Gaff Jaws

[Simon]

When I raise the main sail on my CC19, the gaff goes up straight, but the jaws quickly swivel round to the starboard side of the mast (always the starboard side). While she sails OK like this, it must be putting a strain on the rig and looks unsightly. I have corrected various errors I was making in rigging the boat, but I still haven't solved the problem. Sailing last weekend with a reef in seemed to reduce it to some extent.

Has anyone else had this problem and how did you solve it?

[Ru88ell]

I'm not sure that I fully understand the question. Any chance of a picture?

Are you raising the peak fully first? Try raising the peak a couple of feet above the jaws and raise both together. When the throat is tight let off the topping lift and raise the peak all the way.

[Simon]

Thanks for this.

I attach pictures showing:
1. the position the gaff adopts when sailing.
2. the way the throat halyard is attached
3. the attachment of the sail to the throat

My normal technique for raising the main is to haul on both the throat and peak halyards together until the throat is fully raised, and then haul the peak halyard the rest of the way. I think this is what the manual suggests

[Ru88ell]

I can't get my head around the first image, but can see that this isn't the standard CC19 gaff, which is fixed and not pivoting. The gaff seems very steep, and not under tension. Have you let go the topping lift?

[Greybeard]

With that strange pivot/hinge in the jaws I can't see any realistic way that you'd prevent it from doing that. It's the weight of the gaff swinging forwards that's causing it from what I can see.
I can understand why someone may have tried to design it that way in order to leave a wider jaw surface bearing against the mast but the extent of the hinge movement would have to be limited by a mechanical stop to prevent it doing what it is doing.
I think I'd be tempted to go back to the original type jaws.

Steve

[Simon]

Many thanks for your comments.

Firstly apologies that the orientation of the first image I uploaded was incorrect - this happened when I uploaded it, it's the right way round on my computer.

The gaff jaw arrangement was a modification by Mike Brooke when he owned Sea Badger 2. He says it worked for him without any problem.

Thinking further about this, a possible solution might be to increase the tension across the sail so the gaff jaws are restrained from slipping round the side of the mast. I will try to tighten up the outhaul to achieve this and see what happens. Meanwhile any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again,

Simon

[Dennis]

Hello Simon

I notice from your first photo that the throat halyard must not be tight. The lashing connecting the throat cringle to the gaff is not putting any tension on the sail luff.

I suspect that if you increase the throat halyard tension it will pull everything into line.

Mike knows a thing or two about sailing, if he says it was fine for him I am sure it must work.

[SimonW]

Simon, I have sailed that boat and it isn't the fault of the gaff saddle, the hinge simply allows the saddle to align vertically properly.

I suspect the issue is how you have attached the gaff span to the gaff. When I first rigged Drift I took the gaff span around the Gaff and then looped it around itself, so whilst secured, it was a loop running on the rope itself. I soon discovered that it caused this sort of problem. The gaff span must be tied with a fixed knot is in the middle of the gaff and not to one side or the other. Once that was done, it lifted dead straight.

Post a photo of the knots and we can have a look.

Nice boat sea Badger, I have been copying many of Mikes modifications!

[Simon]

Hi Dennis and Simon,

Many thanks for your suggestions. I will follow up on them next week when I get to the boat and let you know what happens, including more photos if I still have a problem.

[Simon]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks again for your comments.

I have looked again at the way my mainsail is rigged and made some changes:
- re-tied the gaff span to the gaff (it was lifting straight, but could have done with being tightened up)
- increased tension on the outhaul
- adjusted the lashing of the sail to the gaff.

This has improved things a bit but I still have a problem. I think this takes me back to the suggestion that the problem might be the lashing of the the throat cringle to the throat. I'll look at that next.