PBO Spinnaker Handling

[Rich_F]

PBO this month has an excellent little article about spinnaker handling for inexperienced cruising yachtspeople. Most informative - I'm not a very confident spinnaker user, and it'll help.

However, it's got a couple of interesting omissions. Firstly, although it describes how to try to avoid a spinnaker wrap, it doesn't have any suggestions about recovering from one. Secondly, and more crucially, it makes no mention of how to get rid of the bloody thing once it's up there!

I've got visions of confused yachties spurting out of the Solent under spinnaker, frantically leafing through PBO trying to find the missing information. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[ShipsWoofy]

tis a long way for me to come to practice flying my newish spinny.

Are we allowed to try in different places too?

 

[Rich_F]

[ QUOTE ]
Are we allowed to try in different places too?

[/ QUOTE ]

With pleasure! Personally, I'll stick to practicing in the Clyde, where there's less chance of hurtling into 50 other vessels if anything goes pear-shaped. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Ruffles]

I always find that the twists dissappear when the sheet is pulled over tight. However I usually only fly a spinnaker in v. light conditions.

To drop it I ease the guy so that the pole is up against the forestay. The spinnaker is then in the shadow of the main and depowered. Then lower slowly so that you keep the sail inside the rail. Oh, and steer downwind...

But I'm a long way from being an expert!

Rob.

BTW make sure whoever releases the halyard has it round the winch! Forgot to remind the 'crew' last time...

 

[Evadne]

Touch Wood!

I've never wrapped the spinnaker around anything I couldn't unwrap it from, but then (a) its very small, barely bigger than the Genoa and (b) I never fly it in an F4 or above. I can get all the speed I want by poling out the genoa. I also have never had a downhaul, and never missed it. But then I don't race.

To drop it I let go the guy until the pole is on the forestay, then release the sheet (the spinnaker should be under the main by now) and drop the sail. One person can uncleat the halliard, walk/crawl onto the foredeck and gather in the sail as the halliard is slipped. The necessity to surge the halliard around the winch depends on the size of sail and wind strength. If it were reet windie I'd probably hoist the Genoa first and lower the spinnaker in the lee of that, but I like to think I'd notice the increasing wind and drop it before then!!

 

[Rich_F]

Re: Touch Wood!

Interesting to read the variations on dropping. Up to now, I've simply dumped the guy, then done a controlled drop of the halyard while pulling the sail under the boom via the sheet.

In fact, I think that any article on spinnakers should start with instructions on dousing. I'm glad that we planned this process thouroughly before out first launch, because within 10 sec of launching the spinnaker the boat was on her ear. However, with a bit of nifty dousing, we were almost able to make the whole manouever look deliberate /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Evadne]

Re: Touch Wood!

I agree about the order of importance, there'e a reason why the first thing you learn about sailing a dinghy is how to right it from a capsize, and dropping a spinnaker in more wind than you'd like comes into the same category.
IMO if there's not too much wind, any way that keeps it out of the water is fine, otherwise the two main tasks are spilling wind, and masking its wind using a more controllable sail, if necessary.

 

[watermark]

We regularly use the kite in up to about 18 knots true with daughters of 12 and 14 as crew and it's great for fast passage making.

So far no real dramas on the douse despite 850 square feet and a performance boat.

Technique is ALWAYS hoist the genoa to provide blanket, bear away very broadly, but not quite a run, ease the pole to forestay, gather sheet to companionway and dump guy and halliard marginally in that order, while gathering in the sail to the companionway. This should ensure a dry drop, if the halliard is dumped ahead of the guy, then you have a wet kite and then saloon.

Spinaker wraps generally occur when close to or dead running and the easiest way of avoiding them IMHO is to broad reach, which for us invariably gives a better VMG. Another technique when its light or lumpy or both, which we occasionally use, is to unfulrl a bit of genoa this provides a physical block to the kites wrapping tendencies.

Spinakers have a fearsome reputation, but if approached sensibly and methodically can really add to the enjoyment of the boat and help a crew to grow in confidence and skill.

 

[Vara]

Snuffers,dousers,socks and similar devices make life much easier shorthanded or idle,speak to your local friendly sail makers.

Haven't read the article as I'm saving the mag for a family duty weekend in Liverpool.

 

[Spyro]

Re: Touch Wood!

When you say "dump the guy" could you explain in more detail, do you just release it under control or just trip it from the shackle allowing it to fly still attached by halyard and sheet?

 

[samuel]

Re: Touch Wood!

To stop the kite twisting round the forestay when hoisting just keep the genny up until kite is setting properly. To clear a wineglass in a spinnaker it sometimes heps to keep the sheet & guy set as normal & then let the halliard off a bit. The head of the spinny is then out further than the foot & can rotate to unwind easier than in its fully hoisted position. You may have to let out quite a few feet of halliard but the windier it is the better it works. The head of the spinny is less stable when let out like this & the foot still maintains some stability. The twist tends to run up the spinnaker to the top.
Another method !!
Swearing at the crew is good for skipper moral but doesn't always get the twist out.
I have had success with both.

