Balanced lug
A simple rig that's perfectly effective, especially for our smaller dories, the balanced lug is based on a single sail that is not attached to the mast in any way, but rather is laced to the boom and yard. This makes a lug sail easy to rig, to reef and to repair - but then again, there's not a lot to go wrong here and no expensive fittings to mess with.
Gaff jib and main
Want to add a little more sail to your dory? Then our gaff rigged jib and main is your choice. A little more traditional looking - though to be honest, a fishing dory carried only the simplest sail in hopes of catching a fair wind that would run them home to the mother schooner - this rig runs fore and aft, or bow to stern if you like. It includes a sizable main sail and a smaller triangular jib. See one sailing here:
Centerboards
Want to sail upwind? You’ll want to add a centerboard. This metal fin, housed in a wooden casing and fully retractable for beaching and trailering, will reduce the unwanted sideways motion when wind fills your sails and will keep your boat from drifting to leeward.
Rudders
Highly recommended if you plan to sail your dory, a rudder is also a plus when using an outboard in a motor well. Rather than sitting on top of your motor, you can put the outboard in a fixed position and steer by the tiller. Steering in rough weather is also more reliable by this method.