S2E69 The Perfect Junk Sail Design for Wave Rover and an Opportunity to Sail the North Atlantic Solo

In this video, I discuss and demonstrate the junk sail design that I will be taking on Wave Rover for her circumnavigation later this Summer. In the second half of the video I present an opportunity for someone to get a small ocean capable boat that is ready and capable to cross the Atlantic this Summer with me. Contact my sailmaker: [e-mail]
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Thank you and fair winds

[@RoversAdventure]

This is the perfect "Junk Rig Design" for Wave Rover's upcoming circumnavigation when you take into account all the parameters (Rover Philosophy) that I discuss in the video. As I say in the video I will be looking to get a cambered sail later. However I would take one for the initial voyage but do not have any experience designing one nor does anyone in this area. If any designer could produce a simple plan for a robust functional cambered sail, I would be happy to get it to Dave (but we are running out of time unless this can be done immediately). Fair winds my friends and keep cracking on!

[@davidthatcher8362]

Being an experienced junk rig sailor which includes ocean crossing I feel I need to comment on your sail design and theories. Firstly a junk rig is a great choice for a cruising yacht. Easy handling, easy and quick reefing, DIY, and easy to fix anywhere with inexpensive materials. On my junk rig yacht I had an original flat sail, with bendy battens to start, then with stiff battens. And then a camber panel junk sail. The camber panel sail was superior to the flat sail in all conditions and wind strengths. The original bendy battens were terrible, and a liability. This is because as you know the sail is sheeted at almost every batten. This means that in strong winds there is a lot of pull on the leech of the sail so most of the bend in the battens comes in the after part of the sail, this is terrible for performance. Fitting the non bendy battens to the original sail gave a significant improvement in the handling and performance of the sail. I built those battens from cedar, which is not really stiff enough, so I added layers of unidirectional fiberglass to each side of the battens, and on the top most battens which bend the most, I put two layers of unidirectional glass on each side in the after part of the battens. This was my way of controlling where the bend in the battens occurred. But even that version of the sail lacked power. Sure it blew the boat along just fine reaching and running,. but the boat lacked power to windward, especially in rougher sea conditions, and also I had a lot of difficulty tacking the boat. The new camber panel sail which was constructed using the broad seaming method was a real transformation. Vastly superior windward performance in all wind conditions, and a very powerful sail reaching and running. And with the new sail camber panel sail the boat would tack easily every time. There are three ways to construct a camber panel sail; barrel shaped panels, broad seaming, and the shelf foot method. I wish you luck with your sail, but I cannot help feeling that you have not taken advantage of all the knowledge and experience that has been built up by junk rig sailors over the past two decades.

[@davidthatcher8362]

@@RoversAdventure There is nothing wrong with a flat junk sail, after all it has been the standard for thousands of years. But flat junk sails need rigid battens. Especially the upper sheeted battens where all the sheeting load is on the sail. If you suspend a batten between a saw horse at either end, and push down on the middle of the batten, the batten should bend only very slightly. If it were me I would stiffen up those battens with unidirectional glass. When you are reefed down in a howling gale in the middle of the ocean you need those upper battens to be straight.

[@RoversAdventure]

@@davidthatcher8362 I think that is a very good point David. Thanks.

[@davidtyler7994]

@@RoversAdventure As another junk rig sailor with four decades and tens of thousands of miles under the rig, I would like to reinforce what David has said. Bendy battens have been found to be a liability, whether the sail is flat or cambered. They don't bend when you want them to in light airs to windward, they do bend when you don't want them to in heavy airs, and worst of all, they "pant" in a seaway, causing cyclical loadings and extra fatigue and chafe. Note also that the top sheeted batten needs to be stiffer and stronger than the lower battens, and the "boom" only needs to be just another batten. The best battens I've used are CFRP tubes, but pultruded GRP tubes are also good, at less cost. If it's not too late, put about 1% round on the head of the sail - the yard can never be completely stiff, and when it bends in heavy airs the leech slackens and flutters, leading to cloth breakdown, and the middle of the top panel is stretched too tight. But overall, I agree that your first sail, cut flat, will be good as a learning sail for a tradewind circumnavigation. Then you will have gained the knowledge to go for a cambered sail.

[@adrianstone4443]

Please canyou kindly contact me. I need advice on a junk rig sail ?

[@RoversAdventure]

@@adrianstone4443 what are you thinking?

