On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:22:43 -0600, lowe210 wrote:

I know this is an out-of-the box type question, but has anyone had any
experience with or have any ideas or comments on the thought of taking
a standard aluminum pontoon boat and rigging sails on it? I know it
would be slow, but sort of looking for that old Spanish Gallion effect
(slow, steady, using no fuel). Any thoughts on how to rig it, connect
masts, and how it might sail? Thoughts on a keel(s) or other method of
allowing it to tack properly against the wind? Is this even a
possibility given the physics? Boat would be used on a large lake in
Texas.

Sure, you can put sails on anything and it will work... Perhaps
something else would work better but it will work.

First things first: You need a mast. There will be fairly high loads
applied on the mast and the rigging that holds it up, so:

You need to decide (1) what you are going to sit the mast on, and (2)
where you are going to attach the two shrouds (that run to the sides
of the boats) and the stays (that run to the front and rear of the
boat).

Next you need to decide how big a sail and what kind you are going to
mount. Probably, some sort of conventional main and jib sail will be
the simplest to get working.

Finally, you need to decide where to attach the "sheets", the
lines(ropes) that hold the corner of the sail, will go.

After you get that done and see how she goes then you may want to rig
some sort of "center board" or perhaps "lee boards" (the same thing as
a center board but hung over the side of the boat).

It probably won't be fast and it probably won't be pretty and it
probably won't out sail an America's Cup racer, but it will be fun.

Let us know how it all works out.

Cheers,

Bruce
(bpaige125atgmaildotcom)