ShipsWoofy
New member
Can I pick some brains please….
I have recently bought a radial head spinnaker. Now I need to rig the thing.
So far my experience of spinnakers has been on dinghies which is a totally different kettle of fish I think.
I have a decent sized pole (fnar fnar) and after much searching it seems that poles are generally used on cats, I had been told you could fly from hull to hull, yet I have thus far never seen this practiced. So here goes.
I think I should attach the tack (is that right for a kite) to the windward bow.
windward tack on opposite hull in practice.
The sheet then somewhere aft, but how far? Boat is 26 ft, should I be attaching as far aft as possible or would an extra block on the genoa track be a better idea. I can attach right on the stern. What exactly am I trying to achieve here?
If I rig a downhaul on the pole, what do I connect it to? Is it necessary or is this more for racing?
As I understand it the tack should not be tied down but ran through a block for quick release, is that right?
If things get scary which do you let go, the halyard, tack or sheet?
I can not afford a snuffler this year so was thinking of using a bucket with the bottom punched out and big elastic bands, read this in a sailing manual, in practice is this feasible or should we be ok just dragging the thing down onto our larger foredeck?
Sorry for all the questions, but the information I have read so far presumes you have the spinnaker already rigged.
I have recently bought a radial head spinnaker. Now I need to rig the thing.
So far my experience of spinnakers has been on dinghies which is a totally different kettle of fish I think.
I have a decent sized pole (fnar fnar) and after much searching it seems that poles are generally used on cats, I had been told you could fly from hull to hull, yet I have thus far never seen this practiced. So here goes.
I think I should attach the tack (is that right for a kite) to the windward bow.

windward tack on opposite hull in practice.
The sheet then somewhere aft, but how far? Boat is 26 ft, should I be attaching as far aft as possible or would an extra block on the genoa track be a better idea. I can attach right on the stern. What exactly am I trying to achieve here?
If I rig a downhaul on the pole, what do I connect it to? Is it necessary or is this more for racing?
As I understand it the tack should not be tied down but ran through a block for quick release, is that right?
If things get scary which do you let go, the halyard, tack or sheet?
I can not afford a snuffler this year so was thinking of using a bucket with the bottom punched out and big elastic bands, read this in a sailing manual, in practice is this feasible or should we be ok just dragging the thing down onto our larger foredeck?
Sorry for all the questions, but the information I have read so far presumes you have the spinnaker already rigged.