Anonymous wrote:

We've recently bought a 1985 Gazelle 26, a NZ built trailer sailer.  Here is a good review of it (in fact, I've been told that the boat in this review is the actual one we have!) - https://johncrawfordmarine.com.au/gazelle-26 

Just wondering how feasible it would be to convert to junk rig?  We're in the NT

I was unable to find this boat in some of the normal places I would look for it on line. While the article is interesting, the one thing it does not seem to have is any line drawings.

The normal first step to conversion starts with a "side on" line drawing preferably with the sails drawn in.  This allows calculating the current centre of sail area and the current centre of lateral resistance (actually centre of area for the underwater part of things. It is good (if possible) to also bring any experience you have had sailing with the current rig as to it's balance.

because this is a trailer boat and has a swing keel, it may be hard to get a picture with it lowered. This would make finding the CLR hard. However, getting a picture or even just measuring the sails when raised or as they would be when raised would be easier. This would allow finding the centre of sail area as it is now. So a 90 degree side on picture from as far away as possible but still filling the picture would give a lot of information. Something similar to the second picture in the article you posted but with the head sail on the other side of the mast and with no wind (it could even be on the trailer). Of course if you could find a line drawing with the keel fully extended... that would be wonderful.

Other things to consider. Your current mast sits on top of the cabin with some sort of support under. Because you have a trailer sailor, you are most likely looking at a tabernacle supported mast. The base of the tabernacle will need to go through the cabin/deck to the keel. So consider how much you are willing to disturb your interior to fit a new mast. Because you have a fractional rig now, you may be able to use a SJR with the mast in the same place. If not, an Arne style rig may require moving the mast forward or tilting it forward.

Can your boat be switched to JR? The basic rule seems to be: if it has sails now, a JR will work. The extended answer is: will it make sense in your case. Are you comfortable with cutting a hole in the top of your cabin, with building a tabernacle and it's step, does the required mast placement make the boat less useful to you and your family. Some people do all or most of their sailing alone. For them, it is their boat and a mast in the middle of the Vberth is not a problem. In my case, our boat is the "family cottage by the sea" and so what my wife thinks of any modifications I might make is more important than what kind of rig I sport. I want to replace the rig one way or the other as it is over 50years old. However, whatever I do has to retain the "cottage by the sea" vibe.