Is it worth keeping?

[bobnewbury]

Have picked up a second hand cruising chute which seems a perfect fit for our Victory 40. The spinnaker is a pain to set and use, so have sold that.

I have no direct experience of using a cruising chute, but the vendor explained its use and he says there is no need for the spinnaker pole. So, is it worth taking the pole with us, given that it's a pain to stow and clutters up the foredeck? Would we ever really need it without a spinnaker?

We're talking extended cruising here, but very few individual long legs, mostly day sailing with the odd 24 - 48 hour run.

 

[TiggerToo]

I'd definitively keep it. You can use it for all sorts of things, including poling out your genoa on a run, setting the cruising shute when the wind is from behind (it works better like that), rigging a jury mast in case of dismasting (God forbid) or a jury rudder (God forbid this too). If you were getting rid of it, i'd buy it from you, but as you are enjoying yourself down there, rather than slaving away in the Stinky, I suspect delivery costs would outweigh its value).

 

[castaway]

Yes I would keep it for sure...The only thing is that yout spi pole might be like mine ie big 'n' heavy and capable of getting seriously out of control.

For the sort of use I get out of mine I actually need a much lighter pole. I have got the ends but havn't got around to getting the bit inbetween yet.

Nick

 

[kengill]

Bob get a used windsurfer mast - carbon fibre ultra light weight and 'cos its from the skip its free!!!

 

[vyv_cox]

The usual recommendation for poling out a cruising chute is that it needs to be longer than a spinnaker pole, which usually = J, length mast to forestay. Using a standard J length pole doesn't open it out enough to benefit. Recommendation I have seen is 1.5J. You would be better off dumping yours and getting something lighter, as suggested a windsurfer mast or a telescopic pole (could be pricey).

You only need a pole for running, something more than about 150 degrees, otherwise the chute is masked by the main. If I was short of space and didn't want the pole I would adopt a policy of reaching down wind when running, other advantages also. If your cruising is like ours you will be lucky to get any use out of the sail anyway. In 5 months last season we only flew our spinnaker about three times and the chute twice.

 

[pappaecho]

I use a cruising chute as an asymetric spinacre with the existing pole, because I find it far harder to gybe a cruising chute than a spinacre.
On the plus side it also sets very well when reaching - far better than a normal spinacre so I think the answer is suck it and see!