Rigging a cruising chute snuffer

[tim]

I've a cruising chute and a snuffer and am trying to figure out the right way to rig them. I presume I rig the snuffer to the halyard and then hang the chute from the snuffer.

The snuffer has a thick three strand piece of rope, about 1 metre long at the top spliced round a stainless ring - do I connect the chute to the rope, or does the rope have another purpose?

Thanks,

Tim

 

[landyhubbard]

Me too. I bought a snffler for my cruising chute recently. The first time I used it I managed to get it wrapped around the forestay with the result that when I finally got it down it was in 5 pieces. it has now been sewn back together and I would like some tips. It's a large sail, and getting it down is scary.

What do you do with the line that pulls the snuffler up and down when hoisting?- I assume that you cleat it off to the mast once the sail is deployed.

What's the best way of getting it down- in the past I have slipped the tack, let it fly and pulled the sail in under the mainsail- do I do the same but pull the snuffler down first?

Any hints or tips gratefully recieved.

 

[ChrisE]

What you say sounds about right. You'll need a block above the chute round down to the bottom of the snuffer, tied off at the mouth and back to the top in a loop to deploy the chute. The line, on mine anyway, runs on the inside of the snuffer up to the block and down on the outside.

 

[ChrisE]

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Me too. I bought a snffler for my cruising chute recently. The first time I used it I managed to get it wrapped around the forestay with the result that when I finally got it down it was in 5 pieces. it has now been sewn back together and I would like some tips. It's a large sail, and getting it down is scary.


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I agree we have a huge spin and a chute and both are good for the odd heart-in-mouth moment.

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What do you do with the line that pulls the snuffler up and down when hoisting?- I assume that you cleat it off to the mast once the sail is deployed.


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We tie ours off to a central cleat on the deck but, it is important that it's tied off. We spent many a happy hour trying to get the loose lines back when we first started.

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What's the best way of getting it down- in the past I have slipped the tack, let it fly and pulled the sail in under the mainsail- do I do the same but pull the snuffler down first?


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I don't know if it's the best way but we do just that, let the spin/chute fly, haul the snuffer over the billowing sail. We then usually drop the spin halyard and pop the snuffed out sail down the front hatch.

We still get balls ups but, as yet, haven't needed to take a knife to the sail.

 

[fireball]

[ QUOTE ]
What's the best way of getting it down- in the past I have slipped the tack, let it fly and pulled the sail in under the mainsail- do I do the same but pull the snuffler down first?

I don't know if it's the best way but we do just that, let the spin/chute fly, haul the snuffer over the billowing sail. We then usually drop the spin halyard and pop the snuffed out sail down the front hatch.

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If you can get someone to ease the sheet as you snuff then you can snuff it with a smidgen more control.

 

[MoodySabre]

I have used a cruising chute this year for the first time and I was surprised how easy it was to control.

Right at the top is a ring which is attached to the halyard. Off the ring, on a short wire strop hangs the chute. Also attached to the ring is a block and a continuous rope runs through this down the outside of the sock and up the inside. The snuffer is attached to this line. When the snuffer is pulled right up then this line is cleated off on the foredeck.

To snuff the chute then the line is uncleated and the snuffer pulled down whilst someone eases the sheet. All done in a trice.

Let go the halyard and stuff it all down the forward hatch or leave it on the halyard and cleated off. Even Mrs MS was impressed and she doesn't like these things (cruise control on car, sport mode gearbox no no no).

 

[joe17]

I was just playing with my snuffer and spinakker for the first time today.

First couple of attempts were aborted because somehow the snuffer/snuffer rope got twisted, so when I hauled on the line to "desnuff" the sail it all got wrapped up in itself and wouldnt go up. I took it all down and and layed it out on the deck and with more care putting it up it all stayed untwisted.

Anyone any tips on "easing the sheet" while snuffing single handed? I suppose letting the guy go and therefore letting the sail fly from the sheet is one option??

Joe

 

[claymore]

Ok with everything thats been said so far. The Snuffer is attached to the halyard and the sail then attached to the snuffer with the continuous line running through that.

I then run the continuous line through a snatchblock tied off at the stemhead so that the line can continue to be continuous and this saves the hassle of the whole shooting match going skywards.

Easing the guy usually gives enough slack to be able to douse the spinnaker sufficiently to make it manageable, then its just a matter of tidying up - we have a telescopic pole which makes life easier

 

[rudolph_hart]

Second that, except I don't use a snatch block on the snuffer line because the tack is on the end of a 1 metre 'bowsprit' (spi pole poked thro' ring on pushpit & clipped to foredeck).

Even though the chute is 45 feet on the luff, I can manage it singlehanded - although setting it all up takes a while!

To dowse it, I depower the sail by bearing away until it collapses in mainsail's shadow (which happens well before before dead downwind) and can then snuff it completely without easing the sheet.

The boat is 7/8th rig, so the main is larger in relation to the foretriangle compared to some masthead rigs.

 

[pampas]

Tip. If your snuffer has loops at regular intervals inside the snuffer,I would advise you to put the down-haul through these and the returning uphaul outside(But still inside the snuffer).This stops the rope twisting around each other and has the bonus the the snuffer stays reasonably straight going up (No twists) and comes down very straight.

 

[Gunfleet]

Why do you cleat the snuffing line? When the sail is 'inflated' its shape keeps the sock up.

 

[Skyva_2]

You are right, but what stops the snuffing line from streaming gracefully from the mast head? Almost been there.... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Gunfleet]

I know. I tie mine off too. It's just that what he wrote looked as if it was cleated to keep the thing up and I couldn't see why that should be.

 

[Skyva_2]

Fair enough!