self drop cruising chute

[[10105]]

could anybody give me some hints about a good way of dropping a cruising chute or spinnaker when sailing singlehanded? it is something that has puzzled me for a while, especially when i wanted to fly a chute while out solo but was a bit unsure of how i would get it down again... thanks!

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[sailorman]

a chute, as long as the "strings" that run within the chute r sorted first with no tangles.
lay the spinnaker / chute out on a pontoon , load into sock & be carefull to keep all conrtol lines seperated & not twisted around spinnaker.
wots the boat ( no bio from u )
good luck

<hr width=100% size=1>Mines a Crocodile sandwich & make it Snappy

 

[Vara]

Snuffer or sock is the only way to go(IMO).
Try <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.sailmakers.com/> HERE</A> .Navigate to chutes and spinnakers and scroll down.
The one they made for me 15 years ago is still going strong.


<hr width=100% size=1>If it cant be fixed with a lump hammer don't fit it

 

[bedouin]

Usually called a snuffer /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

They do make it easier to raise and drop the chute, but I don't think I would recommend using one if you aren't happy dropping the chute without one. They do get tangled sometimes, so you sometimes have to resort to the traditional method.

That said it is not too difficult to drop single-handed if you have an autohelm.

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[alisdair4]

I would agree. With an autohelm, dropping the kite on Freya is easy. I merely grab the sheet in one hand, and trip the guy and the halyard with the other (no, I don't have 3 hands!) Then, down the hatch it goes. Clearly, there wil be a threshold of size (Freya is 22 feet long -I don't think I could do this on a much bigger yacht).

<hr width=100% size=1>"so long as all you want is a penguin’s egg"

 

[charles_reed]

Single-handed spinnaker handling

I've tried a snuffer and whilst it's all well and good but the extra strings aren't worth it, so I bring it in in the conventional way under the boom after blanketing it with the main and bringing it in tight on the sheet and slackened off on the guy.
I take the ned of the spi halyard up the side deck with me and let it run free when I've got leech and luff together. Takes about 90 secs, which is a lot less than straining away with a snuffer.

Mind you my spi is only 90m2 and it's usage is less than the roller genoa but more than genniker, solent or working jib - last year I did about 285M under spi.
The most I've got it down in was 28 knots off Hook head when I was young and overly bold, I usually hand it at about 21 knots apparent. Last decent spi run I had was from just off Zannone to just off Anzio 38m in just under 5 hours. On that occasion I handed the spi in 23 knots in the dark.


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[charles_reed]

Freja

same name as the Nilsson's boat just up the pontoon from me - mind you she's a Vindo 45 and he's a Lloyds surveyor.

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[silverseal]

When I sailed dinghies I was taught to 'wind' the chute with the main so it collapses by itself. This works very well single handed, collapse the chute, set he autohelm to keep it on the same course and go up on deck and collect the chute

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[FullCircle]

It totally depends on the size of the rig. I can launch and recover my cruising chute on my own from the cockpit on 22ft-er No snuffer involved. It is setup so all lines are long enough to end up in the cockpit and down the hatch.
Use of tillerpilot is great, but I usually cleat off the tiller and then set the chute (coachroof jammer), and leap back to take back control from the tiller cleat. I even pretend I need SWMBO for this......
Under 15kts wind though....

<hr width=100% size=1>Jeanneau 35 - only 13,272 lbs displacement, not even 6 tons,what a lightweight!!!

 

[Koeketiene]

As stated elsewhere - I have managed to get a cruising chute up and down in a snuffer.

As to a spinnaker - I have tried many a time, but never managed it. Pole, chute, uphaul, downhaul, guys, sheets,... on my own? No way!

I'm not saying it can't be done - must have been already - but would love to find out how it's done. And I'm not talking about a 22 ft-er or something, but a 38ft with a 90 m/sq spinnaker

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.

 

[[10105]]

all sounds good. the boat is a 37 foot colvic countess, ketch. i'll give the 'shuv it down the hatch' a go first...

