Faster Reefing System for Cruising Dinghies
Goat Island Skiff group has developed a faster reefing system for cruising dinghies. No special fittings are needed so quick cheap and simple
Tips and tricks for balance lug and standing lug rigs from basic setup through to finding efficient speed and reliable rig control – also some help with lateen rigs
These are the very best resources about all aspects of using standing and balance lug rigs you will find on the internet. Spars, sail tuning, troubleshooting, performance tips, alternative rigging
From how to rig them cheaply without losing any performance, or alternatives to allow adjustability while sailing.
And don’t forget our search function – Top left on desktop or tap menu on mobile and type in top window.
Goat Island Skiff group has developed a faster reefing system for cruising dinghies. No special fittings are needed so quick cheap and simple
Two Videos rig a Lugsail. 1/ Last step construction – set up hull, spars and sails. 2/ Setting up the boat to go sailing is simple and quick.
Fittings list for the Goat Island Skiff and other Lug rigged sailboats. Two suppliers who can ship full package.
Videos of best speed upwind in the Oz Goose to handle large waves – a video of depowering a lug by reducing the downhaul tension slightly.
Some of the decisions that have to be made before ordering Goat Island Skiff or other lugsails.
Controlling sail twist on any boat is critical for performance. Here we describe two methods for getting more performance all round and safer handling downwind.
Joost Engelen has provided another hugely useful file for setting up the lug rig on the Viola 14 canoe.
Just back from Butuan, Mindanao, Philippines where the PHBYC group I belong to has helped college students build 10 Oz Goose sailboats to initiate collegiate sailing at the fraction of the cost of commercially available boats.
What your sailmaker needs to know about making Goat Island Skiff sails. Our stock sails and a lightweight boom design.
Cost of lug sails on unstayed masts is so much cheaper than stayed sloop rigs – and the lug sails take only a few minutes to rig and unrig.
Owner: I am not much interested in racing, but there is no motor mount on this boat, and there never will be. I hate rowing, so the boat has to be able to take me where I want to go under sail. The foils were the first step-this sail completes the journey. :)
A video comparing Lug Rig Performance with conventional rigs in a real race. A Goat Island Skiff takes part in a regular club race against Fireballs and Lasers. Where will it end up? Does it actually have a “bad tack” where it can’t compete? The answer might challenge your assumptions about sailing rig performance
All our lug rig information on one page. We have seen the change from the balance lug being almost forgotten to becoming the predominant rig for small self built wooden boat. This was the situation a hundred years ago. We can still use the cheapness and effectiveness of this rig to create boats with very quick and pleasant sailing characteristic.
Ran into some great photos and information on sailing a real Vietnamese Junk. I’ve seen plenty of half hearted replicas in HK, but this one is the real deal from Ken Preston. A traditionally built boat that is being restored with no intention to put a motor in it. Ken has one of the best blogs about South East Asia and Boats.
How do you rig your Goat Island Skiff or other balance lug rigged boat? This page will be useful for everyone, but specifically assist Goat owners in selection of rope, rope lengths and show all the rigging details. We have also found a number of cheaper ways of doing things from our experience in the Philippines. Halyard, downhaul, outhaul, lashings, rope fittings, rudders, centreboard.
A guide for choosing cheaper alternative rigs. Balance Lug, Standing Lug, Sprit, Lateen and more. These rigs typically save a lot of money over conventional sailplans and set up right offer much the same performance. They respond to the same principles. Are boomless sails OK?
Racing Cancelled. Videos of some high wind and high speed thrills with the simple and cheap to build Oz Goose sail boats. They might look like a box but they they are quick.
In the Philippines imported boat parts look extremely expensive compared to local incomes. So we have worked hard to eliminate them as much as possible or replace them. What is easy, cheap and good for racing performance? The result is a big way to save money.
Getting rid of a familiar crease in many lugsails.
How to reef a Balance Lugsail. A neat trick of using shock cord (bungee) for the intermediate ties makes it much faster to tie in a reef as well as remove the reef after. it also minimises the risk of damaging the sail if something major breaks elsewhere.