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SAILS & RIGGING: Junk Rigs For Cruisers

I HAVE ALWAYS been very attracted to junk rigs, first, I suppose, because they seem so very strange and archaic. As one early Western proponent, a British cruiser named Brian Platt , who sailed from Hong Kong to California under junk rig in the late 1950s, once wrote: “Nobody could have designed the Chinese Sail, if only for fear of being laughed at. A device so elaborate and clumsy in conception, yet so simple and handy in operation could only have evolved through trial and error.”

Junk rigs are in fact safer and much easier to operate than Marconi rigs, hence they probably deserve more attention as a modern cruising rig than they currently receive. As far as we know, the rig was first adapted for use on a Western vessel when Joshua Slocum installed three junk sails on the 35-foot boat Liberdade he built in Brazil in 1887 after he and his family were shipwrecked there. Liberdade performed quite well, covering a total of 5,500 miles (from Brazil to the United States) in 52 sailing days, with daily runs as high as 180 miles. Afterwards, Slocum pronounced the junk rig “the most convenient boat rig in the whole world.”

Joshua Slocum and family aboard his junk-rigged dory Liberdade

In spite of this stamp of approval, the junk rig remained mostly a unique creature of the East for another 70 years. It wasn’t until 1960, when retired British army officer Colonel H.G. “Blondie” Hasler took second place in the first singlehanded transatlantic race aboard a 25-foot junk-rigged Swedish folkboat named Jester , that Western sailors again took a serious look at this eclectic apparatus.

China Blue , a junk-rigged replica of Blondie Hasler’s famous folkboat Jester

Since then it has remained persistently attractive to a very small minority of cruisers who desire an easily handled rig above all else. At least two American yacht designers, Jay Benford and Tom Colvin , both of whom favor traditional craft generally, have specified junk rigs on a number of their designs. Of these, Colvin’s 42-foot junk schooner Gazelle , designed to be built in steel or aluminum , is certainly the most popular. Junk rigs are slightly more prevalent in Great Britain, and there have even been a small number of junk-rigged British fiberglass production boats built over the years. There is at least one British specialty broker and builder, Sunbird Marine , that deals primarily in junk-rigged boats.

In essence, a junk rig consists of a fully battened balanced lug-sail (the Chinese describe it as “an ear listening for the wind”) that is hoisted on a mast that is either freestanding or only lightly supported by a few shrouds. Unlike a conventional Western sail, which has a simple unitary airfoil shape, a junk sail has a more complex scalloped shape. As such, the aerodynamics of the two sails are entirely different. Where a Western sail depends on a smooth laminar flow of air across its surface, a junk sail is believed to rely on turbulent airflow to operate effectively, although no one is exactly sure how this works.

On a Western sail, battens are used only to expand the area of the roach and to help maintain a shape that is inherent to the sail itself. They are very flat and are built into the sail so as not to disturb the airflow. On a junk rig, battens are integral to the rig. They are more tubular and stand proud from the sail, in effect acting as small booms that separate the different panels of the sail from each other. They also disturb the airflow over the sail, creating a series of vortices across its surface. Each batten is attached separately to the mast by a rope parrel and is controlled by a separate sheet, or sheetlet. These are gathered together in series through crude friction blocks known as euphroes. In some cases, if there is not room on deck to lead a single set of sheetlets aft of the sail, two separate groups of sheetlets control the battens from either side of the sail.

This sounds complicated, but in practice the rig is simple to operate. A junk sail can be a bit cumbersome to hoist, due to the weight of all its battens and the many bits of line that can snag on something, but once up it is easy to manage. Because the sail is balanced, with area both forward and aft of the mast, there is no risk of power-jibing, since the sail brakes itself as it pivots about the mast. It never flogs in a breeze, but instead flutters quietly. Because there is no headsail to bother with, tacking the rig is effortless. Best of all, when it comes time to reef there is no drama or anxiety. You simply release the halyard and the sail drops neatly down into its lazyjacks, panel by panel, no matter how hard the wind is blowing. There’s no need to luff up or ease sheets to spill air from the sail, nor is it necessary to tie down or secure the reefed portion of the sail.

A Jay Benford-designed dory with a junk rig reefed down in a brisk breeze

A junk rig is also inexpensive to create and easy to maintain. It requires little or no standing rigging, and the sail itself is never heavily loaded, so almost any material can be used as sailcloth. The Chinese literally build sails out of rags and old canvas sacks. Some modern junk-rig sailors like to use Sunbrella, the UV-resistant acrylic material normally used to make sail covers and dodgers, so that they never have to worry about covering their sails. Because the cloth is cut flat with no shape to it, rank amateurs can build their own sails. And if a junk sail ever tears, the hole can be safely ignored, as it does not otherwise decrease the sail’s efficiency and the battens normally prevent it from spreading from panel to panel.

Battens for a junk sail likewise can be made from most any convenient material. The Chinese have traditionally used bamboo and most modern Western rigs employ fiberlgass rods, but anything with an appropriate shape and weight can be pressed into service. So it is with the entirety of the rig. No specially made fittings are required. Most anything found laying about that looks like it might serve most likely will.

Here again is Brian Platt on the issue of maintenance:

The materials and workmanship that go into a Chinese sail, if applied to a Western rig, would blow to pieces in the first serious wind. The sail cloth is poor quality shirting-material, bound together with huge “homeward-bound” stitches. The battens are attached to the sail with a few strands of wire. There is no reinforcing in the way of the battens and no grommets. The wire is simply pushed through the cloth and round the batten a couple of times. The Chinese operates his boat on a very tight budget but he would use better materials if he thought they were necessary. In fact, the strains on a Chinese sail are so much less, due to the absence of flogging and slatting, that such materials are perfectly adequate. As for the workmanship, the Chinese sees no point in making it out of proportion to the materials.

This creatively rigged Wharram catamaran has “biplane” junk sails flying side by side

Performance-wise it is hard to compare a junk rig to a conventional Marconi rig, as the principles involved are so different. Any sailor familiar with a Marconi rig probably won’t be able to hop aboard a junk-rigged boat and sail it well without first practicing for a while. For Western sailors used to sails with a lot of draft it is hard to know when a junk sail is properly trimmed. Reportedly, even a little over-sheeting will instantly stall a junk sail and kill its drive. Those with a light touch on the helm and a strong intuitive sense of when a boat is pulling along at its best usually achieve the best results.

A junk rig generally does not sail to windward as well as a Marconi rig. Some claim, however, that though junks can’t point as high, they can sail faster closehauled. Others believe junks can point high if the panels in the sail are nicely cambered and are not kept too flat. On a reach a junk sails well, since the many sheetlets allow exact control of twist; on a run, at least in a moderate to strong wind, it is nearly ideal, as the entire sail, like a square sail, can be presented to the wind at a perfect right angle. A junk rig is weak downwind in light air, however, as usually there is no way to increase sail area by flying spinnakers and the like. A rig with multiple masts–two-masted junk schooners are a popular Western variant, while three-masted rigs are common in Asia–can, however, be flown goose-winged, with sails plopped out on either side, which helps to some extent.

The real deal. A Chinese junk with its rig splayed out on a run

Truth be told, of course, no sailor who is very interested in performance is likely to take a junk rig very seriously. Really it is a rig for lazy cruisers, which is the other big reason I find it attractive. The older I get, the lazier I often feel when it comes to sailing, and sometimes I am fairly certain I will end up owning and sailing a junk of my own before I am done with this sport.

