SAIL PLAN FOR PADDLEABLE-SAILING CANOE.
In the Sail Plan (Plate XL.) the main-and-mizen rig is shown formed by two balance lugs. The sails, however, need not necessarily be balance lugs; but if gaff or sprit sails are substituted the masts have to be shifted forward, wilich is undesirable, as the weights should be kept as much in-board as possible. It may be objected that the rig shown in the drawing has too much gear to be handy for cruising purposes, but the rig is not put forward as a rig admitting of rapid shifting, but as a moderately well-proportioned sailing rig.
It is always easier to do away with parts of gear than to invent them, consequently a full design must be more satisfactory than a bald one, as in such case each owner can adopt, alter, or discard details according to his fancy. There is always something to learn in the matter of rigging, even by the oldest hands ; and slight alterations in the arrange ment of the gear can often be made to add greatly to the ease and enjoy ment of the canoe sailor.
In Plate XL. (Sail Plan I.) G is the centre of gravity of the sail; A, the tack of the sail; B, the throat; C, the peak; D, the clew; e, reef or batten bands ; f, the ends of the battens; g, fairlead bands for reef ear ings ; h, strengthening pieces at all corners and cringles.
The numbers refer to the ropes and blocks, and some are reproduced on a larger scale in diagram II., Plate XL.: 1, the tack; 2, main halyard; (2), main halyard snotter; 3, peak halyard, acting also as forestay ; 4, peak halyard span ; 5, double topping lift ; 6, main sheet; 7, reef earings ; (7), ends of reef earing and cleat for belaying them on; 8, spinnaker halyard block ; (6), main sheet gear. Fig. (6), main sheet gear ; 5, topping lift ; 6, main sheet, showing block and snap hook. Fig. 2, mast head and slinging plan, in which the ropes are numbered as above.
Centre of effort of whole main and mizen is 4in. aft of midships ; centre of effort of first-reefed main and whole mizen 9in. aft midships.
The total area here shown as 93 square feet will be found as much as the canoe can well carry on a wind in from light to moderate breezes.
She could, of course, carry more in light airs and calms, but that would entail the use of longer and heavier spars, which would tell heavily against her in any other weather. The plan, however, is drawn so that the first reef taken in the mainsail leaves a total area of 71.5 square feet, 55 in mainsail, and 16.5 in mizen, with centre of effort in same vertical as centre of lateral resistance. The proper principle for making a sail plan for canoe is—give her (correctly balanced) as much sail as she can stand in a good steady sailing wind, and a reef extra for fine weather.
For running in light-weather racing, a spinnaker may be set. Such a sail requires only one extra spar, a boom of about 7ft. to 8ft. length, and a halyard and outhaul. It is by no means an easy sail to handle, and should not be set in a breeze until considerable practice have been gone through in light airs ; for the above rig the luff would be 12ft. and the foot 7ft.-36 square feet.
The mizen shown in the sail plan is an ordinary balance lug, fitted with an ordinary " standing " tack and a " standing " topping lift; the lower part of the topping lift branches into two parts so as to gather in the sail when lowered, and thus save the trouble of tying reef points or furlings. The reef earings are fitted thus : the standing part of each is fast to the boom, the earing is then rove up through rings on luff of, and after one through rings on, the sail, passing through a thimble on the upper side of the batten and down the other side of sail, through rings to and through a thimble on the boom, both parts are brought to the after side of a thimble, lashed on the boom abreast of the mast, and at that point where the sail is hoisted are spliced into one another, the single part is then brought through the thimble and leads to a cleat at the well; on lowering the halyard this reef line is hauled on and the reef comes snugly down as the sail is lowered.