How do you sail with a half rig?
Definitely relaxed! My wife and I are now retired and want to use our time on our Jeanneau 41 as comfortably as possible. Our furling genoa is more than enough to get from A to B. Not only do we have less work without a boom and mainsail, but we have also created a huge amount of space on deck. Nine lines were no longer needed and could be dismantled along with the associated pulleys and clamps. The boat was tidier in one fell swoop and a few tripping hazards were removed at the same time. My wife was immediately delighted!
How did you come up with this unusual idea?
In the past three years, we had only set the main five times and regularly saw other boats travelling with just a genoa. What's not needed on board can go down - I've always been very pragmatic about that. I also broke my neck on land a few years ago and had to train my way back to life. It feels really good when there's nothing swinging back and forth above my head in the cockpit.
But isn't there still something missing?
No. I have sailed on small old wooden boats with little comfort for most of my life. Then the family got bigger and so did the boat. Dismantling the boom was ultimately the logical consequence.
Were there no snarky comments?
It took over a week before anyone even noticed it. One of them looked at the boat for a very long time, but then eventually moved on without comment. He probably knew that something was wrong, he just couldn't work out what it was. Another sailor in my age group found the advantages of boomless sailing so convincing that he is about to give it up as well.
But the mast should stay - or is it also in danger of being sacrificed at some point?
Absolutely not! A sailing boat without a mast really makes no sense at sea due to its design. The constant swaying of the boat would drive me crazy.
And what about wind from the front?
Of course we can't tack hard, but that doesn't matter to us. We don't want to sail a regatta, we just want to relax on the water. Even in Norway's short season, you can get quite far with a large genoa.
Where do you have your boat moored and what are you planning for this summer?
Our boat is moored in Telemark, with many skerries and beautiful little towns within easy reach. We are considering sailing down the Swedish west coast this summer, which is ideal for us with the prevailing westerly winds. If we were to plan another long trip to Scotland, for example, I would of course still have a ready-to-use boom in the garage. But to be honest, I'm now too old for big sailing adventures.
About the person: Einar Husby
The 69-year-old Norwegian used to work on an oil platform in the North Sea. Two weeks of work at a time were always followed by four weeks off. He used these to restore wooden boats and go sailing. He now often goes sailing with his wife.
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Morten Strauch
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