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DEAD GUY: Ted Brewer

Such an useful blog on SAILS & RIGGING: Junk Rigs For Cruisers detailed explanation with snaps. . cruising spinnaker.

Here's why to sail in an engineless junk-rigged schooner

Messing about in boats since 1975. Online Since 1997.

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What About the Junk Rig...? The 32' Junk Rigged Tahiti Ketch - Click for Larger Image Copyright 2001 - 2016 Michael Kasten Is the Junk Rig Suited to Modern Cruising...? The junk rig shares many of the virtues of the gaff rig. The junk rig or "Chinese lug rig" is easy to handle, very easy to reef, easy and inexpensive to build, easy to rig, has no complex hardware, requires no winches, is easy to maintain, involves very low rigging stresses, provides a low center of effort so requires less beam or depth of keel, and at least in my view, looks great! That is quite an impressive list of positive attributes... The following is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to the junk rig. It is however a good introduction to a few of the advantages offered by the Chinese lug, or junk rig. Due to its excellent qualities for blue water voyaging, I believe the junk rig has much to offer. Some Advantages Specific to the Junk Rig Reefing: The ease of reefing a junk rig is legendary. Perhaps it is best illustrated with a brief story about sailing one quite windy day off Port Townsend on Migrant , sister ship to Colvin's Gazelle. This was in 1979, when I was considering the junk rig for my own boat, then under construction. Naturally curious, I asked the skipper about reefing the junk rig. He had just passed around fresh mugs of hot chocolate, so I expected a brief discourse on the subject. Instead, without saying anything he walked over to the main mast and with one hand released the main halyard just enough to let it slip over the belaying pin, paying out about half of it and then belaying it again. The boat was reefed. He did not put down his mug of hot chocolate... and he did not spill any. Suitability to Cruising Boats: Many hull forms will handle the junk rig very nicely. As we are now seeing, fully battened sails are the "state of the art" on high performance sailing craft, for example on the America's Cup contenders. Given proper design, there is no reason the junk rig cannot be adapted to performance oriented cruising boats. An excellent combination is also the use of a fairly traditional hull form with the junk rig. As with any rig, there must be correct balance, and sufficient sail area, with an efficient plan form given to the sails. In my view, there will ideally not be any "western" sails such as a jib, and the rig should approach that of a true ocean going Chinese junk. Among our designs that are able to make good use of the Junk Rig are the 44' Valhalla and the 42' Zephyr . That said, the Junk Rig can be adapted to most of our sailing designs, and even to a few of our motor yacht designs. 32' Tahiti Junk Schooner - Click for Larger Image Suitability to Motor Sailors: A motor sailor can make excellent use of the junk rig. A motor sailor can be 100% sailing vessel, as well as being 100% capable under power, as we see in the 48' Jasmine . There are many other approaches as well, such as that taken by the Gulliver 46 , the Greatheart 48 , the 50' Renegade and the Greatheart 60 designs. These types have an emphasis on sail that is more on the order of around 60% or so. In other words, the sails are provided primarily for the purpose of auxiliary propulsion, rather than primary propulsion. The sails serve the function of being the "get-home" motive power in the case of engine failure. In addition, the sails provide extra boost while motoring when the wind favors. As a bonus, the sails and rig provide excellent roll dampening. For this purpose, the junk rig is ideal. Simplicity: With a schooner or ketch configuration arranged in true Chinese junk fashion, therefore not having a western jib, there would be just two junk sails, therefore just two halyards total. For a larger vessel, a small mizzen or small fore sail can be used, or both, also ideally a junk sail. Ease of use: On any cruising vessel, be it a sail boat or a motor sailor, it seems particularly advantageous to have the ability to instantly reef the sails, or to lower them completely without any fooling around. Sail and battens collect neatly in the lazy jacks. Once down, you can go to the sail to throw a line around the lowered battens if necessary. With proper lazy jacks, there is absolutely no drama to this. Flogging / Luffing: There is no sail flapping and flogging when passing through the eye of the wind, either while tacking or jibing. Safety: Individual "sheetlets" are lead to each batten, a full set of sheetlets on each side, so the sails are self tending. The sail shape can be controlled very effectively. This is quite a safe arrangement as well. The multiple sheets, one to each batten, make jibes very gentle, so there is no drama if someone inadvertently puts the helm too far over. This "soft jibe" effect is augmented by there being a fair sized portion of the sail forward of the mast, as a counter force. This makes the junk rig very forgiving for family sailing. Sail Stress: Having multiple battens, the sails can be made of somewhat lighter material. Sail "cut" is not usually regarded as being critical, and most often junk sails are built "flat" rather than being cambered. Appearance: In my view, the junk rig looks "right" on many vessels, especially so with a somewhat "traditional" hull form. Given the right match to the hull form underneath, in my eyes the junk rig is very handsome. This can be applied especially well to motor sailing types. For example, the junk rig would be a perfect companion to a vessel like the 50' Renegade . Sheet Schematic - 5 Batten Sail Spars & Rigging Spars: Spars can be solid wood as is quite traditional, or, without much fuss hollow wooden spars can be made. Alternately, as with the gaff rig, the junk rig can take excellent advantage of welded aluminum tube or pipe for spars. When painted properly the aluminum spars are nearly indistinguishable from traditional round wooden spars. Compared strictly on a strength to weight basis, aluminum spars are much better. When compared on the basis of maintenance, the aluminum spars win again. In terms of longevity... aluminum is far and away the best choice. In terms of first cost (the cost to fabricate the rig), again aluminum wins hands down - all fittings being fully welded and therefore integrally a part of the spars. 48' Junk Rigged Schooner JASMINE Standing Rigging: Most often, there are shrouds and stays to support the mast, as in the design shown above. However... the junk rig gains a terrific benefit from free standing spars, as can be seen in the Jasmine sail plan shown above. The reason for this is to simplify; to eliminate or greatly reduce chafe; and to allow the sails to have a much greater range of trim - highly useful for running downwind when the sails can be set at nearly 90 degrees to the centerline. Battens: Many types of battens have been tried, varying from the obvious use of wood (easy to make but somewhat heavy for the required stiffness), to the use of ABS pipe (cheap but brittle when cold and limp when hot), to the use of fiberglass rods or bars (strong but somewhat heavy for the stiffness, and fairly expensive). Each material has an advantage and a disadvantage. Although fiberglass battens are a bit heavier and more costly, they will usually outlast the others listed by a substantial margin. Bamboo though is likely to be the ideal for battens: light, flexible, strong, relatively unaffected by heat or cold, inexpensive... and - big surprise - it is the preferred traditional material aboard Chinese junks...! Running Rigging: The junk rig is friendly to use. For example, just as with a traditional gaff rig, one will be handling soft Dacron lines and multi-part tackles rather than harsh stainless wire and mechanical winches. Proportion: The drawing shown below is very generic, and is intended only as a schematic to illustrate the approximate layout of a four batten junk (upper yard and boom not included in the batten count). In most applications, and especially for the optimum windward performance, the sail's proportions would be stretched in order to be somewhat taller and less wide. In other words, the rig would ideally have a somewhat higher aspect ratio, very much as can be seen on the 48' Jasmine . Generic Four Batten Junk Sail Plan - Click for Larger Image A Few New Terms... A minor advantage of familiarity with the junk rig is being able to impress dock side wags by knowing all about lizards , sheetlets , euphroes , snotters , and bowsing tackles ....! Sail shape is controlled by each of the individual sheets. Each " sheetlet " runs through a " euphroe " which acts as friction block to keep the tension set as intended. In the drawing above , I've made use of a simpler arrangement using a fiddle block and separate " lizard " eyes in order to allow the sail to self adjust when it is reefed. Once the sail is raised, if it is desired to tension the sail vertically, it is hauled downward by a " bowsing tackle ." If it is desired to move the sail forward or aft, it can be done by controlling the " out haul " which in this case