Raising Sails on a Gaff-rigged Schooner, Singlehanded

[@yepiratesworkshop7997]

I drive a gaff-rigged Colvin Gazelle and find that single-handing (only me aboard and no auto-pilot) is now starting to get beyond my 'comfort zone' at age 68. When I'm putting up sails, I point her into the wind, run forward and first set the sail on the fore-mast. Then, I run back, point her into the wind again and then run forward and raise the jib. She actually runs pretty well on just the foresail alone, but of course does better still with foresail and jib. once things are going steady, the main usually starts calling out to me, so I end up setting that one, too. It's busy, busy, busy -- especially when it comes to taking them down. I'm in Baltimore Harbor and looking for crew this year. Expect to work. I'll show ya' how to do it, (raising sail) a couple of times. After that, I'm staying on the wheel and shouting instructions. Bring food.

[@SchoonerIssuma]

Great that you're singlehanding your Gazelle! Have you ever tried putting the boat on a beam reach, stopping the engine, raising the foresail, walking back to sheet the foresail in and adjust the course, then raising either the jib or main depending on whether desired course is downwind or upwind? It might save some running back and forth, as the boat should roughly hold course with just the foresail... Your plan for sailing with crew to do all the sail handling and bring food sounds like the most fun :)

[@mschmidt62]

Thanks for this video. I am thinking of building a small gaff sloop and last night I dreamed about sailing it, and realized in the dream that I didn't know how to raise a gaff sail singlehanded--the only gaff vessels I have been on have been huge and have had separate crews raising the throat and peak. Amazing what the nocturnal mind thinks about.

[@SchoonerIssuma]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video. That's a cool story you have--learning how to do something by dreaming!

[@2011Matz]

Traditionally, with the vessel head to wind, and the sheet slack, the sail was over-peaked until creases appeared diagonally from peak to tack. These creases then come out as the sail is sheeted in and fills away. When hard on the wind the fore gaff falls away to leeward. A barber-haul to the rail from the boom end, in conjunction with the fore-sheet pulls the boom downward and miraculously pulls the gaff into its correct position, which creates a parallel slot between the leach of the fore and the luff of the main. This way, a fore gaff vang is unnecessary, and they do not really help with the trim of the sail anyway.

[@SchoonerIssuma]

A good point about when head to wind, or hard on the wind--over-peak until creases appear which disappear when sheeted in. I can't remember if I've ever used a barber-haul to the rail from the fore boom end as a way of controlling the fore gaff sagging to leeward--it's an interesting idea.

[@rimasmeleshyus9486]

Great work, thanks

[@paulex9485]

Nice video. Thanks

[@kevinmencer3782]

What's the point of a 40 ft schooner? At that size, why not a yawl or ketch rig? Also, can you set up a schooner to lead all lines aft like a sloop?

[@SchoonerIssuma]

A schooner let's you set a fisherman staysail, which goes up high, where there is more wind. And schooners are fun to sail :). A ketch or yawl rig could also work well on a 40 foot boat. You can setup a schooner with most lines led aft. Setting or dousing a fisherman will involve going forward to handle the sail anyway, so I wouldn't try leading fisherman halyards to the cockpit. Leading halyards to the cockpit involves significantly more effort to raise sails due to the friction in the turning blocks. So you may need winches for halyards, which, if left at the mast, could simply use multi-part blocks.

[@kevinmencer3782]

@SchoonerIssuma thanks for actually answering. Lot of elitism in the community, unfortunately.

[@torontodoxy9044]

a friend asked a question, "Isn't it dangerous where I am standing?" In fact, I am standing purposefully forward of leeward shrouds (it's just where the halyards are led to), should boom swing forward, the shrouds would stop it from hitting me. Ditto for the raising the for'sail.

[@SchoonerIssuma]

Good point, Kris, thanks for mentioning it.

[@ericvuille1956]

J'ai aussi une goe. Navigation facile. On ne gère guère que le génois sur enrouleur et la Gv. La trinquette et la misaine sont sur rail auto vireur.. en plus c'est sans doute un des plus beau gréement. I'm faut juste anticiper un peu plus dans le gris temps..🖐😊🇨🇭

[@SchoonerIssuma]

Heureux d'apprendre que vous avez une goélette - ils sont très amusants à naviguer et vraiment magnifiques ! Une de mes précédentes goélettes n'avait besoin que du génois pour virer, ce qui rendait vraiment agréable de virer dans un chenal étroit. Je ne suis pas sûr de comprendre "temps gris". Quand le vent change beaucoup ("squally" en anglais) ? J'aime la possibilité de régler beaucoup de voiles différentes, mais je dois garder à l'esprit que la grand-voile, dans beaucoup de vent, empêchera le bateau de s'éloigner du vent.

[@georgelewisray]

: )

[@SchoonerIssuma]

Gaff rigged schooners are so much fun to sail :)

[@PillSharks]

George Ray your name jumped out at me... James George Ray was the Pill Pilot who piloted Cabot from Bristol on the Matthew in 1497! I have a big interest in Pilot cutters which is why I’ve ended up looking at this video... maybe your his descendent!!!

[@georgelewisray]

@@PillSharks Thanks for wondering . . . . Our RAY family name in the British Isles actually was RHEA and my father had his military ID changed to RAY because he was afraid that RHEA would be a weird name for a kid to grow up with. ( thoughtful of him, right! ) My little research indicates that the name is found mostly in Wales - UK. My grandfather was a US Navy blacksmith and his name was George Rhea. He is said to have died due to the fumes from some of the metal working processes he utilized. I will have a look at the historical Cabot pilot George Ray. Thanks again for the thought. Best-George.

[@PillSharks]

George Ray it was just a thought and to most it would just be a name but it really jumped out at me... Wales, nothing wrong with having your family tree linked to Wales, a wonderful country and the only thing which lets it down is the Welsh!!! I am of course only joking! Yes, the story goes that John Cabot left Bristol in 1497 but in reality the Matthew would have probably left from the ancient maritime village of Pill, Somerset... back then it would have taken days to reach the entrance of the river from Bristol and they would have probably waited at Pill for the next tide! Up until a few years ago the Bristol Pilots still had a descendent of James George Ray working as a Bristol pilot, Peter Ray Simpkins of Pill, Somerset.. Happy new year.

[@yepiratesworkshop7997]

Oh, yeah. Especially without an auto-pilot while single-handing. And at age 68. I'm lookin' for crew to do the work this year.@@SchoonerIssuma