letterbox takedown singlehanded

[Rum Run]

'Scuse my ignorance, but is it practical to do a letterbox takedown of a 280 sq.ft asymmetric on a 22ft boat singlehanded? If so, what is the sequence.
The tack is on a pole up to 4ft in front of the bow and normally both sheets are on. Currently I am using a snuffer but that means going on the foredeck and is quite slow. Also the new mainsail is due on Thursday and is loose-footed, so it will be an option.
It's an Anderson 22 btw.
Thanks in advance
Rum Run

 

[flaming]

'Scuse my ignorance, but is it practical to do a letterbox takedown of a 280 sq.ft asymmetric on a 22ft boat singlehanded? If so, what is the sequence.
The tack is on a pole up to 4ft in front of the bow and normally both sheets are on. Currently I am using a snuffer but that means going on the foredeck and is quite slow. Also the new mainsail is due on Thursday and is loose-footed, so it will be an option.
It's an Anderson 22 btw.
Thanks in advance
Rum Run

It's entirely possible, though I'd actually wonder if it was necessary on a (very fine) vessel of that size? I'd probably just go for under the boom. Assuming your tack line is lead back to the cockpit then the sequence goes.

Make sure that the hob isn't on!!
Hoist / unfurl Jib.
Fetch lazy sheet and lead into cockpit.
Steer on a broad reach of circa 160-170 degrees.
Blow tackline
Start pulling on lazy sheet trying to go along the foot.
When you meet resistance blow the halyard
Stuff sail down hatch.

 

[Rum Run]

It's entirely possible, though I'd actually wonder if it was necessary on a (very fine) vessel of that size? I'd probably just go for under the boom. Assuming your tack line is lead back to the cockpit then the sequence goes.

Make sure that the hob isn't on!!
Hoist / unfurl Jib.
Fetch lazy sheet and lead into cockpit.
Steer on a broad reach of circa 160-170 degrees.
Blow tackline
Start pulling on lazy sheet trying to go along the foot.
When you meet resistance blow the halyard
Stuff sail down hatch.

Hello Flaming,
I was sort of assuming it was a "change the sail or change the pants" situation tbh
However, I will try both. I have been rather cowardly the spinnaker front so trying to cover the options.
Thanks for your input!
And she won a 4 1/2 hour race against a field of 3 30+ foot boats at the weekend, by 20 minutes corrected time. Oh the joy of a 0.77 NHC number

 

[Ingwe]

It's entirely possible, though I'd actually wonder if it was necessary on a (very fine) vessel of that size? I'd probably just go for under the boom. Assuming your tack line is lead back to the cockpit then the sequence goes.

Make sure that the hob isn't on!!
Hoist / unfurl Jib.
Fetch lazy sheet and lead into cockpit.
Steer on a broad reach of circa 160-170 degrees.
Blow tackline
Start pulling on lazy sheet trying to go along the foot.
When you meet resistance blow the halyard
Stuff sail down hatch.

One slight tweak to this is depending on the height of the clew of the sail it sometimes isn't possible to gather it in without standing on the side of the boat from where you can't get to the clutches easily, in which case dump enough halyard to be able to reach the clew safely from the cockpit before you blow the tackline, the exact amount you need to dump will depend on the boat and the cut of the sail.

 

[mrming]

We have a 400 sq/ft asymmetric on a similar size boat. It's very easy for one person to drop it under the boom and into the companionway hatch as flaming describes.

We don't pull the lazy sheet however - we just grab the loaded sheet in one hand (between the winch and the clew) and blow the tack line. Once the foot is on it's way in blow the halyard too. This is for a leeward drop obviously.

If you have the controls for the tack line and halyard in easy reach of the cockpit (as we do) that will make things much easier.

I presume you have some kind of tiller pilot / bungee / bit of string to take over the helming for a minute?

 

[bbg]

I don't get the purpose of the letterbox drop. To me it just adds unnecessary friction and could potentially slow the drop.

I agree with flaming's sequence with the tweaks added by mr ming and Ingwe. I would add only one thing. Before you do anything, stream the tack line and the halyard over the stern of the boat and into the water. That will guarantee that they will not jam as they get to the clutches.

To see me drop a 750+ sq ft kite single-handed in 25 knots true wind speed, (I know it doesn't look like it, but it was), see the attached video at 2:10. Because it was blowing so hard I was sailing very deep to keep the kite blanketed by the main (which is why the jib was trying to goose-wing). You can see the tack line (black) and kite halyard (yellow) streaming out across the cockpit.

 

[Racecruiser]

I don't get the purpose of the letterbox drop. To me it just adds unnecessary friction and could potentially slow the drop.

I agree with flaming's sequence with the tweaks added by mr ming and Ingwe. I would add only one thing. Before you do anything, stream the tack line and the halyard over the stern of the boat and into the water. That will guarantee that they will not jam as they get to the clutches.

To see me drop a 750+ sq ft kite single-handed in 25 knots true wind speed, (I know it doesn't look like it, but it was), see the attached video at 2:10. Because it was blowing so hard I was sailing very deep to keep the kite blanketed by the main (which is why the jib was trying to goose-wing). You can see the tack line (black) and kite halyard (yellow) streaming out across the cockpit.

Respect - not sure I would want to do much more than cross the solent in a mini! And a max speed of 17.4 kts on the GPS at the end. Trailing the halyard really does work - only done it once in a windy 2-up race, as well as trailing we put two turns round the winch before blowing the halyard. That was too much control so we had to whip the turns off surprisingly quickly.

 

[PeteCooper]

... Make sure that the hob isn't on!! ...

Is there a story to tell there?

 

[Foolish Muse]

It is very difficult or impossible to do a letterbox drop when dousing from a beam reach, as you will often be if rounding a mark at racing. The chute will pull very strongly to the stern of the boat. It's often necessary to drop the chute behind the mainsail, above the boom. It would get jammed at the clew of the main if you attempted a letterbox drop.