The vertical furl
Culler has a lot to say about the sprit rig (and I dare say would probably deplore this conversation). Anyway, some of his wisdom could be transferred to our tiny junk.
Here’s an 18’ skiff with a brailed up bundle left standing. Lifting such a rig in and out is practical for a (wooden) mast length of up to 16’ (5m) according to Culler.
Arne may be onto it here, with his “vertical furl” (brail to the mast) concept. With just three spars to brail up (small, light ones at that) this could be the breakthrough for dealing with a tiny fanned junk rig.
The simplicity, and potential reduction in the number of running parts, of Arne's little fanned rig, is also an eye-opener.
Well done Arne, now comes the testing.
I've just gone back to have another look, and read it more carefully.
I think you've done it Arne!
Rowing.
Isn’t it always the case? You unship the oars and a few seconds later along comes a puff of wind. You ship the oars, and before you know it you’re drifting again! You try to row with the sail standing, and get smacked around the ears.
Running lifts and reefing upwards: the old scowmen used to call it a “log reef” as kauri logs were a common deck cargo. Evidently the Chinese did it too. (As an aside, I've wondered if this is the reason Chinese junks often seem to have a narrow bottom panel). This would seem to be the answer to rowing/sailing in fickle conditions.
I guess any type of junk rig can be made to do this.
Furling and stowing
The real issues are furling, stowing - and don't forget, hassle-free re-deploying from a previous stow.
If that can be done quickly while out on the water, then the ultimate goal – the 1-minute tiny junk, will have been reached.
There are two reasons for furling and stowing while out on the water in a dinghy: (1) because the wind has dropped and you decide to row, and (2) because conditions have got bad and you decide to row.
1. Conditions too light for sailing
If it’s a dead flat calm and sailing is hopeless. Arne’s vertical furl is a perfect solution. The furled rig can be left standing – or struck and stowed away, whatever.
2. Conditions deteriorate, sailing no longer an option.
This is what it all comes down to.
Here is where the mini-junk “one minute stow” is going to be necessary, not for convenience but for safety.
We are bobbing about, sail flapping and spars swinging, in an 8' dinghy, in a situation we should never have got ourselves into. Can Arne’s rig be brailed up, reliably (no foul-ups), struck and stowed in the dinghy, all from a sitting position?
It needs to be demonstrated. It may well be the solution.
(Referring again to the sprit rig, Culler suggests, if things are really dire, lifting out the mast and throwing the entire rig overboard “still spreeted out” and riding to it on the end of the sheet, as a sea anchor, until its convenient to haul it in and stow it. “A handy thing to know” says old Culler “don’t lose the end!”)
......................................
I think Arne might have made a leap forward in thinking, with his fanned mini-junk and the running lift acting as a brail. The vertical furl, followed by stowing the entire rig.
If it can be done safely in a small open dinghy, by reaching around and without having to stand up.
Of course, it is necessary also to be able to reverse the procedure and re-deploy the rig from a previous stow, in about the same length of time.
Its looking good so far.
The horizontal furl.
Unfortunately I am stuck with this more conventional paradigm, partly because I share Jan's aversion to a standing vertical bundle, but mainly because I want to put a non-fanned low yard-angle rig on my Golden Bay. (A SJR – I know, I know - its probably too small). I’m still working on it in my head. I think it can be done, but it will have to be in a much more conventional way.
So far, Arne, with his fanned rig, with running lift/brail, and vertical furl idea, is ahead in the race for a one-minute mini-junk.
As for the committee's tender design competition - at this early stage I'd give the hull prize to David because a 3-plank with flaring sides is simpler than a 5-plank and good enough for an 8-footer. In fact, I'd be surprised if most people could tell the difference, with an 8-footer. Also the side buoyancy tanks, short moveable thwart and built-in off-centreboard. Arne could do that too, but has not yet fully revealed his cockpit layout.
Halibut has the looks, and a theoretical advantage but that doesn't beat functionality. However, at this early stage Arne might still win on points, because he seems to have cracked the real challenge. This rig of Arne's is looking like its going to be hard to beat!
I'm glad I'm only on the sideline, not one of the judges