SailorPete

Member

Registered: 21 Apr 2018

Posts: 7

Skerry questions

I am considering a Skerry kit build and I have a couple of questions:

1. I am looking at the lugsail rig.  The study plans shows the mast position and rake is the same as for the sprit rig, but elsewhere I have read that the mast needs to be raked back to maintain balance of the rig and the centre of effort for the two rigs does look different in the plans.  Does the mast need raking back and if so, do the full plans/kit provide all that is necessary to achieve this?

2. Whilst the offset tiller looks great for rowing with someone sitting in the stern, I don't want it for sailing; I want to teach my son to sail with a relatively conventional layout.  I notice that many of the French-built Skerrys have standard tillers.  Can the tiller be made detachable from the stock - perhaps secured by a wedge or split pin so that I can have either arrangement without building two rudder assemblies?

Looking forward to replies from experienced Skerryers...

wilddog

Member

From: Devon

Registered: 22 Dec 2013

Posts: 143

Re: Skerry questions

I raked my mast back a touch when I built my Skerry and used a lugsail design from a chap in the US that I had made up by my local sail loft on the Exe. I am not sure that this has helped hindered performance, but it gives the boat a slightly jauntier aesthetic.

The push-pull tiller is actually really easy to use, is authentic (in as much as this is what double ended nordic boats of this type with no transome would have had) and it means that you do not ned to do a lot to steer.

It is possible to fit a regular tiller, but it would probably need to be hinged to allow you to pass underneath it. You would also not be able to use the aft seat at all when you have others in the boat because your body would be in the way of the tiller much of the time.

My vote is for the push pull tiller. Works really well, but make sure you secure it to the rudder pins with a bungy as it has a tendency to pop off otherwise.

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Built a Skerry!

SailorPete

Member

Registered: 21 Apr 2018

Posts: 7

Re: Skerry questions

Thanks for the reply Wilddog.  I guess that you are saying that mast rake is not that important?

I wasn't so much interested in a recommendation on the tiller, more that I wanted to find out whether it would be possible to fit a removable tiller to the rudder stock so that I could have the best of both worlds.  I'm sure that I could live with the off-centre tiller - I'm used to sailing using a tiller extension and I imagine it's not much different.  It's more for teaching sailing to my son where I would prefer a conventional tiller until he gets the basics ingrained.

wilddog

Member

From: Devon

Registered: 22 Dec 2013

Posts: 143

Re: Skerry questions

Have a look through the photo feed on the Arwen Marine facebook page. Arwen Marine are the French agents for Chesapeak and there are a couple of Skerries that have been built with a modded tiller.

See:
https://www.facebook.com/ArwenMarine/ph … =3&theater

or

https://www.facebook.com/ArwenMarine/ph … =3&theater

So it will work.

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Built a Skerry!

SailorPete

Member

Registered: 21 Apr 2018

Posts: 7

Re: Skerry questions

Just found a page on Arwen's website showing quite an ingenious method for making a straight tiller:

[linking not permitted for me but currently it's linked from Arwen's news page]

Now, I've just got to think how to fit the side tiller to the same stock...

Ian

Employee

Registered: 24 Nov 2014

Posts: 100

Re: Skerry questions

[linking not permitted for me but currently it's linked from Arwen's news page]

I've adjusted the forum settings to let you post links.  Blocking links for the first few posts is just an anti-spam measure, but I've reduced the number it requires.

SailorPete

Member

Registered: 21 Apr 2018

Posts: 7

Re: Skerry questions

Thanks Ian!

Here is the link: http://www.arwenmarine.com/NewsBF1709.html

(I thought it might because Arwen Marine are competitors - I guess they're not really, just CLC's French partner)