Spinnaker Snuffer - DIY ??

Ecosse120

Ecosse120

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Anybody got any idea how you would go about making your own spinnaker snuffer ?? I saw one a couple of years back in PBO but that went with the last clear out. Is it financially worth it ?? The boat is about 22ft long to give you an idea of sizes. Thanks for any help
 
I'm sure someone will be along with something more useful soon, but...

A snuffer on a 22 footer?

Really?
 
I tend to sail with friends who have limited experience of spinnakers and /or sailing and this seems to take some of the 'risk' out of it.
 
Whilst many would argue that a snuffer makes it easier on a larger boat (I disagree btw) I'm quite sure that a snuffer on a 22 footer is an unnecessary complication. Especially as the foredeck on a 22 footer (where you'd have to be to work a snuffer) is not the largest and most secure of work environments.

And a 22 foot crusing boat? That must be quite a small kite, it would have to be absolutely howling before you couldn't get the better of it just by dumping 2 corners and pulling the third corner.
 
Flaming, you are a serious sailor. It is a very different situation with small family crews. People are often inexperienced, possibly elderly or young. Spinnakers for even the smallest craft can exert a lot of power as a breeze increases slowly. The risk of injury or loss of balance is significantly higher, in addition the consequences are greater too.

That is why I do not use my cruising chute for years at a time. If I happen to have a strong crew available, fine, but when solo, or with wife & grandkids aboard, it will always stay in its bag below.

OP, I have heard of people using a plastic washing up bowl with the bottom cut out & a light sleeve of nylon sewn to it to make a snuffer. I would suggest using a circle of webbing sewn to the sleeve & then stitch the webbing to holes in the sides of the bowl. Do not make too many holes or too close together, perhaps use hot wire to make the holes so that the edges are reinforced by the melted plastic. If the holes are in pairs in 3-4 spots around the bowl then you can sew the webbing to the bowl like you might a button. You can also sew a continuous light line to the webbing to hoist & lower the snuffer.

Caveat - I have not actually done this, I just leave the ruddy dangerous sail below & start the engine. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
But my point is that on a 22 foot boat, to handle a snuffer you have to go on the (rather small) foredeck. To drop it normally you can stay in the cockpit. This is actually always true, regardless of the size of boat.
So with an inexperienced crew, a rising breeze and a kite up, would you rather leave the cockpit (and the helm) and go up to the foredeck, or stay in the cockpit and gather the kite in under the boom?
I'll just about buy the argument that for larger boats a snuffer makes setting a kite slightly safer (never dropping though btw) but if anyone is suggesting that a snuffer is necessary to control a kite of that size, they're, well, wrong.

Snuffers safer?

Not in this case, no.
 
Hi Ecosse120,

I know it's harder for people who don't race to get confident with spinnaker work but you should be able to control a spinnaker of that size without a snuffer.

One trick is to use the mainsail as a 'snuffer'. It needs to be loose footed, but even if it isn't already it would be worthwhile getting a sailmaker to modify it so it can be.

What you do then is get an extra sheet with a snap shackle. Feed it over the boom & under the mainsail and attach it to the clew of the spinnaker (same clew as the sheet).

Ease the guy a lot and pull on the third line until the clew comes over the boom. Pull along the foot of the spinnaker so you have both clews. The spinnaker is then 'snuffed' behind the main and you can release the halyard and pull the spinnaker down and send it down the companionway.

Go out & try it in something like a F3 and you'll soon get used to it. Maybe take an extra experienced crew member along until you're comfortable with the technique.

In light airs you will tend to pull the main back as you pull on the spinnaker, which is why I suggested a F3 for practising. But then again, you probably don't even need this technique in light airs.

It's called a letter-box drop by the way, for obvious reasons.
 
You can only stay in the cockpit if the halliard is lead aft. & even then, you have to go to the mast to deal with the pole, sheet & guy when it is down. No, definitely not a sail for weak or inexperienced crews.

As I said I have never bothered with a snuffer, but could not handle even my coaster from the cockpit anyway. Any foresail change requires a trip to the foredeck & mast. That's why I fitted a R/R genny.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You can only stay in the cockpit if the halliard is lead aft. & even then, you have to go to the mast to deal with the pole, sheet & guy when it is down. No, definitely not a sail for weak or inexperienced crews.

[/ QUOTE ]

Granted that the halyard would have to be lead back. But clearing up once the kite's down is a slightly diferent prospect to dancing on the foredeck trying to tame a sail. At least from an inexperienced crew's point of view.

Completely off topic, and I appologise that I'm in a slightly argumentitive mood, but how does an inexperienced crew go about becoming experienced enough to fly the kite, without, well, flying the kite?
 
Having used a snuffer, mostly with a (big) cruising chute, I would say their biggest advantage is when hoisting, as you don't have the problem of the kite filling when half up.
I would not bother with one for a kite under about 400sq ft.
But if you must have one, make it from slippery spinnaker material, and ensure the mouth is quite strong, as the force to squeeze the kite in can be large!
Beware of using dark cloth as colours often run a bit and may ruin your kite!
 
[ QUOTE ]
(cut)
Completely off topic, and I appologise that I'm in a slightly argumentitive mood, but how does an inexperienced crew go about becoming experienced enough to fly the kite, without, well, flying the kite?

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely, but I would hesitate to try teaching my 6 year-old twins with only myself & wife aboard. Even if their Mum was abopard too, as neither adult has shown any interest in trimming or even sailing the boat. They will hold the wheel for me or motor out of an anchorage while I weigh anchor & set sails, but that's about the extent of their sailing ambitions. They like the sun, sea & sand, the easygoing relaxed way I sail. Spinnakers are no sensible part of that.

This is my key point about what you did not understand as a "serious sailor". Single-handing is a doddle compared to having family passengers on board. One needs a whole different way of defensive sailing in such situations.
 
I have seen DIY snufers in the mags. The only detail I remember was that the hard plastic bit used two ikea plastic waste paper bins with the bottoms cut out slid over each other with the fabric sandwiched between them
 
I had one on my 19ft boat, it was so brilliant when sailing single handed, as boats that small often dont have auto helm,

I made a snuffer for my contessa, I cut the bottom out of a plastic bucket with a hot knife, and punched / melted holes all round the sides with a hot point to sew the fabric through. It was really easy, I used a nylon fabric, that was soft and fine enough to roushe up into a small section at the top of the spinaker.
 
You could try making a fabric sock, and using the top half of a plastic bucket to make the "mouth".

I have wondered whether the kind of netting sold to fix in your guard wires might not make a very effective sock if sewn into a tube. Has anyone tried that?
 
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