leads forward to the leading edge of the battens. The top yard can be controlled via a line called the " snotter " to move the spar forward or aft, or to snug it against the mast, as needed. The Double Ended Cruising Yacht - VALHALLA 44 - Click for Larger Image Converting an Existing Western Rig to Chinese Junk Rig...? Is it worth it...? That is the fundamental question. Although the junk rig has many benefits, those benefits are realized most dramatically for actual voyaging. For day-sailing, the Western rig is likely to perform better to windward – and on smaller sail boats, reefing Western sails is no big deal. That said, if big water sailing over long distances is being considered, especially on a larger boat, there are definite benefits with regard to safety and peace of mind with the junk rig. The rig is after all very simple and easy to build. There are also the practical aspects of there being considerably lessened forces on all parts of the rig, in particular with free standing masts. Outside those specific justifications, I’m less convinced of the benefits of converting to junk rig - mainly due to the effort required to effect the change. But if voyaging is in the cards, then a much stronger case can be made for effecting such a change. For that process, the best source of information on the junk rig is within the book ‘Practical Junk Rig’ by Hasler & McLeod. It is well worth the price. There is also 'The Chinese Sailing Rig' by Derek van Loan, a book which I've seen but not studied. If you can find it, there is a very good guide to building junk sails by Tom Colvin, to my knowledge only available from the Colvin family, or in a good used bookstore. DESIGNING THE RIG For a variety of reasons, I don't favor mixing Western sails with Junk sails (for example, adding a jib, etc.). As for the shape of the junk sails, Hasler & McLeod seem to prefer a rectangular shape to the junk sail profile, with the battens more or less parallel. However I favor a fan shape to the junk sail as is more common in China. In other words, a fan shape similar to the the ‘Reddish’ rig in the H&M book, or like the sail shapes in the images shown above. Regarding the best location of the mast and sail, the junk rig's CE and overall sail area should be approximately the same as the rig that is being replaced. Cardboard cutouts of the existing sail profiles can be made and balanced on a straight edge in at least two directions in order to find their common center. Alternately the CE can be calculated. Ditto for the proposed junk rig. With that information in hand, the mast location (assuming a single sail and no jib), will be automatic, assuming a vertical mast. If multiple masts and sails are required, there are more options with regard to sail size and mast location. ‘Practical Junk Rig’ has all the information one will need for calculating the mast dimensions as well as the rest of the rig, plus good instructions for how to build a free standing wood mast. NOTE : One caveat however is that in calculating the mast diameter I prefer to use a first principles approach, treating the mast as a uniformly loaded cantilevered beam, then secondarily as a point loaded cantilevered beam (with the point load at the halyard), both with a safety factor of 4 acting against the vessel's maximum righting moment. In so doing, I have found the Hasler & McLeod mast diameter calculations to be a fair bit under-sized for free standing masts. H&M do not consider the vessel's righting moment (only mast length) therefore no attempt is made to actually determine the maximum load imposed on the mast. Because of this, I'm not too surprised to read that a few of their mast designs have 'carried away' in rough conditions, which Hasler & McLeod attribute to glue joint failure. In my view, since the H&M calcs yield masts of a relatively smaller diameter than a first principles calculation will require, their masts are simply more highly stressed. H&M do make a good point however regarding preserving a certain amount of flexibility in the masts. Deflection at the masthead should be limited to no more than 2% of the panel length (partners to halyard attachment). Using a first principles approach with a safety factor of 4 does bring the masthead deflection into compliance with that limitation. I submit that the cutter & ketch rig divisor of 7.1 used by H&M in their mast diameter equation is too aggressive. In my view, the more conservative divisor of 6.3 should be used (the same as H&M use for a schooner's fore mast). Doing so will yield a mast diameter much closer to a first principles approach. In my experience, the result will still be slightly under-sized, but that very much depends on the vessel's actual righting moment... INSTALLING THE RIG With the above information in hand, two remaining questions arise… How much more will the junk rig weigh than the original rig, and how will that affect stability and sailing stiffness…? How should you support the mast (mast step, partners, shrouds if any, etc.)…? The first question can be addressed by simulating the added weight by hauling a weight equivalent to the difference in mass between your existing rig’s mass and center up to the centroid of the new mast & rig and test it (securely please..!). This test is simple to do and involves very little if any cost. Such a test is empirical rather than theoretical, and if performed in a variety of conditions, as long as your calculations are correct you can depend on the results that you obtain. One caveat is that the 'distributed mass' of the heavier junk rig and sails will behave somewhat differently than a 'point mass' as described for the above test. For an explanation of why this is so, please see our Beam vs Ballast article under the heading Roll Moment of Inertia . As for the second question… its answer depends on where the new mast position is located with regard to surrounding structure. If part of the ballast keel is available on which to place the mast step, the main task is then to provide adequate support for the heel of the mast laterally , there being relatively little compression involved if the mast is free standing. This can be done using built-up floors and fore and aft webs, with a secure means to hold the mast in place. Then do the same at the deck penetration with reinforcements of the structure locally; a secure means of holding the mast (slightly oversize tube); and cabin knees or deck knees outboard as needed… All of this can probably be accomplished on one's own by a process of trial and error . However if the above described process leads to a point of uncertainty with regard to the centers, the loads, or the structure, please feel free to contact me as needed for assistance. It is worth mentioning that 'rig conversions' can be relatively time consuming for me to specify (therefore potentially costly) since I do not have the actual boat to experiment with. I must therefore 'model' the vessel's form, its CG, and its structure in order to derive reliable information, and then specify and illustrate structure that will stand up to the calculated loads. On a larger boat, or if cost is not an overriding concern on a smaller boat, the cost of involving formal design will be much more easily justified. A Junk Rig Testimonial... This letter was received from the current owner of Migrant , one of the vessels mentioned above. Dear Michael, It was nice to come across your piece [above] on the Junk Rig and immediately see Migrant named and another story about Dick Johnson told. I bought Migrant from Dick in 1991 after having sailed on her a number of times since meeting him in 1971 when he first sailed into Bellingham. In 1994, with the same sails that Dick Johnson had used to go to Australia, New Zealand, Pitcairn, Mexico, and back to Bellingham, I sailed Migrant from Bellingham once again, bound for Mexico. I spent a year and a half in Mexico before sailing onward to French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, the Marshalls, Micronesia, down to the Solomon's, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Australia. By then I had put four more years in the tropical sun on the same sail cloth, and it had become very fragile. On the way up the Barrier Reef, the top panel started developing tears. By the time I had crossed the top of Australia and gotten to Ashmore Reef, the top panel was in shreds and only the bolt rope around the perimeter was holding the sail and yard together, yet the sailing performance did not suffer in any noticeable way. By that time the sun damage in the lower panels was severe enough that a careless push with my hand would go right through the sail. Even in bad squalls, the rips did not propagate because of the low stress on the cloth. I continued onward through Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. I finally replaced the sails in July of 2000 when they became too disreputable looking, even for me... What other rigs exist where a rip in the sail is not of any great concern, or that you would be able to continue onward for that many miles using sails with cloth so old and fragile? William Servais Aboard the junk rigged schooner, Migrant

In Conclusion

There are many excellent resources for more information on the junk rig. Tom Colvin has written many good articles and a few books on the subject, as have Hasler & McLeod, among others.

