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On deck, the 8’ long cockpit is surrounded by a deep coaming and featureslarge storage lockers under each of the seats, a full bridge deck and an offsetcompanionway leading below.What a lot of lines to remember—no wonder they call it,“learning the ropes!” On the foremast alone there are atotal of nine lines of running rigging.they call it, “learning the ropes!” On the foremast alonethere are a total of nine lines of running rigging: jib halyard,foresail throat and peak halyards, fisherman staysail halyard,topping lift, lazy jacks, reefing lines, Cunningham andflag halyard. A tenth control line, a gaff vang, runs from thegaff to the mainmast and keeps the foresail peak fromfalling off to leeward. Color-coded lines are a definite plus.And one must always remember that extra five feet ofbowsprit up forward when maneuvering—they don’t callthem “dock sweepers” for nothing.Under sail, schooners are happiest on a beam to broadreach. Downwind, the main tends to blanket the foresail andjib. One can compensate by either tacking downwind, orsailing “wing-and-wing-and-wing” (jib and mainsail on oneside, foresail on the other). Upwind, pointing is around 55degrees to the apparent wind. On all points of sail, settingup the slots between the jib, foresail and main is critical togetting the sails to draw properly. We’ve found that easingthe leeches a bit more than one typically would on a sloopaids in air flow. And it’s necessary to ease the main beforetacking, or all that sail area aft will put the boat into irons.We bought Mystic Traveler on the Gulf Coast in Hudson,FL, and brought her home over a 15-day period acrossFlorida’s Big Bend and the open Gulf. We’ve had MysticTraveler out in winds above 20 knots and seas of 4 to 6 feet andfound her to be very solid. Speeds approaching six knots canbe reached in winds of 10-12 knots. Let go the wheel, and theshoal-draft full keel and worm gear steering will keep theboat on course, although the steering provides virtually norudder feel. The boat makes surprisingly little leeway, evenwith the centerboard up. We typically don’t use it.As with any boat in its fourth decade, some problemscan be expected. The quality of the yard’s finish is high, butthat of owner-finished boats can vary. The masts tend toleak where they pass through the deck and periodicallymust be re-sealed. Two owners have reported saturation ofthe deck and cabin top core. Several owners report leaks atthe hull-to-deck joint. One owner experienced electrolysis inthe lower attachment of the bobstay (running from the tip ofthe bowsprit to the stem at the waterline); another reportedrot in the bowsprit due to improper bedding. One commonproblem seems to be rot in the cabin sole supports due totrapped moisture and poor ventilation. Much of the availablestorage space is taken up by tanks for fuel, water andwaste. But overall the Lazyjacks were exceptionally wellbuilt and have stood up well to the passage of time.The Lazyjack isn’t for everyone. Some would revile therig’s complexity and inefficient windward ability. But if youappreciate traditional sailing craft, nothing beats owning aschooner. Mystic Traveler is a solid and capable cruiser thatgives the satisfaction of being part of the romance of sail andgets admiring looks wherever she goes.We published Mike’s review of his previous boat, the Rob Roy 23,in the September 2010 issue. Read it on the Sailboat Reviews pageat www.southwindsmagazine.com/sailboat-reviews.php.Everything Above DeckSailboat Masts,Booms, Rigging& Hardwarewww.usspars.com386-462-3760800-928-0786rick@usspars.comNews & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2012 41