Video on how to hoist a cruising chute

I first set a cruising shute way back in about 1982. I had to work it out for myself, and adopted an old gaffers method of setting topsails by putting the sail in "stops" made of what we used to call "rotten cotton". The sail went up looking a bit like that one in its sock, and a hard jerk on the sheet then broke the stops (bits of rotten cotton flying away to leeward). It was a little more complicated than the North method, but cheaper.
An ideal material for rotten cotton is green gardener's twine called Nutscene, but make sure you don't get the man made fibre variety as it won't break. The jute one does, tho'. I now use it in the garden for tieing up my sweet peas! By the end of a summer exposed to wind, rain and some sun it is usually easy to strip from the bamboos.
 
Elastic bands do the job for chute and spinnaker. Easy way is to get a cheapo bucket and cut the bottom out. Charge it with loadsa bands round the outside. pass the sail through head first and every few feet, slip a band from bucket to sail, I am sure you get it!! Dogs doodahs.
Once hoisted, a tweak of the sheet will set the sail and the elastic bands become elastic not bands. Da Da.
 
I wouldn't cleat off the snuffer control line to the bow but at the mast instead. If the chute turns inside out you cannot get to the bow and the line to lower. Tie off at the mast and walk forward when lowering. And I do use the shute single handed.
Also another tip that works for me. Tie a large loop of line to the clew say make the loop about a meter in length. Set only the leeward sheet and shackle your line to the loop not the clew. then once the sail is hoisted then run out your windward sheet around the forstay and clip shackle to the clew looped line (which you can now reach). Saves getting way too many lines getting caught up as you hoist and set your sail. (tips after soo many chute tangles) I find that the clew of the shute is usually inside the snuffer when packed, and find you cannot find the clew in the snuffer. The looped line hangs out of the snuffer therefore clew easy to find.
 
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