Spinnaker turning blocks.

[Rigger Mortice]

I've never yet found a satisfactory way of fitting turning blocks for the spinnaker lines on my boat.

I've tried shackling blocks to the toerails at the stern, I've tried rope loops, but neither are very good. With toerails, dodgers and pushpits all conspiring to get in the way it just doesn't seem possible to get a good line up back to the winches.

I would fit a fixed block but there isn't much space and I can't see that it would give a better line up; the toe rail would get in the way.

What do you guys do?

 

[lw395]

U bolt through the toe rail, with a block shackled on.
A turning block at the back of the boat and a block on the toe rail to bring the sheet/guy horizontal might work.
The pushpit, dodgers etc should be designed around the kite gear ideally.
Do the paths to the winches look any better if you cross-winch with the sheet on the windward winch?

 

[sailorman]

I've never yet found a satisfactory way of fitting turning blocks for the spinnaker lines on my boat.

I've tried shackling blocks to the toerails at the stern, I've tried rope loops, but neither are very good. With toerails, dodgers and pushpits all conspiring to get in the way it just doesn't seem possible to get a good line up back to the winches.

I would fit a fixed block but there isn't much space and I can't see that it would give a better line up; the toe rail would get in the way.

What do you guys do?

This is my set up with the spinlock block for the sheet that can then be lead to the aft spi winch or through the upper turning block to the primary winch. the guy is via a snatch block @ max beam to the upper turning block.
our deck hardware was laid out for racing

A rainy day in Lezaedrieux

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Cross winching is a good idea. I don't know why I hadn't thought of that as I cross winch the genoa sheets quite often when I'm single handing. It's easier to use the "uphill" winch when I'm manouvering in narrow fairways. Doing the same with spinnaker lines may work, though they may end up in the way as they would cross near to the tiller. But certainly worth playing with next time I'm on the boat.
I'll have a look at a U bolt too.

Thanks.

 

[chewi]

I have turning blocks on short (6inch) wire strops that are secured to the deck (in my case the backstay chainplate), but are held up by a weak bungee to the pushpit.
While not in use they hang out of the way on the bungee, but while in use the sheet load overpowers the bungee so the block flies just above the coaming and the mooring cleats.

I have cockpit dodgers with a cutout above the mooring cleats, and the turning block flies in the middle of that cutout .

The sheet tail then goes through a smaller guide block psitioned to avoid riding turns.

 

[Clive]

I have turning blocks on short (6inch) wire strops that are secured to the deck (in my case the backstay chainplate), but are held up by a weak bungee to the pushpit.
While not in use they hang out of the way on the bungee, but while in use the sheet load overpowers the bungee so the block flies just above the coaming and the mooring cleats.

I have cockpit dodgers with a cutout above the mooring cleats, and the turning block flies in the middle of that cutout .

The sheet tail then goes through a smaller guide block psitioned to avoid riding turns.

Hi I have 2 turning blocks on each side. The sheet from the spinnaker goes to a block near the transom, fixed to an eye pad, then forward along the toe rail to the second block (ratchet) which turn the sheet through 90degrees to the side nearest winch or to the opposite side coach roof winch for trimming on the windward side near the shrouds.

The ratched blocks just take some of the load off in light airs where trimming using the winches is over kill.