[@ray8328]

That military instructor sure know a thing or two about junk rig sails. Big thanks to Dave for showing us a preview of the sail and how he plans to put it together. I like the colour too.

[@RoversAdventure]

Lol, sometimes I get a little carried away with the mission.

[@leiflindqvist9095]

As someone who was born in 1957 and has spent his free time since 1958 on sailboats, I may not agree with everything you say and do. But, the way you approach your challenges and use your experience gives the greatest respect, I am convinced that you will succeed in what you plan. You express your point of view in a very good and clear way. Thanks for all the videos!

[@RoversAdventure]

Thanks Leif.

[@georgegeorge-hh5rs]

As I found you on KZbin, you just talked about the optimum, and Waverover can't be better I have biggest respect for passion and discipline , I think you will have issues in tropical climate greetings Jorge from Portugal

[@randaljameslynch3863]

Love the sail color! Nemo is absolutely beautiful!

[@RoversAdventure]

Absolutely agree on both counts!

[@jasminelestrade1921]

🙏 A very healthy and bless Sunday to you and Mrs Rover👍😊

[@RoversAdventure]

And the very same to you Jasmine. Just off to Church now.

[@bobcornwell403]

Best of luck with your sail design. I have a 10 ft scow that I built last year. It awaits this coming summer for launching. It has a highly experimental sail, that is a continuation of an idea I tried in the mid-seventies. It is made of inexpensive materials, and is somewhat junk-like in its appearance. It is, however, not a junk rig. Instead of having sheetlets for most of the boomlets (often referred to as "battens," it has a single sheet-line for the lower boomlet. The sail has only one other boomlet. That is the top one. When it is time to reef, the top bomlet is lowered down to the bottom one, and the reefing line pulled tight and cleated. This locks the two boomlets together. The sail is realy two sails, one above the other. The top portion is a boom-Lateen sail, the bottom one is just a rectangle. Because these are really two separate sails (which share the top boomlet), one can have more camber than the other. This could be useful. In squally conditions, only the top portion will be set. It can not only be cut with less camber, but can be made of stronger cloth. As far as I can figure, the loads on the boomlets and sail cloth are greater when the sail is reefed. This is because the sail has less leverage to heel the boat, and must therefore handle much heavier loading. I am quite confident in my ideas. But not so much so that I have designed a more conventional balanced-lug to use the same yard and one of the boomlets ;).

[@howtosailoceans1423]

I saw in one of Roger Taylor's vids that he has the lower panels loose footed, so that he can control the amount of draft, but leaves the upper panels flat. Seems like a good way to add a lot of versatility to the rig, to give you power in both the light and stronger stuff. That's the first time I've ever seen a photo shoot of Nemo, even though Tom has described her to me many times!

[@RoversAdventure]

The Junk sail is really simple once you give it a little bit of thought. Especially given that it is but one sail when on the original WR I had 7 sails

[@AdamPearce]

I was delighted to see Nemo. I have a C&C 25 myself. Fun and tough little boats.

[@jasminelestrade1921]

😂😂😂 Great start👍 very informative video , thank you , Professor Rover😀🙏....Hi Mrs Rover👋👋.....Great job , Bless your soul ! 🙏

[@RoversAdventure]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@DavidMichaelCox]

Thanks for sharing the information with your followers. I truly believe that "Nemo" is a great boat for the serious single handed offshore sailor who may be following your videos.

[@RoversAdventure]

Totally agree!

[@japeltoni]

Very interesting and you deserve all possible support for the choices for sails, well argued! I learned your future plans to northern Europe, so welcome to Finland. Let's sail from West coast Finland to Sweden 👍👋

[@RoversAdventure]

Sounds great. Stay in touch please.

[@robinhodgkinson]

Great to get some background on your sail plans etc. One hell of a lot of thought has gone into the Wave Rover design. Almost makes me want to build another boat... "Now sweetheart, about that promise I made that my last boat build was my last boat build. What I really meant was......" ; )

[@RoversAdventure]

That would be cool! I have had to back peddle the last boat statement myself, lol

[@mattevans-koch9353]

Here hoping to bump up your YT earnings Alan. Thank you as always. Also, nice intro for NEMO. Beautiful job on the modifications.

[@RoversAdventure]

Much appreciated!

[@randomtraveler3363]

Looking forward to hearing more about the Kit development

[@bernardszirth9665]

This was very interesting Professor WR, cant wait for the next step. As always, many thanks!

