Spinnaker sheeting

[Iain C]

Kite hoist in a Merlin:
Helm: Pull halyard
Crew: Pull pole launch string
Helm: Adjust snodger
Crew: Trim sheet
Both: Overtake Fireball that's still faffing.

Don't you mean

Helm: rake mast forward, slacken lowers, traveller sideways, adjust tweakertwangersnodgerdodger, traveller in, lowers to me to you to me to you, explain to crew that no it's not made of planks even though it looks like it is, check both liferafts still stowed, no I don't know why the sail is that shape either, and oh bugger we've got the wrong hull shape for downtide up-chop cross wind in a leap year waning moon cycle and a Canterbury Satisfaction NSM 4 Negative Ghostrider The Credit Card Is Full Because I Just Re-Roped it 7 would be way faster in those conditions. On a Tuesday mind. And yes that tin-rigged single poled surfboard coffin thing has indeed just served up a big can of whupass with the crew dangling elegantly from the turbo-wire

Just joking, I've actually never set foot in a Merlin but it would absolutely be my weapon of choice was I in the market for a double handed hiker...lovely boats. However it will take a lot to tempt me away from my Fireball...that boat pictured above was in fact built in 1995 and is still totally competitive and pretty much indistinguishable from a brand new Winder. And it cost me about £2k.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Nope, better informed but none the wiser. In words of one syllable, can you explain how it can be that when the spi is up the twinner knot/bobble/ring won't let the pole touch the forestay. but within a split second you can drop the spi to leeward and have the guy let the clew go as far back as the bag? The only solution I can think of is that the twin line is long enough for the ring to get to or past the forestay.

ps. Doesn't sound too busy on the Merlin - who does the halyard/fraculator?

 

[Iain C]

Because you take the pole off before you drop the kite. Simples.

If the kite is dropped into the port bag for example, the guy will be pretty much tight from the bag, up to the forestay and back to the bobble on the stbd side. In fact, the kite sheet will often sit a few inches off the deck unless put down to deck level by the crew...not that this is a problem. Remember a Fireball forestay meets the deck about a foot back from the bow...if there was loads of slack on everything the chances of running over the kite on a drop would be greatly raised. Which is bad.

A random pic off the internet....

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

OK, got it - almost. Everything is tight and only just lets the wward clew into the bag because you free up twice the difference in length between j and spl (less the hypotenuses bits if we want accuracy).

And this works because you get the pole off the guy earlier in the drop sequence than we would. Logically it would follow that you hoist without the guy in the pole?

And Dan, sorry about the hijack...

 

[Iain C]

OK, got it - almost.

1-Everything is tight and only just lets the wward clew into the bag because you free up twice the difference in length between j and spl (less the hypotenuses bits if we want accuracy).

2-And this works because you get the pole off the guy earlier in the drop sequence than we would. Logically it would follow that you hoist without the guy in the pole?

1-Yes, basically

2-We get the pole off as the first part of the drop, correct. You can hoist with the guy in the pole, but as soon as you push the pole out the clew will start to come out of the bag a little. With a leeward hoist, the driver is hoisting the kite, and the crew is doing the pole, so it should all be happening together anyway.

With a windward hoist, if you are "chucking" it, you want the pole stowed or it will just be in the way. If you are "pitchforking" it, the success of the hoist will be dependant on the clew going out on the pole. In a perfect world, the pole clips onto the mast at the exact same second as the head hits the halyard box. On a Fireball, the pole is easier to get on the mast ring first time if the pole jaws open upwards, so you are going onto the ring from underneath.

 

[Greenheart]

Dan, sorry about the hijack...

Not a problem at all, it's all good learning to me. I'm accustomed to ingrained dinghy class-loyalties coming out on forum pages; sailing a relatively rare class makes it easy to sit back dispassionately and read the banter, and possibly draw out some benefit.

Regarding the spinnaker, I must add to my ignorance and inexperience, the fact that my use of the sail will mostly be singlehanded. That's probably why I'm keener to learn about systems and options for layout, than their low intrinsic complexity justifies.

But compared with my first post in this thread, I can now see how the ropes tied to the spinnaker can be rigged and secured within reach. That's definitely progress, so I thank you all sincerely, for posting.

It's frustrating, I have videos from so many days in earlier years, when the wind blew six knots maximum, and without a clue, I could have hoisted the 175sq ft kite and learned something without having to swim. But I've learned patience with the Osprey.

I will read all the replies here again, before I pester you gents with further questions. Thanks again. :encouragement: