Crusing Chute Snuffer

[RupertW]

I've found a snuffer needs even more careful packing into its bag/turtle than a un-snuffed kite. The wretched up/down lines are always getting tangled or end up on the wrong side. In a pinch with regular kite you can just check one luff for twists and hoist away.

I did find that at first but was glad of the advice from the sailmaker before I ordered it. He said to hoist and drop it least 5 times on the first sail I used it. Otherwise we’d be like most of his customers who use it once then it sits in a locker forever afterwards.

After the first few times of tangling it’s never tangled again - the whole snuffed sail comes out of the sail bag with tack line and sheets attached and we just lead them and hoist. If it goes up untangled it always goes up instantly the same way and back down again.

 

[greeny]

New snuffer arrived from SVB today. (ordered before this post was born) Weather permitting I will be playing with it solo next week. I have used a snuffer on most of my previous boats when single/shorthanded, and I find it gives me a bit more time and control than conventional hoist/drop methods. Once you've had it up and down a few times and the seeming inevitable twists have been sorted out, it's been a pretty much bullet proof method for me. Top down furler quite possibly better but mega bucks by comparison.

 

[thinwater]

I am all ears on how to manage a spinnaker single handed.

You use a snuffer.

I've had both, and above a certain size (about 30 feet) dousing singlehanded gets weird, particularly if the chute gets in the water.

With crew it is faster without.

Another advantage of the snuffer is that yo do NOT have to bag the sail. You can lower it right into a hatch and you are done. No dragging the sail through the cabin. That is my reason.

 

[thinwater]

Some of the "mouths" are smaller than others, but you need one. I had a snuffer without, and past a certain size it is a friction battle.

 

[jaminb]

I've found a snuffer needs even more careful packing into its bag/turtle than a un-snuffed kite. The wretched up/down lines are always getting tangled or end up on the wrong side. In a pinch with regular kite you can just check one luff for twists and hoist away.

I am learning to use he cruising chute with a snuffer singlehanded so keen to hear better techniques, but I have found hoisting the snuffer whilst the genny is still set allows me to rig and sort the sheets, tack line and up and down haul much more easily once the chute is hanging vertically. After they are correctly rigged i swing the chute around the forestay and in the lee of genny. I then furl the genny and haul up the chute, then spend the entire reach panicking about wraps and not be able to go down wind far enough!

Any tips to improve my technique greatly appreciated. My singlehanded spinnaker work is even more labour intensive!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Jeckell's snuffers have a wire loop at the bottom, not a plastic moulding. It works fine - the snuffer itself is made of porous material, so air doesn't get trapped in it. The sail in its snuffer packs into a normal sail bag without any problem.

 

[Daydream believer]

I am learning to use he cruising chute with a snuffer singlehanded so keen to hear better techniques, but I have found hoisting the snuffer whilst the genny is still set allows me to rig and sort the sheets, tack line and up and down haul much more easily once the chute is hanging vertically. After they are correctly rigged i swing the chute around the forestay and in the lee of genny. I then furl the genny and haul up the chute, then spend the entire reach panicking about wraps and not be able to go down wind far enough!

Any tips to improve my technique greatly appreciated. My singlehanded spinnaker work is even more labour intensive!

Has it not occured to you that you might do better to avoid the faffing & just to put the chute in a bag on the deck, attach the 3 points. No snuffer lines to snag up. Furl the genoa & just hoist the sail from the bag in one go from the cockpit where you could adjust sheet & downhaul very quickly . An asymetric will sort itself out pretty quickly once up.

 

[greeny]

I think most people are more worried about getting it down than they are about getting it up, especially when singlehanded, . That's why a snuffer works for me. It lets me tame the sail very quickly and then drop it once everything else is sorted out, usually straight down the hatch, or onto the side deck where it gets tied along the guard wires ready for the next time. It is a bit more of a faff initially to set up and use but it gives me the confidence to fly the sail singlehanded. I doubt I would bother most of the time if I didn't have a snuffer.

 

[jaminb]

Has it not occured to you that you might do better to avoid the faffing & just to put the chute in a bag on the deck, attach the 3 points. No snuffer lines to snag up. Furl the genoa & just hoist the sail from the bag in one go from the cockpit where you could adjust sheet & downhaul very quickly . An asymetric will sort itself out pretty quickly once up.

Sounds far too easy!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I think most people are more worried about getting it down than they are about getting it up,

Considering the average age here, that’s quite remarkable

 

[Buck Turgidson]

I am learning to use he cruising chute with a snuffer singlehanded so keen to hear better techniques, but I have found hoisting the snuffer whilst the genny is still set allows me to rig and sort the sheets, tack line and up and down haul much more easily once the chute is hanging vertically. After they are correctly rigged i swing the chute around the forestay and in the lee of genny. I then furl the genny and haul up the chute, then spend the entire reach panicking about wraps and not be able to go down wind far enough!

Any tips to improve my technique greatly appreciated. My singlehanded spinnaker work is even more labour intensive!

This is how I get it up!

 

[Daydream believer]

If I am not mistaken, It sounds as if that seagull at 8.43, had one hell of a sore throat. Needs some 3 in one oil pouring down its throat.

 

[thinwater]

If you coil the snuffed sail down into a hatch or into a bag the lines will not foul. If you just stuff it in, yeah, that's a mess.

 

[jwfrary]

Snuffers are more trouble than they are worth IMHO.

Short handed drop (aka letterbox dowse) goes like this:
Prepare the guy for running out.
Lead the lazy guy over the boom and through the gap made by the loose footed mainsail and make fast onto something.
Chuck the halyard overboard so it trails behind the boat. This might need experimentation, an old boat of mine required a rag tied to the stopper knot to induce a bit of drag,
At some stage, hoist or unfurl the jib.
Bear away onto a deep run, so the kite is hidden by the mainsail.
Blow the guy and halyard in quick succession.
Gather the sail with the lazy guy and stuff bown the companionway,
Tidy up and open a beer.
Putting the kettle on is not recommended with the spinnaker all over the saloon.

I have a bag hooked up in the companion way so it goes straight into that,

I just come under the boom as the lazy Jack's get in the way in crusing mode!

 

[jaminb]

Considering the average age here, that’s quite remarkable

nicely done and you didnt burn your kite with the fag

 

[jaminb]

This is how I get it up!

nicely done and you didnt burn your kite with the fag

 

[Buck Turgidson]

nicely done and you didnt burn your kite with the fag

My golden rule is if I can't do it with a fag on the go I don't do it