RIG OF THE INDEPENDENCE

Category: INDEPENDENCE

IndepSailPlanVFrom THE SUN, April 11, 1901

Through the courtesy of B. B. Crowninshield, the designer of the Independence, THE SUN is able to give the sail plan of the yacht built for Thomas W. Lawson of Boston which is to meet the Constitution in a series of races to be sailed off Newport during the coming summer.

Mr. Crowninshield, in designing the Independence, showed that he is not a mere imitator. He has drawn a boat, remarkable for its power, easy of model and gracefulness of lines and in the sail plan he has been just as bold.

Some time ago when it was said that the Independence would carry more than 14,000 square feet of canvas many thought that this was an exaggeration and there were some yachtsmen who declared that the Columbia had been sparred up to the limit for the the big single-stick yachts and that to give a vessel more canvas was tempting fate. It may be that these men are right and that, although the Independence has a big sail spread, when it comes to the time for testing it she may prove unequal to the task.
The Independence has practically a pole mast. It is not, however similar to that which Watson has designed for the Shamrock II, in one piece, but is built in two sections. This mast is of wood and hollow. The lower mast is 22 inches in diameter and is 115 feet in length. Of this seven feet is buried in the step and so 108 feet is above the deck.

The bowsprit of the Independence is 25 feet inches outboard which will make the base of the forward triangle, measuring from the forward side of the mast to the forward point of measurement, 76 feet. The Columbia measured 73.35 feet and the Shamrock 79.46 feet.
The boom of the Independent which is also of wood and made just as the mast is 20 inches in diameter at its thickest point and tapers slightly toward each end. It is 108 feet 5 inches in length. The Columbia’s boom was 109 feet 8 inches and that of the Shamrock about 111 feet. From the forward point of measurement to the after end of the main boom the Independence will measure 185 feet. The length of the Columbia’s base line was 181.62 feet and the Shamrock 18913 feet. This will show that the Independence gains over the Columbia on the base line of the sail plan as well as on the hoist.

The mast carries two spreaders just as the Shamrock I did. The main spreader is in the usual place and help to stay the masthead shrouds. The other spreaders come below the jaws of the gaff. The mast is well stayed. The masthead shrouds which lead over the auxiliary spreader are of plough steel 2 ¼ inches in circumference. The lower shrouds which lead from the masthead below the other shrouds to the chain plates are of plough steel 2 ¾ inches in circumference, and the jumper stay which leads over a strut at the forward side of the mast and sets up on the mast at the deck is of plough steel 2 ½ inches in circumference. The fore stay which sets up at the heel of the bowsprit is of plough steel 3 ½ inches in circumference.

The topmast is also of wood and by an ingenious arrangement it sets into the top of the mainmast fitting neatly in a socket around which is a strengthening piece of steel.
This gives the mast the appearance of being in one piece and materially reduces the weight of the

IndepSailPlan

The gain is 3.48 feet, but it is 4.13 feet shorter than the base line of the old Shamrock.

The boom of the Independent which is also of wood and made just as the mast is 20 inches in diameter at its thickest point and tapers slightly toward each end. It is 108 feet 5 inches in length.

The Columbia’s boom was 109 feet 8 inches and that of the Shamrock about 111 feet. From the forward point of measurement to the after end of the main boom the Independence will measure 185 feet. The length of the Columbia’s base line was 181.62 feet and the Shamrock 18913 feet. This will show that the Independence gains over the Columbia on the base line of the sail plan as well as on the hoist. The gain is 3.48 feet, but it is 4.13 feet shorter than the base line of the old Shamrock.
The gaff of the Lawson boat is 63 feet 2 inches in length. Columbia’s gaff measured 64.95 feet and Shamrock’s 67.64 feet so that the Independence loses here.
On these spars will be spread the largest area of canvas ever carried on a single sticker.

top hamper, doing away with the overlap of the topmast on the mainmast when the topmast is set up in the ordinary way and dispensing with all the lashings necessary for such a rig.
The topmast stay, which leads over the main spreader, is of plough steel 2 ⅓ inches in circumference. These shrouds and stays have been all thoroughly tested and have stood a strain of thousands of pounds. The topmast is forty-two feet above the band of the mainmast and the topsail halyard block will be 150 feet above the deck when the yacht is fully rigged.

Some surprise was expressed when it was learned last week that the pole mast of the new Shamrock would be 148 feet above the deck but Designer Crowninshield has gone George L. Watson two feet better. In measuring a yacht for time allowance the measurer puts his tape on the upper side the main boom and runs it to the topsail halyard block. On the Independence this will measure 145.75 feet.

