Hey Doug. I am a huge fan of gaffers. My last boat was gaff rigged. I would never have admitted this out loud, be seeing as you asked.....I had considered a gaff conversion for a 17. Well, I should say I had a few thoughts about how that might work out. Back when I decided to find a 17 to buy I had intended to find a beater. If this was the case, rather than restoring the original rig I was looking at a rig of my own design (I know I know.....sssshhhhh) and by choice it would be a gaffer. Most folks that question the choice of a gaff rig have not sailed one. For all the mystique I have read about, all it really amounts to one 'extra' control line. As for performance....on an old timey gaffer with the longer gaff you will take a hit on how high you can sail. You are shorted about 5 degrees. But for anything down from close hauled and specially off the wind a gaffer rocks. The sail is wonderfully adjustable, trimable and powerful. You may have noticed in recent years that any true performance boat has flat topped main. Basically they have designed in a major batton or short horizontal gaff at the top of the sail that basically cuts the pointy bit off of a standard marconi main. I think of these as a version of what the gaffer is all about.....sort of. Lower center of effort. Other benefits of a gaff rig. The main spar is short. The rigs height is attained with the peaked gaff. Having a shorter main spar means easy rigging and stowing. A seriously wonderful asset.
The reason my 17 is stock is that when I actually had the cash and went looking for a 17 to buy....the first one to show up was in pampered condition with options and extras I would never have had otherwise, for a price that was very realistic and located only a days drive from where I am. I should add that I posted my intention to locate a 17 for sale to this list one evening, within three hours the previous owner of our boat answered the call and I was planning a road trip to Portland OR and hour after that. As much as I love a gaffer, this boat would not be converted because it sails so perfectly the way she is. AND....I sail mountain lakes that are long and narrow. The most usual conditions on these lakes is to have the wind running the length of the lake....so you are either way off the wind or full on. I spend a great deal of time hard on the wind....the pointy headed rig works extremely well for the conditions I currently sail in. Cheers, Tim in Frosty Kelowna M17 #369 Puff. .................................................................. Michael and Tim, I agree with both of you when it comes to preferring hanked on jibs for small boats. I am however on the verge of spending money to convert my M15 to a Gaff rig cutter. I love the M15 and this keeps me from selling it for a boat with more strings to pull . I need a roller fuller for the bowsprit and had forgotten about the Harken small boat furler. Tim just saved me some more money I am likely to do a roller on the bowsprit and douser on the staysail. Has anyone else been crazy enough to try a completely different rig on the M15? Thanks Doug Kelch Michael Anderson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hi Doug, I have had two Wykeham-Martin systems on a small british wooden cutter. Yes, system is simple: You CAN NOT REEF ( if you want to have a usable sail shape), only stow away the sails. With a long bowsprit a real advantage. But on a M-15 or M-17 in my opinion all in all the same funktion as a jib douser. But sometimes it jams - a douser does not. I would not buy it again. Regards, Michael Anderson Doug Kelch schrieb: > With all this talk about the CDI furler has anyone ever used the Wykeham-Martin Furling Gear? > It is a 100 year old design but seems much simpler to install, use, and remove for trailering. > > Thanks > > Doug Kelch _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.12/1245 - Release Date: 1/26/2008 3:45 PM _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
