Gaff rig is a

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' ( sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' ( iceboat) or on ''land'' ( land yacht) over a chose ...

rig (configuration of sails, mast and stays) in which the

sail A sail is a tensile structure—which is made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails ma ...

is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a

spar SPAR, originally DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR, is a Dutch multinational that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932, by Adriaan van Well ...

(pole) called the ''gaff''. Because of the size and shape of the sail, a gaff rig will have running backstays rather than permanent backstays. The gaff enables a fore and aft sail to be four sided, rather than triangular. A gaff rig typically carries 25 percent more sail than an equivalent

Bermudian rig A Bermuda rig, Bermudian rig, or Marconi rig is a configuration of mast and rigging for a type of sailboat and is the typical configuration for most modern sailboats. This configuration was developed in Bermuda in the 1600s; the term ''Marconi'' ...

for a given hull design. A sail hoisted from a gaff is called a gaff-rigged (or, less commonly, gaff rigged or gaffrigged) sail.

Description

Gaff rig remains the most popular fore-aft rig for

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoo ...

and barquentine mainsails and other course sails, and

spanker Spanker can refer to: * One who administers a spanking * Spanker (horse), a famous 18th-century thoroughbred race horse * Spanker, Ohio, an unincorporated community * ''SS-17 Spanker'', the NATO reporting name for the MR-UR-100 Sotka interco ...

sails on a

square rig Square rig is a generic type of sail and rigging arrangement in which the primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or square, to the keel of the vessel and to the masts. These spars are called '' yards'' ...

ged vessel are always gaff rigged. On other rigs, particularly the

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular ...

, ketch and yawl, gaff rigged sails were once common but have now been largely replaced by the

Bermuda rig A Bermuda rig, Bermudian rig, or Marconi rig is a configuration of mast and rigging for a type of sailboat and is the typical configuration for most modern sailboats. This configuration was developed in Bermuda in the 1600s; the term ''Marconi' ...

sail, which, in addition to being simpler than the gaff rig, usually allows vessels to sail closer to the direction from which the wind is blowing (i.e. "closer to the wind"). The gaff is hoisted by two halyards: Mainsail-edges

*The '' throat halyard'' hoists the throat of the sail (the end closer to the mast) at the forward end of the gaff and bears the main weight of the sail and the tension of the luff. *The '' peak halyard'' lifts the aft end of the gaff and bears the

leech Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular segmented b ...

tension. Small craft attach the peak halyard to the gaff with a wire span with eyes at both ends looped around the gaff and held in place with small wooden chocks, larger craft have more than one span. Peak halyards pull upwards, approaching the gaff at right angles. Rose Dorothea-1907-broke topmast racing-won Lipton Cup

Rose Dorothea-1907-broke topmast racing-won Lipton Cup

Additionally, a gaff vang may be fitted. It is a line attached to the end of the gaff which prevents the gaff from sagging downwind. Gaff vangs are difficult to rig on the

aft "Aft", in nautical terminology, is an adjective or adverb meaning towards the stern (rear) of the ship, aircraft or spacecraft, when the frame of reference is within the ship, headed at the fore. For example, "Able Seaman Smith; lie aft!" or "Wh ...

-most sail, so are typically only found on schooners or ketches, and then only on the foresail or mainsail. A triangular fore-and-aft sail called a jib-headed

topsail A topsail ("tops'l") is a sail A sail is a tensile structure—which is made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail- ...

may be carried between the gaff and the

mast Mast, MAST or MASt may refer to: Engineering * Mast (sailing), a vertical spar on a sailing ship * Flagmast, a pole for flying a flag * Guyed mast, a structure supported by guy-wires * Mooring mast, a structure for docking an airship * Radio mast ...

Gunter-rigged Gunter rig is a configuration of sail and spars used in sailing. It is a fore and aft sail set abaft (behind) the mast. The lower half of the luff (front) of the sail is attached to the mast, and the upper half is fastened to a spar which is ap ...

boats are similar, smaller vessels on which a spar (commonly, but incorrectly called the gaff) is raised until it is nearly vertical, parallel to the mast and close adjacent to it. Topsails are never carried on gunter rigs. The

spritsail The spritsail is a four-sided, fore-and-aft sail that is supported at its highest points by the mast and a diagonally running spar known as the sprit. The foot of the sail can be stretched by a boom or held loose-footed just by its sheets. A spr ...

is another rig with a four-sided fore-aft sail. Unlike the gaff rig where the head hangs from a spar along its edge, this rig supports the

of the sail by means of a spar named a ''sprit''. The forward end of the sprit is attached to the

but bisects the face of the sail, with the after end of the sprit attaching to the peak and/or the clew of the sail.

Sailing characteristics (small craft)

For a given sail area a gaff rig has a shorter mast than a

Bermudan rig A Bermuda rig, Bermudian rig, or Marconi rig is a configuration of mast and rigging for a type of sailboat and is the typical configuration for most modern sailboats. This configuration was developed in Bermuda in the 1600s; the term ''Marconi'' ...