If this kind of wildness is of interest, please inquire .

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What’s in A Rig? The Junk Rig

By: Pat Reynolds Sailboat Rigs , Sailboats

What’s in a Rig Series #3

There’s probably no rig more fascinating than the junk rig. Long before Columbus’ time, early as the 10 th century, the Chinese were making their way through the oceans with a rig that has amazingly stood the test of the time. There are many who feel that this very old but very innovative sail plan is superior to the more popular and ubiquitous sloop rig and others.

The junk is predicated upon sails that are fully battened, a characteristic associated with more modern racing vessels and they typically lack any standing rigging (stays and shrouds). They are a completely different looking sail plan and in practice it’s clear the early Chinese engineers and designers were way ahead of their time. A thousand years later, there are advocates ready to point out the many areas where the junks reign supreme.

Due to the full batten set-up, the sails maintain an efficient consistent shape and are fast, especially downwind. In a big breeze junk owners will attest that they’re extremely easy to reef and, as an added bonus, are inherently self-tacking. There are obvious cost benefits to not having any standing rigging – no maintenance, replacement or (costs aside) anxiety about sudden failure. Because of the full battens, there’s also no flogging or flapping of sails and there’s fewer blind spots, like what you might experience with a large genoa on a sloop or cutter rig .

The main disadvantage that’s cited with junk rigs is there upwind deficiency. Although there are theories as to how to improve this, most junk owners will concede that the best they can do is come closer to how well a sloop travels upwind.

Like everything when it comes to choosing a rig, it’s about where you want to compromise. But junk rigs are definitely rife with attributes and many modern hull designs are candidates for retrofitting. And, you must admit… they’re pretty cool looking.

What's in a Rig Series:

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Yachting World

Digital Edition

Sailing a junk rigged schooner in Greenland

Tom Cunliffe
February 28, 2023

A resourceful single-handed sailor overcomes obstacles while sailing a junk-rigged schooner in Greenland. Introduced by Tom Cunliffe

Dave Leet’s Nomad is a junk-rigged schooner which he sails mostly single-handed . He certainly puts the miles in, because although this article is about his experiences in West Greenland, when I wrote to him about his work he was in Martinique where he’d been waiting out Covid.

The account here is edited from three articles written from his blog ( svnomad.blogspot.com ) for the magazine of the excellent Junk Rig Association. Talking with Dave makes crystal clear his view that remote places like Greenland should only be cruised by sailors with a totally self-help attitude, and the way he rebuilds his gearbox to replace the seals from spares which he ‘just happens to have on board’ says a great deal about this modest man.

Leet also notes that the Greenland and Canadian authorities give yachts no hassle so long as they clear in, keep a low profile and stay out of trouble. His cruise to the top of Disko Bay at 70° North, where ice conditions slip him the wink that it’s time to turn south, is exemplary. To be alone on one’s boat, sharing the bay with only icebergs in the Arctic twilight as the aurora blazes above you is an experience granted to very few.

Dave Leet’s blog articles were published in the Junk Rig Association’s magazine

Dave Leet’s junk rig adventure

Well rested and with a full load of fuel, Nomad headed toward the source of all the ice floating around Disko Bay. Icebergs became more numerous as I approached the shoreline, and this was my first experience navigating close-up to them in bright light. They are a brilliant white that stands out against the blue sky, quite unlike their usual near-invisibility in foggy overcast conditions.

Approaching Quasigiannguit late in the day it was easy to work around a number of bergs in the harbour entrance and head for the far end of the bay. Anchoring in water as shallow as possible limits the size of iceberg that can run into your boat.

Leaving the harbour and steering around an ever-increasing number of bergs I headed up towards what looked like a solid wall of ice in the distance. Sailing closer revealed there was space to get between the bergs, where many were grounded near shore. Two rocks noted on the chart were hidden in the ice field, but no soundings are given in this area. Carefully working through the ice I found that the Nordre Huse anchorage was clear.

A strong breeze began blowing down the fjord late in the day so I felt it was safe to spend the night behind the icefield. It was a surreal experience with ice coloured by the twilit arctic night and the sounds of the glacier moving, clearly audible through the hull. Outside, an occasional sound like thunder could be heard as pieces of glacier broke off.

It’s only a few miles around the glacier face to Illulissat, so I spent a fascinating morning motoring between the gigantic icebergs at the front of the glacier. Entering the tiny inner harbour I found it extremely crowded with no convenient place to tie up Nomad . With some difficulty I got her turned around and out of the harbour. The three cruise ships in town supplied enough encouragement for me to clear off and head instead for the tiny village of Oquaatsut with its sheltered bay for the night.

Sometimes the best planning doesn’t help in the remote areas of the Arctic. After carefully working my way into an unsurveyed area I was greeted by the sight of a small berg grounded in the cove and the shallow areas full of bergy bits. It was obvious where the local fishermen tied to the rock wall in 40ft of water, but I was not comfortable with the amount of ice coming in with the wind so I retreated to a cove with a sandy patch showing at low tide.

The north entrance to Smallesund appeared closed by ice, but getting nearer I could see there was space enough to get through by the rock wall. Torssukkatak was full of ice, but navigable. Here at 70°N looking down the ice-choked Vaigat channel north of Disko Island I reluctantly decided it was time to head south towards the deep water around the islands on the west coast of Arve Prinsens Ejland.

It was no problem navigating the uncharted channels between them to the abandoned settlement at Ritenbank where I found a large shallow shelf allowing good anchorage with some current.

Close ice encounter.

Ice and smoke

Early in the morning I was awoken when a resounding thump shook the boat. Sitting up, all that could be seen out the portholes was a wall of ice. Nomad and an iceberg had collided in the tidal current. The berg had run aground, so I pushed Nomad clear of it and the current kept us apart.

Pulling up the anchor chain eventually brought the boat against the iceberg again, but fortunately the iceberg had just missed parking on top of my anchor so I was able to get underway without having to wait for another tide to float it clear. It was another beautiful sunny arctic day as I motored across the bay bound for Qeqertarsuaq on the south shore of Disko Island, intent on doing some hiking.

I was dodging large icebergs and enjoying the otherworldly scenery of Disko Island when smoke started coming out of the open hatch. Expecting a fire, I was relieved to find the gearbox had overheated and the only thing burning was its seals. Hoisting full sail, I was able to coax Nomad another mile away from shore in the faintest breath of wind while the gearbox cooled enough for me to touch it. It was still full of oil, but this was very burnt so I changed it. Back in gear, the shaft turned slowly but would not speed up even at full throttle.

Ruined Norse village of Hvalsey

I worked every breeze that came by throughout the night keeping Nomad away from the icebergs and attempting to head across the bay towards Aasiaat where I could attack the machinery in a safe berth. Making less than four miles overnight I was considering all manner of possibilities when troubleshooting revealed that the gearbox would provide full power in reverse.

Problem solved! I’d be able to back all the way to Aasiaat, 24 miles distant. I hurriedly dropped all the sails, eager to get moving after a long, unproductive night, but in my sleep-deprived state I forgot to check both sides of the boat for lines in the water. With the sails lowered I promptly backed over the junk rig’s port main ‘sheetlet’, stalling the engine. After spending some time trying to clear the prop from on deck I realised there was only one solution. I retrieved my diving gear stored in various places around the boat and set up my scuba tank on deck. With my dexterity impaired by wetsuit gloves and ice cold water I was unable to free the line from the propshaft, so I returned with a knife and cut it clear.

