Fire99
Well-Known Member
Now is there some personal experience coming to light there??
Good plan though. Even some of my more landlubber friends may be tempted with that offer.
Spinnaker
- Thread starter Fire99
- Start date
Now is there some personal experience coming to light there??
Good plan though. Even some of my more landlubber friends may be tempted with that offer.
Lodesman77
Well-Known Member
For a fairly good summary of how to do it you could also take a look at the Kemp sails data sheets - quite helpful and worth a peruse: -
http://www.kempsails.com/component/option,com_docman/task,cat_view/gid,8/Itemid,12/
http://www.kempsails.com/component/option,com_docman/task,cat_view/gid,8/Itemid,12/
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
Even when it's flying if the betrothed helm is not used to downwind sailing the unintentional gybe and refill which will "drag your boat over on it's side resulting in general panic/ shouting etc." is nothing compared to the effect of the gybe back to the correct side when the sail will fill like an airbag going off which will "drag your boat over on it's side resulting in general panic/ shouting etc."
Don't ask.......
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
All I can say that there's been a lot of hot air expended by people who, IMHO, seldom (if ever) fly a spinnaker.
It's just another sail and, on anything but a masthead rig, easily put up and taken down.
I never need to repack mine (I've got 3), properly taken down, they'll always go up again without any further fiddling.
Getting it up quickly, blanketed by the main, and down again, always works, for me.
Perhaps the lack of "crew" getting in the way, shouting and generally panicking makes it easier - even my wife is quite equable about it - a long as she isn't asked to pull any ropes!!
It's just another sail and, on anything but a masthead rig, easily put up and taken down.
I never need to repack mine (I've got 3), properly taken down, they'll always go up again without any further fiddling.
Getting it up quickly, blanketed by the main, and down again, always works, for me.
Perhaps the lack of "crew" getting in the way, shouting and generally panicking makes it easier - even my wife is quite equable about it - a long as she isn't asked to pull any ropes!!
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oldfatgit
Well-Known Member
As far as I am concerned, you must fit a proper spinnaker halyard to hoist a spinnaker, or indeed a cruising chute or similar asymmetric sail. If single handing, I strongly advise you consider and work out all your lines etc in port. Maybe on a quiet evening hoist the sail whilst alongside. Also consider the 2 pole down hauls option to keep you safe whilst doing everything else. Finally, get a friend who has experience of spinnakers to literally show you the ropes before trying alone.
One day I will hoist mine when single handing and I can't wait; but I will be very careful.
Good luck.
One day I will hoist mine when single handing and I can't wait; but I will be very careful.
Good luck.
DanTribe
Well-Known Member
Crikey!
Having read some of these posts, I now realise that I've been doing it all wrong for years and that it's much much more complicated and dangerous than I thought.
I had better stop using my spinnaker until I get a bit more experience with it.
Dan
Having read some of these posts, I now realise that I've been doing it all wrong for years and that it's much much more complicated and dangerous than I thought.
I had better stop using my spinnaker until I get a bit more experience with it.
Dan
oldfatgit
Well-Known Member
Ok enlighten us.
nigelm
Well-Known Member
Burnham week is coming up , wangle yourself a crewing position on a boat and you will soon find out how to put up a kite - or not as the case maybe 
would be a good experience if nothing else
class 6 would be good
would be a good experience if nothing else
class 6 would be good
Fire99
Well-Known Member
Good find.. Thanks for that. I'll have a read!
FullCircle
Well-Known Member
Burnham week is coming up , wangle yourself a crewing position on a boat and you will soon find out how to put up a kite - or not as the case maybe
would be a good experience if nothing else
class 6 would be good
Class 3 might be better. That's the lowest class for spinnakers this year.
We will be in Class 5 for the first weekend
There is no Class 6 this year.
Fire99
Well-Known Member
DanTribe
Well-Known Member
I don't really disagree with anything you say in your explanation, [except perhaps for having a bag shaped like a turtle and hoisting behind a jib]. I do however think that it is too long and detailed for a beginner and likely to put him off trying.
Another posters assertion that you WILL be dragged screaming sideways is also a bit over dramatic.
Dan
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
But aren't we all Drama Queens?
Fire99
Well-Known Member
Fear not. I take all opinions and advice but if we hung to every last word everyone ever told us, we'd never try anything, so I'll certainly be getting the rig setup and giving it a good go.
I like to hear others experiences so as to get as much info as poss then pick out the bits I like.