[@RoversAdventure]

Glad you enjoyed it! But I'm not a real professor, just filling in for one lol.

[@TRETT1956]

Hi Alan, the was very interesting . Thanks Werner from Germany

[@RoversAdventure]

Glad you enjoyed it my German friend.

[@tomwaite4594]

So very well explained and the demonstration of the batten flexibility that provides that beautiful shape said it all. The added benefit of the Wave Rover design is that you can change out the sail based on expected wind conditions . I'm very greatful for the attention you have given to Nemo the C&C 25 as Im most anxious to provide the Wave Rover kit in the near future. Also very greatful that the Spring tuition to Wave Rover U had not increased this year. GO ROVERS!

[@RoversAdventure]

Well noted Tom, the sail can be switched out as needed. There is great flexibility in the design of Wave Rover in so many ways. Best of luck with the sale of Nemo.

[@tomwaite4594]

@Sailing Wave Rover... when compared to a sloop rig with a half a dozen headsails and spinnakers, two junk rigged sails to match the prevalent winds, is most sensible. Thank again for featuring NEMO.. .BTW....many think that NEMO got her name due to the orange color...NEMO means Tenacious in Japanese. She has lived up to that in all regards at sea...

[@waynejorgensen4433]

Good colour choice. Red really stands out in the ocean.

[@RoversAdventure]

I think so too! Hence my red hair (or what's left of it)

[@johnmitchell7437]

There have been some thoughts and discussions on the choice of bottom paint colours for ocean travels. It has been suggested that Black, White or Red may each invite unwanted attention from whales(?). Blue or green bottom paints may be the better colours. We chose Blue for our N. Atlantic circle (also sailed in a C&C), and were accompanied for 5 hours by a lone Minke whale. My wife and I were a little apprehensive in the early part of "the visit", but then we were saddened to see "our" whale leave us: we now wonder did he/she really enjoy the Blue paint?

[@briansmyth8113]

I had a C&C 24 and it was a great boat....Nemo looks very capable....If I only had the time I would be on the voyage....maybe next loop...lol

[@tomwaite4594]

Thanks Brian...Nemo has been the perfect offshore boat for single and double-ended adventures

[@DavidPaulNewtonScott]

I have my boat already a Galion 22 the boat that was owned by the creator and director of the TV series Howard's way. It inspired him to write the show. As soon as I have paid her off, I will be fitting her with a dipping lug rig. This is a very powerful rig which I am surprised nobody seems to consider these days. I am making my own mast of western red cedar. I considered using Ash and I will think again about that as I have just thought the bendyness could be an advantage. I may also include sail battens. I think they would help with reefing. One last thing I met a man who got hit by a boom and he ha scuppered from headaches ever since. I decided then that any boat of mine was not going to have a boom. There are two videos of a Galion 22 with a junk rig on KZbin.

[@RoversAdventure]

Thanks for this. I'll look up the Galion 22

[@craigrelan2346]

I understand that you have already made your mind up for the type of junk rig sail but I would look at the junk rig sails on Ming Ming I and II.

[@RoversAdventure]

As I say in the video I will be looking to try a cambered sail on the second voyage. Let's not forget that Jester sailed across the Atlantic several times with a flat sail. The North Atlantic is one of the most rigorous of ocean crossings.

[@prof.heinous191]

Red sails in the sunset - looking forward to the pictures! Super impressed with the ash batten especially that scarfe joint! Shame longer lengths aren't available, is PEI too far north to fell your own? Interesting the trade wind sail and the light airs sail - my advice for the Med - get in there off season while the wind blows, in summer far too much light airs and you can't swing a cat in more ways than one!

[@RoversAdventure]

The ash came from very nearby but to get clear pieces meant shorter lengths. You read my mind on the Med. BTW, thanks again for the WRU crest

[@nickgoodall578]

Sailing is an exercise in compromise. If you feel a flat sail is right for you, then you’re right. Equally if you though cambered was the way to go, you’d be just as right!

[@RoversAdventure]

A man who truly understands me. Whether you can or you can't...you are absolutely right!

[@kendonahve924]

Sea time will sort things out ....

[@michaelgillespie6526]

Thanks for that super informative episode! I feel the sail plan is greatly suited to soloing. How does the mast fit into the equation? Is the mast rigid or does it flex like Nonsuch masts? One great feature you'll enjoy is the ease and speed of reefing the sail.

