Junk Rig Top Hat

[jimmid]

Hi all, I am hoping to get a top hat 25 shortly, and would like to set her up as a Junk Rig for easy single hand cruising and live aboard when I retire in a few years. What I would like to know, are there any fully Junk rigged top hat's about? I know there is a semi-Junk Rig Top Hat and I have seen picture of her, but are their any full Junk Rig Top Hats, with un-stayed mast with the boom going forward of the mast and mast parrels? I would like to see mast placement as the mast should be steeped on the keelson or keel, and know how they sail with the Junk Rig.
Regards,
Jim

[Phillip]

Jim,

I'm sure we can leave this one all to Shaun, the owner of our only Top Hat rigged as a Junkett, who will answer you in detail!

[Miker]

Jim, welcome to the Top Hat forum.

I'm going to disagree with Phillip, and ask why?

The Top Hat, as it is in standard mast head sloop format is so easy to sail single handed it's not funny. Especially if you have everything running to the cockpit roof and add lazy jacks, boom bag, furler, jiffy reefing and possibly an electric anchor windlass.

Even when I have people on board, I still usually sail single handed, including mooring, reefing and docking. To me, changing a perfectly good, reasonably fast pocket cruiser into a full junk rig is spending a lot of money for very little gain.

Sorry Shaun, not meaning to be too controversial.....

[Peter57]

Get a Rival! Or many other yachts but why live-aboard a 25 foot yacht when that has been described as camping when you can get many yachts cheaply at the moment that give more comfortable live-aboard living than any 25 foot boat could. Agree on the comments on junk rigs - great rigs in their own right and have much to offer, but so what? SO do marconi sails. Have fun and aint' it great to talk about boats. Cheers Peter

[bearmcnally]

Hi Jim
The Top Hat is a little tight ? Have a look at the Swanson 28 .My next step up would probably be one , Reasons being
1. Easy to handle and sail well can easily be sailed one up
2.Roomy for a 28 footer and comfortable
3.Roughly the same cost to maintain
4. Above all ,they are a great sea boat being a Swanson

Cheers Bear

PS Junk Rig?

[jimmid]

It is not only the ease of single handed sailing - even though Blondie Hasler said he sailed the transatlantic race in cardigan and slippers-, but the ability to reef by just dropping a few panels into the lazyjacks, without even going on deck! There is also the fact that the rig doesn't have the stresses that a Bermudan rig has so the sails can be even made of cotton. If a rip occurs in one panel you can just keep sailing and repair it latter. It also costs a fraction of the cost of a Bermuda rig. No cost for stays, running rigging can even be cheaper, you can be handling soft Dacron lines and multi-part tackles rather than harsh stainless wire and mechanical winches, so no winches to maintain etc. I have read the book "Two in a top hat" - which is a good read, and even in it there is mention of fittings breaking under stress in storms and having to wrestle with sails left up when a squall or storm hits. Modern sails are high tec these days and much stronger, but the forces of high winds still have to be absorbed by by some thing, standing rigging, fittings etc. Doesn't happen in a junk rig, just drop panels as needed, they will stay in the topping lifts without being lashed. You can even use the topping lifts to raise the boom to improve vision when needed or reduce sail.
I like the idea of a Top Hat because it is a good design for blue water and has a reputation for doing long passages. As for size, I will be on my own, and in my younger days whilst in the Army, I had less space living in barracks, just a bed, table and locker.

[bornfreee]

Hi Jim great idea to junk rig a top hat there are quite a few people who have converted small yachts to junk rig , here is a few links i like to follow mate, hope you enjoy and grab some inspiration cheers William
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RgX9ythowg
http://speedwelladventures.com/blog/spe ... -junk-rig/
http://anniehill.blogspot.com.au/search ... date=false

[Ianb]

Jim, welcome to the Top Hat forum.

I'm going to disagree with Phillip, and ask why?

The Top Hat, as it is in standard mast head sloop format is so easy to sail single handed it's not funny. Especially if you have everything running to the cockpit roof and add lazy jacks, boom bag, furler, jiffy reefing and possibly an electric anchor windlass.

Even when I have people on board, I still usually sail single handed, including mooring, reefing and docking. To me, changing a perfectly good, reasonably fast pocket cruiser into a full junk rig is spending a lot of money for very little gain.

Sorry Shaun, not meaning to be too controversial.....

+1 Totally agree. The cost of the conversion would be out of proportion. Would need new mast plus extensive mods to the structure, as well as the rig itself. This cost would not add to the value of the vessel, and being non-standard, could even detract.

[Shaun]

Good on ya Jim,
I dont know of any full junk rig Top Hats, & I doubt there is even one around.
The TH25 would be "cosy" to live on full-time, I could do it & so could many others & enjoy it!, but a few extra feet would come in very handy, even just to have a bit of decent shelf space for clothes etc.
The bermudan rig owners do what they do, & I do what I do....one thing I do know is I am ALOT more relaxed during marginal weather when on the water in my boat, Blue Moon would have maybe 20 reefing option combinations, if you include the small jib she can carry, & the whole kit can be on the deck, or nestled in the boom gallows in under 15 seconds.
I dont know if i'd hack into a perfectly good rigged TH, but on the other hand you can buy the whole yacht for bugger all now, you could probably have a good hull & rig of your choice for under $20k, couple of k for the hull, drop the old mast & take it to the tip or sell it for $30 on ebay, & then spend about $15k or so getting a good mast & sail, still much better off getting a good dacron junk rig sail made than nicking the bed sheets.
You might have to convert a boat to JR, because you cant buy them for love nor money, at least I dont see them for sale anyway....but then im not looking.

One little anecdote that makes me smile is...recently I was in Port Jackson & hunkered down in a bay with a few yachts, we were expecting a gale to come through that evening, anyway it was due to hit & all the skippers were racing around tying stuff down, getting stuff off the decks etc, Then this fella a couple of boats down puts up his junk rigged mizzen sail, other skippers are shaking their heads & pointing at him, anyway the front hits, everyone including me was busy paying out more anchor rode & getting drenched, some stuffs was getting blown off others yachts & whole boats were getting thrown around, except this junk rigged ketch, whose skipper was casually taking photos, love it.
Stay in touch.

cheers

[Peter57]

I thought there was a junk rigged nice looking boat for sale but I can't find it. I had the pleasure after reading about China Cloud of seeing her in our old anchorage in Comox BC. We also often sailed to Lasquiti where she was built out of drift wood over a 2 year period by an 80 year old. Great rig and a nice boat. Cheers Peter