Very few things faze me, especially when it comes to things I enjoy doing.
dt4134
Well-Known Member
Go out in a F2 or F3 and you can afford to make mistakes with the spinnaker.
All the scary stuff that some posters are mentioning happens with stronger winds.
All the scary stuff that some posters are mentioning happens with stronger winds.
William_H
Well-Known Member
Spinacker Flying
For my sins I seem to be scheduled to teach spinackers next Sun morning in our club Crew competency course. One trick i found very useful is to tie the boat up at the jetty stern to wind and show the participants standing on the jetty just what is involved. Then they all try it. I have a quite tiny spin and obviously only done in light winds.
On a small boat an easy launching system is to tie the spin bag onto the bow rail ahead of the forestay and possibly ahead of the bow rail. Use a cover for the spin bag which is velcroed to keep it all in place until you pull the strings. Tieing the top is better but requires a person to go forward to untie the ties.
I have settled on a topping lift adjustable from the cockpit coming out of the mast about half height.
Domn haul for the pole is done via barber haulers for the sheet/guys, on the gunwhale and fairly well forward. Another option is a down haul tackle to the middle of the pole from near the base of the mast.
Yes you do need a halyard coming from forward and above the forestay.
Using the bag on the bow. You fit the pole to what is going to be the guy. (we call it the brace) then to the mast and set it horizontal with the topping lift.
With the boat slightly off running ie wind on the stern quarter pull the halyard right up till the spin hits the mast. Pull the barber hauler down tight and the guy around until the pole is roughly in the same line as the boom. ie well back for running square firther forward for quartering wind. Adjust the sheet until the spin takes a nice shape.
Much of the success of flying a spin is down to the helmsman. This especially so in stronger winds or when shy (ie a reach) You must keep the boat under the spin. That means when the boat heels a bit it will tend to turn into the wind. This brings the wind more on the beam so heels the boat more. The trick is to anticipate a gust and turn the boat down wind before you lose control. Of course you let the mainsail completely free as first thing to do in a gust.
I am guessing that this will happen to you a lot. You will find the boat lying mast almost in the water going at rightangles to where you want to go or stopped and you wondering what devil got into your boat. This is a good time to lose crew over board so be careful.
So get confidence in light winds and or with a small spin. My small one is about the size of a genoa.
OP would have done better to buy a small spin than standard sized. Small should be narrow but full height.
One trick you should get practiced at, is pulling the spin down. If things are light a crew person can pull the spin down into the bag. However if things get a bit hairy you can grab the sheet from the entrance hatch (with a boat hook) pull the sheet while releasing the guy and the halyard. You might need to release the barber hauler on the sheet side to allow it all to be pulled into the cabin. Take the pole off at leisure.
You will need to master gybing the spin. Here helmsmans accuracy is vital. Hold the boat near square. Take the pole off the mast and swing it through to connect to the new guy. (Old sheet) Take pole off the old guy and fit to mast snotter.
The barber hauler should be hauled down on oold guy and pulled down also on new guy. Release old barber hauler later. Now turn the boat to gybe the main. On my little boat the weight of the boom flying over and the turn into the wind can give a viscious weather helm lurch out of control. The helms man should shift to new windward side before starting the gybe and be ready to pull that tiller to counteract the swing when the main gybes.
I have settled to launching my spin from the anchor hatch. You need to try lots of variations. good luck olewill
For my sins I seem to be scheduled to teach spinackers next Sun morning in our club Crew competency course. One trick i found very useful is to tie the boat up at the jetty stern to wind and show the participants standing on the jetty just what is involved. Then they all try it. I have a quite tiny spin and obviously only done in light winds.
On a small boat an easy launching system is to tie the spin bag onto the bow rail ahead of the forestay and possibly ahead of the bow rail. Use a cover for the spin bag which is velcroed to keep it all in place until you pull the strings. Tieing the top is better but requires a person to go forward to untie the ties.
I have settled on a topping lift adjustable from the cockpit coming out of the mast about half height.
Domn haul for the pole is done via barber haulers for the sheet/guys, on the gunwhale and fairly well forward. Another option is a down haul tackle to the middle of the pole from near the base of the mast.
Yes you do need a halyard coming from forward and above the forestay.
Using the bag on the bow. You fit the pole to what is going to be the guy. (we call it the brace) then to the mast and set it horizontal with the topping lift.