[@jesbates8611]

Interesting discussion on the sail design. I'm sure you've come across Roger Taylor and Ming Ming, the art of simple sailing . He also put a lot of thought into his sail design and it served him very well.

[@RoversAdventure]

I liked his videos

[@StormSignal]

@@RoversAdventure Roger switched to cambered for good reason. IMO your claim that flat beats cambered above 10kts is just plain wrong. Almost nobody in the Junk Rig Association would build a flat sail anymore.

[@RoversAdventure]

@@StormSignal I believe that I said it's nullified or "may" even be faster. Again this is me envisioning large seas and the rolling of the vessel. In this condition the flat sail may perform better if it is not collapsing. This is based on my small boat experience. It may not be true for all boats/rigs. That is why I said "may". Now I really must crack on with the build.

[@StormSignal]

@@RoversAdventure If Blondie and Jock were alive today they would build a cambered sail.

[@Garryck-1]

@@RoversAdventure = I think you should get to the JRA forums and ask some of the members who've circumnavigated under junk rig about what sail behaviour you could expect in various conditions.They're the best source of information you could have.

[@garyunderwood1505]

Got to have cambered!

[@RoversAdventure]

Down the road a spell.

[@StormSignal]

@@RoversAdventure See my comment elsewhere. Gary is correct. You will come to regret your flat sail choice imo.

[@RoversAdventure]

​@@StormSignal As I say in the video, I am open to all rig ideas and do not want to come across as a zealot that only sees one way of doing things. I also said that I will be looking to get a cambered sail for the next voyage. My finances and time will not be working against me and I hope to have the luxury to do a deeper dive at that point. But I am a small boat sailor who is keenly aware how such small craft will behave on the big sea and heavy weather, and it is this experience plus the other dynamics that I mention in the video that led me to this choice. The only other small boat that I am aware of (25% bigger than Wave Rover) that has battled North Atlantic conditions very successfully was Jester with her Flat sail. I have to be conservative in my choices for this voyage and it may cost me a day or two on a long passage or maybe it wont. Stay tuned.

[@StormSignal]

@@RoversAdventure Your decision to go flat is contrary to what those with huge experience in crossing oceans and even circumnavigating in junk rigs would advise. A cambered sail adds so little(if anything) to time and cost. Good luck.

[@sietuuba]

That sail should serve you very well and it will look nice too! None of that pearly white rubbish but a proper tan bark look, even if it's all just polymers these days. I noticed you didn't touch on the sheeting arrangement - is that something that is yet to be finalized for the design?

[@RoversAdventure]

Absolutely right on the sheeting. I will tackle it during the mad rush before launch

[@sailingbrewer]

Love the channel. My Dad is a Junk Nut and Contest 26 nut. I wish he could watch your videos. One of the things he used to worry about when it came to the Junk Lug is the section in front of the mast would bend down wind when going to windward. I was hoping you'd talk about that. There was this design he would always talk up that was a tube in an tube so the leading edge would not deflect but the trailing edge would deflect. Have you heard of this?

[@RoversAdventure]

I haven't heard of this but there is a lot I don't know.

[@sailingbrewer]

It was something he came across in the 90's so maybe it didn't work as well as hoped. I think it's called flexible batten junk rig

[@james-zs9ub]

That is a potential problem with flexible battens as Alan is using, but depends on the amount of balance before the mast. Re your "tube within a tube" comment - I wonder whether you're talking about the experiments of Bunny Smith, who was using pultruded GRP tubes as battens, and showed that it is possible to alter the camber of a sail by changing the stiffness of the batten, by feeding a smaller tube inside. Alan isn't using tubular battens, but if he really needed to stiffen up the fore end of his Ash battens, he could add a doubler - the bodger's way would be to screw it on, through the sailcloth! But I think he'll be just fine.

[@S.Norman]

Thanks

[@imagiossailingandgaming9405]

Hi Alan, a kit is a great Idea, I was already wondering when it appears, getting a box of precut plywood, epoxy etc. would be so much easier and faster! Speaking of interest, when you go to the Azores, I'm not yet equipped boat and experience wise for such a trip, as well I'm in EU, but would you think about a public meeting in the Azores? Would love to at least fly in, to see your Wave Rove 1 live, if you think about a happening let us pls know. As usual, all the best with this amazing project! :D

[@RoversAdventure]

I think that it would be great to have a meet up in the Azores. Another chap from Ireland is also planning on a visit.