After wriggling out of my wetsuit I took a moment to warm up before throwing the dive gear below and starting the engine. I then began the tedious task of backing across the bay steering from one iceberg to the next as my course was too erratic to follow the compass. As I closed the coast near Aasiaat, a large cruise ship went by with a number of tourists standing on deck watching me. I can only wonder at what they thought, watching a schooner zigzagging backwards between the icebergs.

The ice is constantly on the move

Having failed at several attempts to back between the rocks guarding the inner passage to Aasiaat, I felt a faint breeze near shore. Up went the jib and foresail, the main being out of service with its sheetlet cut. This proved enough combined with the propeller turning slowly ahead to get the boat moving. Nomad made it between the rocks without incident and slowly crawled into the harbour, reaching speeds of up to two knots.

Dismantling the gearbox the next morning I quickly found the problem. By pure chance I happened to have the spare parts on board to repair it, but it cost five days of the short Greenland sailing season and I was still 600 miles from the southern tip of the land.

Some days later, well down the coast with a good sailing wind, I departed Paamiut bound for the inside passage at Nunarsuit, the large island at Kap Desolation.

The shimmering lights of the Aurora Borealis provided a magical display

Northern lights

Numerous icebergs were floating around as I made my way into the tiny, ice-free anchorage at Tunulliatsiaap Nunaa. The sunset was magnificent, illuminating the rocks and icebergs with reds and golds reflecting on the still waters. I ducked below to make dinner as the temperature plunged below freezing without the sun. Opening the hatch to toss out some onion skins I was awestruck by the sight of the sky shimmering in the green waves of the Aurora Borealis. Dinner forgotten, I sat on deck watching the aurora until they faded away.

There were numerous icebergs to dodge crossing the Braedefjord but I was able to get through to Tugtutoq island without a lengthy detour offshore. Sildefjord is at the east end of Tugtutoq island with a well protected basin to anchor in at the end of the fjord. Climbing the mountains, there were many patches of blueberries and the ice cap was clearly visible from the top across the berg-studded Braedefjord.

Article continues below…

The sun was setting in the canyon to the west as I made my way back to sea level. A few reindeer came down, and as the light faded grey streamers appeared at the mountaintops and slowly developed into a brilliant display of the aurora covering the entire sky above the fjord.

In the morning the boat was surrounded by fresh ice and my wet laundry was frozen solid on the lifelines so I reluctantly decided to move on before I got frozen in.

Qaqortoq has a busy harbour and is the largest town in southern Greenland. Nomad was comfortably rafted up to a fishing boat on the far side of the harbour where I changed the oil and topped off the fuel tanks again. Ten miles up Qaqortoq Fjord lies the ancient Norse village of Hvalsey, the best preserved Norse ruins in Greenland. I spent two days anchored at Hvalsey, hiking and examining the ruins in an absolute windless silence before returning to Qaqortoq.

Spectacular sunsets are a feature of high latitudes cruising in Greenland

After studying the weather beyond the bottom of Greenland for a few days, the possibility of finding a gap between the storms off Kap Farvel to reach the Azores did not look good. This being the second week of October and not wanting to risk being stuck here for the winter it was time for Plan B. There was a depression passing just to the south, so I backtracked to Kap Desolation and sailed across the Labrador Sea just above 60°N to avoid the west winds from the low. Nomad passed the last iceberg of the trip at the edge of the continental shelf near Nain and made her way into Makkovik Labrador as the wind began blowing from the south with the approach of the next storm system.

Arctic essentials

Careful preparation paid off for this Arctic voyage and there were no serious problems. There are, however, a few things to change on deck and some more equipment that would make life much easier before returning to the north. Top of the list is a pilothouse or at least some shelter for steering and watch-standing. Reels for the 122m shore lines would greatly aid deploying and retrieving them. A bus heater plumbed into the main engine would enable the Refleks cabin heater to be shut down when motoring, saving quite a bit of fuel. A Navtex receiver and an Iridium device to receive weather reports and ice charts would be extremely useful. I couldn’t receive weather-fax charts on the shortwave receiver at all. And a forward-looking sonar would be a big help navigating the many unsurveyed areas on the charts.

If you enjoyed this….

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Junk Rig Catamaran Questions

Discussion in ' Boat Design ' started by cdubb , Jun 9, 2016 .

cdubb Junior Member

I am rather fond of the junk rig sail and also am quite fond of catamarans, the two together suits my tastes very well. While though web searches I've only seen the "biplane" design of this combo. That being said is there a option to have a single sail junk set up on a catamaran? I admire the ingenuity the biplanes but I can not help but wonder if a single sail is possible. And if it isn't feasible I am quite curious as to why not, as I have never seen a explanation on this. The attachment is what finally drove me to ask this, it's a design and build from the 70's from a gentleman by the name of Hermann Otto. Regards

Attached Files:

Skyak Senior Member

We just discussed it here http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/sailboats/what-wrong-junk-rig-55687.html Be sure to specify what you want out of the rig. Most will tell you to use a different rig because the junk is slow and cats are fast -but obviously the cat in your picture is not fast.

Good link skyak, good info tossed about on that thread. If I was to specify what I want out of the rig I would have to say ease of use and being comparatively inexpensive to make and maintain. The junk rig has many upsides for use of it for me, along with a unique look. I see in the thread my question about a junk sloop is briefly mentioned and as I suspected the I un-stayed mast is a issue on a catamaran but it is doable(?). On a one off build this I would assume this issue could be addressed tactfully, although the only way of doing this that is immediately springing to mind is a trimaran set up to house that mast.

serow Junior Member

I'm guessing that if the wind is square to the direction of travel one of the sails is largely useless, a bit like having you wind stolen during a race. Is that so?

cdubb said: ↑ Good link skyak, good info tossed about on that thread. If I was to specify what I want out of the rig I would have to say ease of use and being comparatively inexpensive to make and maintain. The junk rig has many upsides for use of it for me, along with a unique look. I see in the thread my question about a junk sloop is briefly mentioned and as I suspected the I un-stayed mast is a issue on a catamaran but it is doable(?). On a one off build this I would assume this issue could be addressed tactfully, although the only way of doing this that is immediately springing to mind is a trimaran set up to house that mast. Click to expand...

A more conventional Bermudan sloop set up would be my second choice, I have zero opposition to this rig. But for the sake of the idea at hand and with the factors stated, what would be a end result of a sloop junk set up? I realize information to go by is scarce but a educated guess would suffice here. I realize that a Bermudan rig is the far more traveled path but if you are going to build a boat you may as well make her what you want her to be. That's why I wonder what the result would be of this concept.

