A junk rig Capt. In training

[Hotdog333]

Hi all!

My name is hotdog. I'm a long distance hiker that is looking to get into sailing. I have purchased a contesa 26 for free. I am currently in the early stages of construction but will be moving her down from Chicago to Tampa to work full-time on her completion. THe idea is to build a cheap boat that can take me to new places. THis means a junk rig and a simple cabin. I am hoping to learn a little about marine tec. And put together a budget system for my little boat!

Nice to meet y'all and thanks to the admin. Team

HOTDOG

[Fore and Aft]

Hotdog the biggest problem with Junk rig is you will have trouble finding a used sail and mast to put on your Contessa. If you have to go new or cu$tomise a mast and sail the costs will add up quickly. There's plenty of used masts and sails for a sloop rig.
My other issue when I had a junk rig was it's like sailing with the hand brake on. Once the sail is up then there's no opportunity to fly a spinnaker or MPS and push the yacht a little faster. Junk may be easier to handle but your sails are tiny and easy to handle anyway.
Cheers

[Caminantes]

Welcome hotdog.

You seem to enjoy simplicity. You will like boat life. It sure can be free and simple, if you keep it like that.

I wanted to travel south this year, but got entusiastic about the boat refit and ended up doing some major modifications that i am very happy with. The boat was not in the best conditions, i ve got it like you, for an euro...

Most of these modifications where also simplifications.

Did you know that raw sheep wool is a great insulator? Most is thrown away by farmers. That combined with a woodstove, and you can spend the winter anywhere on your boat. Chicao or Florida. You can also burn diesel and other oils in a woodstove.

Anyways. Among those modifications i also went for a junk rig conversion. Almost completed now.

If you can work with your hands and be creative sourcing materials, its easy to get a boat converted to junk. Of course you have to like fiddling with stuff and be cool with solving problems.

Junk Rigs are very experimental, not very mainstream. Many sailors prefer to stick to the rig that came with the boat, which i understand. You will be preety much by yourself in that matter.

In my experince the skepticsm upfront, slowly transforms in admiration when they see you going for it. And sailors are a helpful, happy bunch, that will go out of their way to help a fellow sailor who is going for it.

If you dont find anyone around who jas a junk, like it was my case, then internet is your friend. JRA comes to mind. Many JR sailors have writen books, or have websites and YT channels. Watch and read and learn.

Let me know of i can be of any help. And welcome to the forums.

[Caminantes]

Fore and Aft brings a few very valid points in relation to the junk rig.

In my case people would see me work on the boat and ask. So i spreaded the voice that i was looking forward to do a junk conversion.

It didnt took long, and someone came with two junk sails, that where stored for years in a shed. Call me lucky.

After i ve got the sails and the other works on board where done, it was difficult not to give the conversion a go.

A galvanized street lamp pole find it way to my boat shortly after. No, i didnt went one night with the angle grinder and let the street in the dark. It came from a demolition.

Being the sails Vincent Reddish style, the low aspect ratio called for a short mast. But not that short that i can pass under all the bridges in the area.

So after a trip to the junk yard (pun not intended) i had two nice square metal pipes that became a keel stepped tabernacle with enough bury and good height, also super stable.

The whole thing (new mast and taernacle) is welded and finished now, and weights some 200kg. But then the boat is 5 tonnes alone, so not big deal.

In my case i ve got the material for free, or at scrap price. I can weld. And i have plenty of time.

But it is still true, that finding new sails an even rigging for a bermuda sloop in your size is probably much easier than retrofiting a junk rig.

About the performance, again a very valid point, it will be sluggish if you go cheap and simple. Flat cuted sails, heavy spars, etc.

In my case i dont mind speed at all. I calculate my tides, and if the sails give me speed enough to steer, i m happy.

My boat is no racer, but more like my floating cave.

For me, simplicity of handling is priority number one.

Not having a heavy boom waiting for a distraction to knock me or my friends off the boat, having a clear view ahead, not having to change sails in bad weather, no walking to the mast to take reefs, etc.

Number two priority for me, is to be able to repair and rebuild everything myself with simple, raw, recovered materials.

I like a boat where i can repair everything myself. I can sewn a new sail if i need, and i never have to go to a chandlery. The local hardware store or junk yard will do it.

And i like the stetics of a junk rig, too.

Those are my reasons for having a junk rig.

Others like Fore and Aft have their reasons for not having one anymore. And that is the beauty of these forums. All kind of people and their experiences.

By the way. My experiece as a sailor is very reduced. Please dont take my words as anything else than the ramblings of a happy caveman sailor.

Last winter i was thinking to also get rid of a perfectly healthy diesel inbord... Mainly because i knew nothing about diesel motors. Luckily i didnt.

Instead, i learned my motor, serviced with the help of other sailors (some very helpful from these forums) and modified the interior layout of the boat to have a better access to it. Now that it runs good and i know how it works, it has earned its place in my boat.

The bermuda rig is another story. I dont enjoy it so much. It doesnt please my eyes, and i dont enjoy sailing with it that much.

All the best

[Celestialsailor]

First, welcome to the forum. I would like to point out that while a Junk rig is a little more simple...and I mean little. The stock sloop rig of a Contessa 26 is a no brainer if you already set up for it. Next, a Junk rig will never go to windward as well as a stock rig. Why not just KISS?

[Adelie]

Welcome.

I would suggest updating your profile with your general location and your boat make & model or “Looking” in the "Boat" category. This info shows up under your UserName in every post in the web view. Many questions are boat and/or location dependent and having these tidbits under your UserName saves answering those questions repeatedly. If you need help setting up your profile then click on this link: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3308797

I would happily help more if the link above is not enough.