Jon,
My major objection, after weight aloft is maintenance. Jon, In all my
years of sailing, I can't remember a Gaff rig without Gaff boom Jaws,
which means a greased main and a absence of a sail track which means
sail hoops on the Luff of the sail, which also increases the chance of
jamming, which also increases the need for a slippery mast, which is a
PITA.
In its defence though, on a cruising
rig the sail shape is closer to the shape of the Max. area of the effort
of the sail.
http://community.webtv.net/tassail/ILLDRINKTOTHAT
http://community.webtv.net/tassail/ThomPage