Hi Peterd, I have recently returned from 5 weeks in Australia and getting back to modelling again. I spent yesterday re-rigging a yacht and today trying to remember where all the bits I had already made for Wild Duck were.
Eventually found them and will get back to it in the morning, I am about halfway so quite a bit to go.
regards
Roy

Looking forward to seeing your progress with the Wild Duck. I have seen a lot about that boat on Facebook wooden boat forums.

Hi Ross thanks for the comments. What I now do is use 3 hole bowsies, usually in line 3 holes and go in-out-in and tie a knot to secure the end.

I then fish out loop near the end and put a hook on it. The bowsies I use are about 2.5mm thick and the effectively 4 right angles the cord goes through secures it firmly in place.

The cord I am using is Sylcast Profish dacron, Black Spot comes in 100 meter reels and 50lbs breaking strain.

Just been re-rigging my Graupner Gracia yacht with a replacement mast due to a break and bad join that had the mast bent where the crosstree is.

Just waiting for a warm wind and I shall be out testing to see if all is working. I have left the string knots with ends not cut off yet so further adjustment is possible.

I have salvaged the old mast and rigging and bowsies for a smaller yacht which is currently on the back-burner.

Current build is a Wild Duck. A word to the wise! Do not tidy up the workshop before going on holiday, I can't find where I put things now!

Roy

Roy
How could you prevent the cord from snapping or bowsie from slipping? Double up on the cord before installing the bowsie? Like having a double pulley on a block?

Further on and once the sail is in position, there should be a wire or strong cord from the base of the mast to the sail boom located about 4 or 5 inches from the gooseneck.
This stops the main sail from rising up vertically when the sail is let out. Sometimes refered to as a Chinese Gybe. Also known as a boom vang. There is a lot of tension on this and I have had cord break that I could not break myself.

Photo shows the position of the vang, however the string used was not gripped well by the bowsie and it has loosened and you can see the result.
Roy

the luff of the sail should have a luff rope (cord) that goes up the groove as per a real yacht.

It could be the sail leading edge has a flexible rod or rope sewn into the leading edge and that slides into and retained to the mast slot a bit like a caravan annex?

hi Garth!

Couple of questions first:

-Is there some kind of bolt rope in the luff of the sail?

Does the luff of the sail fit freely in the the mast groove/track?

Gluing makes me a little nervous. If not perfectly aligned on the first try, it might be a disaster.

Coming from schooners, have you considered sewing the sail to the mast? A spiral thread along the length of the mast?

Sew through the sail, and around the mast, and drop lower
sew through the sail, and around the mast, and drop lower
and repeat every few mm's or cm's. If not a good fit simply cut the thread.

None of the old videos appear to show any rigging system for the track and sail, so it may be glued into the track

Thanks for all the support. I found a bag with a lot of goodies inside the hull. There is a wire that I think threads throw the sail. Then, the sail can be put in the groove in the mast. Print reads as photo converted from German. Sails have groments, so that part will be easy.

It looks like there should be a beading on the leading edge of the sail which sides into the slot on the rear of the mast.

Hi the slot in the mast is the opening to a key hole cross section running down the mast. The sail will have a sewn seem down this edge. If you find some wire or plastic with about 1mm diameter then this can be inserted down the seem and it will locate it in place and locked into the 'luff' groove in the mast.

Make sure the wire or plastic tube is long enough and trial fit it into the seam of the sail. If OK you can slide the sail with the wire in into the slot of the mast either at the top or at the lower part where there should be an entry point a bit above where the sail boom gooseneck is placed.

The sail should be held in position lightly and all the way down the mast. if it is tight then reduce the diameter of the wire or plastic used to lock it into the mast.
The sail should be on it's own string at the top of the sail and adjustable with a bowsie. This pulls the sail up.
It has to be held down loosely onto the sail boom and should also have a clew or rivet type hole at the other end of the sail to tension the sail along the sail boom.

This is how you introduce some curvature into the sail. Tighter for strong winds and a bit looser for light winds. Think of the sail as the wing of an aircraft and avoid wrinkles.

Hope that helps.
regards
Roy

If the mast has a slot, it is almost certainly NOT for gluing the sail into. Once glued, any change to the sail will require a new mast!!!. I would suggest that an eyelet is put into the peak(top) of the mainsail, and either an tiny screw eyelet or hole through the top of the mast and a small piece of yarn used to hold the peak to the top of the mast. An alternative if you want a bit of realism is to run a full halyard from the eyelet in the mainsail through either the hole in the mast or the screw eyelet, and back down to deck level, finishing off the halyard around a miniature cleat. Depends how realistic you want to be.