New Jib Sheets! What are These?

[Kenomac]

I have a sock snuffer, maybe it's best to hang onto it. Gives me another option.

Thanks.

[Suijin]

Your second lighter set might be for light air.

Those shackles are pricey, take care of them. Not only can they be blown under pressure, they can be operated with one hand, on and off, when they're not. Nice pieces of kit.

Your kite looks like a flatter, "reaching" symmetric although it's hard to tell from the video. If it works flown like an asymmetric, go for it. In fact, depending on course a reaching symmetric is often flown with the pole just off the forestay "heated up".

There's no reason not to employ the sock however you fly it if it makes it easier for the two of you to douse it. It certainly makes stowing it and redeploying it easier as you don't have as much work to do repacking it.

[puffcard]

I think your video is a asymmetrical spin, clew looks higher. One quick way to tell, look at the corners of the sail and see what's written on them. If it has "Tack", "Clew" and "Head" you have an asymmetrical spin. Symmetrical doesn't have a Tack and Clew. Keep the sock, it's a good way to handle a +1,700 sqft cruising chute. I bet you were using a sock on the video, the sail looks a little long and that happens after adding a sock to a A-chute. They add about a foot and a half to the hoist. I would not try to set a big symmetrical spinnaker sailing shorthanded. Have fun with that beast.

Plug - I have for sale a very nice cruising chute for a 40 ft'er in the classify ads.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by puffcard

I think your video is a asymmetrical spin, clew looks higher. One quick way to tell, look at the corners of the sail and see what's written on them. If it has "Tack", "Clew" and "Head" you have an asymmetrical spin. Symmetrical doesn't have a Tack and Clew. Keep the sock, it's a good way to handle a +1,700 sqft cruising chute. I bet you were using a sock on the video, the sail looks a little long and that happens after adding a sock to a A-chute. They add about a foot and a half to the hoist. I would not try to set a big symmetrical spinnaker sailing shorthanded. Have fun with that beast.

Plug - I have for sale a very nice cruising chute for a 40 ft'er in the classify ads.

I guess my answer is in the video, the leading corner of the spinnaker clearly reads "Tack" where it attaches to the top down furler.

Thanks

[Kenomac]

Why does an aysmmetric spinnaker require two sheets and two aft guys? Why not one or the other?

Is it for shaping the sail? Wouldn't all those lines, especially the two oversized heavy ones weigh down the sail?

I've only used just the one lightweight sheet.

[Pete7]

Good question, ours don't, can't quite imagine what they would be for or how you would use them.

BTW do you really want to use bowlines for attaching the sheets? We moved to a soft shackle a couple of years ago to avoid the problem of the knots catching the baby stay and it works, mostly.

There is an endless thread on here about how to tie the perfect soft shackle and the differences with each version. Back in the real world just buy one or make one and no it doesn't have to be Dyneema either

[Kenomac]

Can you provide a picture of what a soft shackle looks like attached to a large jib? We have a pair of brand new Dolphin Sails jibs presently in transit.

[Pete7]

What sort of breaking strain do you want?

https://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/item/89...-soft-shackles

What sort of breaking strain do you want?

Being slightly smaller we use ordinary rope soft shackles which also happen to be a damn sight cheaper., ours is blue.

Pete

[knockabout]

took 5 years to find them put them back where you found them / soak your existing sheets in fresh water with a few drips of eucalyptus oil / change the water a few times to rinse out the salt / should be back to nice useable sheets / in an awkward situation and you feel rope stiffness from salt is a problem dunk them in the water they soften instantly / not a problem where we live / wet season flushes the salt out of them

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Can you provide a picture of what a soft shackle looks like attached to a large jib? We have a pair of brand new Dolphin Sails jibs presently in transit.

I think there is a thread about that, I'll have to check.
Many moons ago I thought I'd try shackles like those on my sheets. That was when I was young and stupid. I think I still have the cracks in my skull somewhere from the ONE time they smacked me in the head.

[Don C L]

Here it is:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...le-155714.html

[thunderhoof]

Gibb shackles as you show are fine for spinnaker guys but should not be used at jib clews because they have a tendency to release if the jib flogs. If you want to use the lines as backup sheets run them in reverse from the jib block to the sail and tie bowlines at the sail.

[JPA Cate]

Ken,

This may really apply to a boat the size of yours (so much larger forces are generated), but we always, when racing on the 30 footer, ran both sheets and guys, and did end for end gybes with the spinnaker. When we graduated to the 36, the gybes become dip pole gybes, but you still had to have both sheets and guys for the two clews.

The current boat is larger, and sports a spinnaker taken off a Santa Cruz 52, a large chute. We snuff it if we're going to gybe with just the two of us. Also, we do not often fly it in anything but light airs. If the boat will go just as fast with the genoa, the chute comes down then.

I think you're going to have fun learning to use them. If your boat doesn't have a reaching strut, you may want to get one for her, but maybe there's such a gem at the bottom of your sail locker, or in the lazarette? Hope so.

FWIW, for our genoa sheets, we splice eyes in the sail end of the lines, and attach them both to the clew with two soft shackles. Bowlines work just fine, we did it just to have less bulk.

Cheers,

Ann

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by knockabout

took 5 years to find them put them back where you found them / soak your existing sheets in fresh water with a few drips of eucalyptus oil / change the water a few times to rinse out the salt / should be back to nice useable sheets / in an awkward situation and you feel rope stiffness from salt is a problem dunk them in the water they soften instantly / not a problem where we live / wet season flushes the salt out of them

I've tried washing them a few times, but the previous owner purchased sheets that are at least one size too large for the winch, so they tend to pop out of the brake mechanism when they harden up the slightest amount. I've even tried washing them in Woolite fabric softener.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Why does an aysmmetric spinnaker require two sheets and two aft guys? Why not one or the other?

Is it for shaping the sail? Wouldn't all those lines, especially the two oversized heavy ones weigh down the sail?

I've only used just the one lightweight sheet.

One does not need after-guys on an asymmetric, merely two sheets and a tack line through a snatch-block at the bow to allow the tack to be raised or lowered. In fact, on our boat, I have a single continuous sheet with both ends affixed to the clue on our assym, the line passing through snatch blocks on either quarter. In such fashion we need less line for the sheets and one can never go adrift. Note that one can actually use a symmetric spinnaker in the same manner as an asymmetric if one attaches the tack to the headstay with a "Tacker" or parrel bead collar that can ride up and down the stay. Both our symmetric and asymmetric spinnakers are fitted with socks for ease of handling. They're big, in the 1500 SF range, and so need easy handling.

FWIW...