need tips building a square mast ship

[Jake the SeaSnake]

We are building a boat for a build your own boat race, there is going to 6 of us paddling and one at the helm (tiller) we want to incorperate a working square mast on it, so in some of your opinions, how would we make the sail work? we already have a 6 1/2 foot mast on it that is a solid 4 by 4, and we're working on the rudder right now. It has to be team made, man and/or wind powered, and viking themed. last year it was pirate themed and we won agianst the three time winners (of course, because they faced a REAL pirate!! LOL)

[Coastie04]

Attach a block to the top of the mast, and use a bedsheet or tarp attached to a yard of some nature (maybe a 2" dowl, or a section of hand rail from a local hardware store). Then, a line to the middle of the yard as a haliard, going through the block at the top of the mast, a line on each yardarm to help control it, and sheets attached to the clews and running aft. If you might want to try going upwind a little with it, then use an additional line from the clews forward as tacks. This should at least get you going in the right direction, assuming that direction is downwind. Obviously, depending on size, you could sew multiple bedsheets/tarps together, use different sized ones, etc. Ultimately, if you can control the four corners of the sail (upper two with controlling the yard, and lower two with the sheets), then you'll be fine for a short fun race. No need for buntlines, clewlines, reeflines, lifts, and the host of other sail controlling and trimming lines on a small, basic rig. Good luck, and don't forget to post some pictures!

[Jake the SeaSnake]

were actually using duck canvas. Does it matter where you connect the lines to the yardarms?

Other than that this helps a whole lot. I was planning on having the sail tied in a slipknot because this race happens to go in three directions, but the block might work better raise the sail and lower it when we're going in the wind. the last leg "should" be downwind and we were just going to raise it, or in the case I was going to do it, lower the sail and have that extra little push as we paddled

[Coastie04]

Generally, the braces are tied as far out to each end of the yard slightly beyond the end of the sail. They can actually provide 2 functions on a smaller boat; they can act as braces and lifts to control the angle apparent to the wind, as well as to help keep the yard level (or as level as it can be on a boat). Good luck in the race!

[Jake the SeaSnake]

how do we post pics?

[Coastie04]

Upload them onto the internet (you can use the Rogue's Gallery on this pub). Then go to the image, right click and copy the URL. When posting in the forum, there's a button called 'Image' that somewhat resembles a picture of a tree. Click on that, paste the URL (ctrl v shortcut on PCs) in the popup, and there you go. Of course, if an image I took of the Duyfken's stern chasers doesn't show up below, then disregard my advice and contact one of the moderators or do a search for better advice on the pub. If all else fails, message me and I'll give you my email address to forward the images to, and I'll post them for you.

Coastie

[Jake the SeaSnake]

https://pyracy.com/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=7350&file=max

well it only took me a year to figure out how to post this but here you go finally! I'm the one with the red beard and fur, and I also made the figure head by carving it and woodburning it and I also made all the sheilds. that's my daughter you can barely see working the tiller

Edited May 27, 2014 by Jake the SeaSnake

[Jake the SeaSnake]

okay it didn't work but that is a link to the gallery

[Coastie04]

Well done! How did you do in the race?

[Jas. Hook]

Jake -

Neat job, looks like fun time was had by all.

[Jake the SeaSnake]

LOL yeh we got stuck on the buoy rope on the turn before we let out our sail, we had it fixed so that when we got to the last leg (in which we had the wind to our backs) we could untie it and have the wind help us, and then too the rudder kinda confused my daughter so she accidentally steered us the wrong way off the start (due to lack of practice on our part) but once we were in the wind that sucker moved! even in the picture with the boat on the trailor the sail was still trying to push it, and it weighed like 500 pounds, and the weight of us made it too deep. so yeh, we lost but it was a heck of a good time for us and the kids, and we got on the front page of the city paper and they also interviewed me for the first time, in which they mentioned that I was talking in a matching accent (just my pirate accent)

[Jake the SeaSnake]

https://pyracy.com/index.php/gallery/album/637-viking-pirate/

the gallery

[Coastie04]

Well done, and having fun is really the point in a race like this. You can work on the winning next year!

[Jake the SeaSnake]

Just for the record, we did win the next year

[Coastie04]

Congrats!