How long for a Spinnaker Sheet

[Trilogy]

I just bought a spinnaker (from someone advertising on the YBW For Sale forum). Now I need to buy sheets, guys, halyards, etc. Does anyone have any info on how long sheets / guys should be in relation to boat length, mast height etc. My boat is a Westerly Ocean 33.

Also, I'd value anyone's view on the best fitting to put on the outboard ends of the sheets / guys.

Thanks,

Nick

 

[Chris_Stannard]

Twice the length of the boat. At your size you could get away with one sheet which doubles as a guy. The end should have a snap hook with a short line to the tripping eye so you can trip it. If you do have a sheet and a guy on each side the guy does not need to be quite as long. The sheet goes onto the clew of the sail and the guy snaps on to the ring of the sheet. The guy goes through the eye on the pole. If you are just cruising it is less complicated to use one sheet/guy and take the spinaker down rather than gybe it.
John Oaksey's book Downwind Sailing is full of good tips on Spinaker handling, but it may be out of print.

Good Sailing

Chris Stannard

 

[Skyva_2]

You will find it more controllable with a sheet and guy each side in stronger winds.
Gibb make a good snap shackle for the sheet which you can trip with a lanyard or with a spike. This is the only one attached to the sail.

The guy needs a thinner snap shackle which clips into the sheet shackle, and a plastic ball before the shackle. If you get a rigger to splice the shackles you will get good advice.

Keith

 

[Chris_Stannard]

I go with that. One other tip for bringing spinakers down, especially in strong winds. Bring the lazy guy over the guard rail and to the windward side of the boat. If you have a winch on the coach roof take it to that, if not secure it to a cleat or wharever. Now when you flag the spinaker it cannot go anywhere, even if the recovery crew get it wrong and let go. I used this method whilst racing and it is bomb proof.

Chris Stannard

 

[claymore]

That is a good system - the word of caution on length agrees with your other posting - I think I was once on an economy drive or a space saving exercise and had the spinnaker sheets about a foot shorter than I needed. It meant that you couldn't pull the spinnaker back round the forestay when dropping it without letting go of the sheet. It proved a very costly exercise as I had to go and buy two more the correct length.
I once sailed on a boat with a snuffer which quite impressed me - are you thinking along those lines - it made life easy for 2 of us.
regards
John S

 

[Trilogy]

Thanks Keith (and everyone else). Can you expand a bit about the plastic ball ? Where exactly should it be, and what does it do ?

Thanks,

Nick

 

[Guest]

The plastic ball (or ring) goes next to the snap shackle to prevent it from getting pulled in to, and stuck in, the end of the pole.