Hello all. I'm a new member based on Lake Champlain in Vermont the US. At present, I have two boats in sailing condition -- a 26' Nimble Kodiak "Sharpie" with a conventional Bermudan rig and a Nowak and Williams Herreshoff America 18 Catboat. I became deeply enamored of the simplicity of sailing the gaff-rigged cat this summer, and began to explore the additional possibilities of lug rigs, including of course the Chinese Lug. (Wunnen't be here otherwise, you know.) I've just taken in two restoration projects -- a steel, Dutch-built Van De Stadt Vita 30, which took on water while in storage and will need a complete interior. This is a long term project, which likely will consume several years. 

Just the other day, I was offered an O'Day Mariner 19 footer with a fixed keel free-of-charge. The hull is basically intact (they were built like a bridge), but the woodwork needs significant attention, including the wooden "floors" below the sole, which have become soft after some 40 years of use. I am a woodworker with a fully equipped shop, so the project has few fears for me. The Mariner 19 appears to be a perfect candidate for a junk rig conversion. It is possibly the US equivalent of the British Corribee, with nearly 4000 examples built. It is longer than the Corribee at waterline (although shorter overall), and 6" beamier. With main and Genoa, both vessels carry almost the same sail area in stock form. My temptation is to more or less translate a Corribee junk rig over to the American boat. I don't think I'll get in too much trouble so long as I give good thought to CE.

I can always reef, right?

Cheers,

Tim