Some help with sails

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8 April 2020 at 09:36 #86606
Zephyr Yachts
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@zephyryachts
Hi all,

Last year I happened to find my great-grandad's old pond yacht in my grandparents' attic. It is very nice, 24 inches long not including the bowsprit and has a hole for the rudder despite not having one. Anyway, It came down from the attic in a cloud of loft insulation and cobwebs, and when I had a look at it, it came with three sails and some splintery bits of mast. I found the rest of the mast somewhere else, and have made a new boom etc. but it is the sails I am having trouble with.

It has one small triangular sail that fits quite nicely as the jib, and another larger triangle that I presume is a mainsail, but it also has a large trapezoidal sail which also fits as a mainsail, if the boat was gaff rigged. Does anyone know what this sail arrangement could be?

I will try and put up some pictures soon.

Thanks!
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8 April 2020 at 09:36 #4645
Zephyr Yachts
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@zephyryachts
8 April 2020 at 09:58 #86607
Malcolm Frary
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@malcolmfrary95515
It was not unknown for a pond yacht to have alternative rigs, so a gaff rig is possible. The gaff main usually needs a boom whose mast end would normally have a couple of cheeks to sit either side of the mast and allow it to swivel.

OTOH, when a growing lad, I had a pond yacht that could be rigged with a spinnaker.

Edited By Malcolm Frary on 08/04/2020 10:00:24
8 April 2020 at 11:05 #86611
Tim Rowe
Participant
@timrowe83142
Hello Zephyr

Another scenario is that the two triangular sails are jibs that would make it a cutter. I think it is very likely that one is meant to be set from a stay on a bowsprit and the other onto a forestay attached to the bow.

It is also possible that one of the triangular sails is a topsail designed to be set above the gaff mainsail although I think this is unlikely given you only have three sails.

For sure, some photos would help of the boat, the deck layout and all the sails in one shot so that their relative sizes and shapes can be seen.

Nice find!

Tim R
8 April 2020 at 11:24 #86612
Zephyr Yachts
Participant
@zephyryachts
Here are some photos of the yacht and the sails. I think the ‘mainsail’ is too large to be a jib or topsail, but it might be. I have also made new booms and sanded the hull.
8 April 2020 at 11:26 #86613
Zephyr Yachts
Participant
@zephyryachts
Here are all the sails together:

Edited By Zephyr Yachts on 08/04/2020 11:27:38
8 April 2020 at 11:38 #86614
Bob Abell 2
Participant
@bobabell2
It looks like a Star Yacht, going off the keel shape?

Bob
8 April 2020 at 11:43 #86615
Zephyr Yachts
Participant
@zephyryachts
Hi Bob,

I don’t think it is a star yacht, though I am no expert on the early ones. The keel is solid metal with a rough chunk of lead at the bottom, and it is fixed to the hull with two long brackets and some nuts and bolts, which I believe my great grandad got from his meccano set, which we still have.
8 April 2020 at 11:48 #86616
Bob Abell 2
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@bobabell2
Zephyr……..This looks similar

Bob
8 April 2020 at 13:21 #86618
Zephyr Yachts
Participant
@zephyryachts
Posted by Bob Abell on 08/04/2020 11:48:14:

Zephyr……..This looks similar

Bob

It could be a star, it’s just it looks a lot more home-made. It has rails around the edge of the deck, and the lines are curved and scratched into the deck, which I haven’t seen on any other star yachts.
8 April 2020 at 19:22 #86622
Tim Rowe
Participant
@timrowe83142
Zephyr

I think Malcolm has it.

Hope you can get it on the water soon.

Tim R
8 April 2020 at 22:30 #86629
Zephyr Yachts
Participant
@zephyryachts
Posted by Tim Rowe on 08/04/2020 19:22:27:

Zephyr

I think Malcolm has it.

Hope you can get it on the water soon.

Tim R

Yes, I think he’s probably right. Hopefully by the end of this virus thing it will be sailing nicely. It looks as though I am going to have a good long time to work on it!

thanks,

Oskar
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