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Schooner sailing tips!

4K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  seabeau 
#1 · (Edited)
Alright guys and gals, I just purchased a 40 foot schooner, and I'm looking for some advice on getting the best performance out of her. Full keel, long and shallower than most, as are a lot of schooners, for some reason. The things I've learned is that you actually get better MMG to windward by easing sheets, and sailing more off the wind than you would in a sloop, building up hull speed and keeping lots and lots of water moving down the boat. Also a little jib backwinding on tacks helps a ton with swinging the bow and keeping speed up.

I really like the fact that I can deal with all the sails by myself including reefing, without an autopilot, just by a quick de-sheeting of the sail I'm about to work on, and then balancing the other two to carry the boat while I work on the other one.

Chime in!

J:sailing-pilgrims:

Also I guess I could post a photo of her
 
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#3 ·
My little schooner is 32' overall, and gaff rigged. It probably sails somewhat differently than your rig.

You are correct in saying that the best way upwind is by keeping your speed up and not pinching too much. I'll also suggest that a schooner will do best when the sails are balanced well.

I try to carry as much sail as possible, without overpowering too much. It makes tacking easier, and helps upwind.

In very heavy winds, I can do ok with a reefed main and jumbo. Whatever balances best is the key.
 
#4 ·
Lake Superior Sailor; The foremast on a schooner is shorter than the main mast. Historically schooner's were considered to require less strength and skill to sail than a sloop. Reputedly you need only a man and a boy to sail a schooner. On the Hudson River schooners supplanted sloops when changes in labor practices at the docks made the large crews of the sloops superfluous.

On ketches the mizzen is forward of the rudder post. On yawls the mizzen is aft of the rudder post.
 
#19 ·
Historically schooner's were considered to require less strength and skill to sail than a sloop. Reputedly you need only a man and a boy to sail a schooner.
It is my understanding that the gaff schooner rig was developed in America to carry cargo on shorter coastal runs. They obviously sailed to windward better than the square rigged vessels and were able to sail into ports that the square rigged vessels could not.
Multiple masts (up to 7) were indeed easy to sail with a short crew, but the gaff and boom of each mast could be used to unload the cargo very efficiently in the union purchase configuration, as both boom and gaff were the same length on all but the main mast. This also allowed multiple holds for carrying varied cargoes in separate holds, unlike on a sloop. No more need for the hassle of 'first in last out' port planning.
I have sailed many schooners from the Wanderer (1893) to a modern French equal masted steel schooner (1970's) and I absolutely love the rig. It is by far my favorite rig, the most forgiving and the gaff topsail schooner is certainly the most visually pleasing, IMO. I wouldn't hesitate having a gaff schooner, were I 30 not 70!
Good luck with your schooner and I hope you enjoy her as much as I have enjoyed those I've been fortunate enough to sail. Well, all except the Morgan 60. Now there's a plastic ship that requires a crew of iron men, especially when single handing! lol.
 
#9 ·
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#12 ·
aha man, yeah I'm about 110% certain she's a schooner. Sure sails like one. The original fractional rig, or something like that. and True about a man and a boy can sail it. Or just a man. She's marconi though, not a gaff rigged one, and has plenty of power, as the foremast is equipped with (I don't know what the real name is) a very square topped sail, like you see on the race boats, or beachcats.

Noone on the internet is wrong, take this site as an example...
 
#16 ·
truth be told, noone knows where the plans came from. The current running thesis is that she is a modified Tom Colvin. Perhaps an "identify this boat" thread is in order

Also a schooner with squares'ls on the forem'st bec'm's a tops'l sch'nr 'f 't has a fore and aft sa'ls on both m'sts.
-'H
Oh d'r Lord, d' I haf' te' start talkin ly' that?
 
#18 ·
She's kinda 'Roberts Spray'ish... except for that transom but that could have been the builder.

I think most Colvin boats were generally more svelte.... ;)
 
#20 ·
She's not super "svelte" but she'll take down a whale watching boat should they be so silly to completely ignore right of way (as they do) and motor in front of me on a reach....

But good call, I just checked those designs out and they seem pretty close. She was built by a shipyard, so they are used to tweaking things around, but unfortunately they aren't around anymore so I can't get in contact and ask about plans.
 
#21 ·
Using the definition of "two masts- aft taller or of at least equal height" schooners have evolved in interesting ways. There were the Freedom "cat" schooners. Nigel Irons took this another step with the fusion schooners. His first attempt "Farfarer" circumnavigated quickly, safely and with little fanfare. She is one of my favorite designs.
Big problem for traditional schooners is they are not particularly weatherly. Cheribinis attempt to solve this going the staysail schooner route but Irons rig uses rotating masts, square head sails and some overlap. Great for performance but creates difficulty reefing the forsail.
Perry designed a more traditional looking boat but would seem to have given great thought on optimizing the whole boat to work together. He says the boat has a good polar. She is gorgeous and built to be easy to sail in the high winds seen in SF bay.
Bombigher drew lovely boats. Mostly executed in wood built in India I believe. Gaff rigged, huge space, sturdy world cruisers once again with man and a boy in mind. Merry Dream is a classic to my uneducated eye.
Dix, Colvin and many others have lovely designs but one of my favorite is "Little Maid of Kent". A GOB.
Wish production builders would make one within reach of the mom and pop crowd. Would like to see one with square heads or short gaff not requiring two halyards. Deeper keel aft preserving one of the most desirable features of schooners. That being tracting downwind with low risk of broaching in a big blow. Perhaps wing mast/soft sail combo to give a weatherly boat. Centerboard both for draft and to improve upwind performance.
So from the little I know it's just like any boat. Don't pinch. Trim from front to back. Then queek.
 
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