Cruising chute - what block and rope size?

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Hi - looking to buy, perhaps second hand if I can, a cruising chute for 44" boat, area likely 120 sq M.

From those who have such a cruising sail, what would be the panels recommendations re sheet rope size and block size for this size of sail? Presumably sheet length needs to be approx 1.5 x boat length ? Trying to calculate some budgets for this.

Thanks!
 
Sheet 2x boat length perhaps so that lazy sheet can go round the front & back to the spare winch when not in use ready for gybing. Keeps the end tidy.It needs to allow you to let the clew right off in a sudden gust. You do not want to find the windward sheet catching the clew.
12mm would be Ok. More important is picking the right sort of rope for the job.Easy on the hands Some might suggest 14mm but as you will be using a winch it is not necessary.
halyard 12mm unless a dynema cored then you could have 10mm no problem. leave it long enough to control from cockpit for under boom drop. controlled from cockpit. Tack line would be better long enough to go from cockpit & back with bit to spare so you can drop there .if wanted.Even if you go for one of those snuffer things you should be aware that they do not always work & you may have to drop without in an emergency Inspite of what some might say & i have experience of that :eek:
That is roughly what i have, so now others will come along to disagree :rolleyes:
 
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I use 10mm rope for sheets: it was what I had to hand and works fine. Length is 2 x boat length. To keep costs down I used the aft cleats as turning blocks until I had some spare cash to get some proper blocks: they worked fine for the length of time I used the chute for (couple of hours at a time). If I’d been planning a trade winds crossing where I’d been expecting to use the sail for protracted periods, I’d have got the blocks much earlier.
 
I would worry more about how you are going to handle a 120^2m sail than the size of sheets. Its a big sail and if you have not used one (of that size) before it might be a bit of a shock.

Mention is made of jibing (and the influence it has on sheet length) - it is a valid comment - but if you are short handed, I'd drop it, jibe and re-launch.

So - as part of you budget how are you going to douse it, sock aka snuffler....???

You might be better with an asymmetric on a furler (if you sail short handed)

Jonathan
 
We quite often only rig a single sheet, snuffing the kite to gybe.
In light airs, we have a thin tapered sheet to avoid weight on the clew. It's about 8mm where you handle it and 4mm at the sail end.
But as soon as there's maybe 5knots true, the normal 14mm sheets are used. If you haven't flown asy's before, start with enough breeze to sail and decen thick sheets. Thin sheets can be very dangerous with inexperienced people if the sail is ever allowed to flog.
you will want glvoes and always a turn on a winch, or maybe a ratchet block even in what seems like 'no wind'.
 
Thanks all - I am used to spinnakers of circa 90 sq M on my last boat and all the string that entails! I am more short handed and would be careful when I would fly the cruising chute. I am planning to buy a snuffer, and would not consider trying to gybe the sail, rather snuff it and then reset if needed. I have been looking at furlers, but these are taking me out of my budget range
 
I have a mast head asymetric on a 50 foot yacht. As has been said these are big and powerful sails. The setup others have described seems about right.

All I would add in view of the comments about the size of these sails, (and I am sure you will), is to start of flying it in relatively gentle conditions and work your way up to see what conditions stay within your comfort zone. You then have a very good rule of thumb as to the sort of conditions you are happy launching the sail in, and when to bring it down. Stick to your own rules however tempting it may be to carry on flying the sail in rising winds, unless you are really happy to challenge yourself a bit more!

I have a furler and also a snuffer. I prefer the snuffer so dont let that worry you. The snuffer I feel has many advantages. Furlers also do not work especially well gybing the sail in any event.

I think we all realise if you have or come from a racing background, that using these sails for racing and for cruising are two very different concepts, especially if as many of us do, you cruise short handed and prefer to avoid as much drama as possible. :)
 
I have an asym on a similar sized boat and agree with those who say the lightest line possible for sheets - we use 10mm and might remove the core for for the first 8m (or splice on some 6mm dyneema) to keep it very light as those are the conditions we fly it in and it’s always got to be on a winch given the sail size.

Snuffer works very well for us short handed - I would have liked a furler but too much money.
 
As to smaller sheets I agree BUT do think about your winch. I replaced my rather chunky Genoa sheets with Dyneema (very impressed), but on the self tailing power winches the sheets now really require an extra three or four turns to avoid slippage in a reasonable breeze. The same is true of the sheets for the asy.
 
Thanks - helpful and encouraging comments re the snuffer. Noted re the sheets, one of the sailmakers I have been speaking with has suggested 10mm sheets to keep weight down. My boat has a number of dyneema lines (new to me, I was used to polyester braid) so getting used to needing additional winch turns!
 
I use 12mm sheets om my Cruising chute, on a 45 foot boat. I now only fit one sheet and if I have to gybe, then I just turn dead downwind and walk the sheet round the boat, passing it forward of the forestay and back on the other side before turning to the new gybe and sheeting it in.
 
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