid down.

Andrey Popovich. Vladivostok.