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[bedouin]

It may seem obvious - but I'd practice with a crew before trying it single handed!

In my case when not using a snuffer I raise and drop the chute in the lee of the genoa, rather than the main. That way it can be done on almost any point of sailing

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[William_H]

Try to become familiar with use of a smaller spinnacker first with gentle winds and definitely with helpers until you are fully familiar. The sheets need to be long enough to permit the spin to be pulled back into the main hatch or cockpit. I use one end less spin sheet but some say this is dangerous as you can't release the lot. Yes on little boats it is easy. Did 4 spin runs yesterday out of and back into the main hatch (3 on board) however bigger boats seem to use the forward hatch but requires a man to go forward to do it. You always raise and lower the spin with genoa up and working, A spin around the forestay can be really disastrous. ( Have seen boats towed home unable to retrieve spin cos it is twisted around forestay. I think you will find you don't need socks and devices for holding the spin however the only way to find what suits you is to try various methods. regards will

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[rwoofer]

I launch and drop my cruising chute on my own on a 44ft boat.

The process I follow is:
- Flake the halyard out on the deck so that it won't jam
- Blanket the spinnaker with the main so that it collapses.
- Grab the spinnaker sheet from the leeward side and walk to the bow of the boat. I usually let it pay out a bit so that I don't actually pull the spinnaker forward
- Trip the tack line
- Walk back to the mast and trip the halyard.
- Pull the spinnaker in like a crazed mad man (actually you ownly need to do this when you have left it up in too strong a wind)

The only real problem, which is really down to the size of the spinnaker, is pulling it in as quickly as it falls down - sometimes the tack can get a bit wet.

I find that trying to pull the chute through the boom slows down the dropping process and inevitably leads to more of the spinnaker getting into the water.

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[Talbot]

do mine on my own as well. Like others use an autohelm to keep course, back wind the chute with either main or genoa, use a snuffer and its a piece of whatsit to do. If a tad unsure do it a couple of times with an extra person onboard to assist if anything were to go wrong.

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[Clive]

Like any cruising chute or spinnaker, one need to get the air out of the sail before dropping. In simple terms you need to release one corner and gather in behind the main.
Because all my control lines are controlled from the cotpit I can drop the gennaker with out leaving it. First unroll the jib by half. Then release the tack line to let the power out of the sail. Then I can grab the sheet and gather along the foot. Then releasing the halyard, I stuff the sail down the hatch. (you can also hoist the gennaker from the hatch, by pulling the tack to the bow first, up on the halyard then sheeting in.
This method ensures that the gennaker is always behind the main and has the safety factor of never leaving the cotpit. I use this method on a X-yacht 302 with a 47sq m gennaker.

<hr width=100% size=1>Clive

 

[Gunfleet]

Does this imply you have the tack line brought all the way back to the cockpit then made off?

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[charles_reed]

Genniker

you bring the two sheets back to the quarter blocks that also take the spinnaker sheets.

Most single-handers have their Code 1 permanaently hoisted and wind it up on the hard luff using one of those fascinating Harken furlers.

I find the genniker very useful when reaching but nothing like as good as the spinnaker for winds between 140-220 degrees.

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[charles_reed]

Our fears make cowards of us all

it's actually quite easy, providing you have a clearly defined process and are very deliberate about it.

For me the greatest difficulty is unwrapping the twist that takes place around the forestay as you lift the spinnaker and before you have time to trim the sail.

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[wooslehunter]

Re: Our fears make cowards of us all

What a lot of replies and good ideas. One thing missing though and it may sound obvious.

Plan for what you're going to do and try anything new in light airs. Once you start the drop, don't rush things & control the halyard. It's not a race.

Here's another I just thought of: to use the main to blanket the chute requires a broad reach at least. Don't try a run in any sea/wind since the auto-pilot may not control the boat and you end up with a crash gybe.

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