I was so taken by the idea of sailing the archipelo that I want off on a tangent with respect to the F12 design. I used the same basic F12 platform (Deep V-ed hull) and the bottom section of the mast and its supports, as that is both simple, robust and cheap, and just changed the rig to a gaff or lugger sail.

To my surprise the specs work out really well. There is hardly any difference between these extremely simple and cheap sails and the fully battened class 5 sails. Pressure points, sail area's are all as good as the same. Don't even need to modify the bottom section of the mast at all. Just have to make a small insert that slides in its top and holds the halyard blocks. These rigs can then even be fully (de)rigged while on the water (safety), including lowering the mast itself. Put a peddle on board and you can peddle these craft very well too. I'm thinking about each skipper sitting on opposite hulls of the same craft with the second craft behind in tow. I already know that cats are very easy to peddle at decent speeds. Have done it a few times. Once wind picks up one sailor switches back to his own boat and both skippers raise their masts and sails and continue to trip under sail.

I know this will work very well while using a gaff or lugger rig as I've been doing the same on Valk sail boats for years. Just ask Phill Brander, I'm sure he'll still remember how we negociated the low bridges when sailing the Valks. You would sail right up to the bridge and drop the whole rig and mast in 30 seconds, then let the momentum push the boat through under the bridge and then on the other side you would push up the mast and sails in again 30 seconds and continue sailing.

Deck tent over the boom and voila you're camping. Could even do that on the water in a shelted bay when using a small anchor.

Of course we loose some performance with these gaff and lugger rigs but one a travel trip like this that is not much of a problem, I'm happy to sail at 9 knots instead of 11 knots upwind if that saves me a bundle of money and allowing me to make this trip through the archipelo ! Best of these sails is how easy and cheap they are and repaired.

WOW !

I'm still impressed at how easy my basic F12 was adjusted to the different requirements of an archipelo trip.

Gato, what a great idea to use a cat like the F12 for this. I'm sure if you start taking kids along that they will consider it a right adventure. Makes me feel as exited as a kid as well.

Wouter