from Bob McGregor

Have you come across the safety hint for standing lugs using no rigging and halyard tied off on the mast? In the event of a bad squall, secure the mainsheet and pick up the mast and sail and heave it overboard, then drift to it as a sea-anchor. Sounds pretty drastic, but was apparently considered a sound advantage in some waters. Retrieval and reinstalling was no trouble.

Has anyone in the DCA ever used an Irish curragh? I saw them last year in Galway — maybe they could be sailed with a low canoe rig — Eric may know.