Rurudyne Senior Member

One thing to consider about the junk rig is that usually the masts are unstayed while centerline mounted cat masts tend to need stays. The junk rig is one people love to hate, however, the reasons for them, their strengths, also create folks who love them. Internet mayhem ensues. Junk rigs such as the shaped type do achieve better performance without much increase in complexity or handling. I've seen comments to the effect that their performance on the wrong tack, when the mast is disrupting the airfoil shape, is not as greatly diminished as some assert it should be. But the big advantage of the junk rig to me seems to be ease of handling. Yes, the Bermuda rig is easy to handle with good gear (and you can find good gear surplus), so that's not a world beating advantage of the junk rig. In the end, what you like, what looks good, is what matters. I, myself, like paddlewheels. People will go on about how inefficient they are but we live in an era relatively small high speed props that do good to do much better than 50% efficiency by some estimations. Few small high speed props able to go in shallow weedy waters will match a well sorted out feathering paddlewheel in those conditions and no paddlewheel will be as good in rough seas as a comparable sized yacht with relatively small high speed props. These days people lust after fast boats too (with just enough cruising range to get back to the dock in some cases) and fast and paddlewheel (at least in any ordinary sized pleasure craft) just don't tend go together well. But people are still build paddlewheel boats, mainly with fixed rather than feathering floats, and are deliriously happy with them. If you like junk rigs go for it! If I was able to build a large paddlewheel yacht I'd use junk rigged get-home sails if only to be contrary, and not just because I like the rig too. On a smaller boat with the attendant windage I'd use a kite ... maybe one inflated with hot air and string of LED running lights to scare the willies out of folks at night who thought they just saw a UFO.

peterAustralia Senior Member

Has been done Note that Junk Rigs are generally unstayed. Thus it makes no sense to put them in the middle of the cat. If going Junk rig, usually best to put them in the hulls, one mast in each. Example Dragon Wings by Gary Lepak http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/04/s/vintage/multihulls/index.htm there is this http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/13/projects/oryx/index.htm#.V1u826IRPcs and something a bit different http://www.tacking-outrigger.com/baltic_proa.html from memory there was a Wharram Cat with twin Junk sails, called P.H.A. http://wharrambuilders.ning.com/group/junkrigged

I've seen a formula on another site in regards to making a unstayed mast secure. As I recall it was no less than 10% of the mast height or boat length of the mast needed to be "buried" for it to be adequately strong. Could this structure be built around the mast above deck in order to get the right distance of the mast buried? Here's some chicken scratches I drew so maybe what I'm getting at is better understood.

I guess what I am wondering is with all things considered with the junk rig, what would need to be done to make it work on the centerline of a cat?

Stumble Senior Member

You would need a really really strong mast base. It would be a pure cantilever, so it isn't like the engineering is all that difficult, but the cost in materials and weight would be severe. Probably the best option would be a monolithic crossbeam/mast that are one piece.... Again just because someone can be done doesn't mean it should be done. I am not an engineer, or a boat builder, so my guess here isn't very good, but I would guess what you are talking about would cost 3-4 times what a Bermuda rig would cost for worse performance.

cdubb said: ↑ I guess what I am wondering is with all things considered with the junk rig, what would need to be done to make it work on the centerline of a cat? Click to expand...

CROSSBEAM.PNG

Rurudyne said: ↑ In the end, what you like, what looks good, is what matters. I, myself, like paddlewheels. People will go on about how inefficient they are but we live in an era relatively small high speed props that do good to do much better than 50% efficiency by some estimations. Few small high speed props able to go in shallow weedy waters will match a well sorted out feathering paddlewheel in those conditions and no paddlewheel will be as good in rough seas as a comparable sized yacht with relatively small high speed props. These days people lust after fast boats too (with just enough cruising range to get back to the dock in some cases) and fast and paddlewheel (at least in any ordinary sized pleasure craft) just don't tend go together well. But people are still build paddlewheel boats, mainly with fixed rather than feathering floats, and are deliriously happy with them. If you like junk rigs go for it! If I was able to build a large paddlewheel yacht I'd use junk rigged get-home sails if only to be contrary, and not just because I like the rig too. On a smaller boat with the attendant windage I'd use a kite ... maybe one inflated with hot air and string of LED running lights to scare the willies out of folks at night who thought they just saw a UFO. Click to expand...

FAST FRED Senior Member

The main reason for building a cat is it can have faster speeds than a monohull. Faster speeds mean that there is much mote windward work , is the cat is at all fast. A sloop or cutter rig is faster than a rig designed for downwind.

FAST FRED said: ↑ The main reason for building a cat is it can have faster speeds than a monohull. Faster speeds mean that there is much mote windward work , is the cat is at all fast. A sloop or cutter rig is faster than a rig designed for downwind. Click to expand...

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Practical Boat Owner

Digital edition

Winning ways with a junk rig

David Harding
November 16, 2023

David Harding looks at some of the latest developments in junk rig and meets the owners of different types of boat who are all convinced of its merits

Junk rigs are an attractive options due to their inherent simplicity and ease of handling. Credit: David Harding Credit: David Harding

Much has been happening in the world of the junk rig since PBO last took a close look at it.

Junk-rig enthusiasts are an innovative bunch and some of them never stop experimenting with ways to make their favourite rig simpler, faster or more efficient.

They love this particular sail boat rig for all sorts of reasons. It’s simple to sail with and can be controlled entirely from the cockpit.

Let the sheet go, and the sail swings out without flogging. Sheet in to go again. Drop the halyard and the whole lot comes down in a trice.

Need to reef ? Lower the halyard to reduce a panel – or two. Time to tack? Put the helm down.

The junk rig is unstayed so there are fewer stress points

Because the rig is unstayed , there’s no standing rigging to worry about: no bottlescrews, terminals, chainplates or lengths of wire.

That means fewer stress points and less chafing.

The yard and the multiple full-length battens mean that the panels in the sail are lightly loaded so there’s no need for high-tech, low-stretch fabrics.

Long-distance cruisers like the rig because of the low stresses and ease of repair.

Performance is good downwind because you can let the sail out to 90° so its entire area is projected to the wind: you don’t have to fly a spinnaker or even pole out the headsail and you can sail at any angle you choose.

Annie Hill’s FanShi can be easily reefed, a real benefit of the junk rig when sailing solo. Credit: Annie Hill

Gybing is a much gentler and safer operation too.

With all these points in its favour it’s easy to understand the junk’s popularity.

Traditionally there has been just one big problem: going to windward.

Junk sails have mostly been flat, and flat sails don’t generate much lift.

Even worse, they start to get fuller at precisely the wrong time, as the wind picks up and the battens start to bend.

Little wonder, then, that few sailors serious about performance have had any time for the junk rig.

However, a great deal of development work has gone on over the past 15 years or so.

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There are junk-rigged boats out there now that can give Bermudan-rigged equivalents a run for their money upwind and leave them for dead off the wind – assuming the Bermudan rig doesn’t fly a spinnaker .

The reason they have rarely made the headlines is that people are generally attracted to the junk rig because of its inherent simplicity and ease of handling, so the rigs tend to be found on comfortable cruising boats rather than those designed for speed.

With any sort of development, different people pursue different approaches and one great thing about junks is that there’s room for an incredibly diverse range of views.

While some are experimenting with wishbones and soft wing-sails, others are happy to stick to the tried and tested and to create their own rigs out of sticks and string – almost literally.

What they have in common, however, is an unshakeable belief in the concept of the junk rig.

They’re happy to share ideas between themselves and, just as importantly, with the yet-to-be converted.

To see where the junk rig is heading, I sought a range of views and approaches on an assortment of boats owned by people with varying budgets and ambitions.

I made the junk rig myself for less than £200 using a builder’s tarpaulin

This Bolger Micro epitomises the budget boat: just 4.6m (15ft) long and built of plywood, she sports a rig that the owner made himself for less than £200.

Like many designs by the American Phil Bolger, the Micro was conceived for simplicity of construction and is unlikely to be seen at the front of a racing fleet.

Nonetheless, as I found when watching her sail among a fleet of other junk-riggers, which included such known performers as the Varne 27 and Etap 26, she’s impressively slippery given her diminutive size.

Applecross sporting her new, home-made jumk mainsail and original mizen. Credit: David Harding

Applecross is owned by Martin Roberts and originally carried the cat yawl rig with sprit booms for which she was designed.

