If you want to realistically cross the open water sections of Cape Caution and Dixon entrance you're gonna want a real tiller that somebody can throw their body weight against. The mixed direction swell around the border remains the hairiest wave set I've ever sailed through and requires decisive actions on the helm.
Why not a balanced lug instead of a square sail? It would give you more flexibility and some windward capability. You should be able steer with ballast trim by moving the crew fore and aft. The vikings were able to do this to some extent because their ships had external keels.
Seconding this, as a square sail big enough to offer substantial gains downwind is going to be difficult to sheet properly on a boat with such a narrow beam. Plus at least in the 2018 R2AK we spent a lot more time beating and reaching compared to sailing deep angles downwind.
If you want to realistically cross the open water sections of Cape Caution and Dixon entrance you're gonna want a real tiller that somebody can throw their body weight against. The mixed direction swell around the border remains the hairiest wave set I've ever sailed through and requires decisive actions on the helm.
Why not a balanced lug instead of a square sail? It would give you more flexibility and some windward capability. You should be able steer with ballast trim by moving the crew fore and aft. The vikings were able to do this to some extent because their ships had external keels.
Seconding this, as a square sail big enough to offer substantial gains downwind is going to be difficult to sheet properly on a boat with such a narrow beam. Plus at least in the 2018 R2AK we spent a lot more time beating and reaching compared to sailing deep angles downwind.