Dropping spinnakers singlehanded

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Seeing the thread just posted on PBO forum about snuffers reminded me I meant to ask about dropping spinnakers.

Do many of you use spinnakers while sailing singlehanded? I tried a few times last year, and everything was fine (also great sense of achievement /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif), except that dropping the thing was each time a touch-and-go operation. Something to do with only having 2 hands. It occurred to me that a snuffer might be a good idea - has anyone any views on this, especially singlehanded? And are they expensive?

I'm talking about for cruising use, so speed of hoist and drop is not critical, avoiding wraps IS of interest though /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
When single-handed I rarely use mine in more than 15 knots of true breeze, so it's easy to douse by bearing off onto a dead run, pulling the sail down in the lee of the main and stuffing it down the companionway. It's important to be able to control the rate at which the halyard is paid out when dropping, so there is an element of doing two jobs at once. A preventer on the boom is also essential.

A snuffer is somewhere on my list of 'things to buy sometime' but has yet to make it to anywhere near the top. With a larger boat - or if you don't have lots of experience using a spinnaker when fully crewed - a snuffer is more important, particularly once you get to the 40ft bracket.
 
Thanks for the reply. That's exactly the way I tried - as you say, controlling the halyard was the trickiest bit (partly my fault as I have yet to devise a reliable way of stopping the jamming cleat engaging just when everything's dropping smoothly, which doesn't help!). I have also stuck to lighter winds - but always have in mind that it might get fraught if struck by a squall unexpectedly, and anyway I would like to increase the windspeeds that I'm happy to fly it, hence wondering if the snuffer would be a big improvement (I've never tried one at all).
 
A snuffer will male a huge difference short or single handed - still wouldnt fly a kite in much breeze without more crew though. If things get out of hand they do it very rapidly
 
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If things get out of hand they do it very rapidly

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Understood. Last time the autopilot chose the worst time to fail...
 
The other thing I considered for the old boat and may get fitted on the new one is a halyard jammer at the mast for the kite - makes it easier to control the halyard whilst gathering the kite although if you sit or stand on the halyard on the coachroof that worked for me before.
 
I was standing at the companionway, hauling the clew in under the boom and straight down the main hatch with right hand, letting out halyard (it's led back to cockpit) with left hand, and holding the halyard jammer with my nose (bit of poetic licence there, but it's how it felt) - and steering with my foot when the autopilot failed... Felt a bit like Mr. Bean...
 
A snuffer if you're not into racing is (IMO) a HUGE bonus ... never tried it singlehanded ... but short handed is superb ... want the sail - hoist the snuffer ... don't want the sail - pull the snuffer back down - Excellent!! Once the sail is away you can take your time about dropping it - so if you don't have time (the kettle has just boiled and you need a cuppa!) then it can stay aloft - ok - there is some windage there, but 95% of the time it is no bother...
 
I also flew the spinnaker singlehanded for the first time last year, off the Cherbourg peninsular between Dielette and Catteret, not much wind when I put it up, none at at all when it came down, I agree with the sense of achievement for getting it flying, there is still the worry about the drop. In light winds I've always favoured letting it fly by unclipping the guy hank at the spinnakers clew. Then dropping it under the lee of the main.

I do think I have an advantage in having all the halyards at the mast rather than led back to cockpit, as long as the autopilot behaves itself much easier to control the sail from there on a small boat.

Hope to fly the spinnaker again singlehanded this summer, and am encouraged I'm not the only one you enjoys pushing the limits.
 
I use a light spi for light breezes,Ive never had a problem getting it down.The most annoying part is getting soaked pulling it back on board.

Only recently i saw another smallboat fitting a snuffer he practiced useing it while tied up i think it only took him an hour or to to fit it and then begin useing it.I had no idea they were expensive????

When/if i see him again i will have to ask what it cost and how he gets on with it. Id like to use a spi more often but even my small one can become a handful if the wind picks up.
 
With you all the way there - the other handy thing is that you can pretty much set the sheet and guy before pulling the snuffer up so the spinnaker sets more or less as the snuffer rides up.

For me the major consideration is about having sea room and therefore time before I launch it.

Our autopilot can go off on one - particularly downwind, so again that just needs watching.
 
Looks like I'll have to ask Santa for a snuffer in my stocking! Do you keep the spinnakre in them permanently?
 
I had always though that snuffers were for wimps and real men tripped the spinnaker guy then bundled the sail down the companionway. Now this thread has got me thinking.

The real challenge is dropping the sail in too much wind. Tripping the guy depowers the sail in seconds and just leaves a skipper intimidated by decibels.

Pictures of snuffers always seem to show some contraption trying to throttle a powered up spinnaker. How do these things work when wind speed jumps 10kts without warning?
 
I have snuffers on both sym and asym spinnakers - I must say that the one on the asym is much more effective than that on the sym because the sail itself is made of lighter cloth (the symmetric is a bit heavy and stiff).

The word of caution - they do occasionally jam - in which case you need to resort to more traditional means drop the kite, so I would not recommend using the spinnaker in conditions in which you would not be happy dropping it the old way.

BTW am I the only person who prefers to drop the spinnaker on a broad reach blanketted by the Genoa rather than a run behind the main?
 
Yes keep it in the snuffer and it lives in a locker in the forepeak so I can clip it onto the halyard down there then go above to the mast and then hoist it.
 
Try controlling the halyard like this:

Chuck the halyard overboard so it trails cleanly behind the boat.
Get guy ready to run.
Run the guy and as quickly as possible dump the halyard.
Gather in the sail
The drag on the halyard is usually just enough to keep things under control, though you may have to experiment. One of my boats needed a rag tied to the end of the halyard to give a bit more resistance.

Another really good technique is as follows. Obviously it needs a loose footed main.

Set up as before, but this time lead the lazy guy between the foot of the main and the boom, make the guy fast somewhere.

Blow the halyard and working guy(!) pull the sail through the "letter box" and stuff down the companion way.

Bit tough on the kite but the sail is automatically doused and you cannot lose control.

If you use a snuffer a good tip is to lead the downhaul line through a snatch block on the deck, much easier to keep your footing rather than giving Tarzan impersonations swinging about.
 
Dropping em is a piece of cake.... Getting em back in the boat now, that's the clever bit!
Snuffers are great but make sure the hauling lines don't tangle anything or you will have a bigger problem than if you didn't have one!
 
Have you thought of having an assy on a roller ? Singlehanded that might be the easiest thing around and even gybing can be done roll-in roll-out.

KISS
 
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