Spinaker question

[kingfisher]

Can you make the uphaul and downhaul line of the spinaker pole a continuous line, in other words a loop ?

Because now: the uphaul is attached to the mast, and the downhaul is led to the cockpit, and it is quite cumbersome to set up the pole hight right.

Thanks for the tips.

BTW: when dousing the spinaker, never EVER undo the halyard with your bare hands before the tension has been taken of the sheets. Rope burn is an pain in the *ss as well as the hands.

"no, that was not a bad spinaker dousing. We were just trying to convert the boat into a trawler. Didn't you see the double diamond in the mast ?"

Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[bedouin]

I don't think it will bring any benefit.

The uphaul is usually at the mast since you use it to control the height of the outboard end of the spinnaker pole - the pole should be perpendicular to the mast, and so once you have set the height of the inboard end (almost always done at the mast), you then set the uphaul to keep the outboard end at the desired height - once that is done you shouldn't need to change it. It therefore makes sense to do so while also at the mast.

In contrast the downhaul serves to functions - and is more correctly referred to as the "foreguy". It both holds the pole both down (counteracting the uphaul) and forwards (counteracting the guy). Everytime you adjust the guy, you need to adjust the downhaul to match - so this is done from the cockpit.

Usual sequence is

(i) Set inboard end of pole
(ii) set outboard end of pole using uphaul
(iii) Use guy to position pole at the desired angle
(iv) Take up the downhaul to hold the pole rigid.

While there may be occasions when you need to alter the height of the spinnaker pole once set - this is much less common than adjusting the guy.

 

[vyv_cox]

My uphaul and downhaul are both led to the cockpit where they are controlled by cam cleats. In dinghies I have had the two as a continuous loop but there is no particular advantage in doing so. I almost never adjust the inboard end pole height (except when my wife has used the ring for her hammock!) so have no need to go to the mast. The pole angle is not all that important, so long as the clew heights are equal.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Wear Gloves. nm

§

 

[steffen]

IMHO the force on the downhaul is much greater than that on the uphaul. The downhaul is often run through blocks thus preventing a loop.
Depends perhaps on the size of boat and spi.

 

[ccscott49]

What? beer in the mast, wheres that in the colregs?

 

[kingfisher]

My mistake: two triangles

Sorry: not two diamonds: two triangles. In dutch it's called a "diabolo" after the child's toy with same name.

While you're supposed to only show them when actualy fishing, over here they're bolted to the mast. But I guess that's the same on your side of the Channel.

Fishing Vessels

(a) A vessel engaged in fishing, whether underway or at anchor, shall exhibit only the lights and shapes prescribed in this Rule.

(b) A vessel when engaged in trawling, by which is meant the dragging through the water of a dredge net or other apparatus used as a fishing appliance, shall exhibit:

two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being green and the lower white, or a shape consisting of two cones with their apexes together in a vertical line one above the other;

Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
http://sirocco31.tripod.com