September 29, 2015
September 26, 2015
Just off the beach
Source unknown. This is the classic Carolinian sail shape. Note the two piece scarfed boom.
September 17, 2015
"Big Sailing Canoes in Micronesia"
Posted at YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqXRlz_dbwA
Some sail raising footage at about 4:20 into it.
Good building footage at the beginning.
Posted by Ulf Nyman
Thanks, Ulf!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqXRlz_dbwA
Some sail raising footage at about 4:20 into it.
Good building footage at the beginning.
Posted by Ulf Nyman
Thanks, Ulf!
"Glimpses of Ailuk Atoll"
Videos on YouTube: Glimpses of Ailuk Atoll
Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8IEOiTcz5Q
Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgZ8dN0rb_g
Posted by: Tropical Sailing Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8IEOiTcz5Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgZ8dN0rb_g
Posted by: Tropical Sailing Life
September 05, 2015
More on the "new tack"
In my previous post I outlined the "new tack", a simple one-piece-at-a-time approach to shunting the rig. This has in its favor simplicity and few moving parts. At least in a smaller sized vessel, I wouldn't mind moving the yard from one bow to the other by hand. I can handle just a yard and sail as long as the mast isn't flopping around as well! (As can happen shunting in a choppy sea state.)
However, one might want to control the movement of the sail also with a "tack track" or "tack line" of sorts. Reference the sub topic Shunting Solutions in Michael Schacht's excellent article Proa Rig Options: Crab Claw
http://proafile.com/multihull-boats/article/proa-rig-options-crab-claw
In case any of you are not familiar with Michael's body of work, his site ProaFile, is the motherlode of proa and other such research on the web. A link here and more kudos later:
http://proafile.com/multihull-boats/
However, one might want to control the movement of the sail also with a "tack track" or "tack line" of sorts. Reference the sub topic Shunting Solutions in Michael Schacht's excellent article Proa Rig Options: Crab Claw
http://proafile.com/multihull-boats/article/proa-rig-options-crab-claw
In case any of you are not familiar with Michael's body of work, his site ProaFile, is the motherlode of proa and other such research on the web. A link here and more kudos later:
http://proafile.com/multihull-boats/
August 31, 2015
The New Tack!
This latest approach to rig shunting has ultra simplicity in its favor. Simple is best.
The problem is simply that I can't always handle the whole rig, mast and sail, at one time in order to move it the length of the boat. The solution is simple - move one piece at a time!
BTW, thanks to Craig O'Donnell and the Proa Page at his Cheap Pages http://www.thecheappages.com/proa/commodore.html for his excellent article with illustrations about Commodore Munroe and his proas.
The Commodore used a bridle on the yard, allowing it to travel vertically while at full hoist. His mast was fixed amidships and that geometry would have caused the heel of the yard to dip down into the water while shunting the sail. The bridle arrangement allows the yard to be lifted up as it passes amidship thus keeping it out of the water.
The permanently centered mast, however, IMHO is lousy - the sail sets down at too low of an angle. But here comes the good part: I discovered that after securing the yard at the new bow, I can then tilt the mast forward to where it should be, and thanks to the bridle arrangement, the whole sail slides up to the proper attitude!
The mast simply needs to be able to belayed at the centered position while the sail only is shunted. Then the mast can continue tilting toward the new bow. I can easily move just the sail or just the mast, one at a time!
The mast is controlled by a single continuous backstay line run through a block at either end of the boat. The line can be belayed when the mast is at center position.
In order to shunt: First bring the mast upright to its centered position and belay it. Then free the sail from the old bow, swing it the length of the boat and secure it at the new bow. Then tilt the mast the rest of the way forward.
It's all as simple and clutter free as it sounds I'll have pics as soon as possible.
The problem is simply that I can't always handle the whole rig, mast and sail, at one time in order to move it the length of the boat. The solution is simple - move one piece at a time!
BTW, thanks to Craig O'Donnell and the Proa Page at his Cheap Pages http://www.thecheappages.com/proa/commodore.html for his excellent article with illustrations about Commodore Munroe and his proas.
The Commodore used a bridle on the yard, allowing it to travel vertically while at full hoist. His mast was fixed amidships and that geometry would have caused the heel of the yard to dip down into the water while shunting the sail. The bridle arrangement allows the yard to be lifted up as it passes amidship thus keeping it out of the water.
The permanently centered mast, however, IMHO is lousy - the sail sets down at too low of an angle. But here comes the good part: I discovered that after securing the yard at the new bow, I can then tilt the mast forward to where it should be, and thanks to the bridle arrangement, the whole sail slides up to the proper attitude!
 |
| Commodore Munroe's 1900 proa. The bridle can be seen at the top of the yard. |
The mast simply needs to be able to belayed at the centered position while the sail only is shunted. Then the mast can continue tilting toward the new bow. I can easily move just the sail or just the mast, one at a time!
The mast is controlled by a single continuous backstay line run through a block at either end of the boat. The line can be belayed when the mast is at center position.
In order to shunt: First bring the mast upright to its centered position and belay it. Then free the sail from the old bow, swing it the length of the boat and secure it at the new bow. Then tilt the mast the rest of the way forward.
It's all as simple and clutter free as it sounds I'll have pics as soon as possible.
August 29, 2015
Goodbye, Star Rigging...
We're off on a new tack of rigging research and development here at Proa Sailing!
Ongoing experimentation with "Star Rigging", most recently with an 8 foot model, has been unfruitful - failing to overcome its problems and evolve into a viable and seaworthy rig. So it`s going onto the shelf - with honors, having yielded a lot of good data. Goodbye, Star Rigging!
The final report is as follows: Shunting a native style proa rig by pulling on a couple of lines was a nice idea but the reality is that a bunch of twist-prone lines and blocks is hard to make into a reliable and seaworthy rig.
Fixed turning blocks for the line are no good because the lead of the line is constantly changing in angle as the rig move. The leads were never fair.
Swiveling blocks solved that problem but for some reason a lot of twists always crept into the line, regardless of whether I used laid line or braided line.
(The accumulated data, photos, and videos from all the research and development on Star-Rigging are to be found in the posts below. Perhaps a bit jumbled but documented for posterity.)
Ongoing experimentation with "Star Rigging", most recently with an 8 foot model, has been unfruitful - failing to overcome its problems and evolve into a viable and seaworthy rig. So it`s going onto the shelf - with honors, having yielded a lot of good data. Goodbye, Star Rigging!
The final report is as follows: Shunting a native style proa rig by pulling on a couple of lines was a nice idea but the reality is that a bunch of twist-prone lines and blocks is hard to make into a reliable and seaworthy rig.
Fixed turning blocks for the line are no good because the lead of the line is constantly changing in angle as the rig move. The leads were never fair.
Swiveling blocks solved that problem but for some reason a lot of twists always crept into the line, regardless of whether I used laid line or braided line.
(The accumulated data, photos, and videos from all the research and development on Star-Rigging are to be found in the posts below. Perhaps a bit jumbled but documented for posterity.)
August 13, 2015
Caroline Islands
Best ever map of the Caroline Islands here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/12403504@N02/16563956356
It's interactive!
(screenshots)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/12403504@N02/16563956356
It's interactive!
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