Peel Castle is rigged with shorthanded sailing in mind or sailing with an
inexperienced crew.

 

The lug sails are set "standing'" rather than "dipping " for this reason.
This means that the tack of the sail is made off close to the mast. When
going about nothing has to change until the yard has swung over, which is
a very gentle process and as the sails are loose footed there are no booms
to worry about either.

 

The sheets for the jib and forelug are changed over and the main sheet is
led to a horse behind the helm and slides across itself, though the sheet tail
can be moved over to be out of the way.

 

The lazy back stays can be hauled up against the sail and hardened up
when the yard has swung across or left toggled forward to the shrouds if in
light to moderate airs and short tacking.

 

Gybing or "wearing ship" is preferred when passage-making as the yards
go over in sequence followed by the jib, allowing plenty of time to stroll
forward and tend to sheets and backstays and no risk of a clip of the sheet
blocks as when tacking. When close hauled, ready to tack and the slack is
taken out of the lazy sheets it is also a very straight forward manoeuvre.
The disadvantage of the standing lug over the dipping lug is that on one
tack the yard will be resting on the mast and the flow of air over the luff of
the sail is disturbed as the section of sail ahead of the mast is not working.
On Peel Castle one yard is set to port and the other to starboard so one sail
is always in clean air and there is no notable difference in performance on
either tack.

 

The extreme angle of rake on the mainmast of 16 degrees is particularly
helpful in light airs as the sail hangs open and also signicantly reduces
friction on the hoist.

 

The yards are raised with a set of double blocks, one fixed on deck, the
other shackled to a wire that passes over a sheave in the mast which is
attached to the yard. There is also a peak halyard fixed towards the end of
the yard to assist in the hoist though it does not carry much load, but keeps
manners on the procedure.

 

The tack is set with a cord at a pre-determined height above deck and once
the yard is hoisted a set of sister hooks are attatched and the luff is set up as

 

required and the the peak halyard is slackened off.
Halyards are coiled carefully from the block and hung on a cleat at the mast
ready to cast off.

 

The jib is set on a traveller which is run out to the end of the bowsprit and is
hanked to a wire that is part of the halyard becoming its own forestay when
set up.

 

There is a wire halyard running from the end of the bowsprit through a
sheave in the top of the foremast made off to a set of double blocks, the
lower fixed to the deck, which allows the bowsprit to be raised if necessary
to shorten up in port.

 

The heavy galvanised band on the bowsprit and fixed at the stem head is
hinged and pinned. This is opened first to release the bowsprit, the bobstay
and whisker tackle is eased while the bowsprit is raised. The traveller can be
set midway along the bowsprit when raised to take some of the weight.
The mizzen standing lug has the sheet set to an outrigger which is also
lifting, hinged at the tabernacle. The mizzen is a very useful manoeuvring
sail and can be set and dropped very quickly and easily by the helmsperson
or crew. The outrigger is also very quick and easy to raise or lower.
The timber frame aft of the transom (part of the mizzen mast shrouds) is
normally netted and a great place to relax both underway and in port and a
favorite berth in hotter climates.

 

When underway the helmsperson is standing at the tiller and crew tend to
sit aft against the transom on deck cushions. There is also a very clear view
to lewyard whilst out of harm’s way. There is a hand hydraulic steering
system with a wheel that could be installed, the tabs for the rams are
already on the rudder stock at deck level.