Gunter
Encyclopedia
In sailing
, a gunter is used for two main configurations of rig
:
A sail
raised by either of these means is called a gunter rigged sail. A vessel with a gunter rigged mainsail
is called a gunter rig.
Gunter rig is normally used on small gaff rig
ged sailing vessels, such as sailing canoe
s (not the International Canoe
) and dinghies
where the gaff is carried very nearly vertical, forming an extension to the mast so that the sail is triangular and mimics a Bermuda rig
. The effect is to have a topmast
(the gaff) which is a pseudo telescopic extension of the shorter mast.
It should also be noted that while the term "yard" is normally employed to name a spar which crosses a mast, and "gaff" one which is fastened to the mast at its forward point -- as it is in the case of the gunter rig, and meaning that a gunter spar is properly called a 'gaff' -- nevertheless, with the gunter rig the spar will often be found to be referred to either as a gaff or a yard.
Even with a single halyard the hooped gunter is a vertical sliding gaff
, has a block, sometimes just a shackle
, that allows the gunter (wire parallel to the gaff and fixed to it at two points on its upper (or leading) surface) to raise the gaff into the vertical position up against and parallel to the mast. The other, the throat halyard
, is used to raise or lower the jaws of the gaff.
The mode of operation is:
, the Mirror dinghy
and other small sailing dinghies have small, light gaffs which are raised to the vertical position by a single halyard fixed close to the midpoint of the gaff.
This looks like a gunter rig when the boat is fully rigged. However it does not have the sliding component of the wire or the hooped gunter.
Nonetheless such small dinghies have been termed gunter rigged and gaff rigged with free use of each term. It is likely that the fluidity of language allows both terms to be used with correctness for these small boats. For larger craft the terms tend to be more rigorously applied
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, a gunter is used for two main configurations of rig
Rigging
Rigging is the apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes masts, yards, sails, and cordage.-Terms and classifications:...
:
- The gunter is defined as a wire that leads from one point near the end of a gaffGaff rigGaff rig is a sailing rig in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar called the gaff...
to a point near the other end. A blockBlock (sailing)In sailing, a block is a single or multiple pulley. One or a number of sheaves are enclosed in an assembly between cheeks or chocks. In use a block is fixed to the end of a line, to a spar or to a surface...
travels along this wire, and a halyardHalyardIn sailing, a halyard or halliard is a line that is used to hoist a sail, a flag or a yard. The term halyard comes from the phrase, 'to haul yards'...
is attached to this block. This allows the gaff to be raised to the vertical by a single halyard, though another halyard is required at the gaff jaws to control height. - The gunter is created by hoops or parrel beads which secure the gaff loosely to the mast in a vertical position. A halyard is bent to the gaff jaws to control height.
A sail
Sail
A sail is any type of surface intended to move a vessel, vehicle or rotor by being placed in a wind—in essence a propulsion wing. Sails are used in sailing.-History of sails:...
raised by either of these means is called a gunter rigged sail. A vessel with a gunter rigged mainsail
Mainsail
A mainsail is a sail located behind the main mast of a sailing vessel.On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast....
is called a gunter rig.
Gunter rig is normally used on small gaff rig
Gaff rig
Gaff rig is a sailing rig in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar called the gaff...
ged sailing vessels, such as sailing canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s (not the International Canoe
International Canoe
The International Canoe, or more properly the International Ten Square Meter Sailing Canoe, often abbreviated to IC is a powerful and extremely fast single handed sailing canoe whose rules are governed by the International Canoe Federation....
) and dinghies
Dinghy sailing
Dinghy sailing is the activity of sailing small boats by using five essential controls:* the sails* the foils ....
where the gaff is carried very nearly vertical, forming an extension to the mast so that the sail is triangular and mimics a Bermuda rig
Bermuda rig
The term Bermuda rig refers to a configuration of mast and rigging for a type of sailboat and is also known as a Marconi rig; this is the typical configuration for most modern sailboats...
. The effect is to have a topmast
Topmast
The masts of traditional sailing ships were not single spars, but were constructed of separate sections or masts, each with its own rigging. The topmast is one of these.The topmast is semi-permanently attached to the upper front of the lower mast, at the top...
(the gaff) which is a pseudo telescopic extension of the shorter mast.
Operation of each type
In what follows, broadly speaking, the 'single halyard' sail is known as a "sliding gunter," while the 'double halyard' sail is a "folding gunter." The sliding gunter yard stays essentially vertical while being raised, while the folding gunter is 'hinged' up to the mast from the horizontal, much like a high-peaked gaff sail.It should also be noted that while the term "yard" is normally employed to name a spar which crosses a mast, and "gaff" one which is fastened to the mast at its forward point -- as it is in the case of the gunter rig, and meaning that a gunter spar is properly called a 'gaff' -- nevertheless, with the gunter rig the spar will often be found to be referred to either as a gaff or a yard.
