Junk Rig Wisdom.

The books most influential on my limited knowledge of junk rigged sail boats are "Practical Junk Rig:  Design, Aerodynamics and Handling" by "Blondie" Hasler and J. K McLeod, and those written about Mingming 1 and 2, by Roger D. Taylor.   Having no practical experience I bow before these authors as a total novice.

An excerpt from Mingming: "Born of two millennia of infinitely patient trial, error and sinuous inventiveness, graced with a score of tiny details.

Infinitely forgiving to mast and sail and hull, supremely easy to manage,the junk rig is a perfect manifestation of the oriental genius. It expresses as well as anything the salient characteristics of the eastern worldview. It is a non-confrontational rig, soft, relenting. It absorbs rather than resist. It turns the other cheek, feinting gently away, while calmly appropriating the forces against it . If advances quietly, without thrash or bang. If sets up no strains on the hull of drives. The mast wants to fly, to rise up through theartners and take to the air, rather than drive itself down through the keel below; it yields to the wind, curving gently, the pressure of the sail ranged evenly along its height through the regular spacing of the battens and parcels. The sail delivers its power at the slightest of angles to the breeze, it's fan-like configuration ready to be closed up in a second of two when reefing is called for. No junk-rigged craft need ever be forced on its ear. The sailing is upright, sedate, unstressed. It strives for a simple non-aggressive harmony with wind and wave. "

"Mingming and the Art of Minimal Ocean Sailing" by Roger David Taylor.

At the time this passage enters the log, little old Mingming is close to the Arctic Circle, her Sun-damaged PVC battens have begun breaking; three during this voyage. Mr . Taylor is tempted to seek a safe haven but after lashing a boat hook and deck broom handle in place of the third batten, little Mingming surges on further north continuing as far as the north-east tip of Iceland.  

Upon returning to the Bramble for a winter refit, Taylor carries out ready repairs to the battens using readily available hardware before returning several more times to sail within the Artic Circle.  Some years later, having ascertained that the decades old sail is effectively dead, Taylor lofts up a new junk sail on the lounge room floor and stitches it together on "the good wife's" sewing machine. That rig also went on to provide many hours of seagoing fun.

What International Folkboat owner, upon reading of Colonel Hasler' s exploits would not desire a junk rig? Well, me! For one there's cost to consider, I have no money. And two, to quote Audrey Sutherland (who paddled Alaska many times in tiny inflatable kayaks), I will continue to sail offshore with a Bermudan rig "because it's what I have".

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