Some observations sailing the sprit sail on my Skerry.

I am now in my second sailing season with my Skerry. Yesterday I went out in 12 knots winds with gusts of 17 knots according to the Toronto Airport Weather station. I would not be surprised if the gusts were more because of the funnelling that occurs when the direction is just right. Waves were about 3 feet.

I was using the white sprit polytarp sail (about 45 sq. ft.) and could not have handled any more. The boat was going pretty much as fast as it goes. I'm sure I had reached hull speed. I have planed once, in a squall, and lived to tell the tale, but its not a happy event for a Skerry.

Over the week-end I was sailing in 3-4 knot winds. The sail was too small for the conditions and I would have preferred more canvas (plastic?). John Harris designed the sail to be about 54 sq feet and I think he hit it spot on. More, unless conditions are really light, is overkill.

Since my heart no longer jumps out of my chest when I see a big wave coming, I have had a chance to notice what happens to the sail when a sudden gusts hits the boat. My mast-boom-sprit are not very bendy at all. There is not much flex and gusts don't affect them much. Remember I did not build stock spars and everything is thicker than specified. What happens however is that the boom lifts up and wind spills out of the sail. I find this a bit scary and I have tied a line from the boom to the mast, to help control this lifting. Other boats at my club have boom vangs to control this. However I have not tightened the line very much, because this lifting gives me a safety factor that allows the rig to deal with sudden gusts.

I have added an extra block on my rig to give me a better mechanical advantage while hanging on to the sheet and this has been a big help. I am simply not strong enough to control it otherwise. Its ok for short bursts but I don't cleat it and over a period of time I get too tired.

I have just completed a larger sail, polytarp again. Its about 62 sq ft with a reef point. After my sail yesterday I wonder what posessed me to actually want a bigger sail! I have to make a new boom to allow for the wider foot.

Detractors of the designed rig have criticized the small size of the sail and the overly high placement of the boom

Unless the wind is really light then the sail size brings you up to hull speed and any thing more is overkill. I plan to use my new larger sail reduced most of the time. As far as the high placement, it certainly is comfortable plus it allows me to see all around. It doesn't seem to hurt the stability while underway. It might be better if it was lower in the case of a capsize, but I suspect that it would not make much difference and that the boat needs to have the mast pulled out for easy recovery except in the mildest of breezes. Here is a brief description of my experiment in capsizing the boat and righting it. I have not tried removing the sprit to redress the boat, I guess when the water warms up I will try. It does LOOK a bit high, and a lower sail would give a nicer appearance. One advantage for me is that the boom just clears the dock when I come in. If it was lower then I would have to worry about it when the wind shifts.

I don't suppose I will stop playing with the rig, adjusting this and that. I'm basically a tinkerer but the fundamental concept is not bad at all.

Here is a link to the making of the 3 sail and how they behave.

emails: Christine

This web site reflects my personal ideas and doesn't represent anyone else's point of view.