Single halyard operation
- fix the gaff loosely to the mast in a vertical position, parallel to it, with either hoops or parrel beads so that it will slide freely to the desired height, and ensure that the sail is bent to the gaff.
- secure jaws of the gaff around the mast with parrel beads if the gaff is a jawed gaff, or rely on the hoop if hoops are employed.
- bend the throat halyardThroat halyardIn sailing, the throat halyard is a line that raises the end of a gaff nearer to the mast, as opposed to the peak halyard which raises the end further from the mast. Such rigging was normal in classic gaff-rigged schooners and in other ships with fore-and-aft rigging. It is absent in Bermuda...
to the jaws - haul the jaws up the mast until the desired height is reached and make fast
- using whatever reefing mechanism you have, usually reefing points, reef any excess sail at the foot to the boom (if any) or gather the belly of the sail if loose footed.
Even with a single halyard the hooped gunter is a vertical sliding gaff
Double halyard operation
One halyard, the peak halyardPeak halyard
In sailing, the peak halyard is a line that raises the end of a gaff further from the mast, as opposed to the throat halyard which raises the end nearer to the mast. Such rigging was normal in classic gaff-rigged schooners and in other ships with fore-and-aft rigging...
, has a block, sometimes just a shackle
Shackle
A shackle, also known as a gyve, is a U-shaped piece of metal secured with a clevis pin or bolt across the opening, or a hinged metal loop secured with a quick-release locking pin mechanism...
, that allows the gunter (wire parallel to the gaff and fixed to it at two points on its upper (or leading) surface) to raise the gaff into the vertical position up against and parallel to the mast. The other, the throat halyard
Throat halyard
In sailing, the throat halyard is a line that raises the end of a gaff nearer to the mast, as opposed to the peak halyard which raises the end further from the mast. Such rigging was normal in classic gaff-rigged schooners and in other ships with fore-and-aft rigging. It is absent in Bermuda...
, is used to raise or lower the jaws of the gaff.
The mode of operation is:
- bend the peak halyard to the sliding device on the gunter
- bend the throat halyard to the jaws
- secure the parrel beads around the mast from jaw to jaw to locate the jaws positively around the mast
- haul the gaff into the vertical with the peak halyard and make fast
- haul the jaws up the mast with the throat halyard until the desired height is reached and make fast
- using whatever reefing mechanism you have, usually reefing points on larger vessels, reef any excess sail at the foot to the boom (if any) or gather the belly of the sail if loose footed.
- adjust the tension in the luffLuffLuff or luffing may refer to:* Luffing, when a sailing sheet is eased so far past trim that airflow over the surface is disrupted* The leading edge of a sail...
of the sail by adjusting the throat halyard, downhaulDownhaulThe downhaul is a line which is part of the rigging on a sailboat; it applies downward force on a spar or sail. The most common downhaul on a modern sailboat is attached to the spinnaker pole, though this may be referred to as the foreguy in some rigging nomenclature...
, gooseneckGooseneckThe gooseneck is the swivel connection on a sailboat by which the boom attaches to the mast. The boom moves from side to side and up and down by swiveling on the gooseneck....
or any combination of these.
Confusion between Gaff Rig and Gunter Rig
Over time the two terms have been used with some interchangeability. While a true gaff rig is with the gaff at an angle to the mast, small boats such as the HeronHeron (dinghy)
The Heron Dinghy is a dinghy designed by Jack Holt of the United Kingdom as the Yachting World Cartopper . The Heron dinghy was designed to be built by a home handyman out of marine ply over a timber frame, but can now also be constructed from marine ply using a stitch and glue technique or from...
, the Mirror dinghy
Mirror (dinghy)
The Mirror is a very popular sailing dinghy, with more than 70,000 built.The Mirror was named after the Daily Mirror, a UK newspaper with a largely working class distribution. The Mirror was from the start promoted as an affordable boat, and as a design it has done a great deal to make dinghy...
and other small sailing dinghies have small, light gaffs which are raised to the vertical position by a single halyard fixed close to the midpoint of the gaff.
This looks like a gunter rig when the boat is fully rigged. However it does not have the sliding component of the wire or the hooped gunter.
Nonetheless such small dinghies have been termed gunter rigged and gaff rigged with free use of each term. It is likely that the fluidity of language allows both terms to be used with correctness for these small boats. For larger craft the terms tend to be more rigorously applied