I just completed a similar project on my 8 ft. fiberglass dinghy. It
wasn't a sailboard rig though. I made the whole thing myself with some
help from a few design programs i found on the net.
The sail was designed with "sailcut "..a freeware program that develops
the shape of the panels after you give it the dimensions that you want.
Figure out where the center of lateral resistance is on your dinghy.
(you will most likely need a lee board or a dagger board). include the
rudder in your calcs.
Do a little research on the net and you can find so much information for
a project like this.
I chose to use a small gaff rig, my wishes were to keep the mast and
boom small enough to store inside the dinghy when knocked down.
The sail wound up being 26 square feet. It works great.
Decide whether you want a bermudan rig or ?. Calculate the centre of
effort (the centre of the sail) .Make sure the c of e is positioned
about 10% aft of the c of lr so if you go for a swim the boat will head
up and stop rather than sailing away from you.
The mast and other yards were made with hemlock closet rod..1 1/2 for
the mast.1 5/16 for the others...simple and cheap...1/16 s.s. aircraft
cable for shrouds and fore stay with cheap alum. turnbuckles. Rip
stop nylon for the fabric store for the sail...The whole thing cost
about $150 cdn.
Lots of fun to do the design..and more to do the building......and more
to play in.

Enjoy.........
JohnD wrote:

I am thinking of getting a rowing pram dinghy and adding sail
capability. What are the advantages/disadvantages of using a
windsurfer rig - it would be nice to get a two-fer, if possible. I am
also thinking of a leeboard for lateral stability.

TIA

J



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