[@imagiossailingandgaming9405]

@@RoversAdventure Great, keep me posted :)

[@hecdc305]

Thank you for the lesson in junk rigs. I've never sailed on a junk rig so to me this video is very interesting and educating on a very simple and sturdy rig. Just remember that the type of rig you need to use is the one that YOU feel more comfortable with. After all, you're the one that's gonna be out in the middle of the ocean. Out of curiosity, what is the mast material and length from deck to top?

[@RoversAdventure]

I made the mast out of a combination of Spruce, pine and fir. It's what you find in lifts of construction grade lumber. I haven't settled on the exact length but it is around 24'

[@glynncleaver7398]

I do wonder about a para sail for light down wind junk sailing lines run from the base of the mast

[@RoversAdventure]

The talk of rigging a light drifter in the book Practical Junk Rig

[@AdamPearce]

I've been waiting for this for so long. Designing my own... what is the sail fabric?

[@RoversAdventure]

5 oz Dacron

[@th-h6224]

@@RoversAdventure that light? (140gr/m²) or is it by sqft?) (Sorry, we Germans are not familiar with non-metric systems)

[@th-h6224]

I correct myself, I guess it is 5oz by squareyard?

[@RoversAdventure]

@@th-h6224exactly

[@silverfox1779]

I think this is an awesome concept, one I’ve followed from the beginning …….. I guess I’ve always been attracted to the KISS concept …..the junk sail is perfect imo …..one question about the sail, will you be carrying a spare sail and baton?

[@RoversAdventure]

I want to carry an extra batten . I purchased enough wood to make 2 extra but by the time I removed defects I was down to only 6. Will get some more ash. I will carry a repair kit for the sail. I am talking with Dave about producing a small storm sail.

[@MrJhchrist]

20:46 "All sails are new in nineteen twenty one slash twenty two" They look pretty good for their age! (sorry)

[@RoversAdventure]

Mrs. Rover caught that also, lol . I tend to do a lot of things like it was 100 years ago

[@jeffskingley6042]

You’re making great progress considering the cold temperatures you’re dealing with. Can’t wait to see it sail. Why a junk rig though? Why not an unstayed rotating mast with a Bahama cut sail so it can easily be furled.

[@jeffskingley6042]

Of course I meant Bermuda rig. Not bahama rig. Lol

[@RoversAdventure]

It is the ease of reefing and the simplicity of the whole sail.

[@robertlawrence574]

Ahoy Cap'n Wave Rover. I have watched and been a great supporter of the Wave Rover since its inception. I love the design, concept and build ethic you have employed throughout the project. I see Wave Rover as a fast, immensely strong and safe platform to carry you through your forthcoming adventure and all I can say is, I wish your adventure was mine. Since you have invited commentary on your choice of rig I feel compelled to add my two cents worth. Just because the junk rig has been around for 2000 years does not make it good. My experience with the junk rig is as follows... Weigh that sail when it is finished. All up I think you will find it to be very heavy and unwieldy. Since it has the same amount of area as a conventional sail the fabric will be no cheaper or lighter. Measure the no. of feet of stitching and reinforcement required to make it fill its intended shape and you will find no joy in manufacturing time either. When the sail is to leeward of the the mast the performance upwind may be acceptable. When the sail is on the windward side of the mast the performance is abysmal, caused partly because the mast destroys the shape cut into the sail and partly due to the fact that being a balanced sail (part of the sail projects forward of the mast) the forward part of the sail points almost straight into the wind and the forward parts of the battens distort and tend to droop downwards. It is extremely difficult to control the upper part of the leech of the sail which provides both the height and power of the sail as the batten stiffness over such a short length does not behave in the same fashion as your factory test. I rig I sailed with had to be raised, reefed and dropped at the mast, which is no mean feat in a seaway, as when dropped the sail tended to assume the shape of an opened ladies fan on the deck, particularly when the leech controls lines were eased. This is neither comfortable or safe as I found myself standing on slippery sail cloth. When sailing downwind in a slop and light breeze the inertia in the rig made it heave and move in a very uncomfortable manner. It is not my intention to criticise for the sake of it, but there are novel, simple, efficient and free standing rigs available that are far faster, easier to handle and both lower the the centre of effort and the centre of gravity of the rig when reefed, all done from the safety of the hatchway. Either way, I wish you every success and the joy and peace associated with your offshore adventure. I remain an ardent supporter of your mission in every way. Rob Lawrence.