The Columbia, according to Measurer John Hyslop’s figures, taken when the yacht was measured just the last races for the cup, measured 134.75 feet and the Shamrock’s measurement in the same way 128.28 feet so that it will be seen that the Independence gains 11 feet on the Columbia in height and 17.47 feet on the Shamrock.
All the standing rigging of the Independence is of plough steel. The runners are 2 ½ inches in circumference, the bobstay 4 ½ inches in circumference, the preventer back stay 2 ½ inches in circumference, the bowsprit shroud 2 ¾ inches in circumference, and the boom truss 2 ¼ inches in circumference. The mast is stepped 48 feet from the stem head and ad 24 feet aft of the forward end of the water line. In the Columbia the mast was stepped 28 feet from the forward end of the water line and in the Shamrock it was still further aft.

The mainsail will have a luff of 72 feet 2 inches and it will be 137 feet on the leech. The area of the mainsail will be 7,905.7 square feet. The gaff topsail is 73 feet 6 inches on the luff, 42 feet on the leech and 63 feet 2 inches on the foot, making a total area of 1,260 square feet.
When hoisted the head of the club topsail will be 172 feet 7 inches above the deck. It will extend 22 feet 7 inches above the truck. On the luff this sail will measure 94 feet 6 inches, on the leech 54 feet 2 inches and on the foot 80 feet 6 inches. The area of this sail will be 2182 square feet. This, with the mainsail, will make the total area of the after triangle 10,981 square feet.

The forward triangle will show a total of 3,867 feet. The fore staysail is 84 feet 6 inches on the luff, 76 feet 4 inches on the leech and 39 feet on the foot, making a total area of 1,492 square feet. The jib is 115 feet 6 inches on the luff, 86 feet 3 inches on the leech and 43 feet 9 inches on the foot, making a total area of 1,583.7 square feet. The No 2 jib is 125 feet 6 inches on the luff, 77 feet 3 inches on the leech and 59 feet 7 inches on the foot, and the total area is 1,681 square feet. The No 3 jib is is 85 feet 8 inches on the luff, 59 feet 2 inches on the leech and 38 feet on the foot, the total area being 984 square feet. The big jib topsail will measure 152 feet 5 inches on the luff, 103 feet 5 inches on the leech and 70 feet 2 inches on the foot.

For the running rigging steel wire is to be used. The peak and throat halyards will be 1 ¾ inches in circumference, the topsail halyards 5/8 of an inch in diameter, the foresail halyard 1 ¼ inches in circumference, the jib halyards 5/8 of an inch in diameter and the quarter lifts 2 ¼ and 2 inches in circumference. The peak halyards will be rove through four blocks on the mast and three on bridle on the gaff. The throat halyard will work through a double block on the mast and a single block placed at the jaws of the gaff.


MEASUREMENTS

When the measurer comes to put his tape over the Independence the measurements that he will get will be about the following :
Length of load waterline, 89.9 feet.
Length from the after end of the main boom to the forward point of measurement, 185 feet.
Length from the foreside of the mast to the forward point of measurement, 76 feet.
Length of spinnaker pole, 76 feet.
Length of gaff, 63 feet 2 inches.
Length of topmast measured from the hound, or such point as the measurer may decide the hound should be, 60 feet.
Eighty per cent of topmast, 48 feet.
Height from the upper side of the main boom to the topsail halyard block, 145.75 feet.
Sail area, 14,611.40 square feet.
Square root of the sail area, 120.8
Measurement for time allowance, 105.35
In measuring for time allowance, if the gaff exceeds more than 80 per cent of the topmast, such excess is added to the base line. The excess in the Independence is 15 feet 5 inches which makes the base line 200 feet 5 inches.

 

The dimensions of the spars and sails are as follows:

Mast, deck to truck, 150 feet.
Main mast, deck to band, 108 feet.
Mast, bury, 7 feet.
Topmast, band to truck, 42 feet.
Main boom, 108 feet 5 inches.
Gaff, 63 feet 2 inches.
Club topsail spars, 56 feet.
Bowsprit, outboard, 25 feet 9 inches.,
Mainsail area, 7,905.7 square feet.
Topsail area, 1,260 square feet.
Club topsail area, 2,185 square feet.
Fore staysail area, 1,492 square feet.
Jib area, 1,583.7 square feet.
No 2 jib area, 1,681 square feet.
No 3 jib area, 984 square feet.
Sail area, 14,611.4 square feet.