DragonFlyer 3.2
Kit materials and parts: rig & sails
PART B, RIG
• Spar stock. Five Douglas fir blanks for mast, yard, bowsprit, and boom. Doug fir makes lovely,
smaller diameter spars since it is very strong for its weight. It looks perfectly lovely when varnished—and varnished Doug fir spars are reasonable to maintain, a nice plus.
NOTE: The mast is the same for both the standard FlyerOne rig and the larger FlyerTwo rig. The blank for the yard is long enough for the F2 rig and can be cut shorter for the F1 rig. You will need the optional Second Rig kit (with its blank for an extra yard) if you plan to sail your DragonFlyer with both the F1 and F2 rigs.
• Sailing hardware and rigging Your DragonFlyer kit includes all the fittings and rigging needed for either the standard FlyerOne or optional larger FlyerTwo sloop rigs:
Hardware
Marine stainless:
• Sliding gooseneck (1) • Tangs for mast (3) • Track slide (1)
• Track (6’) • Strap eyes (8) • Fasteners (for the hardware)
Marine high-strength nylon/plastic:
• Fair leads • Cleats • Jam cleats • Sheave
Rigging
• 30’ of 3/32” SS wire: made up into forestay, bobstay, and two shrouds
• 105’ New England Rope Sta-Set braided rope running rigging: 3/16”-35’; 1/4” - 45’; 5/16” - 25’
• 1/8” braided twine - 1 - 50’ hank
• 13 fittings including Harken blocks, shackles, thimbles, snap hooks
• Seizing twine.
NOTES: Two rigs: You will need the optional Second Rig kit (with its extra hardware and rigging) if you plan to sail your DragonFlyer with both the F1 and F2 rigs. Asymmetrical: The extra rigging and hardware required are included with this optional sail.
SAILS, MAIN & JIB
• FlyerOne rig, main and jib; 59 sq. ft. (standard rig) Built by Maine Sailing Partners; Challenge Sailcloth, 3.8 oz. Dacron, white, no reef.
Maine Sailing Partners makes high-quality, hand-built sewn sails and is highly regarded for high-performance sails, whether for racing or cruising. They have been enthusiastic supporters of the DragonFlyer as well as invaluable advisors on making a better, and more fun, rig.
The sail plan reflects the latest thinking about sail rigs for performance boats, that is a smaller jib and bigger main with full-length battens in the main with a flat, or nearly flat head. No overlap of the jib on the FlyerOne rig (and only a small overlap on the larger FlyerTwo) reduces back winding of the main and makes the jib easier to handle.
The DragonFlyer has two mast steps, and can fly under main alone. Everyone who has sailed her with the main has been very pleasantly surprised: she goes right along very well indeed under “just the main.” We wanted this option for the DragonFlyer especially for those learning to sail, since it’s a lot easier to start out with one sail to handle when sailing alone.
We have many years of experience with sails rigged as the main is, a sliding gunter (the spar sticking up above the mast that is reminiscent of a gaff is called a yard). This rig takes a sail that is essentially a marconi sail in shape and performance, but can be flown on a much shorter mast (the mast and all other spars fit in the boat, a feature that many people deeply appreciate), there is much less weight high up which translates to better stability, the yard can bend in a strong breeze to flatten the sail so it has a faster shape when you can use it, and the weight of the yard means the sail comes down when you let the halliard go, it doesn’t get hung up half way down and billow in the wind as you try to land at a dock (crunch!).
The full-length battens make a main with a beautiful, fast, powerful shape that has plenty of roach so the whole rig is lower with less heeling force so the boat is more stable and less prone to easily flipping or swamping, which is especially nice for new or lightweight sailors. Zip, the first DragonFlyer, has the standard FlyerOne rig and our experience is that she just . . . goes . . . in everything from the barest breath of wind to a whole lot more. We’ve sailed her with lightweights aboard and also with two adults (one of whom was 6’+) and she just . . . goes. Watching her accelerate from a dead stop, even in light air, is amazing: zero to sailing, instantly. And, sailing her is much more fun than watching!
