A 50’ “monoproa” sailing ferry, launched in 2002 on Lake Champlain, New York State.

With all the recent interest in scow hulls and monoproas, I thought I’d repost this interesting sailing ferry.

The sail ferry’s unique rig, offset to one side, keeps the passenger deck clear. The boat does not turn around, rather, it reverses course by transferring the steering oar to the opposite end of the boat. This way the mast and boom always remain downwind. A pair of leeboards mounted to one side complete the sailing rig. During sea trials in August of 2002 this arrangement worked surprisingly well. The sail ferry was capable of heading slightly upwind and the steering oar worked perfectly.