Gaff rig [1] is a sailing rig (configuration of sails, mast and stays) in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar (pole) called the gaff.

Read on for my list with 11 surprising advantages of the gaff rig (and why more people should consider this rig type). Because of the way the gaff rig is set up, it provides more sail area for the same mast length. In other words: you can carry more sailcloth per feet of mast.

Sep 17, 2023 · Usually, the mainsails of the ketch are gaff-rigged, but there are Bermuda-rigged ketches too. The mizzenmast is located in front of the rudder instead of aft, as on the yawl. The function of the ketch's mizzen sail is different from that of the yawl.

Aug 1, 2023 · A gaff rig is a type of sailing rig where the sail is controlled by a spar called a gaff, which extends diagonally from the mast. The purpose of a gaff rig diagram is to visually illustrate how all the components come together, showcasing each element’s position and function.

Jan 5, 2025 · This is the story of a little wooden boat we found in a barnyard a long time ago and the continuing adventure she's taken us on. The boat is a gaff-rigged yawl named Irene Agnes. No, we did not give her that name, but we could never change it. …

Gaff rigged vessels commonly employ two halyards instead of one. The throat halyard raises the forward end of the gaff, while the peak halyard raises the aft end. This dual halyard system offers greater control over the sail’s shape and tension.

Jul 24, 2023 · The gaff rig improved the versatility of workboats; the ability to sail to windward diluted sailors’ dread of a lee shore. The gaff rig held sway on small to medium sized working craft and on growing numbers of leisure yachts until the Bermuda rig arrived.

Mar 6, 2015 · There is an active cult of schooner aficionados who maintain gaff-rigged 19th-century working schooners and early 20th-century schooner yachts as though they were holy relics. Every once in a while, too, a brand-new schooner gets built.

Jun 6, 2010 · Gaff rigs are best suited for bigger boats where the rig stays up all the time rather than for boats that you rig and unrig frequently. My lug yawl takes two minutes to set up, and that's including both masts. My gaff catboat took about 45 minutes.

The sail itself is best proportioned with the following ratios: luff 1.0, head 0.833, leech 1.73 and foot 1.02, according to John Leather's The Gaff Rig Handbook.