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Home , Junk rig

50 Advantages Of Rig - over other rigs by Annie Hill

Anyone who is a proponent of junk rig is handling from the cockpit, instead of due to the effort of handling time to ensure the children are used to being asked, ‘Well, what’s so having to work on the exposed ; the , changing to junk rig could enjoying themselves. good about it, anyway?’ For some the ease of reduces stress on have extended their sailing years. 11. People are more complicated in people, there is one overriding aspect of both crew and gear; the light weight 6. An unimpeded view: Junk sails set their head than the rig: They have the rig that appeals: generally the ease of of the and the fact that it’s well up the , unlike the deck- complicated, demanding and reefing, but for many there is a whole generally above head height, reduce hugging sails on other rigs, which expensive boats, instead of opting host of reasons why we consider the rig the risk of injury; lack of stress keeps impede the helmsman’s view. for ease and simplicity. to be preferable to any alternative. Back the crew rested and thus more alert. in July, our Webmaster challenged 7. Low cost: Junk rig is cheaper to 12. You can carry all that’s required to 3. rips have minimal impact: build and maintain than any maintain the rig far from yachting website users to name the top 50 Generally, a long horizontal rip is not advantages of junk rig over other rigs other mainstream rig. Low tech centres: In addition to your normal catastrophic on a junk rig, since it materials and construction methods tool kit, to repair a junk rig, you need and they rose to the challenge. It didn’t will be restricted to only one panel take us long not only to reach, but to keep costs to a minimum, and many cordage, some sail material and and the boat can still be sailed as junkies build their own sails. The needle and thread. For full exceed 50 perceived advantages! It’s before, whereas on other rigs the sail hard to rank the advantages in order of lack of on a free-standing maintenance and/or replacement, has to be lowered immediately. If mast avoids a major expense with add a couple of spare battens, a merit, so, generally, they are listed in the the tear is particularly big, the order they were posted. All the wires, bottle screws, toggles, etc. sewing machine and perhaps some damaged panel can usually be taken wood, glue and fastenings. perceived advantages were of interest, so out of service by tying two battens 8. Ease of repair: Most junk rigs are I’m bringing them together in the together essentially ‘sticks and string’ and 13. You can work on your sails in a following article. It would be great if these simple and easily understood marina: Unless the wind is abaft the non-website users would join in and add 4. Ease of reefing and making sail materials and structures, make for beam, sails can be raised and to the list with a Letter to the Editor. means that you always sail under straightforward repairs. lowered alongside with no drama, the correct amount of canvas: This 1. Junk rig is much easier to handle 9. Better performance in squally and with no risk of being whipped makes for faster passages and by a slatting sail. downwind: With its reluctance to ensures the boat is properly conditions: The ease of reefing and gybe until you are sailing well by the underway in the aftermath of a gale, setting sail makes it a lot easier to 14. You can use the battens as a ladder: lee, with the fact that the sail is fully which is arguably when you are sail efficiently when contending with On most junks it is possible to climb squared out so that it is working most likely to be knocked down. squalls and gusty conditions. up the sail by way of the battens, in efficiently and with the ease with order to con your way through a reef which you can change from running 5. Much easier for the older, not-so- 10. Junk rig is more suited to family sailing: The loads on the lines are or ice. Or to make an adjustment to to reaching to beating, without strong or ‘mobility-restricted’ the rig while under way. having to handle guys, poles or people to use: An electric can less; there are no deck cars to trap vangs, the junk rig is much easier to take the effort out of hauling up the small fingers and toes; there are no 15. It’s easy to make your own sails: sail. sails; reefing and tacking are flailing sheets to hit children; While few owners of gaff-rigged simplicity itself and even sheeting there are no flogging sails to frighten boats and even fewer owners of 2. Increased crew safety: With junk rig the sail generally requires little them; the relaxed parents can take bermudan-rigged make their own the crew (usually) does all sail effort. While many sailors give up sails, many junkies routinely do so. There isn’t even any need for a 21. Junk rig is more manoeuvrable the sail is caught by the lazyjacks is no shriek of wind through the specialised sewing machine. than most rigs: You only need to instead of falling all over the crew rigging, this reduces stress on the 16. No sail bags down below: With the concentrate on where you are going, and getting in the way of the crew. light- and heavy-weather canvas because of not having to do any sail helmsman. 