Lug rig

Seaotter5

Well-Known Member
After watching AIR’s videos, and reading some if the old posts on this forum, it seems that perhaps some sort of lug sail rig might improve the Sunfish’s cruising capabilities without sacrificing too much performance. Has anyone actually tried that out? I have seen several proposals,but no actual reports.
I am still hoping to try my Minifish rig on my Super Sailfish this weekend, but it seems that a real Reefing sail rig might be a better long term solution.
 
Lug, hmmmm. I put our canoe gaff rig on a Sunfish in the yard as a joke and it actually looked pretty good. Maybe we'll try it soon.
 
After watching AIR’s videos, and reading some if the old posts on this forum, it seems that perhaps some sort of lug sail rig might improve the Sunfish’s cruising capabilities without sacrificing too much performance. Has anyone actually tried that out? I have seen several proposals,but no actual reports...

I had to look up what a “lug sail rig” is. From what I read, a lug rig would not have very good upwind sailing capability, compared to a lateen or Bermuda rig. But, it is reefable. So, that would be the trade-off.
 
You said cruising...and performance...Do those two go together? It was the Racers who came along in the late 1800s with Marconi/Sloop rigs and messed up everything :)

Lugs are great along with any other square sail for slow cruising with wind anywhere from the beam and behind. And lateens. They have been used for Millineum to circumnavigate.
 
Couldn't you just use the Jens rig setup to depower the sail instead of trying to reef the sail?
A Jens rig, named after Jens Hookanson who used it in winning the 1976 Sunfish North American Championship (at age 16!), lowers the point at which the upper spar is attached to the mast. This leaves more of the upper spar unsupported. In heavier winds, the upper spar can bend more, twisting the leech and “spilling” air. Since the upper part of the sail is depowered, it is easier to hold the boat flat without easing the sail out. Therefore pointing is not sacrificed.

 
You said cruising...and performance...Do those two go together? It was the Racers who came along in the late 1800s with Marconi/Sloop rigs and messed up everything :)

Lugs are great along with any other square sail for slow cruising with wind anywhere from the beam and behind. And lateens. They have been used for Millineum to circumnavigate.
Watching the “Adventures in Reach“ videos, I think what seaotter5 is referring to is how to deal with the drastically changing wind conditions that can be experienced in a multi day, long distance trip, such as the 150 miles around Isle Royale in Lake Superior with a sunfish. He experienced everything from a dead calm to 30 mile an hour winds and 10 foot waves. A Bermuda rig is easily reefed to power down the sail in high winds. The options to power down a sunfish sail that I’m aware of are:
  • Adjust the halyard attach position on the gaff so that the sale is closer to the boat and/or use a Jens rig
  • Adjust the outhaul and Cunningham to flatten the sail
  • Swap out the sunfish sail with a mini fish sail

  • Are there other options that I’m missing
 
The other way to depower a Sunfish rig that racers use after the Jens is not enough is to reef. Untie the upper outhaul. Pull the sail down the gaff until the first grommet above the tack is now at the the tack, and tie that grommet to the tack (or use an s hook.). Then pull the upper outhaul very tight (You’ll need a longer upper outhaul line.). Then pull the lower outhaul tight and you are good to go! The sail stays nearly bunched along the boom and no reefing points are needed in the sail.
 
Thanks for all of the above. You have given me plenty to think about! I appreciate all of the suggestions!
I spent a couple of days kayaking/kayaking 20 miles Chincoteague Sound this week, and while doing so I was able to clarify my thoughts a bit. I am in my 60s, retired, and not really in all that much of a hurry when cruising. Nor do I really want to dunk all of my camping gear in salt water. I really like the Sunfish’s handiness (the sound is a maze of sandbars) and the fact that it moves well with a kayak paddle, but I don’t like having to duck under the boom when the wind kicks up (and I have to take the sail off of geezer mode). A boom less, reefable sail rig (Not necessarily a lug rig) would adddress those concerns.
Joni and I are (weather permitting) are going to spend the weekend camping and sailing, and I will try the Minisail rig on my Sailfish. If that works out well, I will most likely just settle for that, using some of the techniques mentioned above when conditions warrant.
 
