Photograph by Hugh Browton

The Gaff Rig

As I took in the fact that Charm had two “parallel booms” I realised that today I would have my first experience of handling a Gaff Rig. As I continued to admire the boat, Robert set up the Wykeham-Martin Furling Gears on the Jib, and unpacked and hanked on the Staysail. With a Mizzen and a Main, several combinations of the four sails could be set to maximise Charm's performance in a variety of wind conditions.