Gybing a Kite

AIDY

AIDY

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 Jan 2004
Messages
7,763
Location
Muckle Flugga
www.ybw.com
Whats the best way to gybe a kite. On my smaller boat I could end for end the pole and swap the sheet and guy. I now have a bigger boat with a fixed pole, which needs to be dipped. do i require a lazy guy and sheet now to gybe. or do as before and go down wind and swap the lines.

Oh and does anybody have a good/simple method of packing the kite below deck while racing before deployment again.

TIA
 
Not enough info for an ideal answer.

End to end is always easier but increasing size usually eventually requires dip-pole.

My(limited) experience of dip-pole meant that the set-up couldn't be end-to-ended. The pole had different fixings at each end and had only one release point.

I can only assume that if you are asking which method to use then your set-up allows either.......... in which case end-to-end........... it's easier, especially with limited/inexperienced crew.
 
I take it from your description that you have a fixed pole meaning you can't end for end it. I think the only practical way is to have a sheet and guy on each corner of the kite. (ie 4 ropes) This method makes for a very safe easy gybe in stronger winds. Run the boat square to the wind, take the load on the new sheet and ease the old guy, raise the base of the pole and allow the pole to drop inward to the bow. When the pole is at the bow on deck change the old guy for the new guyand push/ hoist the pole up and out, the load is taken by the new guy and the old sheet is released.

The huge advantage is that the pole is under control at all times and no one has to hold the pole. The disadvantage is that someone must operate the pole topping lift while someone else operates the sheets/guys. As with end for ending the helmsperson must keep the boat square so the kite will remain inflated without pole attached. It takes some practice.
The problems I have seen are mainly in light winds where the load is taken on the new sheet and the pole and guy are dropped away and in. Often the pole fouls the sheet such that it pulls the spin clew inboard just when you want it to stay out and full. it seems to be critical to get the brace under the sheet to allow dropping away but how that is done is a mystery to me (an aft cockpit spectator/advisor.)
As for stowing the spin. In a race with multiple spin runs the spin is stuffed into the forward hatch when dropping with sheets/guys attached. Retrieved on the leeward side of jib under the jib foot. If the next run is on the same tack, you simply pull it out again with the halyard. If the next run is on the other tack then the guys/sheets and halyard must be removed and passed around the forestay to set up for a hoiist on the leeward side of the jib.
It may be practical to pull it down on the windward side of the jib if the next run is on opposite tack but may result in huge foul up of spin in the jib. The spin just lands on the floor or bunks.
Needless to say always hoist or lower spin with jib up and setting.

Good luck olewill.

Spinacker ....The invention of the devil.
 
Re: Packing Kite

To pack the kite quickly and to have it "stopped" you need a plastic bucket with the bottom cut out and loads of rubber bands. Place about 20 rubber bands on outside of bucket, put head of spinnaker through top of bucket and tie head to a fixed point. Pull bucket down spinnaker, then pull spinnker through bucket when out of space, offloading a rubber band every couple of feet. Ease clews trough bucket then start packing the spinnaker into bag/turtle, centre of foot first, until head is in at the top. Keep clews accessible at each side of the bag, preferably have ties on rim of bag/turtle to tie the head and clews to so they are easily accessible for attaching halyard, sheets, guys before launch. Requires 1 person for say less than 30' masthead boat, 2 persons if larger.
 
ole will has got it right - a few things to add:

Dip-pole gybing takes a lot of people (or must be done slowly): one on the foredeck putting the new brace / guy in the jaws; one at the mast pulling the inboard end of the pole up; one on the topping lift / uphaul to control the end of the pole; and one or two on the sheets / guys. Plus a helmsman.

One thing you might want to do in heavier breeze is choke down the sheets during the gybe, so the kite doesn't lift too high or oscillate too much.

