Running Rigging

The mains’l will be loose footed and set with a peak and throat halyard, an outhaul and a downhaul. The stays’l will be hanked to the forestay and set with the halyard rove over a strop block. The head sails; Yankee, jib and Genoa, will all be free flying from a bowsprit traveler on a Coligo luff line furler. The jib halyard will be on a two part purchase. The topsail, jib and staysail halyards will fall to port while both the peak and throat mainsail halyards will fall to the starboard side so the sail can be hoisted and doused single handed.

The upper peak halyard block will be on the mast band with the jib halyard block. The lower peak halyard block is attached to the next mast band down with the port and starboard running backstays. Another mast band still lower down the mast will stay the stays’l halyard block on the forward side of the mast and the throat halyard crane on the aft side.

The port and starboard topping lifts and associated lazy jack lines will lead to a pair of cheek blocks mounted on the mast just below the lower peak halyard mast band.

The spar builder and rigger share some concern about the peak halyard arrangement as drawn on the sail plan. They contend that the fall should be on the lower block to reduce the potential for chafe and the fixed standing end of the halyard should be attached to a block becket instead of the gaff to allow the gaff span saddle(s) to be released when the main is down thereby eliminating the need for slits or openings in the mains’l cover.

I disagree. If you move the standing end of the peak halyard to a becket you keep the 3 to 1 advantage but on a two point lift from a single span…..ok, but not as comforting as the designed 3 point lift. Or you could reeve a two span lift with two saddles and a 4 to 1 advantage, but that introduces more friction and a longer tail. In his book “Gaff Rig”, John Leather specifically says that the peak halyard fall should be led to the upper block to achieve maximum peak height. And, employing a sail cover without openings should not be a problem as currently drawn. The one gaff span saddle and the standing end secured to the gaff can both be released and the halyard belayed to the mast to install the mains’l cover.