Yesterday I took a stack of measurements in my cockpit and discovered just how asymmetrical it is. The differences between port side and starboard side are mostly between 5 mm and 10 mm. It's no big deal but it makes life a little interesting.
Presently the cockpit well is approx. 1720mm long and 1115mm wide (forward end)- 1165mm wide (stern end).
After playing around with a scale rule, graph paper and a tape measure I'm thinking a cockpit well 800mm wide, 400mm deep and 1400mm long will work. This allows me to put in a 300mm wide bridge deck aft of the companion way as extra bum space or a nice flat space to sit drinks and munchies while admiring those magnificent sunsets I expect to see once I get to Moreton Bay.
I'll raise the cockpit sole forward by 100mm. My cockpit seats will go from 360mm wide forward to 500mm wide. The aft end will go from 280mm to 450mm.
That's it so far.

The new yard it fitted and I've used a strop style that David Webb uses. All I need now is a suitable day to test it out.

Maybe with the new yard it would be best to attach the halyard with a lashing around the yard rather than a through-bolt. I can see in the photo that the bolt actually took out quite a large percentage of the timber in the overall width of the yard. The lashing does not need to be all that heavy, on Footprints I have about 6 turns of 4mm Dyneema which seems to be plenty strong enough The lashing goes through an 8mm stainless steel shackle to which the halyard is attached and also the yard hauling parrel bitter end and block.

David and Annie.

I am both surprised and not surprised to read about the high loads on the luff/throat hauling parrel, that you describe. Johanna’s sail, at 48sqm (AR=1.87), is not much smaller than that of Footprints, but the forces on the THP are quite human, with no need for winches ( I sailed her in F5 winds, with her new owner, a couple of weeks ago). On my newer Frøken Sørensen (20sqm/AR=1.95) the forces in the THP are very light as the relatively taller mast has let me attach the slingpoint about 5% aft of the yard’s midpoint, giving a bit peak halyard effect.

I wonder if the problems you describe could be related to the special planform of the Fantail sails as these are very low and wide (AR= 1.54?). The sheet forces on such sails will work on a very long lever, and thus try to “un-peak up” the yard.

Arne

PS: Ah, yes ,Gary, that bolt was asking for trouble. On my last two junks the halyard has been connected to the yard  via a sling (kind of rolling hitch). "Slingpoint", you know.

PPS: Could I suggest you try this sheet setup? It gives good anti-twist. Its only drawback is that it is only 3-part, but that should be no problem on Redwing's sail. The 3-part sheeting produces much less resistance when you are hoisting the sail.

 (click on it to zoom in)

The break was very clean with very little splintering and it happened right on the eye bolt. The eye bolt was a weak point in itself. David feels my yard was a bit under size and I think he also commented that my sheeting arrangement put added stress on the yard. I also had the block for the tthroat hauling parrel attached to the forward end of the yard and this was haulled in quite hard. Put all that together and I feel it was an accident waiting to happen. David has also suggested a different set up for my sheet and sheetlets that will give better control of the sail and equalize the loading on the battens.