As I said before, there’s nothing wrong with the basic sloop rig on the CAL 34 and, if your rig is in good shape by all means go with it. The problem arises when you’re confronted with a rig that is well past its sell-by date. New chainplates, tangs, toggles, turnbuckles, pins, and wire quickly …
The rig designed by Bill Lapworth is not a bad rig for a VolksCruiser. For starters it’s fairly simple, reasonably robust, and will push you along quite nicely. The only real issues I have is that sail track sorta/kinda sucks and that the rig on most all CAL 34s is fifty years old or thereabouts. …
There are actually quite a few rigs that make sense in the VolksCruiser and what works for me may not work for you. That said, it’s important to do your homework and work out what you need so you can make an informed decision. For me, the important factors are viability, performance, and cost. Obviously, …
So, here’s an alternative rig for the CAL 34… It’s the Simplicity Rig designed by Mark Smaalders and it makes a whole lot of sense in that it’s fairly inexpensive, has little to fail, and is simple. It’s what we have on “So It Goes” and it cost (mast, rigging, sails) less than a replacement …
It’s come to my attention that there are several CAL 34s going cheap (as in less than $3K). This got me thinking about how I’d go about VolkCruiserizing them today knowing what I know now after living aboard and sailing “So It Goes” for ages. For starters, there’s a CAL 34 going for $1k which …
Offhand, I really do think that real (3′ or under) shoal draft makes all kinds of sense for anyone looking for a VolksCruiser. Having a boat that can anchor in places others fear to tread or navigate, that’s also beachable if needed, and ocean capable is really a no-brainer. For instance, take a look at …
I’ve got a bad case of bowsprit envy! While perusing the Craigslist I saw a fifty foot Bugeye going for $16.5K. Now, I’ll be the first to acknowledge that I can’t really afford to cruise on a fifty-foot vessel no matter how much it’s a work of art and sexy as hell. Adding in the …
There’s a J-29 up in the frozen north that I’ve been thinking about quite a bit. For those unacquainted with the design it looks something like this… It, like most of it’s J-Boat brethren, is a boat designed and built to be competitive so you may be wondering why the hell am I looking at …
I’ve always liked the gaff rig because it’s a stout spar that does not require a lot of tension to stand. There’s a lot to be said for that. While I don’t think that Tom Colvin’s junk rigs were fully evolved they did make a whole lot of sense.Take his Gazelle for instance. Minimal stays …
When considering changing to a rig like the balanced lug or junk, the first issue is that it requires moving the location of the mast. Finding the location is easy, but it can play hell with the interior. Free-standing masts, while not being as tall as the Bermuda rig, are larger in terms of diameter and …
