Triton yawl under sail

[tikvah59]

This past August I finally got my wife to take a picture of my Triton under sail. The rig is not quite right and the wind wasn't doing much, but the picture is still enough to keep me going through the long NE winter. FYI, I'm in Dorchester Bay in Boston Harbor just off Columbia Point. That's part of Thompson Island in the background.



Mark

[Triton 185]

Wow...now I have a new picture set as my background! Thanks

[tikvah59]

If you like that one, send me an email at mark at whipplefamily dot com and I'll send you the full-size version, suitable for framing!

Mark

[Tom Young]

I don't know if you have them, but I like telltales on my mizzen as well as main and genoa.

You'll hear (or read on the internet) alot of misinformation about mizzens, especially on yawls. Some of the best info is available in older books from the era when the rig was more popular.

I think of my mizzen as and extension of the roach on my main. You can put that extra roach to good use especially off the wind easily, if you have three telltales to tell you when you've got a good trim working. They'll also tell you when the mizzen isn't helping at all long before luffing makes it obvious (going to windward) However, with a reefed main, the mizzen can set in clear air.

If you like to trim sails, mizzens are just more fun for you.

[tikvah59]

Thanks for the tips on sailing with a mizzen. You're right, there's a lack of useful, reliable information on yawl/ketch sailing out there. I'll put up a few more telltales next summer.

You didn't mention sailing with the genny and mizzen, but I found that to be a great combination last summer. In a stiff breeze with inexperienced crew, I found it to be a configuration that got us going quickly and was easy for me to manage.

One small problem I need to look into: one of the PO's of my boat decided to install a larger mizzen, which means the boom doesn't completely clear the backstay on a starboard tack.

Thanks again,

Mark

[jollyboat]

[One small problem I need to look into: one of the PO's of my boat decided to install a larger mizzen, which means the boom doesn't completely clear the backstay on a starboard tack. ]

What? Mark can you explain that again. What back stay are you clearing with the mizzen.

[Robert The Gray]

The stock Triton Yawl sail plan has the main mast back stay attach just to starboard/port of the transom center line. On tikvha it looks like the PO increased the size of the mizzen by lowering the boom. I think on the original plan the mizzen boom is as high as the main boom. If you look closely at the picture you can see the main mast back stay passing above where the mizzen boom goose neck attaches to the mizzen mast, on starboard tack the stay chafes on the boom.

r

[David]

Often twin backstays are used with mizzen rigs to reduce the issue of backstay interferrence.

[tikvah59]

Sorry, I didn't realize this thread was still going. Robert has the right idea about the configuration of the backstay and mizzen boom. I can't remember at the moment if the backstay passes to the port or starboard of the mizzen mast, but on whichever side it is the mizzen boom chafes on the backstay when on the opposite tack. The original design did call for height of the mizzen gooseneck to be high enough to clear the backstay. It should be just above the point where the backstay passes the mizzen mast. When a sail with a longer luff was installed it caused the boom to hit the backstay on one tack.

Maybe this picture will help. You may be able to make out where the backstay passes behind the mizzen.



Mark