Gaff Rigs

[lustyslogger]

What does anyone here know about gaff rigs? What are the pluses and minuses of having a gaff rigged boat? Can any boat be modified to be gaff rigged? I have always like the looks of a gaff rigged boat and am considering modifying my Sunbird 16 to be gaff rigged. Is it possible, do I really want to do it? Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Michel]

I also love the look of the gaff rig. It is said to be very powerful in reaching and running but sadly it is also said to lose it a little going upwind!... As I mostly sail against wind and current, I need all the pointing capacities of the bermudian rig.

But I hear the the lug rig is pretty good!... That looks pretty nice too!

[JohnT]

Gaff rigged sails (and quadrilateral sails in general) offer a lower center of effort than triangular sails. Therefore, it is posible for a quadrilateral sail to have less heeling effect than a triangular sail of the same area (or more area for the same heeling effect). Gaff sails require more running rigging (two halyards and attendent hardware). The knock on gaff sails is that the sail tends to twist as the gaff swings off the wind, leading to reduced upwind performance. Two possible solutions are a highly peaked gaff and a boom vang. Advocates of gaff rigs argue that if the same development that has gone into marconi rigs had gone into gaff rigs, they would be just as fast upwind! Regardless, a gaff rigged boat can sail well and many of us like the way they look.

I am about to finish my third boat with a balanced lug rig and I like a balanced lug for recreational sailing. A balanced lug requires minimal rigging (if you want to race, you can rig them with "bleaters" and vangs and outhauls, but most of us aren't that keen). The geometry of the sail provides a vanging effect and the rig performs very comfortably off the wind with very gentle gybbing. For my purposes it is ideal.

I note that many of the hottest racing boats (Moths, catamarans. sailboards, and the Americas Cup boats are going with sails which either are quadrilateral or approach a quadrilateral shape. Maybe the gaff rig advocates are right

[Michel]

The Gunter rig! I had forgotten about it! It looks like a very nice solution. It is a gaff but it should perform like a marconi upwind. It offers a shorter mast so it is easier to set-up and trailer,everything...

Another that looks good is the latteen. Short mast, good pointing...

[lustyslogger]

In my office I have three sailboat models and several paintings of sailboats. Two of the models are gaff rigged and the other is a gunter rig. Two are sloops and one is a cutter. The paintings are all Marconi rigged boats. For me personally the gaff rigged sloop is the best looking of the bunch.

BTW, did you know the name "Marconi Rig" came about because the rig was first established about the same time Marconi was setting up his radio system. His antennas were high towers. These needed lots of guys and stays to keep them stable. The new "Marconi" sailing rigs resembled those new technology because of all the shrouds and stays required as well.