 

[EdEssery]

Skybird recipe for controlled and simple spinnaker drop. We do this when racing two handed so it will be easier with more crew.

1. Hoist Genoa unless it is already up or wind is very light. [Crew]
2. Bear off down wind so that apparent wind is on quarter (not dead down wind - you don't want any gybes in the middle of this) [Helm]
3. Ease pole forward until it is just off forestay and lower pole uphaul so that crew can reach pole end from pulpit [Crew]
4. Take spinnaker halyard round winch sufficient times that it can be held by Helm and pass end to helm [Crew]
5. Open spinnaker jammer [Crew] (The helm must NOT let any halliard go at this point).
6. Crew goes forward (windward side) and trips sheet/guy off tack (pole end) of spinnaker. You may need long sennets on your spinnaker snap shackles to make this easy. BEWARE pole will drop several inches as load comes off it - I had one crew who broke their nose as a result of this! Spinnaker is now depowered with the foot flying out to leeward. [Crew]
7. Pull in on lazy guy (or sheet & twinning line whichever arrangement you have) so that sail is reachable under boom [Helm]
8. Crew returns (lee side) and starts to gather in foot of spinnaker under boom [Crew]
9. Helm releases up to a metre of halliard only (to allow crew to gather whole foot) and stops until all of foot is gathered in. [Helm]
10. Once foot all gathered in, Helm releases halliard in a controlled manner (flicking turns off winch as required) to allow crew to pull down spinnaker and stuff it down companionway hatch [Helm/Crew] - talk to each other whilst doing this - it needs co-ordination.
11. Take halliard and spinnaker sheet, clip them together and clip them to lifeline/rail [Crew]
12. Set correct course [Helm]
13. Trim Main & Genoa [Crew]
14. Unclip Halliard & Sheet (still clipped together) from lifeline, pull them down so that they can be reached under foot of genoa and walk them forward and clip them off on the pulpit. [Crew]
15. Clip guy to pulpit and stow pole [Crew]
16. Return to cockpit and go below to pack spinnaker [Crew]

Job done. Sounds like lots of steps but if you do them all in that order you'll have a successful drop every time no matter how much wind. Do not break the order of things if you have more than two crew - get somebody to call it.

Enjoy!

Ed

 

[Swagman]

Re: Touch Wood!

[ QUOTE ]
When you say "dump the guy" could you explain in more detail, do you just release it under control or just trip it from the shackle allowing it to fly still attached by halyard and sheet?

[/ QUOTE ]

If short handed or in any real pressure then firing the guy will release the wind pressure filling it - but in light or moderate winds I am sure the advisor would recommend simply easing the guy whilst also easing the halyard.
Key point not seen mentioned yet after you ease pole / guy forward - is to get the sheet in and have your 'retriever' person physically get the bottom of the sail in their hands before you release anything more. Holding just a sheet line with any pressure in the sail could esily lead to rope burns.

Fully agree with other previous advisor - unless you plan to race (in which case then your crew will slowly learn to manage all conditions) for cruiser use then go invest in a snuffer. We use one two handed on a 20 metre rig and masthead spinnaker with absolutely no issues. Without the snuffer in all but lightest breezes - we simple could not use the sail - or risk the divorce.
JOHN

 

[alahol2]

A very good description of how it's done. Apart from hoisting the genoa, this is exactly the method I use single handed. Just give yourself lots of time and take it step by step. I only ever fly the spinny if it's F3 or less because the Autopilot can still steer a relatively straight course while I'm otherwise engaged.
I find that stretching out the foot of the spinaker as far as possible before hoisting the halyard stops any wineglass or wraps.

 

[fireball]

Don't just dump all the tension in the guy - the pole will fly forwards into the forestay - enough force might reduce the number of wires holding up your mast, or give you 2 spinnaker poles to play with ... so a nice easing off is advised!!

 

[William_H]

On my boat 21 ft raced hard the spinnacker is always retrieved by releasing the brace (guy) so that boom goes top the forestay. The sheet is grasped from under the boom and the whole is pulled down into the main hatch. interestingly we always hoist in exactly the reverse procedure. It does require that you know what tack the spin will be on before the next leg and set up the sheets and halyard accordingly. The pole is stowed on the side of the boom which means the topping lift is always attached so no lost poles. the secret to spinnacker handling is to get a tiny spin and use that until you are confident. we had one run in January in 35 knots. the handling and jibing were no problenm to the crew ( So why was I terrified)
The helmsman at the time said he had difficuolty seeing over the bow as the boat tried to plane.
Spinnackers are the work of the devil. I reckon it took my 15 years at 25 races per year with 3 spin legs per race to master the spin and it still occasionally laughs at my efforts. good luck olewill