[@RoversAdventure]

I'm no expert in this area but I have put my faith in Blondie Hassler's many Atlantic crossings in Jester using a flat cut sail. The North Atlantic is truly a test for any small boat with any rig.

[@StormSignal]

Your critique of a properly designed modern junk rig is just wrong. Inter alia every junk rig should have lazy jacks or what we junkies call sail catchers so there is no reason to have to walk on the reefed or lowered sail. Almost all modern junk rigs are operated without needing to leave the safety of the cockpit. I built a 64m² cambered junk rig sail for US$2700 all in using WeatherMAX 80 and aluminium for battens and yard jus over a year ago. On a small sail like that of Wave Rover a halyard winch would be almost unnecessary.

[@james-zs9ub]

Tens of thousands of junk rig sailors the world over would disagree with you! As @StormSignal points out, it sounds as though the example you tried wasn't set up correctly - it should have lazyjacks and ideally a sailcatcher. The sail will be heavier than a Bermudian main, because of the weight of the battens (it's that batten weight which helps a lot with the ease of reefing) but it shouldn't be unwieldy. WaveRover is making a flat sail - no more stitching than a Bermudian main, and far less reinforcement required. Sure, a fully cambered split junk takes more stitching (ask me how I know!) but isn't really onorous, and is a joy as you need much lighter material than a Bermudian, and can assemble it panel-by-panel which means you can do it in the living room, not a sail loft.

[@kendonahve924]

I would respectfully take issue with the part of your comment to the effect of..."...just because a sail type has been around for two thousand years, it doesn't have to be good". Most seamen would agree that over time the sea sorts out which variations of a ship best meet the mariners needs for safety, speed, capacity and beauty in their geographic area. Particularly, in the junk rig we may not have carried forward some of the knowledge, or perhaps some species of wood was best for battens and is no longer available. Certainly traditional Chinese junks had, again, a large crew and did fancy sheet rigging and handling.

[@fredbalster3100]

How long do you anticipate to sea trial the sail and rigging? I can't wait to see the boat in action.😊

[@jerryhansen5116]

I'm sorry, I have many questions about junk rigging, are all the batons reef points and can you still use other sail IE a storm job

[@RoversAdventure]

You can sheet to webbing directly above each batten. I am talking with Dave about producing a small storm sail.

[@krismatski]

Yes, each and every batten is a reef poin (refbant). The two most upper triangular panels make a perfect storm sail. You may make them somewhat sronger than the lower. To set the storm sail takes just to reef (put down)all the lower panels, that takes a quarter of a minute.

[@sailoutofagarage6212]

The batten high up in the mast will give you some weight and turning moment in a storm. Will you have a storm sail to replace the junk in such conditions?

[@RoversAdventure]

I am talking with Dave about producing a small storm sail.

[@james-zs9ub]

In storm conditions, it won't be high up the mast!

[@Garryck-1]

@@RoversAdventure - Make your top panel of heavier cloth and construction than the rest, and then it can double as a storm sail. You could even make the top panel dayglo orange, if you wanted to go all the way!

[@davidtyler7994]

@@Garryck-1 I agree. A separate sail is not needed, and would be very difficult to deploy.

[@keithtownsend3050]

Interesting you didn’t pick the 650 racing class rig

[@willymueller3278]

Well, I only hope, that Junk Sails ain' t no junk. 😎 Now, I' m gonna fry some more fillets. 😂

[@RoversAdventure]

lol

[@daniellisy7161]

Hi Alan I completely forgotten to ask, why it the junk rig better than say a gaff rig? Never saw a answer to that.

[@RoversAdventure]

The main reason is ease of reefing. And simplicity to build

[@craigparse1439]

I would love to find out how a boat would handle with a Lateen sail. It was used for many ships in the Mediterranean Sea for thousands of years. I'm not an expert by any means, but I'm curious.

[@RoversAdventure]

I am interested in all forms of sail. It is certainly a great looking rig.

[@kendonahve924]

I understand that the long yard of a lateen rig requires more crew for a given deck length than most other traditional sails.

[@davidbroman8391]

Great video. Do you have a backup sail in case of an emergency or do you feel it is not necessary?

[@RoversAdventure]

The seams in the sail are running vertically making a blowout unlikely. But being so simple it will be easy to repair with some needles, thread, and I will carry some extra cloth.

[@james-zs9ub]

@@RoversAdventure I agree. The loads on a junk sail are far less than on a Bermudian one. No need for a spare sail.

