Safe Sailing in the Trades - The Twizzle Rig

[@konrad693]

Thank you Roger. Great video.

[@smacksman1]

Thanks. Hope it helps.

[@CheersWarren]

Oh have you seen sailing bora bora who just did an Atlantic circumnavigation of the northern Atlantic in an old victory 40! Nice folks from Devon. Warren

[@smacksman1]

Yes, they are another of my favorite videos to follow. The east to west crossing can be pleasant but the west to east can be rough. Roger

[@normanboyes4983]

Very informative - thank you.😀

[@smacksman1]

Thank you Norman. I hope it helps. Roger

[@kdolanjr]

Googled twizzle rig, one of the first things that comes up is your post on woodboat from 2004 :D This is a really informative video, thanks for sharing.

[@smacksman1]

Yes, its only taken me 12 years to get round to making a KZbin video! Haha. Details have been on my simetric.co.uk website since then but I decided to put the info here as well as it gives more opportunity to discuss the topic in detail. I hope it helps other cruisers.

[@pete9501]

And thank you for doing this, it really makes a difference to understand the rig for those of us who will be following in your footsteps in the future.

[@RobFomenko]

Very interesting. How would you handle it single handed? Very much interested in the Victory 40 / Trintella lV and the research of them brought me here from the Victory site. Would like to see how the universal joint was made, but shouldn't be to hard to figure out. I like the reduced roll it gives. Well done.

[@smacksman1]

For single handed use I would lead the up/down hauls for the universal joint back to the cockpit. It would mean that the pole ends would roll about a bit on the fore deck while moving from/to the cockpit. Otherwise an ideal single handed rig for downwind in the Trades - easy to reef and easy to trim from the cockpit. A twin groove foil would make it more flexible in use for other tasks. The Victory 40 served us very well. Not as much room as modern, beamier 40 footers but sailed very well and built like a brick outhouse! Fair winds, Roger

[@RobFomenko]

Thanks Roger. Yes the Victory 40 is smaller overall due to the reduced beam but for my needs she looks quite nice. Will depend on if there are any available when its time to buy. Not fast, doesn't point well, but overall a great cruising boat for 2 and a occasional 4. Fair winds. Bob

[@mrgoncstube]

Hi Andrew, Great Video thank you. The Simbo rig is one I am trying to organise for my Hunter 356 (B&R rig), this video is down-to-earth and very helpful. Thanks and fair winds. Neil

[@dennis6325]

I just read about this concept in John Vigor's book, "The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat". In your opinion, is it difficult to make a twizzle rig sufficient to self-steer the vessel without wind vane steering or an auto-pilot? Do you think this would work equally well on both full length keels and fin keels?

[@smacksman1]

Dennis, we used the twizzle rig in combination with an autopilot. As I understand it, steering with twin jibs is possible though one has to accept quite a variation in course and a drop in speed. Depending on one's acceptance of these variables is the main consideration - the cruising mentality varies from person to person. I once had to sail 12 miles broad reaching across the Thames estuary after loosing my rudder. Patience was the watchword as it took a long time for a sail adjustment to make a change in course. I prefer a long keel with encapsulated ballast because it does away with keel bolts; less chance of fouling her, or others, anchor chain; running aground is safer; less chance of snagging fishing nets and lobster pots. A fin keel is faster and more agile. Roger

[@losbolsossiemprelistos3863]

Thanks for all the information! In my boat I only have one furling system. ]Is it possible to use the double genova as a single sail? in case of going up wind. Thank you very much.

[@smacksman1]

Yes, it is possible. If you look at my video here at 11.21 it shows two genoas side by side and a sheet block used to equalise the tension on each clew. We only experimented with it to prove to us that we could work to windward with the twizzle rig if required. I am happy to help in any way I can as the twizzle rig is very good in Trade winds.

[@losbolsossiemprelistos3863]

@@smacksman1 Thanks that helps. I'm planning to get identical genovas, guessing the block wold still be neccesary? to stop chafe between sails?

[@smacksman1]

@@losbolsossiemprelistos3863 Maybe you could try without first? Our jibs were not exactly the same.

[@losbolsossiemprelistos3863]

@@smacksman1 I'll do that, thanks.

[@Salty_Sailing]

Hi Great video do you have any sketches or info for the tying of the universal knot as shown on the MK3

[@smacksman1]

andrew white sorry, no. It was a bit of a lashup to get four eyes. There is a knot called a jury rig knot I think which drops over the end of a spar leaving 4 eyes for shrouds. Not big loads involved. Roger

[@Salty_Sailing]

Hi yes I have tried this knot but it leaves the running ends that when pulled tight reduce the loops to either side like a slip knot, I have put half hitches in to stop the slipping effect but look very clumsy. what size loops do I need to create? Andrew

[@smacksman1]

Hi Andrew, pole end soft eyes need to be about 6"/150mm when stretched to allow the pole ends to cross over. up/down haul eyes much smaller - enough for a shackle. We sewed our knots to stop them slipping. There must be a special knot out there but we never found it! I'm happy to help with anything else.

