Singlehanded Spinnaker - how?

[BurnitBlue]

One day a few years ago I was aboard my boat in a marina. There was a faint wind over the stern so, as I was bored, I decided to raise the spinnaker while tied up. Took ages to sort out but it worked, so I lowered it and spent most of the morning practicing putting it up and dropping it. No problem at all, didn't have bouncy foredeck, running back to the tiller etc. I was able to concentrate on the nuts and bolts.

I even got off the boat and took photographs of the raised spinnaker.

I had lots of fun. It is also quite popular to anchor the boat by the stern in a protected bay and hoist the spinnaker. Some folk even attach the bosun's chair somehow and ride high like a parasail.

All you need is room either side so the pole will not foul a neighbours rigging.

 

[surekandoo]

I really cannot get used to the snuffer
Damned thing twists, jams needs one on the foredeck to lower.
Needs one to pull the first part of the sail out when hoisting
Control line always get on the wrong side of the sail
Heavier to pull up.
Mouth always wants to bash the mast on the way up & break the deck light
Because it is heavy & hangs down it creates friction with the halliard rubbing on the furler

So this weekend i ditched the snuffer in the garage roof & hoisted the sail like i used to years ago
Went up like a dream & because i could bring in under the boom i only had to go forward with the halliard. Being in the cockpit i could control halliard as i lowered the sail in relative safety
I have come to the conclusion that it it is a DIY botch for those who cannot do the job properly

Sorry everyone but surely i am not alone

Now i will duck behind a parapet & take the flack!!!

+1

 

[lw395]

This is a description i have had from a sailor when i asked for advice
I note that some dinghies use the dousing line to get the sail into a chute & it works for them
Quote:-
I used to hoist and douse a 120m2 spinnaker singlehanded. I hoisted dead downwind through the front cabin hatch and to douse I had a collapsing line attached at the center of "gravity" of the sail. By gently pulling this line the spinnaker collapsed in seconds no matter how windy- you have to release the sheet some good length before going to the mast.. The line started from the center of the spinnaker then through a jammer block (by spinlock) at the mast base and to my hand. With the spinnaker securely collapsed and impossible to fly again a opend the front hatch and a released the halyard while feeding the spinnaker in the cabin. I had four hooks around the hatch, inside the cabin and the spinnaker bag was hanging from these
Unquote

He did this aboard a 36ft boat

That's all fine if you have the space to run dead down wind and it's not too windy to have the forehatch open.
You need to be prepared to drop under the main sometimes, if the wind pipes up and turns into a sea breeze when you're running down the coast.
More strings is possibly more potential for tangles.
Having had a few foul ups, with boats from 14ft to 55ft, I would suggest the most valuable thing is a second person who can steer, at least during the learning phases.
It should not be hard to get a couple of friends out for a couple of hours practice?

 

[Rigger Mortice]

I really cannot get used to the snuffer
Damned thing twists, jams needs one on the foredeck to lower.
Needs one to pull the first part of the sail out when hoisting
Control line always get on the wrong side of the sail
Heavier to pull up.
Mouth always wants to bash the mast on the way up & break the deck light
Because it is heavy & hangs down it creates friction with the halliard rubbing on the furler

So this weekend i ditched the snuffer in the garage roof & hoisted the sail like i used to years ago
Went up like a dream & because i could bring in under the boom i only had to go forward with the halliard. Being in the cockpit i could control halliard as i lowered the sail in relative safety
I have come to the conclusion that it it is a DIY botch for those who cannot do the job properly

Sorry everyone but surely i am not alone

Now i will duck behind a parapet & take the flack!!!

I live in hope that I can get a snuffer which really will simplify the job......I've even got Snuffer Mk3 ready to try out this season.......but I think you are probably going to be proved right!!

 

[Seajet]

Simple, slightly skilled sail handling is your friend; smart-arse snuffers, scoups, photon torpedos etc are the way to appearing on You Tube !