I sailed the boat with the new rig this past weekend. I fashioned two
mast crutches that go into the mast steps and partners of the former two
cat ketch masts to carry the longer and heavier mast and other spars.
The standing rigging complicates the setup but once the mast is up
things fall into place. One annoying mishap after we rowed away from
the ramp involved the throat halyard accidentally rolling down its block
until its tail end ended at the masttop. A figure-8 knot stopped it
from coming through completely, and it took many, many attempts to snag
it and pull it down with the boat hook. Well that's not going to happen
again, and if it does I'm a worse fool than I think I am.
But once we got under way, oh man! The wind on Lake Erie was very
fickle, picking up and dying down and constantly changing direction, but
with a decent breeze the boat was flying. Having to work the
jibsheets adds a little extra work when coming about but tacking is
easy, gybes are pretty gentle and the boat much more responsive and
fast. All in all a very good experience. There were no other boats
around so I had no opportunities to get photos so you'll have to take my
word for it!
