Thread: A really smart mizzen

interesting, looks similar to this....

Outboard Sail - Home

It would be fun to try it out.

The one in the ad was from 1978, so pretty old invention.

Originally Posted by engblom

The one in the ad was from 1978, so pretty old invention.

It was invented by Finnish (Katainen?) and I read about this in the Soviet (Russian at present) journal "Katera y yachty" (Motor Boats and Yachts) circa 1978. It was designed especially as an auxiliary and alternative for small motor boats and rowboats.

I would be interested to see what it is like for manoeuvring. There is no real pivot point because the sail is over the centre of the rudder area. So it is almost like the centreboard of a normal boat pointing to leeward or windward ... not really going to turn the boat well.

Might turn best if you get up speed and then release the sail when turning the rudder.

But I'm guessing.

MIK

I've found pictures of this Katainen's outboard sail from Soviet (Russian) book "Parus na lodkie" (A sail on a boat) by V.M. Borisov published on 1985. These pictures were published firstly in journal "Katera y yachty" few years earlier:



And Katainen's outboard sail applied on a small aluminium motor boat "Kazanka" as a mizzen - mainmast, mainsail and jib used from Polish folding boat "Mewa" (Seagull)

It is a strange idea to put it on an existing boat. It is no different from adding a mizzen to a boat that is nicely balanced already.

It will put it out of balance unless the sail is flapping completely.

So it is a little illogical.

I remember something like this as a manufactured item from sailing magazines when I was young ... I think ... because I stopped getting the magazine - before about 1975. But I might be mistaken about which magazine. In which case it could be up to the mid '80s

MIK

The idea is strange as long as you have a bermuda rig.

I posted the picture from the ad here as I know several wants to experiment with adding a mizzen to their GIS. With GIS it is at least possible to move the sail forward a bit because of the balanced lug rig. This kind of mizzen is really good for experimenting as if it fails, there will be no marks left in the boat. Also maybe somebody here has a couple of boats with lug and want to spend only once money on a mizzen.

It should not be that difficult to make something similar.

Howdy,

I don't think it will be possible to move the sail enough forward to get but a fraction of the power - mostly because the halyard position on the yard is so close to the 50% mark. That's probably the main restriction.

MIK

Originally Posted by Boatmik

It is a strange idea to put it on an existing boat. It is no different from adding a mizzen to a boat that is nicely balanced already.

In Rob's great historical find, the subject boat is originally a motor boat. Not only is the mizzen grafted on, but the main and jib are "drop in" rigs too. Looking at the sail plan, the CE for the total rig falls amidships. One must conclude that the combined CLR of the leeboard, the relatively large rudder, and whatever amount of keel there is falls in a fairly neutral location for helm. Pretty cool in my mind. In my opinion, more practical than adding sails to a canoe (because I still can't get my head around sailing a canoe--no offense to Beth intended).