The trouble, explained Martin, was the length of the main boom: trying to manage a piece of wood 4.3m (14ft) long when trying to reef was awkward to say the least. ‘It was all a bit unwieldy in my view.’

After reading Practical Junk Rig by Blondie Hasler and Jock McLeod, Martin decided that a conversion was in order.

Calculating that the new rig would be about 1.5m (5ft) shorter than the original, he started by buying a second-hand solid wooden mast for £40.

Battening timber appropriately made the battens, which were stiffened after some experimentation by some sections of bamboo to remove the S-bending.

Martin Roberts finds that Applecross will mizzen and a tiller-line. Singlehanding is often sail herself with the help of the easy; a crew is an optional extra. Credit: David Harding

The sail itself was a £15 builder’s tarpaulin. Martin did the necessary stitching on a sewing machine at home and secured the sail to the battens with cable ties.

His biggest expense apart from the mast was the blocks, from Classic Marine, which cost £40.

Martin has simplified the Hasler/ McLeod rig by removing some of the control lines.

He accepts that some efficiency might be lost but reckons that, for his sailing on the East Coast rivers, working the tides is far more important.

He has kept the original mizzen . It works as a trim tab to balance the boat, which will happily sail herself for lengthy periods with a little help from a line around the tiller.

His only concern about the mizzen is the vulnerability of the bumkin to being knocked by other boats.

With the new rig, Martin finds Applecross much easier to handle.

Originally, if it looked as though reefing might be called for, he would either reef before setting out or decide not to go.

Now he will go out – and reef under way if need be.

He reckons that any loss in performance is minimal and is more than offset by his ability to carry the right amount of sail for the conditions.

I bought the original rig second-hand from Germany

John Dinnin’s love affair with the Liberty started when he owned a Montagu whaler – a boat to which he had been introduced during his time in the Navy and which provided the inspiration for David Thomas when he designed the Liberty for Hunter Boats.

‘I was on the way out of Faversham in the Whaler when I passed a Liberty going the other way,’ said John. ‘My words at the time were, ‘When I grow up, I want to be like you.’

When the old Whaler started leaking and calling for more maintenance, John decided it was time to move on and buy the boat he had been longing for.

He found a Liberty called Alouette and got on well with her in every respect until the masts broke – first the mizzen and then the main mast.

John Dinnin’s Hunter Liberty, Alouette , has twin masts and new cambered-panel sails

Liking Alouette but wanting a rig that would give him no concerns, John found himself in a quandary: did he sell her and buy something else, or re-rig her as a Minstrel (the same hull with a gunter rig)?

His mind was made up after he met Hans Schaeuble, a junk-rig enthusiast from Germany who has travelled far and wide in his own Liberty: junk was the solution.

The problem was that conversion would cost around £7,000 if he had a new professionally-built rig.

That was the same as he paid for the boat.

John’s meeting with Hans resulted in more than just a decision to convert to junk.

Alouette’ s owner John Dinnin

Hans had sold his first Liberty, with both its original cat rig and the twin-masted junk designed by Sunbird Marine, to a new owner in eastern Germany.

The new owner had re-fitted the original rig, so John got in touch with Hans who negotiated the re-sale of the junk rig, with its flat but distinctively coloured sails, for a very reasonable price.

That was in 2006, and since the sails were ‘getting a bit holey’, John decided to replace them with new cambered-panel sails made by Sails and Canvas in Topsham.

Like jointed battens, cambered panels increase the efficiency of the junk rig by putting some shape into the sails.

The battens are rigid but each panel is cut with some fullness in it.

The pros and cons of each approach have been widely debated in junk circles.

John finds that the new sails provide appreciably more drive than the originals and is delighted with the junk rig.

‘I wouldn’t dream of setting out in a Force 6 with the original Liberty,’ he told me. ‘It’s much more forgiving like this and shortening sail is so much easier.’

We have ways to get the best from a flat sail

One of the more performance-orientated boats to sport a junk rig, Taimen was bought new by her French owner and sailed with her original rig before being converted in 1998 by the late Robin Blain, who ran Sunbird Marine, designing and fitting junk rigs as well as acting as secretary of the Junk Rig Association.

Philip Corridan and Martin Lloyd knew the boat from when she had sailed across the channel to take part in a JRA rally, and didn’t hesitate when they heard she was for sale.

Philip has a long-standing association with junk rigs and had already converted an Iroquois catamaran, which he sailed around the world with her original rig in 1991-1993.

The Iroquois, with a mast in each hull and a recently-added mizzen, is based in Greece, while the Etap remains in the UK.

Martin too had junk experience before the Etap, having owned a Kingfisher 22.

The Etap 26 Taimen was given a conventional junk-rig conversion in 1998. Credit: David Harding

He wanted something bigger and reckoned that a fast hull with a junk rig should be a good combination.

Philip and Martin accept that the rig, with its conventional flat sail and flexible battens (in GRP tube of a section selected by computer program) is less efficient than the later jointed-batten or cambered- panel types, but they have found ways of overcoming its limitations to a certain extent.

They bring the traveller fully to windward in light airs to induce camber and twist into the sail.

As the sail becomes fuller in a freshening wind they drop the traveller down.

Offwind in fresh conditions they slide the sail forward over the mast – a technique regularly employed in junk-rig circles – to move the centre of pressure forward and inboard; otherwise the bend in the battens and increased fullness encourages the boat to round up.

Were they starting from scratch, neither Philip nor Martin would have the rig that’s fitted to Taimen , but they’re both experienced sailors who know how to get the best out of what they have.

One thing they have found to make an enormous difference, below the waterline this time, is their feathering Maxprop, which has added a good knot to the boat’s speed under sail.

After years with a junk rig I would never go back to Bermudan

An engineer with sailing experience in a wide range of boats, from the Tornado catamaran and Flying Dutchman to barges and fishing smacks, Bob had always wanted a Hunter Liberty.

He sailed Liberty for seven years with the yacht’s original unstayed cat-ketch rig.

Then he met the late Robin Blain of the Junk Rig Association, read Annie Hill’s book Voyaging on a Small Income , and the die was cast. ‘After we had started talking about junk rigs, that was it – I just did it.’

Bob decided to make his own rig but adopted a relatively high-tech approach.

He enlisted the help of Philip Corridan (see above), a structural engineer, builder of his own junk rigs, to calculate the section needed for the mast (he opted to have one rather than two).

A man sailing a junk rig yacht with a red sail and blue hull

Orlando , a Hunter Liberty with a single, jointed-batten sail. Credit: David Harding

He found two sections of aluminium tube of the right diameter and, with the help of some machining and a two-ton winch, joined them together.

Keen to avoid the performance compromises associated with a traditional flat junk sail, Bob also decided to make his own jointed battens.

Unlike conventional battens, these are tubular with joints (usually two) along their length that allow them to curve to a shape determined by the angle of the joints.

On Orlando , the jointed battens help induce camber into the sail…..

The joints were machined from Delrin plastic, each having a shoulder in the middle and a cone at each end with angles of 4° for the forward joint (giving a total of 8°) and 3° aft (a total of 6°).

Flexible, non-jointed ‘keep’ battens support the sail on the other side.

Bob bought the cloth for the sail, laid it out in the local village hall, marked and cut it and took it to his local sailmaker with instructions about how it should be joined together.

….while flexible battens on the other side provide support and smooth out the curve. Credit: David Harding

The total cost for the mast and sail came to around £1,000.