With the boat slightly off running ie wind on the stern quarter pull the halyard right up till the spin hits the mast. Pull the barber hauler down tight and the guy around until the pole is roughly in the same line as the boom. ie well back for running square firther forward for quartering wind. Adjust the sheet until the spin takes a nice shape.
Much of the success of flying a spin is down to the helmsman. This especially so in stronger winds or when shy (ie a reach) You must keep the boat under the spin. That means when the boat heels a bit it will tend to turn into the wind. This brings the wind more on the beam so heels the boat more. The trick is to anticipate a gust and turn the boat down wind before you lose control. Of course you let the mainsail completely free as first thing to do in a gust.
I am guessing that this will happen to you a lot. You will find the boat lying mast almost in the water going at rightangles to where you want to go or stopped and you wondering what devil got into your boat. This is a good time to lose crew over board so be careful.
So get confidence in light winds and or with a small spin. My small one is about the size of a genoa.
OP would have done better to buy a small spin than standard sized. Small should be narrow but full height.
One trick you should get practiced at, is pulling the spin down. If things are light a crew person can pull the spin down into the bag. However if things get a bit hairy you can grab the sheet from the entrance hatch (with a boat hook) pull the sheet while releasing the guy and the halyard. You might need to release the barber hauler on the sheet side to allow it all to be pulled into the cabin. Take the pole off at leisure.
You will need to master gybing the spin. Here helmsmans accuracy is vital. Hold the boat near square. Take the pole off the mast and swing it through to connect to the new guy. (Old sheet) Take pole off the old guy and fit to mast snotter.
The barber hauler should be hauled down on oold guy and pulled down also on new guy. Release old barber hauler later. Now turn the boat to gybe the main. On my little boat the weight of the boom flying over and the turn into the wind can give a viscious weather helm lurch out of control. The helms man should shift to new windward side before starting the gybe and be ready to pull that tiller to counteract the swing when the main gybes.
I have settled to launching my spin from the anchor hatch. You need to try lots of variations. good luck olewill
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
nigelm
Well-Known Member
Really !! , is this a recent thing ??
i can remember using a kite in class 6
but that was 30 odd yrs ago when i was on my fathers quarter tonner
oooohhh those were the days ..........
oldfatgit
Well-Known Member
Thank you William H, really like the bag on the bow bit. Time to learn how to use that sewing machine thingy.
BAtoo
Well-Known Member
At the risk of further confusing you.....
On a smaller boat its possible and easier to do this all from the cockpit if you lead your lines right and have the turtle fixed inside the cabin hatch.
Going just off dead downwind on the appropriate gybe yo launch under the boom so it automatically shelters the kite which will only fill when you pull the guy and pole round from behind the genny which is still up at this point.
Once pulling drop the genny - or maybe leave it up if its not too big as many keelboats do and fly it on the same side as the main.
For simplicity have a single line for guy/sheet and have a midship barber hauler on each side to make one line the guy (hauled down on the barber hauler) and the other the sheet (barber hauler off)/
To gybe either drop and relaunch (cheating but ok) or haul in both barber haulers and float kite, pole off, gybe main, let go sheet, reattach pole.
If you've got some Squibs nearby go and see/talk to thier owners - its how they are rigged and seeing is easier than me prattlin.
Its also the way my son has rigged his 22ft Pandora and he can do his kite single handed.
By the way you MUST have a dedicated spinnaker halyard set above the forestay.
Hope this helps not confuses !!!!!!!!!
On a smaller boat its possible and easier to do this all from the cockpit if you lead your lines right and have the turtle fixed inside the cabin hatch.
Going just off dead downwind on the appropriate gybe yo launch under the boom so it automatically shelters the kite which will only fill when you pull the guy and pole round from behind the genny which is still up at this point.
Once pulling drop the genny - or maybe leave it up if its not too big as many keelboats do and fly it on the same side as the main.
For simplicity have a single line for guy/sheet and have a midship barber hauler on each side to make one line the guy (hauled down on the barber hauler) and the other the sheet (barber hauler off)/
To gybe either drop and relaunch (cheating but ok) or haul in both barber haulers and float kite, pole off, gybe main, let go sheet, reattach pole.
If you've got some Squibs nearby go and see/talk to thier owners - its how they are rigged and seeing is easier than me prattlin.
Its also the way my son has rigged his 22ft Pandora and he can do his kite single handed.
By the way you MUST have a dedicated spinnaker halyard set above the forestay.
Hope this helps not confuses !!!!!!!!!