Nov 24, 2023 · If the most highly-rated rigs in our survey represent a sort of crowd-sourced ideal, then the “best” overall rig would be a Balance Lug Yawl, which is, we think not a bad choice at all—especially for a small cruising boat.

On the following pages, we examine 12 rigs for small boats—and their virtues and vices. Let’s consider how a sail makes a boat move through the water. Running with the wind makes intuitive sense: you put up the sails and the boat is pushed along like a tumbleweed.

Oct 2, 2015 · Square Rigs for Small Boats. I've long been fascinated by the ancient square rig. It has been widely acclaimed for its downwind and reaching ability, but the traditional sails were often poor working upwind and…

Phil Bolger wrote that the lug sail is "the most powerful windward sail possible with primitive technology." To do any better upwind, you need stainless steel cabling to tension the luff of a jib. By the way, Bolger's book 100 Small Boat Rigs is the best book ever written about sailing rigs.

For most of my sailing life I've been interested in the simple rigs associated with small working boats, with particular focus on the Chinese Lug (a. k. a. Junk Rig), the Standing Lug, and the spritsail in both it's leg o'mutton form and the better known four-sided layout.

The dipping lug sail, is perhaps the most efficient and cheapest, type of sailing rig especially for small sailboats however it isn't as handy as the standing lugger or the balanced lugsail.

Sep 17, 2023 · First of all, what is a sail rig? A sail rig is the way in which the sails are attached to the mast (s). In other words, it's the setup or configuration of the sailboat. The rig consists of the sail and mast hardware. The sail rig and sail type are both part of the sail plan. We usually use the sail rig type to refer to the type of boat.

Mar 15, 2025 · At its core, a sailing rig is a system of masts, spars, and sails designed to harness wind power and propel a boat through the water. The “best” rig for a beginner depends on several factors: simplicity, ease of handling, safety, and the type of sailing the individual intends to pursue.

Jan 23, 2016 · Whether you want to replace aging and questionable rigging, be able to handle a wider range of weather conditions, or add sail trimming upgrades for more speed and better pointing to windward, this ebook will show you how.

Jan 2, 2012 · If you're wondering what sort of rig to put on your boat, I would start with Phil Bolger's '101 (or 103 - there were 2 versions) Small Boat Rigs.' If you're looking for details on how to set up a particular rig, you might look at Brian Toss' 'Rigger's Apprentice.'