Now you have it, now you dont
- Thread starter oldharry
- Start date
Cardinal
Well-Known Member
That is one way to prevent the competition from overtaking to leeward!
Robin
Well-Known Member
Definitely an 'oh sheet' moment or two
lpdsn
Well-Known Member
Need to strap the kite down when it gets a bit windy.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
I am glad I sail with a 1 nm exclusion zone around me.
Robin
Well-Known Member
:encouragement:in the sail locker!:biggrin-new:
Stemar
Well-Known Member
Which explains all you need to know about why, as a confirmed coward, I don't carry a spinnaker. Sorting out whose insurance pays for the new mast could be interesting.
I'm reminded of a racing story from a few years back when the wind was building on a spinnaker run from quick to "wow" to "gulp" to "there's no way we can get that thing down in these conditions". The skipper put a bloke up by the mast with a parachute flare and orders to shoot the spinnaker the second anything started to go wrong. IIRC, they were lucky and the flare wasn't needed
I'm reminded of a racing story from a few years back when the wind was building on a spinnaker run from quick to "wow" to "gulp" to "there's no way we can get that thing down in these conditions". The skipper put a bloke up by the mast with a parachute flare and orders to shoot the spinnaker the second anything started to go wrong. IIRC, they were lucky and the flare wasn't needed
zoidberg
Well-Known Member
That's the kind of 'command decision' that merits a selective deafness.....
lpdsn
Well-Known Member
Actually great fun doing 20 Knots. But you need a good crew as there's never time to explain.
Old Bumbulum
Well-Known Member
What would 'shooting' the spinaker with a flare achieve? It'd just go straight through, wouldn't it? Or bounce back on deck and add 3rd degree burns to the mess.
That's why I carry a serrated bread knife in the cockpit. Just cut the sheet or better the haliyard if you can.
That's why I carry a serrated bread knife in the cockpit. Just cut the sheet or better the haliyard if you can.
Robin
Well-Known Member
Especially to the autopilot. Took years to explain my 'incident' to SWMBO and in my case (actually 25kts plus) we only had a tiny bit of rolled genny out and no main and she was on the wheel.
Stemar
Well-Known Member
If the wind's strong enough that you can't get the kite down safely, the slightest hole would allow it to rip apart, so you've only got the hems and string to sort out.
dom
Well-Known Member
This idea sounds a bit Wile E. Coyote to me
The flare might just cauterize the cloth as it went through and depending on the spi's cut a single panel rip wouldn't necessarily trigger spontaneous disintegration.
But what if the damn thing was diverted, boomeranged, or otherwise deflected by the spinnaker? Personally, I'd opt for the salty swim and most certainly so if the flare was heading my way!
lpdsn
Well-Known Member
This idea sounds a bit Wile E. Coyote to me
The flare might just cauterize the cloth as it went through and depending on the spi's cut a single panel rip wouldn't necessarily trigger spontaneous disintegration.
But what if the damn thing was diverted, boomeranged, or otherwise deflected by the spinnaker? Personally, I'd opt for the salty swim and most certainly so if the flare was heading my way!
On top of which, it would be really embarrassing if they fired at the spinny from 20' away and missed.
Sounds like a club bar story anyway. When you've got the kite up in heavy weather you don't send crew weight forward unnecessarily.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
Too damned dangerous. I always carry a sawn-off shotgun for the purpose.On top of which, it would be really embarrassing if they fired at the spinny from 20' away and missed.
Sounds like a club bar story anyway. When you've got the kite up in heavy weather you don't send crew weight forward unnecessarily.
Pirx
Well-Known Member
Parachute flare no good: the parachute would get tangled up. I'd use a two star red.
zoidberg
Well-Known Member
I'm hoping that Raytheon will invent some 'Beam Me Up, Scottie' badges....