Three seasons on, Bob is delighted with the new rig. ‘It’s so forgiving and so interesting,’ he says. ‘I would never go back to Bermudan.’

He does, however, have reservations about the term ‘junk rig’.

He maintains that, strictly speaking, it should be called a fully-battened lug rig and that the junk is the type of boat to which it was originally fitted.

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The pros and cons of junk rig

Generally thought to be the preserve of cranks, junk rig has some great qualities, and should not be overlooked

Junk rig is thought to date back to about 300AD, when it propelled Chinese craft with sails of woven bamboo fortified by battens of bamboo or pine. It has been in use in China ever since, although it has also been appreciated by yachtsmen over the years, not least Joshua Slocum, who chose a three-masted junk rig for his 35ft (11m) ‘canoe’ Liberdade, in which he sailed 5,500 miles in 1888. Slocum considered it “the most convenient boat rig in the entire world”. The real champion in the western world, however, was Blondie Hasler, who commissioned the heavily-modified, junk-rigged Nordic Folkboat Jester in 1953 and sailed her in the first OSTAR in 1960. Other notable junk rig sailors have included Bill King (Galway Blazer) and the ascetic Roger Taylor, who sails his junk-rigged Corribee Mingming to extreme northern latitudes. It’s also known as ‘Chinese lug rig’ and generally thought to be the preserve of cranks. It is, in fact, a singular rig with great qualities, particularly to the short-handed cruising sailor, and is overlooked only by the ignorant. The ‘bible’ on the subject is Practical Junk Rig by HG Hasler and JK McLeod.

1 Very easy raising, lowering and reefing

2 Soft gybing due to the sail area before the mast

3 No flogging as the sail is rigid

4 No standing rigging, meaning no whistling in the shrouds, and greater simplicity

5 Great all-round visibility

6 Good ability off the wind or before it without need of extra downwind sails

1 More expensive and complex to build/retrofit

2 Not great to windward in light airs

3 To some, the unusual appearance

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Similar to the Chinese junk rig, a modern catamaran 's mainsail is stabilized with battens, usually 4-8, depending on the size and aspect ratio of the sail plan. The advantages are easy reefing and their ability to extend the roach, thereby increasing the sail area. Battens also prevent wild flogging in the wind when reefing or hoisting the sail. This will greatly reduce the crew's stress level and increase the longevity of the main. Disadvantages of battens are their weight, and the fact that they are another part to fix and replace in case they break under shock loads such as accidental gybes in strong winds. Broken battens need to be replaced before they tear the sails. The pros of battens far outweigh their negative aspects however, and catamaran sailmakers have been using them as standard equipment for the last 15 years. Battens come in different shapes and sizes, but the most popular are solid fiberglass rods.

When partially rolling up the genoa while reefing, the headsail lead block should be moved forward to keep the sheeting angle constant to assure optimum sail shape.

below This is what you want to see when looking up the rig -mainsail and jib drawing in harmony, without stalling the air in the all-important slot between both sails. Note the boom bars, which assist in handling reefs and help keep the lazy jacks spread in order to facilitate gathering the main once it is dropped.

Geona Lead Position

More exotic materials such as Kevlar and carbon tubes are lightweight but expensive.

Special end fittings fix the battens to the mast track and most of the time adjustment screws are on the leach side. By being able to dial in the batten tension, the sail shape at different heights can be controlled. Depending on the weight and configuration of the catamaran you will not need to adjust batten tension often, once they are set. The lighter the boat, the more effect the alteration in tension will have on the sail shape.

Generally, you want a fuller sail in light conditions when sailing through choppy seas on a heavy boat. Wind speed, sea state and boat weight will be the most important parameters when looking to power up. Consequently, the opposite is true when sailing in flat water in stronger winds with a light boat . All three factors, or a combination thereof, should dictate the degree of fullness the main and jib should have. Of course, outhaul, halyard, Cunningham, traveler and sheets will have the greatest cumulative effect, yet batten tension will contribute its share. The more the battens are under compression, the more they will bow and the deeper the chord of the sail will become. Often you will see an S-curve in a batten when sighting up the main, which will be evidence of too little tension.

Continue reading here: Reefing

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Readers' Questions

Why full battens on catamaran?

There are several reasons why full battens are often used on catamarans: Increased sail performance: Full battens help to maintain a better sail shape and increase the overall performance of the sails. They allow the sail to maintain a smooth and efficient shape, reducing drag and improving speed. Better control: Full battens provide better control over the shape and twist of the sail. This allows the sailor to adjust the sail's performance to match the desired sailing conditions, such as reducing power in high winds or maximizing power in lighter winds. Improved durability: Full battens help distribute the load evenly along the sail's surface, reducing stress points and potential for damage. They also help to prevent the sail from flogging or flapping in heavy winds, which can lead to tears or excessive wear. Easier reefing: Full battens make reefing (reducing the sail's area) easier and more efficient. They provide better support to the sail when it is partially furled, reducing the risk of wrinkling or jamming. Overall, full battens on a catamaran enhance sail performance, durability, and control, making them a popular choice for catamaran sailors.

Amateur Yacht Research Society

… where the ideas are!

The Split Junk Rig

Back in 2002, AYRS Member Slieve MacGalliard was looking for a way to improve the one weak point of the modern western Junk rig – the windward performance. His conclusion was that camber is needed right to the luff of the sail, a feature that is difficult to achieve with the standard rig, which is normally pulled aft. One possible idea was to build a cambered rig with a lot of sail balance forward of the mast and split the sail in way of the mast so that the camber would be the same on both tacks and not distorted by the mast.

The initial idea was to try the rig on a Mirror dinghy, but when a rather neglected 31ft Westerly Longbow with tired rig (now named Poppy ) became available the project grew bigger. Needlespar made the basic mast and step, and Sunbird Marine provided the partners and completed the installation. Slieve made all the rest of the rig. The split sail was home made in 3 sections of 6oz Terylene, and is 515 sq.ft (47.5 sq.m), the same area as the Bermudan rig mainsail and 135% genoa. The following notes represent his thoughts on the results.

Starting with Close-hauled in smooth seas, Poppy should sail at about the same speed as her Bermudan sister, or not more than 2% slower, but in practice she has not yet met smooth water when beating. In her local sailing area in the Solent, passage making is always done with the tide, so that beating is always done in a wind over tide situation giving Close-hauled in Choppy seas . Under these conditions the unstayed mast has an effect that tends to reduce the pitching moment of the boat. Where a Bermudan boat with fore and back stays will dig its bows into the chop helped by the inertia of the mast, the unstayed mast will flex and let the bow rise and ease its way over the chop giving a smoother ride with less spray. In these conditions Poppy would appear to be 1 or 2% faster than her sister boat.

When Tacking from Close-hauled to close-hauled the split junk rig is very good. On a Bermudan boat the long leech of the headsail will flap as the boat heads above close-hauled and will slow the boat until the sails are filled on the other tack. With the split junk the short leeches of the ‘jibs’ do not have the same drag and do not significantly slow the boat as it heads up so that it is possible to take your time during the manoeuvre. As the rig is self-tacking there is no risk of being taken aback and forced onto either tack, and when the boat reaches the new close-hauled heading for the sheet setting the rig immediately develops full drive. There is no need to bear away to accelerate before luffing back up onto the new course.

The project is a success, but space precludes a full report on this page. Fuller details will be found in AYRS’ Journal, Catalyst , Issue No 37, which may be downloaded or obtained from the Society.

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Category:Gorodok factory
Media in category "Gorodok factory" The following 41 files are in this category, out of 41 total.