Thom Stewart wrote:
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.


OK Thom...a lot depends where the halyards are led, particularly the
throat halyard. If it's in column, the jaws simply become steadiers and
the gaff, which is hoisted parallel to the water, should hardly touch
the mast on the way up. The most pressure against the mast comes when
the throat halyard is at full hoist, and the peak halyard is peaking
the sail. When under way, there's no pressure of the jaws against the
mast, properly set up.

I do have leathered gaff jaws, also a tumbler to ride against the mast,
which it doesn't, making it totally redundant. There's no point in
greasing the mast: it's not needed and all it does is collect sand, grit
and grot.

Also: most gaff rigs have far too many hoops or rope parrels on the
luff of the sail. usually, only two or three are necessary until you
get into the ship size, and they're only needed for sail control in
hoisting and lowering, not for shaping the sail.

Weather helm was rarely an issue on Flying Tadpole: one used the weather
helm to help lift the boat bodily to windward, bat that was a deep
rudder. Lady Kate, with a tiny rudder, is set up as a cat yawl: most of
the advantages of a catboat, few of the disadvantages. And after Flying
Tadpole II's four sails, a mere two are child's play.

--

Flying Tadpole
----------------------------------
http://www.soundclick.com/flyingtadpole
http://music.download.com/timfatchen
http://music.download.com/internetopera