[Rhodes22-list] Gaff Rig

[Christine Allison]

A gaff rig being lower will produce less heel at a given wind velocity.  On
every point of sail except a beat performance would be about the same.  I
general a gaff rig is under less tension then a Bermuda rig so the boat is
under less stress.  Most of what are labeled gaff rigs today are really
Gunter rigs.  A true gaff rig does not carry the upper spar as vertical as a
Gunter.

If you rerig for gaff your mast would have to be relocated because the
center of pressure is further aft on a gaff rigged boat.

  There is also the safety issue respecting the gaff thrashing around when
you furl or reef the sail.   Catboats have a gallows affair upon which the
boom and gaff is dropped, hopefully to control this issue.

Of course the gaff represents more weight aloft which is not a good thing.

Gaff rigs are a little dangerous to gybe and there can be issues of excess
sail twist on a reach unless some kind of tackle is rigged to sheet the gaff
to windward.

Richard Smith