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Thanks for all of the above. You have given me plenty to think about! I appreciate all of the suggestions!
I spent a couple of days kayaking/kayaking 20 miles Chincoteague Sound this week, and while doing so I was able to clarify my thoughts a bit. I am in my 60s, retired, and not really in all that much of a hurry when cruising. Nor do I really want to dunk all of my camping gear in salt water. I really like the Sunfish’s handiness (the sound is a maze of sandbars) and the fact that it moves well with a kayak paddle, but I don’t like having to duck under the boom when the wind kicks up (and I have to take the sail off of geezer mode). A boom less, reefable sail rig (Not necessarily a lug rig) would adddress those concerns.
Joni and I are (weather permitting) are going to spend the weekend camping and sailing, and I will try the Minisail rig on my Sailfish. If that works out well, I will most likely just settle for that, using some of the techniques mentioned above when conditions warrant.
If you get a chance, please post pictures of the minisail rig on your Sailfish.
 
More history, from Sunfish Talk forum members:

 
beldar's post above is well worth considering.
Years ago, I participated in a Curacao Regatta and was having a hard time in the big breeze (above 20 mph most of the time) and waves.
On the last morning, Malcolm Smith (multiple World champion) was rigging his Sunfish next to me and took the time to show me how to reef the sail in the manner beldar described.
Still thankful for his advice.

PS: Could this be done while on the water? I doubt it, but maybe someone will have another opinion?
 
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PS: Could this be done while on the water? I doubt it, but maybe someone will have another opinion?
You could only do it on the water If you left off the sail clip/tie above the halyard on the gaff, and ran a loooonnnggg upper outhaul to a cleat near the deck. You’d loosen the outhaul and lower the sail, attach it to the tack with an s hook that is already in place, then tighten the daylights out of the gaff and foot outhauls.

The clip needs to be omitted as the clip would hang up on the halyard as you drop the sail on the gaff.
 
I can't remember offhand which sails (brands) have reinforcement in the corners or not...but I might be concerned with the "new" tack not being reinforced, especially tightened extra and used in higher winds.
 
I can't remember offhand which sails (brands) have reinforcement in the corners or not...but I might be concerned with the "new" tack not being reinforced, especially tightened extra and used in higher winds.
I use an official Sunfish racing sail which is extra-reinforced in the first grommet up as it is usually used for the Cunningham. I’m not familiar with how the off-brand sails are made.
 
Ah yes....the cunningham. I would guess many, if not most, non legal, non race sails would not be reinforced. Who needs a cunningham for going out and dumping Sunfishes for fun??!!
 
Drascombe Lugger, with boomless gunter rig.

ONKAHYE on East Bay.jpg
 
The other way to depower a Sunfish rig that racers use after the Jens is not enough is to reef. Untie the upper outhaul. Pull the sail down the gaff until the first grommet above the tack is now at the the tack, and tie that grommet to the tack (or use an s hook.). Then pull the upper outhaul very tight (You’ll need a longer upper outhaul line.). Then pull the lower outhaul tight and you are good to go! The sail stays nearly bunched along the boom and no reefing points are needed in the sail.

I've been giving this reefing option some thought. How to be able to reef in/out while on the water?

I believe the answer is to add an adjustable upper outhaul to the gaff. To create the adjustable upper outhaul, add a clam cleat to the lower boom near the Cunningham Cleat. Replace the fixed upper outhaul line with 26' of 2-3mm low stretch line, attaching one end of the line to the Head grommet, through the gaff fairlead, down through the S hook, and back to the new clam cleat near the Cunningham cleat. Add a bowline and secure it to the clam cleat. (Granted, adding that cleat is not race legal, but that is not the objective here.)

I'm assuming that any respectable high wind sailor already has an adjustable lower outhaul and a Cunningham, both of which are also needed to perform this reefing process. With this additional hardware and line, I believe that all 3 corners of the lateen sail are now adjustable on the water.

To reef on the water, perform these steps:
  1. Sail into the wind and release the mainsheet.
  2. Release the Upper Outhaul
  3. Tighten the Cunningham so that the sail is now reefed at the Tack
  4. Tighten the Upper Outhaul as needed
  5. Tighten the Lower Outhaul as needed
Unreefing steps:
  1. Sail into the wind and release the mainsheet.
  2. Release the Cunningham so that the reef is released
  3. Tighten the Upper Outhaul to unreel the sail.
  4. Tighten the Cunningham as needed
Bear in mind, this is only a mental exercise that I've not tested. As the temp has dropped here in MI, I may not be able to test it til next Spring. If anyone who is still enjoying warm weather tries this, please let me know if it works or not. If no one has created this reefing solution before, maybe we can call this the "Weston Reef". LOL. (One can dream.)

Weston
 
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