Kit materials and parts: rig & sails
PART B, RIG
• Spar stock. Five Douglas fir blanks for mast, yard, bowsprit, and boom. Doug fir makes lovely,
smaller diameter spars since it is very strong for its weight. It looks perfectly lovely when varnished—and varnished Doug fir spars are reasonable to maintain, a nice plus.
NOTE: The mast is the same for both the standard FlyerOne rig and the larger FlyerTwo rig. The blank for the yard is long enough for the F2 rig and can be cut shorter for the F1 rig. You will need the optional Second Rig kit (with its blank for an extra yard) if you plan to sail your DragonFlyer with both the F1 and F2 rigs.
• Sailing hardware and rigging Your DragonFlyer kit includes all the fittings and rigging needed for either the standard FlyerOne or optional larger FlyerTwo sloop rigs:
Hardware
Marine stainless:
• Sliding gooseneck (1) • Tangs for mast (3) • Track slide (1)
• Track (6’) • Strap eyes (8) • Fasteners (for the hardware)
Marine high-strength nylon/plastic:
• Fair leads • Cleats • Jam cleats • Sheave
Rigging
• 30’ of 3/32” SS wire: made up into forestay, bobstay, and two shrouds
• 105’ New England Rope Sta-Set braided rope running rigging: 3/16”-35’; 1/4” - 45’; 5/16” - 25’
• 1/8” braided twine - 1 - 50’ hank
• 13 fittings including Harken blocks, shackles, thimbles, snap hooks
• Seizing twine.
NOTES: Two rigs: You will need the optional Second Rig kit (with its extra hardware and rigging) if you plan to sail your DragonFlyer with both the F1 and F2 rigs. Asymmetrical: The extra rigging and hardware required are included with this optional sail.
SAILS, MAIN & JIB
• FlyerOne rig, main and jib; 59 sq. ft. (standard rig) Built by Maine Sailing Partners; Challenge Sailcloth, 3.8 oz. Dacron, white, no reef.
Maine Sailing Partners makes high-quality, hand-built sewn sails and is highly regarded for high-performance sails, whether for racing or cruising. They have been enthusiastic supporters of the DragonFlyer as well as invaluable advisors on making a better, and more fun, rig.
The sail plan reflects the latest thinking about sail rigs for performance boats, that is a smaller jib and bigger main with full-length battens in the main with a flat, or nearly flat head. No overlap of the jib on the FlyerOne rig (and only a small overlap on the larger FlyerTwo) reduces back winding of the main and makes the jib easier to handle.
The DragonFlyer has two mast steps, and can fly under main alone. Everyone who has sailed her with the main has been very pleasantly surprised: she goes right along very well indeed under “just the main.” We wanted this option for the DragonFlyer especially for those learning to sail, since it’s a lot easier to start out with one sail to handle when sailing alone.
We have many years of experience with sails rigged as the main is, a sliding gunter (the spar sticking up above the mast that is reminiscent of a gaff is called a yard). This rig takes a sail that is essentially a marconi sail in shape and performance, but can be flown on a much shorter mast (the mast and all other spars fit in the boat, a feature that many people deeply appreciate), there is much less weight high up which translates to better stability, the yard can bend in a strong breeze to flatten the sail so it has a faster shape when you can use it, and the weight of the yard means the sail comes down when you let the halliard go, it doesn’t get hung up half way down and billow in the wind as you try to land at a dock (crunch!).
The full-length battens make a main with a beautiful, fast, powerful shape that has plenty of roach so the whole rig is lower with less heeling force so the boat is more stable and less prone to easily flipping or swamping, which is especially nice for new or lightweight sailors. Zip, the first DragonFlyer, has the standard FlyerOne rig and our experience is that she just . . . goes . . . in everything from the barest breath of wind to a whole lot more. We’ve sailed her with lightweights aboard and also with two adults (one of whom was 6’+) and she just . . . goes. Watching her accelerate from a dead stop, even in light air, is amazing: zero to sailing, instantly. And, sailing her is much more fun than watching!