The Gaff Rig Handbook by John Leather

Author:John Leather [Leather, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472908360
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Figure 65. “Modern” cruising cutter Dyarchy designed by Laurent Giles & Partners. Built 1939. Dimensions: 46ft 6in overall x 38ft waterline x 12ft 4in x 7ft 6in draft

A cutter’s mast should step about ⅖ of her waterline length from the fore end of the waterline and should never be further forward than ⅓ of the waterline length. The bowsprit should be as short as possible, sufficient to balance the sail plan, and the boom should only extend to the stern, or very little beyond it. Any cutter should be designed to handle under one headsail and the mainsail, and turn well under this combination. The ability to turn to windward under mainsail and a staysail sheeted to a horse is particularly useful when short tacking with limited crew in a large cutter Large fishing and pilot cutters were usually tacked by one man when on passage. He lashed the helm a-lee and walked forward to trim jib and staysail while she came round.

The Laurent Giles designed gaff cutter Dyarchy exhibits the best of modern cruising yacht design allied to the gaff rig, even though she is now over 50 years old. Her beautifully fair hull has dimensions of 43ft 10in overall x 38ft lwl x 12ft 3in beam x 7ft 6in draft, and displaces 24·2 tons. The total sail area is 1,410 square feet in a graceful rig (figure 65). Her mast is well into the transom-sterned hull and divides the sail plan base. Throat and peak halliards are flexible steel wire, reducing number of parts and windage aloft, and the need for frequent setting up. The mainsail has worm roller reefing gear and is comparatively small and easily handled, while the topsail is proportionally increased and its interesting arrangement is described in detail in chapter 6. Two men could comfortably sail Dyarchy, which indicates real progress from the cumbersome rig of Orion.

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