[@Garryck-1]

@@james-zs9ub - Agreed. People don't realise that it's possible to make a hole in a junk sail big enough to climb through, and it won't even measurably effect the boat's performance. Nor will it get any bigger, as the battens stop rips from spreading. Tie the two battens together, and you have an effective mini-reef in the sail, taking the hole out of the equation entirely, and giving you ample time to patch the hole.

[@jasminelestrade1921]

You are most welcome , Mr and Mrs Rover🙏 Enjoy👋....Mr Rover , my name is Leonard , Jasmine is my wife😊 i am using her e mail address, i am a sailor retired , have worked on a 110 foot Coast Guard Vessel in St KITTS for over 20 years as the Chief Engineer😊👍.. Have a great day in Church , you and Mrs Rover🙏👋

[@RoversAdventure]

It's all coming back to me now Leonard. You too have a great day my friend.

[@briansmyth8113]

Do I get another degree if I watched the whole video?...lol

[@RoversAdventure]

I would have thought that a PHD would be enough for one person

[@briansmyth8113]

@@RoversAdventure You do know that those letters only stand for "piled higher and deeper"...lol

[@RoversAdventure]

@@briansmyth8113 All this time I thought it meant a "post hole digger". This is why I have smarter friends who explain things to me. Regardless, you are quite the smart chap my friend.

[@prof.heinous191]

@@RoversAdventure "Post hole digger."🤣🤣🤣 Well, that counts me in then!

[@prof.heinous191]

Some say WRU hands out degrees like confetti!

[@superwag634]

Do those battens appear too stiff to anyone? Multiple battens add stiffness, and it seems you’ll need hundreds of kilos of force to deflect them. That force will not be available unless the keel can counteract it at low levels of heel. Think the battens should have a lower stiffness

[@RoversAdventure]

Someone else has commented that they are too bendy, lol

[@superwag634]

@@RoversAdventure lol. I guess time will tell. Enjoying watching your build. Good work

[@Garryck-1]

@@RoversAdventure - more to the point.. that they aren't bendy enough in light winds, and are too bendy in stronger winds.

[@dennismcquoid9751]

One mistake you made, the Great Lakes are not in Canada. They are in the US. ;-)

[@RoversAdventure]

lol. They are great enough to share I think.

[@briansmyth8113]

The great lakes are not in the US, they are shared between the US and Canada....

[@bernardszirth9665]

We are happy to share The lakes are bounded by Ontario (all of the lakes but Michigan), Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan (all but Ontario), Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Four of the five lakes straddle the U.S.-Canada border; the fifth, Lake Michigan, is entirely within the United States.

[@mattevans-koch9353]

Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes not shared with our good friends in Canada. This was perfect for the whisky smuggling industry during Prohibition as well as the bootlegger boat building industry.

[@briancasey4917]

What happens if the sail is damaged? Is there a spare sail you can carry?

[@StormSignal]

Almost nobody in the Junk Rig Association would recommend a flat cut sail today. There are numerous good reasons for that. Happy to share contact details for true modern Junk Rig sail experts like Arne Kverneland, Victor Winterthun and Paul Thompson.

[@jasonmcintosh2632]

Roughly speaking, sail shape isn't important for sailing downwind or a beam reach. Sail area is what's important for those points of sail. It will become very important to have a good foil for pointing into the wind. Pointing high into the wind requires an excellent foil shape and very low windage. A recreational circumnavigator will always try to have the trades behind them. Management ease, strength and durability become the main sail features of interest to them. The junk rig fits these needs just fine. However, there are always times when we want to go upwind. Having optimized your boat for downwind sailing, you'll be frustrated when attempting to sail upwind. You'll certainly be able to do it, but your poor foil shape and relatively high windage will mean you'll make some upwind progress in light wind (20 knots?). But as the saying goes, there is no perfect boat. Every design decision is a compromise. Sven Yrvind's current boat is so optimized for sailing downwind, he completely eliminated his center keel and just has a small swing keel in the bow. That guy has spent a lot of time alone on the ocean in even smaller boats. (I've seen your comments on his youtube channel.) Would I choose a junk rig for your boat? Probably not. I have no experience with them and I think a sloop rig is extremely well optimized. But maybe I'll have changed my mind a year or two from now. This is your life. I will respect your well thought out decisions, wish you the best, and learn from your experiences. Thank you for sharing your journey.