[@smacksman1]

Sorry for the delay in replying, Andrew. Top and bottom loops need only be big enough to take a shackle for up/down haul. Port and starboard loops need to be approx 8"/200mm for 2"/50mm diameter pole ends to allow them to cross over and take up the axial and lateral movement of the poles. Thinking about this 'knot' further the crucifix could be formed by two short lines of multibraid with soft eyes both ends. Then open the middle of one line and pass the other through it. then sew the cross over point and serve it. Roger

[@michaelcarman4875]

sorry, but you must be kidding. jargon city!

[@smacksman1]

If I read your post correctly, Michael, then yes, sailing has its own language

[@michaelcarman4875]

@@smacksman1 obviously. but it is very detrimental to people who are not trained with that "language" to enter into, sailing for instance. it is like the people "into" sailing already want to keep new people out. why else use exotic terms for simple concepts not needing the exotic jargon. this is of course true for other hobbies or disciplines also. i asked my highly educated wife what a "bellcrank" was, and she had never heard the word.

[@smacksman1]

@@michaelcarman4875 Exactly. How many words would you need in place of 'bellcrank' for the layman to point to it? Interestingly the sailing 'language' is not unique to English. Your average French, German, Dutch, Danish, Swede would also be confused. My avatar is my 1885 built smack. In English, smack describes a sailing fishing boat of a particular style from the south east of England. Further north and west they would have a different name. And 'smack' we borrowed from the Dutch.

[@michaelcarman4875]

@@smacksman1 ok you're right we need these special exotic historic words and phrases for the initiated.

[@sailingbrewer]

Any thoughts on a long single pole? Or a spinaker

[@smacksman1]

Hi silingbrewer 1. Handling a normal spi pole on a bouncing foredeck is bad enough so one twice the length and twice the weight would be too much for one person. Plus, where would you stow it? Plus it would need a different sheet arrangement to furl the jibs. Two poles are better. 2. A spinnaker with a snuffer works well in light stuff but dropping it when the wind is at its top range is easier with more than one crew on the foredeck. A cruising shute with a snuffer (sock), or its own furler on a stub bowsprit, is easier to handle but the weight of cloth is usually chosen for light winds. Trade winds often get to 20 knots plus requiring light wind sails to be dropped. Light wind sails left set beyond their wind strength range stretches the cloth out of shape, weakens it and eventually blows out many thousands of pounds; dollars; euros of sail! The twizzle rig is designed for short handed trade wind sailing where the sails can be reefed easily, single handed, at night and trimmed through at least 60 degrees of following wind direction, again single handed, at night, from the safety of the cockpit.

[@sailingbrewer]

@@smacksman1 thanks. I haven't used a spinaker but it looks like you could make a dacron spinaker. Thanks again fir the detailed reply

[@smacksman1]

@@sailingbrewer Striking a spinnaker when the winds up in 20 foot swells in mid-ocean is a thrill you have yet to experience!! Fair winds. Roger.

[@CheersWarren]

Hi Roger, I was chatting with "sailing Kittiwake " about roll when sailing downwind in their newish to them Tayana 37. For their current MED sailing and simple goosewinging, I was trying to make suggestions to possible reduce roll ( that may not be excessive). Avoiding the twisted mainsail vortex that creates a tail wagging the dog situation ( seen in a death roll) could help reduce roll. What do you think? Cheers Warren. There most recent video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5eacn-kr9Vqp5I

[@smacksman1]

Hi Warren, nice to hear from you again. Med winds are too capricious to warrant setting up the twizzle rig. On the other hand, ideal to experiment as the Med lacks big ocean swells. I've followed their adventures from the UK as I know the Heavenly Twins as a friend of mine sailed his HT cat from the Med back to the River Colne and I had some good sails on her in the Thames Estuary. My sailing days have been cut short by two months of chemo followed by a big op next month to cut out my gullet so that will slow me down a bit. Fair winds, Roger

[@CheersWarren]

smacksman1 all the best with the op. I went thru’ that almost 20 yrs ago . Then they did surgery first and just radiation later . I had throat C but nothing since except dealing with minimal saliva from the radiation. I had stomach feeding tube for 3 months , best way to avoid loosing weight which my surgeon said I had to do to stop me dying! It works for me . Good luck warren

[@smacksman1]

@@CheersWarren Thanks Warren. It gives me hope that you're still kicking 20 years on! Roger

[@keithb6717]

You've made running twins into a intricate mess. Are you on drugs?

[@smacksman1]

HaHa! Yes - it does look that way but don't knock it till you try it!

[@martynobs6970]

No lifejacket, personal beacon, jacklines or harness along with problematic lack of fitness - 5 strikes and yer out

[@smacksman1]

Most cruisers don't wear safety gear during the day. We had a policy of harness to jack lines if we had to go on deck at night but most of the time we were in the deckhouse at night.