Asymetric spinnaker

[BobA]

Good evening
In the suite of sails that came with my boat is an asymetric spinnaker - i have a very simple question

How do I use it?

I haven't got a pole and I assume I need one. I have a furling genoa and therefore a semi redundant halyard ( i use it as a crane to assist in getting the inflatable dinghy off the foredeck and into the water.)

Your knowledgeable ideas would be appreciated.

Bob

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[boatless]

You don't need a pole, to start with... later maybe.

You'll have a tack line which you fix to the stemhead, but set so that it's length can be adjusted. Halyard as per normal. Sheets go back to the quarters. To start with set it up so that you gybe outside, that is the opposite of what you'd do with your genoa. Release the current sheet and the assym flags forwards, then take up the new sheet. Later you might try it inside the sail, outside the fstay, works when you're practised.

You may find that a short pole from the stem will help get it forward, but if it has been cut for the boat without a pole, it should be fine.

Edit. Just checked which boat you sail. No need for a pole, it will be cut to suit the boat without.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by boatless on 11/06/2004 21:38 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[aod]

Agree with earlier post other than if you want to gybe take it down and hoist it again!

Reason being that unless you are really slick when you are gybing outside the forestay one of the sheets will as a racing certainty go under the boat.

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[Melody]

Do you have a snuffler on it? That's like a big tube that the sail fits into? It makes it much easier to use.
Try this (but I'm no expert)
1. attach top of sail to the halyard and hoist it (in muffler)
2. attach tack to stemhead, with adjustable line if poss
3. attach spare sheet to chute (remember not to put a knot in the end)
4. one person pulls up snuffler while other controls sheet
I'm a convert - don't like spinnakers generally as I've found 80% of the time it ends up with shouting and confusion, but a cruising chute is nice.
When you want to bring it in, reverse the process, bringing down snuffler and releasing sheets to start.
To jibe, suggest you bring down snuffler and then change sheers


<hr width=100% size=1>Melody McKay Burton
Yacht Valentine, Greece

 

[boatless]

I don't think that the assy on a Mac26x is much bigger than an opened out king sized duvet, no need for a snuffer. As with all things, practise makes perfect. Don't be frightened of spinnakers

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[BobA]

Melody

I thank you for the information, I was totally confused about a very long nylon tube with a bucket on the end and lots of rope -which my wife found yesterday tucked in the back of an underseat locker when she was retrieving a couple of fenders which needed inflating. I will have another look at it tomorrow and see if it is a "Snuffer"
Thanks once again

Bob

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[BobA]

Hi melody
It obviously is a snuffer and with the aid of a handy tree i have managed to get the spinnaker inside it.

I am just a little confused because when i try to pull the snuffer up it seems to jam - is there a "correct way" to attach the continuous line to the mouth so that it moves freely.

what I have found on mine is a line which only goes halfway round the mouth and then upwards - when you pull on it it sticks at an angle.
It is OK coming down and drops easily.

The line runs in a few rings on the outside of the snuffer and creates a huge lump at the top when it is fully up - will this affect the sail.

Bob

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[Melody]

Hi Bob
I'll have a look at ours and see how it is put together, then let you know. It does end up as a sort of bag at the top, but the bag should be above the head of the sail.
Will post again in a couple of days when I've inspected our chute.
Melody

<hr width=100% size=1>Melody McKay Burton
Yacht Valentine, Greece

 

[Rick]

I am just a little confused because when i try to pull the snuffer up it seems to jam - is there a "correct way" to attach the continuous line to the mouth so that it moves freely.

Hi Bob,

I've been using socks / snuffers / mufflers for about 10 years now, and am a complete convert - so much so that I'm about to buy yet another to put my big kite in as well.

I've got my MPS in a sock on my 30 foot IOR boat - the trick seems to be to ensure that the uphaul pulls evenly on the sock mouth - there are lots of different styles, ranging from simply an SS ring, to the bell mouther ATN style (the Rolls Royce in my opinion).

If you can, describe the constuction, and how the lines are rigged, and I'll try to provide helpful suggestions.

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[snowleopard]

as you pull on the sheet and the sail fills with wind the snuffer should go up without any help. when the time comes to bring it down again you need to spill the wind out of it before pulling the downhaul.

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[BobA]

there are lots of different styles, ranging from simply an SS ring, to the bell mouther ATN style (the Rolls Royce in my opinion).


Hi Rick

OK here goes - the mouth of the snuffer is a bucket type with a hole on either side of the lip - at the moment and this is how it was retrieved from the loccker by the wife, there is a short length of line which goes through these holes and is tied to the uphaul which runs along the outside of the snuffer through 5 rings to a block at the top and then back down to the bottom.


Bob

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