Spinnaker Sheet and Leech Line

[muskie]

Hi All,

I have 2 questions:

Spinnaker Sheet
What is the correct way to handle it?
1. Jam it on the cleat while the boat stay on the course
2. Put a few turns on the winch and tune the spinny while sailing
3. Tune the spinny without using the winch (will be quite hard if the wind is strong)

Leech Line
Most of them come with jam cleat near the clew. But how about it doesn't have and only got 2 cringles (sitting up and down near the clew). What is the proper way to tie it?

Thanks for any replies in ADVANCE!!!

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[bedouin]

If you are racing, or fully crewed, then constantly tuning the spinnaker gives you the best boat speed. The choice as to whether to take a turn round the winch or not is a matter of personal preference, but I would unless the conditions are so light that the sheet won't pay out with a turn round the winch. Normally a single turn is sufficient, the only time I would use more would be when conditions are so strong that you actually need to use the winch to sheet it.

However for cruising I would normally over-sheet the spinnaker and the cleat it off.

For the leech line I'm not sure there is a "proper" way to tie it - I find a simple overhand knot in the bight does the job.

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[William_H]

Hello Muskie you don't give any indication of what sized boat you are asking about however if you are on something like 28 ft or less then if you need to winch in the spin sheet maybe there is too much wind for safe spin operation. Using the winch as a snubber of course is very convenient and the best way to go.
Leech lines .. dreadful things too tight and the sail can get a hook in the leach that must be bad for airflow. So you only pull on when you have a leach flutter then only enough to stop the flutter. I have the type with little clam cleat and also one with a section of velcro (hook and pile) on the cord and a matching fold together pocket to hold the tab on the cord. Yes I have seen the type you refer to with just 2 eyelets. Suggest you take the cord around through the 2 eyelets several times then us a hitch back on to itself. you need to be able to undo the hitch to tighten or loosen. To be honest I havn't been shown how to do it "properly" best wishes will

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[Guest]

Cruising ....... sheet in and cleat, having ready to let fly if necessary.

Leech-line ....... pass line down through both eyes and then back up and tie of to standing part .... effectively having the loop created going through the eyes. This way the two eyes are not drawn together unnecessarily. The leech line should only be 'tightened' slightly to prevent excessive vibration of the leech cloth. Vibration actually shows that the air is coming off the leech correctly.


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[racingron]

Spinnaker sheet, the thing to watch with this is that if it isn't around a winch and you are taking the load by hand the energy you are expending is not transferred to the boat (for purist racers there is a technique involving locking your hand), i.e. the energy you use in your arm is burning calories rather than propelling the boat forward.



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[Cantata]

Eh? How can that be? After all the spi is pulling you and thereby the boat. It's just that the calories are wasted transferring the energy from the sail to the boat via you, surely. Or is this a wind-up?

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[racingron]

Not a wind up at all.

2 ways to look at it.

Think about what happens when a gust hits, you're either pulled backwards or let the sheet slip, thereby the pull on the spin block is not as good.

Where does the energy expended in your arm go? When it's cleated it all goes through the boat. When you are struggling with it you have to be losing the energy in heat from the muscles pumping etc.

I'm no scientist but always enforce this on racing boats (as do a lot of top guys I sail with)

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