. In short-ended craft with full body, heavy displacement and moderate

ballast Ballast is material that is used to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within a boat, ship, ...

ratio, it is difficult to set enough sail area in the Bermudan rig without a mast of excessive height and a centre of effort (CE) too high for the limited

stability Stability may refer to: Mathematics * Stability theory, the study of the stability of solutions to differential equations and dynamical systems ** Asymptotic stability ** Linear stability ** Lyapunov stability ** Orbital stability ** Structural st ...

of the

hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

. Because of its low aspect ratio, the gaff rig is less prone to stalling if oversheeted than something taller and narrower.

Reaching with gaff sails

Whilst reaching, the CE being set further back, will encourage a small craft to bear up into the wind, i.e. strong weather helm. The boat builder can compensate for this at design stage, e.g. by shifting the keel slightly aft, or having two jibs to counter the effect. The gaff-cutter is in fact a very popular sailplan for small craft. The helmsman can reduce weather helm significantly, simply by sheeting out the mainsail. Sheeting out may appear to create an inefficient belly in the sail, but it is often a pragmatic alternative to having a heavy helm. A swing keel lifted halfway is the perfect treatment for weather helm on a gaffer. The usual adjustments to mast rake, or even bowsprit length may be made to a gaffer with persistent heavy weather (or lee) helm.

Running with gaff sails

On a gaff-rigged vessel, any heading where the wind is within 20 degrees of dead aft is considered a run. When

running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

with a gaff-rig, the CE of the mainsail may actually be overboard of the hull, in a stiff wind the craft may want to broach. Running goose winged with a balloon staysail poled out to windward will balance the CE; Nick Skeates circumnavigated ''Wylo II'' with this configuration. In light winds, or when racing, a watersail may also be set.

Gaffers Day

Since 1972, the

Sydney Amateur Sailing Club The Sydney Amateur Sailing Club (SASC) is one of the oldest sailing clubs in Australia and is located on Sydney's lower north shore, with its clubhouse on the western edge of Mosman Bay. Establishment The Sydney Amateur Sailing Club was found ...

has regularly hosted a Gaffers Day for any classic sailing boat that can "hoist a spar". Up to 90 vessels from around Australia take part in sailing on Sydney Harbour in a practical demonstration of the skills and technology used in the nautical past.

Gallery

File:J&ERiggin.jpg, Gaff rigged schooner '' J. & E. Riggin''. Her sails, from left to right, are: jib,

staysail A staysail ("stays'l") is a fore-and-aft rigged sail whose luff can be affixed to a stay running forward (and most often but not always downwards) from a mast to the deck, the bowsprit, or to another mast. Description Most staysails are t ...

, gaff foresail, gaff mainsail, and, above that, a main gaff topsail File:Partridge 1885 - Sails.jpg, Gaff rigged Cutter Partridge 1885. File:Bermudianised Gaff Rig.jpg, A near-vertical gaff allows this Gunter-rigged boat to carry a triangular sail that is similar to the

File:Schotel Gaffelaar.jpg, ''Gaffelaar'', by Johannes Christiaan Schotel, depicting both gaff and square-rigged boats File:Centennial Regatta, Sydney.jpg, Gaff rigged yachts race on Sydney Harbour, circa 1900 File:Sloop Carmita-2.jpg, ''Carmita'', racing

cutter Cutter may refer to: Tools * Bolt cutter * Box cutter, aka Stanley knife, a form of utility knife * Cigar cutter * Cookie cutter * Glass cutter * Meat cutter * Milling cutter * Paper cutter * Side cutter * Cutter, a type of hydraulic rescue to ...

File:Governor Ames.jpg, ''

Governor Ames The ''Governor Ames'' was the first five-masted schooner. In the late 19th century, she was the world's largest cargo vessel. She was launched on December 1, 1888, by the Leavitt-Storer shipyard of Waldoboro, Maine, United States, and was name ...

'', five-masted

File:Victory Chimes.jpg, ''Victory Chimes'', National Historic Landmark File:Errol Flynn's Zaca.jpg, ''Zaca'', owned by Errol Flynn File:IJsselmeerTraditionalBoat.JPG, Traditional Dutch sailing barge File:Jacob van Strij - Het Jacht van de kamer Rotterdam.jpg, The yacht of the VOC-Chamber of Rotterdam, by Jacob van Strij File:Rose Dorothea-Lipton's Cup-1907 Fishermen's Race.jpg, The schooner ''Rose Dorothea'' in 1907 File:Galway hookers, Belfast, June 2010 (06).JPG, Traditional Galway hooker, Ireland, June 2010 File: Bluenose sailing 1921.jpg, Original iconic Canadian schooner Bluenose

Description

Sailing characteristics (small craft)

Reaching with gaff sails

Running with gaff sails

Gaffers Day

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading