View source for Lug sail

{{Short description|Type of sail}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2020}}
[[File:Ship-lugger.png|thumb|A [[lugger]], showing a variety of lug sail types.]]
The '''lug sail''', or '''lugsail''', is a [[Fore-and-aft rig|fore-and-aft]], four-cornered sail that is suspended from a spar, called a [[yardarm|yard]]. When raised, the sail area overlaps the mast. For "standing lug" rigs, the sail may remain on the same side of the mast on both the port and starboard [[Tack (sailing)|tacks]]. For "dipping lug" rigs, the sail is lowered partially or totally to be brought around to the [[Windward and leeward|leeward]] side of the mast in order to optimize the efficiency of the sail on both tacks.
The lug sail is evolved from the [[square sail]] to improve how close the vessel can sail into the wind. Square sails, on the other hand, are symmetrically mounted  in front of the mast and are manually angled to catch the wind on opposite tacks. Since it is difficult to orient square sails fore and aft or to tension their leading edges ([[Parts of a sail#Edges|luffs]]), they are not as efficient upwind, compared with lug sails. The lug rig differs from the [[gaff rig]], also fore-and-aft, whose sail is instead attached at the luff to the mast and is suspended from a spar (gaff), which is attached to, and raised at an angle from,  the mast.<ref name=Block/>
== Types ==
[[File:Fifiesmall.gif|thumb|A sailing Fifie, showing the difference between a standing lug (aft – left) and a dipping lug (fore – right).]]
Lug sails are divided into three types: ''standing lug'', ''balance lug'' (or ''balanced lug'') and ''dipping lug''.<ref name=Block>
{{cite book | last = Block | first = Leo | title = To Harness the Wind: A Short History of the Development of Sails | publisher = Naval Institute Press | date = 2003 | location = Annapolis | pages = 164 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ezgq0VnV5XQC&q=standing+lug%2C+balance+lug%2C+dipping+lug&pg=PA53 | isbn =  9781557502094 }}</ref>
*''Dipping lug'': This is a boom-less sail whose yard is lowered or "dipped" when tacking to bring the sail around to the leeward side of the mast. In some cases this can be done by partially lowering the yard - there are a number of variations in this procedure. The [[Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z)#T|tack]] fastens to a point some distance forward of the mast. For a foresail this may be the stemhead or, in some boats, one of a choice of hooks set along each gunwale. The dipping lug is a powerful sail and was widely used in working craft.{{r|Barnes 2014|p=36}}
*''Standing lug'': The sail and yard remain on one side of the mast and the tack of the sail is set close to the mast. When the wind blows onto the side of the mast where the sail is mounted, it deforms the sail over the mast.  A standing lug can be used with or without a boom - the latter being the preference for working craft. The standing lug differs from the balance rig. On a standing lug the yard extends past the mast, but the {{nautical term|foot}} of the sail does not.<ref name="Barnes 2014">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tqFdAgAAQBAJ&q=Swallow+lug+rig&pg=PA37 |title=The Dinghy Cruising Companion: Tales and Advice from Sailing a Small Open Boat |last=Barnes|first=Roger |date=2014-01-02 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=9781408180280 |language=en}}</ref>
*''Balance lug'' (or ''balanced lug''): The sail has both a yard and a boom, which both extend past the mast and remain on the same side of the mast on either tack.  The [[tanja sail|tanja rig]] (sometimes inaccurately called "balance lug") and [[junk rig]] (a fully battened sail that crosses the mast at the head and foot) are similar to a balance lug.{{r|Barnes 2014|p=37}}
==Procedures for tacking by dipping==
Whereas a standing lug may be tacked conventionally by moving the sail across the vessel, as the wind crosses the bow, a dipping lug must be brought around to the leeward side by a multi-step procedure:<ref name = Winn>
{{cite book
| last = Winn
| first = William
| title = The Boating Man's Vade-mecum
| publisher = Swan Sonnenschein
| date = 1891
| location = London
| pages = 336
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=DztFAAAAYAAJ&q=Lug+sail&pg=PA147 }}</ref>
#Hauling in the sheets to get the sail over the boat.
#Lowering the halyard so that the peak of the sail can be reached, yet the yard is free of interfering with the rest of the boat.
#Gathering the after part of the sail and bringing it around forward of the mast.
#Bringing the peak down and passing it under the luff of the sail to the new leeward side.
#Bringing the halyard to windward aft of the mast.
#Shackling on the sheets and bringing the sail aft.
#Rehoisting the sail and sheeting in.
This procedure is also necessary for [[gybing]] a dipping lug. Reportedly, this action can be completed expeditiously on a larger boat with four hands. On smaller boats, the sail is simply lowered and the mast unstepped to allow the sail to be moved beneath it to the other side and the mast to be re-stepped and the sail raised.<ref name = Winn/>
On larger luggers, like the [[Fifie]], large dipping lug sails were possible only with the introduction of steam-powered [[capstan (nautical)|capstans]] to facilitate with dipping.<ref>
{{cite book
| last = March
| first = Edgar J.
| title = Sailing Drifter
| publisher = Percival Marshall & Co.
| date = 1953
| location = London
}}</ref>
== Extent of use ==
[[File:Yole de Bantry2.JPG|thumb|300px|A replica of a longboat from the French frigate ''[[:fr:La Résolue (1778)|La Résolue]]'' The original was captured in 1786 in [[Bantry]] and is now in the [[National Museum of Ireland]]. Such replicas are referred to as a [[:fr:Yole de Bantry|Yole de Bantry]].]]
The rig was widely used in Europe from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries for small fishing vessels and other coasters because of their good performance to windward. This popularity extended to smugglers and privateers and the French ''[[Chasse-marée#Chasse-marée—boat|chasse-marée]]'' fishing boats.<ref name=Block/>
Currently, lug rigs are used on certain small sailing craft, like the [[International Twelve Foot Dinghy]], a  [[dinghy]],<ref>{{cite book
| last = Bird
| first = Vanessa
| title = Classic Classes
| publisher = A. & C. Black
| date = 2012
| pages = 160
| isbn = 9781408158890 }}</ref> the [[SCAMP (boat)|SCAMP]], a [[pocket cruiser]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://issuu.com/harbors/docs/harbors_winter2013_72 |title=SCAMP: A new genre of sailboat |last=McCoy|first=James |date=Winter 2013 |website=Harbors |pages=24–9}}</ref> and the Oz Goose {{Convert|12|ft|m|adj=on}} sailing dinghy.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/02/17/a-sailing-we-will-go/ |title=A Sailing We Will Go |last=Supetran|first=Bernard L. |date=February 17, 2019 |website=BusinessMirror |language=en-US |access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref>
There are several lug rigged boat classes of long history that have been raced more or less continuously for a century. One example is the balance lug rigged Lymington Scow<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wwsc.co.uk/classes-and-fleets/class-4|title=West Wittering Sailing Club: Lymington River Scows|last=Staff|date=January 27, 2019|website=www.wwsc.co.uk|access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref> that has become highly developed in almost continuous racing since 1905.
==See also==
* [[Lugger]]
* [[Junk rig]], also known as the Chinese lugsail
* [[Tanja sail]], a type of sail from [[Nusantara (archipelago)|Nusantara]] archipelago
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{wiktionary|lugsail}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO6WA3fmr_E Tacking dipping lugsail, Beer lugger-style] Method of dipping a Beer Lugger's sail
*[http://www.clcboats.com/life-of-boats-blog/lug-nuts-lug-rigs.html "Lug Rigs for Small Sailboats"] by John C. Harris
*[https://www.storerboatplans.com/tuning/lug-rig-setup/everything-lug-rig-and-lug-sail/ "Lugsail setup and performance articles"] by Michael Storer
*[https://reallysimplesails.com/what-type-of-lug-sail-is-that-standing-balance-dipping-or-misainier/ "Drawings, Photos of the Major Lug Types with short explanation of differences"] by Really Simple Sails
{{Sailing Vessels and Rigs}}
{{Sail types}}
[[Category:Sailing rigs and rigging]]