Cheoy Lee Offshore 40 yawl to --> sloop

[Capt Doug]

I had a Phillip Rhodes design 38 ft sailboat with a mizzen mast.
The cockpit was like being in a kids jungle gym I sold the mizzen mast and it was the best thing I ever did.

[MWhite]

Following this thread with interest as we own a Ted Brewer Olympic Adventure 47 ketch rig and are considering removing that mizzen mast. (Although Carol's very informative reply adds weight to the 'leave it alone' argument.) We are among those who are not at all "purists" and after a 4 year cruise to Mexico, Hawaii, and then back home to the Pacific Northwest, we count the times we used our mizzen sail on one hand. That includes the ocean passages down to San Fransisco, Mexico to Hawaii, and Hawaii to the PNW. Mostly that mast has just been in the way for us. Part of this is because we were new at ocean sailing when we started out, and we learned that our mizzen was actually not that easy to deploy on the bigger and more rambunctious ocean (compared to the relatively tame Puget Sound). Standing on the aft deck to hoist a sail with a boom higher than head-whacking height (because otherwise it was in the way of the wind vane) was not really worth it to us when our boat sails very nicely as a sloop. She tracks beautifully and we can balance the helm. She tracks even with the wind vane once it is dialed in. We have talked about putting an arch back there for years. That would get our solar panels out of the way and provide another place for the radar. When we were getting the boat ready to leave the dock, we had the mizzen removed so we could do some deck repairs. We lived aboard at anchor with her that way for two months and it was glorious to have that space on the aft deck. Considering that as cruisers, most of our time is spent living at anchor and sailing shorter distances between anchorages, we are strongly leaning toward removing the mast and storing it at my sister's house so that we can let it go with the boat is we ever sell her. We are on the fence about replacing the boom to be longer because our mainsail is practically new and, again, she sails well as a sloop right now.
Also, we use a ton of dyneema aboard S/V Galapagos. We have dyneema lifelines and we use soft shackles for literally everything you can imagine. We learned on our passage to Hawaii that soft shackles, while they have great tensile strength, really do succumb to chafe and UV. It was a fun lesson.

[Myth]

Hi there,

If you haven't purchased a boat yet contact me. Check out VT Craigslist "Rhodes Reliant 41". Also, I view the mizzen as the most important sail on the boat.

Thanks
Gary

[SlyMcFLy]

Hi from Octopus Garden a Formosa 41 ketch formerly with wood masts and spars. We are currently in Panama. I understand you’re talking about a yawl

I always fly the mizzen except hard on the wind upwind or dead down wind. Main is reefed, double reefed and dropped before the mizzen comes down. The mizzen adds balance and 1/2 to 1 knot speed. Most sail speed comes from the big overlapping genoa on a 6 foot bowsprit.

Reefed mizzen sheeted in hard can really help in a rolling anchorage and reduces yawing at anchor. Also use mizzen boom to hoist outboard.

When our wooden mizzen rotted and cracked- almost falling - we splinted it up and then removed it, cutting it into pieces on the way out. We were then a sloop for awhile. The boat was about 4 inches higher at the waterline in the rear and about 1/2 knot faster under power. Also more rolly. Minor losses under sail BUT the boat didnt look right. Put in a salvaged aluminum mast cut down while also greatly improving the rigging. We could have remained a sloop but the main mast looked really far forward.

A year later we replaced the main mast due to rot. A salvaged aluminum main we converted to double spreaders and turned our boat into a cutter ketch

We are about 2 inches above the waterline. A little more tender. Faster roll period. But im really happy with the results. We have 15 shrouds holding up the main and 7 on the mizzen. All new shrouds and turnbuckles etc. We have much more sail area and are significantly lighter. As a blue water full time cruising boat we have many more sail options

If you’re coming to the tropics go with aluminum spars. There are zero boats here with wood masts standing. If you’re going to do that make the mizzen a little bigger and become a ketch. Upgrade rigging and chainplates. Thats what we did.

[pbmaise]

Originally Posted by Clivevon

You will see I own a ketch. Having a mizzen has several benefits. A place for a radar & wind generator; balances a storm jib in strong winds when mainsail dropped; reduces sailing around an anchor; looks pretty; lowers centre of effort of sailplan so boat heels less; use as a dinghy crane; did I mention looks pretty?

I want to stress this reply. More specifically the fact that if you intend to sail in very high winds that the mizzen mast comes in handy.

If you don't intend to be out sailing in very high winds then chop away.