Basic sequence is (gybing from stbd to port):
square the boat away to very nearly DDW
square the kite to the wind (pole back, sheet out)
take the tension on the lazy (stbd) sheet and ease the loaded (stbd) brace
trip the pole end off the brace while the inboard end of the pole goes up the mast, and the outboard end is dropped to the bowman
(at this time, the kite is free flying using the two spinnaker sheets to control it)
bowman puts the new (port) brace into the pole end, shouts "made" or similar and pushes the pole end up and out to the new (port) side
inboard end of pole dropped down the mast; outboard end raised
pressure is taken on the new (port) brace while the former (port) sheet is eased
helmsman drives the boat up a few degrees to the wind while trimmers adjust both corners of the kite to match
smiles all round

One thing to be careful about - if your bowman has not done this before, it is easy to put the brace in the jaws the wrong way round - if this happens, take the pressure on the sheet while you are fixing the problem.

As for packing, on smaller kites you can do as ole-will says. on some boats (e.g. J24) it is standard to have a spinnaker turtle permanently mounted in the companionway. The kite is never packed during a race, just in and out of the turtle.

On bigger boats up to a certain size you can get away with just "running the tapes". Start at one clew and hold it in your left hand. Run your right hand along the tape until you get to the head, having held the tape at a couple of intermediate points in your left hand. Now hold the head (as well) in your left hand, running your right hand along the other tape (again hold in your left hand at a couple of intermediate points) until you get to the other clew. Now you should have both clews and the head, together with a few bits of the tapes, in your left hand. Use your right hand to stuff the kite in the bag while keeping the three corners together in your left hand.

If the kite is big enough that you need to use stoppers - then the boat is pretty big. If you can afford a boat like that, you can afford to have more than one kite, so you use a new one for each leg and keep the crew weight on the rail. When you are going downwind for the second time, you pack the first kite. and so on.
 
Can't remeber what the foredeck committee worked out on the chartered Bav on Round the Island, but if you remember the w/e before didn't permit any trials so they hit it cold (well hot actually, drufting in all that sunshine.) Had to dip as one end of pole was fixed to mast and the only glitch was a novice in the companionway not realising that "Pole up" means release the Pole Down. We all know that, don't we?
The casualty regained consciousness quite quickly.
About downing the darn thing, I'm committed to pulling it underneath the boom and down the hatch (this on 30-40 ft boats.) Then the pair who've been practising since they arrived tie the head to a deckhead grabrail and zigzag down opposite luffs to the clews, then, if you're thorough (and it IS worth it) zigzag the foot as well.
Grag the bag/turtle, push the bulky mass inside with the three corners last and tied together with that sailtie. It works every time.
Oh, after a few drops you tell the two crew that you can't spare all that weight off the rail and it's a singlehanded job.
 
Packing a Kite

Put some sort of hook, or clip, up in the bows of the boat's forecabin. Hook the head of the downed sail to it. One person then follows each luff back down the sail and through the boat, making sure there are no twists. They then take the clews forward and hook them onto the same point as the head. Go back into the saloon with the sail bag, and stuff the sail's belly into the bag, working your way forward, until you arrive at the three corners. Tie them together loosely with a sail tie (or if you've got a poncy spinny turtle, there'll be three velcroed straps sewn in, one for each corner) and Robert's your dad's brother. Should take no more than a couple of minutes.

Only 'stop' the spinny with rotten cotton or rubber bands if you expect to hoist next in strong winds, or you anticipate a downwind start (when you can hoist it stopped and break it out a few seconds before the gun).
 
Best method I've evr seen for packing, and have always used since because it's fast and reliable.

Don't bother with the tapes, this sorts them for you.

Sit down with the bag beneath your legs. Find the middle of the foot. Put it on your lap and then follow the centre seam, pulling the seam onto your lap. When you reach the central horizontal panels (when the vertical centre seam disappears) keep going, using the orientation of the weave as a guide to going vertically. Keep going until you get to centre seam again, and then on till you get to the head.

You've now got each leech on either side. Starting with what's on your lap, bundle it into the bag until the head is hanging out. Then stuff the rest in until the two clews are reached.

Can't have any twists. Simple.

If that's not clear, imagine that you're pulling a very long dress upo to your waist.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top