34. Less gear = less maintenance. handling. permanently bent on, there is no 28. Safer for : it is so easy to 35. The rig is very docile: This means reason to have sails down 22. Junk sails can be made in a small reef, that you are much less likely to that sailing is much more fun for below. This frees up space and space: While most people might capsize in gusty conditions. timid and/or lazy sailors. allows the accommodation to be prefer to find a large space to lay out 29. No sail changing: As well as used more efficiently. the sail, more than a few excellent 36. If you are setting sail in windy eradicating dangerous foredeck conditions, you simply pull up all 17. The junk sail is self-tacking: While sails have been made in a normal work, this means that the boat is room such as a living room that is required: With most other most rigs have self-tacking sailed under the correct canvas. We rigs, you have to pull up the whole and some have self- 23. Junk sails can increase comfort humans tend towards sloth, so sail and then put the reefs in. This tacking , the latter require special aboard: Because the sails don’t flog, bending and unbending sails on takes longer and can be quite gear or work less efficiently than a they can be kept up for motoring other rigs tends to be postponed. stressful. standard jib. The junk sail is and thus reduce rolling. On multi- 30. In moments of stress, letting go of 37. With junk rig you can sail with intrinsically self-tacking, which masted rigs, one of the sails can be the calms everything down: makes beating to windward, sheeted hard in to dampen the however much or little sail you without the nerve-wracking, fancy: Most other rigs have a set especially in close quarters, rolling downwind. stressful noise of flogging polyester infinitely less work. amount of sail that has to be tied 24. Junk rig is ideal for motor-sailing: 31. The rig couldn't be simpler to into place. 18. Because the sails stay on deck, the Not only because a junk sail doesn’t heave to: let go the sheet in calm boat can stay drier below: Wet sail flog, but also because it still gives 38. Stop-start manoeuvres under sail seas; otherwise sheet in as hard as are very feasible: This is not the bags spread salt water about, which some lift and drive. The fact that it’s you can and put the helm down a makes it difficult to keep the boat’s set and ready will also reduce the same as , but is more like little. She tries to but has stopping for a red light, as distinct interior dry. If you can keep salt amount of motor-sailing you do, insufficient way on. (If the boat is water out of the soft furnishings, the because when the breeze returns from parking. When sailing in very sporty she may tack anyway; in waters with much commercial boat will be a much more pleasant you can simply switch off the that case ease the sheet a little until place in damp conditions engine and let out the sheet. traffic which is restricted in its the sail is nearly feathering.) With ability to manoeuvre, with junk rig 19. Junk rig epitomises the KISS 25. Ease of tacking means you sail self-steering, just set the vane to you can simply stop and give way, principle: Keep It Simple, Sailor (or more: For example you might work pinch the boat excessively to by letting go of the sheet, even if just Stupid, depending on your you way up a narrow river taking achieve the same end. for a few seconds. interpretation! scores of tacks, without wearing 32. You can sail safely by the lee: just yourself out. 39. The very low stress in the junk 20. Junk rig is more manoeuvrable wonderful when weaving in and rig’s allows for panels to than most rigs: Because you can so 26. You don’t need a sail cover: Most out of skerries or sailing in fluky be joined along the battens easily reef and make sail, you end home-made sails use awning-type, conditions. You simply point the with ordinary tailor’s seams: up with a more manoeuvrable boat. UV-stabilised fabrics. If you live boat where you want to go, without (Arne’s Amateur Method B). David For example, being able to reef the somewhere clean, you don’t need having to agonise about whether Tyler has confirmed that seams sail right down, when coming to sail covers, which means that you you can ‘make it on this gybe’. made in this