Birdseye
Well-known member
How do you repack your spinnaker on board during a race? What I am after is how you place and support the bag ( side launch in our case) . And do you repack as you recover or dump below and then repack?
for those with symetricals
- Thread starter Birdseye
- Start date
flaming
Well-known member
90% of the time don't repack. Just drop into and then hoist out of the forehatch. Only pack as dropped if very light, and basicaly don't then as it's always quicker to hatch drop.
However if repacking (mostly if changing kites) then my technique is as follows.
Put bag on floor. Find head of kite and hang from hatch handle / bit of cunningly positioned velcro above the bag. Run tape until you find a clew. Throw it forwards or backwards in the boat depending on which side of the head that tape was on. Follow the other tape and throw the other clew in the opposite direction. Run the foot, making sure that all of the kite material is on 1 side of the foot. You then basically have the kite laid out on top of the bag, and you can just shove it in, with the 2 clews, and then the head being last.
lw395
Well-known member
Similar, but 3 plastic hooks on the grab rail on the bulkhead.
Find a corner, put it on the hook. follow a tape to the next corner, put it on a hook. follow tape to last corner, put it on a hook.
Take the middle of the kite from the floor and shove it in the bag.
Shove the rest in.
The tapes should be on top.
Transfer the corners to the velcro strips on the bag.
Birdseye
Well-known member
Forehatch is ruled out - SWMBO has her kit in the forecabin. Out of interest do you leave halyards guys etc connected when the spinny is down below ie hatch part open.
My boat is a Starlight so the internal volume isnt up to AWB standards and I have found there is not really enough room down below. So I was thinking of rigging up someway to hold the bag open in the companionway entrance - say batten pockets in the bag and lashings at each end to the two winches up there. That way we can pull it in under the boom and straight into the bag.
My boat is a Starlight so the internal volume isnt up to AWB standards and I have found there is not really enough room down below. So I was thinking of rigging up someway to hold the bag open in the companionway entrance - say batten pockets in the bag and lashings at each end to the two winches up there. That way we can pull it in under the boom and straight into the bag.
flaming
Well-known member
Yes. Though if the windward leg is more than a few minutes long we'll unplug the halyard and stow that at at the mast.
I promise that you have more space down below than we do in the new boat.... The drop into a bag in the companionway technique can work well on smaller boats, but a Starlight 35 would be the biggest I'd ever heard of trying it.
savageseadog
Well-known member
Look, we're talking about racing here, Unnecessary kit in the forepeak? Chuck it overboard, lighten the load and drop into the forehatch.
Daydream believer
Well-known member
What ? chuck SWMBO overboard?
Tried it once, & she only hung over the side for a second or two, off Barfleur
Should have heard the ear ache
"You & your B..Y boat" etc etc
Not worth the risk:ambivalence:
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Beelzebub
Well-known member
OK, not 35ft but a bag in the companionway used to work well on the X-99, also on 3/4 tonners.
Birdseye
Well-known member
But how did they hold the bag open in the companionway? Thats really my issue. Its the best place for us to do the repack but the problem is the soft floppy bag, holding it open preferably so that one man alone can repack.
flaming
Well-known member
The normal way is to have the bag on runners.
So two lines running just outside of the hatch opening forward, so that once it's in the bag it can be shoved forward out of the way.
Still don't think this is an especially winning idea on a starlight though. The hoist from out of that bag in the companionway has got "bad idea" written all over it in a boat this size I think.
lw395
Well-known member
Use a proper turtle bag, the mouth is held open by a loop of plastic tubing 500mm or so across.
There is an elasticated lid which goes over the hoop to close the bag.
You could hang it as above then put the lid on it and move it to the leeward guard rail for the launch.
There is an elasticated lid which goes over the hoop to close the bag.
You could hang it as above then put the lid on it and move it to the leeward guard rail for the launch.
chrishscorp
Well-known member
Birdseye
Well-known member
The normal way is to have the bag on runners.
So two lines running just outside of the hatch opening forward, so that once it's in the bag it can be shoved forward out of the way.
