The Bionic Broomstick is sorta assembled under the house while the epoxy cures on on the socket joints to hull and float. The idea of trialing different different rig approaches ia appealing so my mind has wandered.

(A) the biaxial rig that’s been an obsession for years.

(B) a boomed jib like Chris’s Snelson Canoe patterned like a cambered junk to possibly cut down on rig stresses based on Robert B’s insight that the battens keep the sail from bagging up when the sail sags

(C) while we’re at it go ahead and do a “standard” clubbed jib for reference

Them my mind wandered off even further to remembering how the clubbed jib lent itself so well to roller furling on the boom (club), a little taper in the boom helps keep everything taught.

But that path leads to skyhigh stresses so maybe a battened jib would work. But a flexible batten would continue to bend beyond an ideal curve when the rig sags. What’s needed is a batten that will bend just so far, then stop and be stiff enough in compression to keep the luff and leach separated.

Here’s what came to mind, a simple bendable batten. A fairly rigid piece on both sides with a flexible backing. Battens are kerfed at intervals to allow bending up to a point. Screwed thru the sail parallel to the boom thay should roll up easily.

Fortunately all these option should be pretty easy to trial on the Broomstick, should be fun.

cheers,
Skip

I had a similar idea years ago and it was pointed out to me that the hinged battens now in use on junk rigs probably achieve the same result and are easy to construct as well as cheaper to make ,.as the kerfed battens I designed would   be made with carbon skins with a spectra centre line and slide into batten pockets..Your idea is better as the batten skins could be thicker..Do you think the sail might stretch too much to allow the skins to limit the draft of the sail?

I like the flexure solution better.  Like those wooden snake sculptures that have a length of ribbon down the middle—but a strip of fiberglass instead.  I say the more kerfs the better—you could get some very subtle and smooth curves.

We’re looking forward to seeing more, Skip.

Chris