manner, have held anchor or alongside, allows you can simply pull up the sail and go Takes all the worry out of close- perfectly well on Tystie for 10,000 time carefully to consider the out, even for just for a short while. quarters, downwind sailing. miles. situation 27. Easier for dinghies: When the rig is 33. The boat is much quieter at anchor, fitted to dinghies and small boats, in windy conditions: Because there 40. Junk rig is a great way to introduce “received wisdom” by bermudan , or catch a glimpse of the tell- individuality in the use of colours, new people to sailing: Due to ease sailors, encourages junkies: to tales. layouts and self-applied decals. of handling and simple rope break rules, think independently 53. Ease of handling takes the drama 7. The junk rig can make you appear to arrangements, once the sail is up, and find their own way of doing out of sailing: With junk rig you be a much more competent sailor it’s easy for a complete novice to things. simply have an enjoyable trip while than is the case: Quick and easy tack and gybe single-handed. This 48. You learn to enjoy sailing “on the with any other rig it would have manoeuvres in confined waters and is a great way to build confidence! edge”: You know reefing is just a been hard work. In essence a good in fluky winds, as well as sail 41. There is no reason to use a jam away. junk rig is infinitely more practical handling solely by pulling strings in running downwind: This 49. Fewer parts to break or fail than a bermudan rig. the cockpit, makes you look like a keeps the rig much more (especially stainless steel): The And a few more, but perhaps less pro. manoeuvrable. capacity for catastrophic failure , eg serious, advantages. 8. Junkies are interesting people and 42. There is no : Junk rig has a dismasting, due to the failure of one 1. Distinguished: Junk rigs stand out great company: even grumpy traditional air, but there is no small part, is far less than with other from the crowd. Kiwis :-) bowsprit to work on, which can rigs. Most components in a junk rig 9. If your mast is a wooden one, you make changing down headsails are easily checked, and wear is 2. You get photographed a lot: Junks are unusual, and attractive and can hug it and talk to it in the quite exciting, and sometimes visible. cabin: This can be comforting. Metal downright dangerous. regularly get cameras pointed at 50. A coloured sail gives off a lot less them. Junkies get given lots of ones sometimes crackle during 43. Neither a nor a reflected glare than a white photos from people, usually with thunderstorms (just in case you’d is required: All the area you need polyester sail: Many, if not most the comment “ I took these photos missed it) and they’re all nice to can be bent onto one, two or three junks, have a coloured sail, which is of your boat. You don’t normally when you're being thrown masts. more comfortable to live with, and, get a chance to have a photograph around. You can even clink a glass 44. The ease and economy of sail possibly safer and healthier than a of your boat under sail.” Little do against it and say, “Cheers, mate”. making encourages white one, something very relevant they know! 54. when sailing in the Tropics. Equally, experimentation: and rig 3. You spill fewer drinks: Because you development. coloured sails stand out better against a sea covered in white caps. simply put the helm down to tack, 45. The string-controlled junk rig you don’t have to let go of your could be expanded to fit much 51. With only one sail (on a single- drink! larger craft than : Electric masted boat), there’s nothing to mask the wind; the whole sail is 4. For junkies, we have the most capstans would then be used on the beautiful rig anywhere: More than and sheets. We know of pulling all the time When sailing on a broad reach with other rigs, the a few people are converted to junk junk sails up to 80sqm, but sails of rig from its appearance and all of 100 – 150 sq m should be possible. is usually blanketed by the main, contributing nothing. To the other advantages are just icing In some situations, this could make on the cake! working sail a reasonable goose wing, you need to use a pole, proposition which is at best awkward and at 5. It’s a lot easier to find your boat in a worst, dangerous. crowded anchorage; Especially 46. No need for the “reef early” rule as 52. On a single-masted junk rigged when you’ve left your brain at the with other rigs: “Just in time club bar! reefing” can be the rule on a junk. boat, you can see all the sail all the time: No more craning your head 6. Making your own sails opens 47. The experience of sailing a junk, around the main to see the set of the endless opportunities for and of endlessly being given the creativity: Junkies can show their