Still don't think this is an especially winning idea on a starlight though. The hoist from out of that bag in the companionway has got "bad idea" written all over it in a boat this size I think.
Wouldnt dream of trying to launch from the companionway - just too many snag points between there and the forestay. But the above looks possible as a way of holding the bag open to repack. I will investigate.
We have two spinnakers and hitherto we have been getting round the issue by using both. Its rare we have more than two spinnaker runs in a race since we rarely do windward / leeward type course. Usually round the cans with longish legs.
Neil_Y
Well-known member
On 1/5 tonners and 3/4 tonners and anything bigger we always unclip so the kite is packed downstairs, with hooks from coach roof as others have said.
By having the sets of guys/sheets/Halyard clipped together it's easier to change your hoist from Stbd to port, which can be useful.
It's only on small boats like J24,H22,Hunter707 I'll do drop into bag through hatch or companion way. The danger in any breeze is you have lots of sail cloth blowing around whilst crew are grinding in sheets. So I opt for a chuck it below unless it's very light. Doing it into a bag on the companion way on a bigger boat (much bigger kite) is you can snag on clutches or if dropped to leward it will be on top of the sheet as it's being winched in. It's often down to the boat the crew and the layout what you choose. One thing for racing, (if you have time) after it's packed pull out one clew of the kite (which will be the guy) for maybe 3-4metres (on a 35') and then flake it back in on top of the packed kite. This means when you go to hoist you can get the guy out early without it pulling the rest of the kite out of the bag so it can be sheeted against the pole and off the forestay before the halyard is halfway up. Hope that helps.
By having the sets of guys/sheets/Halyard clipped together it's easier to change your hoist from Stbd to port, which can be useful.
It's only on small boats like J24,H22,Hunter707 I'll do drop into bag through hatch or companion way. The danger in any breeze is you have lots of sail cloth blowing around whilst crew are grinding in sheets. So I opt for a chuck it below unless it's very light. Doing it into a bag on the companion way on a bigger boat (much bigger kite) is you can snag on clutches or if dropped to leward it will be on top of the sheet as it's being winched in. It's often down to the boat the crew and the layout what you choose. One thing for racing, (if you have time) after it's packed pull out one clew of the kite (which will be the guy) for maybe 3-4metres (on a 35') and then flake it back in on top of the packed kite. This means when you go to hoist you can get the guy out early without it pulling the rest of the kite out of the bag so it can be sheeted against the pole and off the forestay before the halyard is halfway up. Hope that helps.
Birdseye
Well-known member
I tried the system pictured by Flaming and it worked well. But this week will be the real trial since the kite has been left in the bag just as it came down. Some crew swear it wont be twisted when we launch - we shall see. I am not confident.
But the approach at least for dropping is much better than dumping all into the cabin and attempting to pack down below.
But the approach at least for dropping is much better than dumping all into the cabin and attempting to pack down below.
awol
Well-known member
Spinnakers are fun, aren't they? Start off by learning one way of hoisting and dowsing and then discover there are many others. On windward/leeward courses or when coming off a run onto a beat (usually port rounding), if the wind is not too strong, genny is hoisted, lose the pole a couple of boat lengths before the mark, the tack is held out to keep the spinnaker full and then heaved back inside the genoa just before the helm is put down and the chute is dropped inside the genoa and straight into the bag on the foredeck as the boat rounds the mark. Very satisfying if the timing is right but the cock-up possibilities are great!
Daydream believer
Well-known member
On my Stella with a crew of just 2 we would drop it into the turtle fixed on the pulpit & could do it just as quick as most fully crewed boats.
On a 30 ft boat one could drop it onto a bag by the lee shroud. this is particularly handy when single handed so should be just as good when crewed.
there is a book by Foolish Muse which can be Googled & he describes it in full. His claims to do it fairly fast when racing SH will not be as quick as those on boats with full crews but might suit less skilled crews
On a 30 ft boat one could drop it onto a bag by the lee shroud. this is particularly handy when single handed so should be just as good when crewed.
there is a book by Foolish Muse which can be Googled & he describes it in full. His claims to do it fairly fast when racing SH will not be as quick as those on boats with full crews but might suit less skilled crews
