Taking on the Spinnaker !

[langlandsr]

Hi to all. So i've got the foresail gig under contol and the mainsail is no worries .Now I'm thinkin on the spinnaker. Its there, big, red, white and blue and Im gonna get a spinnaker sock...so can I fly her without a spinnaker pole (symmetrical)? then there's this afterguy and the foreguy? who are these guys,there not com'n aboard my yacht..he/he. please, some detailed help for a bloody novice ..cheers Rossco

[Blue Stocking]

Symetrical without a pole? Think that one through.

[daddle]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

Symetrical without a pole? Think that one through.

Works fine on a lazy sail. Especially on a calm day. Tack it to the stem on a, say, six foot line. Use a single sheet. Put the apparent wind a bit behind the beam. Way better than using a genoa. Completely legal.

Sock tip: Ease the tack line to douse, not the sheet. Keeps you off the bow.

[Blue Stocking]

Daddle,

I agree with you, have done it myself. Rosco sounded a little new (nothing wrong with that), hence my comment.

[svHyLyte]

Langland sr--

You can fly the symmetric spinnaker without a pole but you'll need a set of parrel beads or a Tacker to connect it to the headstay. Youll want a tack line that runs through a block at the bow so the sail's "luff" can be tightened down or the tack allowed to ride up a few feet. The clue will be attached to two sheets as a usual headsail. In light air you may be able to do "inside gybes", i.e. with the clue and leach of the sail passing through the foretriangle forward of the headstay but behind the sails own luff in the same manner an assymetrical is gybed, but, with a symetrical sail, you may find an outside gybe is easier (so long as you don't drop the lazy sheet in the water and get it wrapped around your keel, rudder or prop). (Alternately, with a Sock, simply snuff the sail and relaunch on the alternate gybe after gybing the main.)

Absent a pole there is no fore- or after-guy or topping lift. Whatever you normally use for the foreguy can be used for the tack-line.

Take a look at the video at ATN Tacker

FWIW...

[Inkwell]

The video looks good. A good idea to remember. Thanks

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by langlandsr

...so can I fly her without a spinnaker pole....... some detailed help for a bloody novice ..cheers Rossco

Flying a spinnaker without a pole is for really experienced people who have an attention deficit disorder or normally jump from short buildings with parachutes.
An accidental broach with out a spinnaker pole is about the only way a boat can get into real trouble by a gentle wind alone.

Start by using the pole.

You can even set the pole up with your guys without a spinnaker at all. The boat wont move but you'll get to see who it works

[daddle]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Flying a spinnaker without a pole is for really experienced people who have an attention deficit disorder or normally jump from short buildings with parachutes.
An accidental broach with out a spinnaker pole is about the only way a boat can get into real trouble by a gentle wind alone.

Huh? I'm neither of these. Nor can I imagine how to dangerously broach in a gentle breeze (say Force 3).

[svHyLyte]

See Asymmetrical Spinnaker for more information on the subject. Although oriented for assymetrical sails, for the most part the information also applies to a symmetric sail.

FWIW...

[daddle]

A spinnaker tacked to the stem on a few feet of pendant should fly forward and slightly to windward of the forestay. So using some gimmick to hobble it to the forestay makes no sense whatsoever (except to marketing people). FWIW: More speed downwind?

It all makes little difference...go sailing and find out for yourself.

[Joli]

That will depend on where the breeze is.

If your deep you don't need to tie it to the headstay, it will try to rotate to weather on it's own. If you are shy reaching it will fall off substantially unless it is tied to the forestay.

Also, for a 28 footer I would not bother with a sock.

Originally Posted by daddle

A spinnaker tacked to the stem on a few feet of pendant should fly forward and slightly to windward of the forestay. So using some gimmick to hobble it to the forestay makes no sense whatsoever (except to marketing people). FWIW: More speed downwind?

It all makes little difference...go sailing and find out for yourself.

[bewitched]

crew on a raceboat to learn how it's done and then apply the principles to your own boat.

[sailorboy1]

Well I'm NO expert! Flew my spinnaker for the second and third time this weekend. With the wind at 2-3 knots it was hard to keep full and flying (with the pole) and it would sometimes drag in the water from the weioght of the sheet line. Bet it would have been a major problem if I had tried to run it from my Tacker to the forestay.

I want a asymmetic, maybe not as good downwind but figure if it's easier to use we will more offer.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Well I'm NO expert! Flew my spinnaker for the second and third time this weekend. With the wind at 2-3 knots it was hard to keep full and flying (with the pole) and it would sometimes drag in the water from the weioght of the sheet line.

I am learning myself how to use the spinnaker we have. First, my wife hates downwind sailing. Second Don, I think we may have the same problem. I fall into the trap of the name "Light Air Sail" and try to use it when there is no wind( less than 4 knots). That coupled with the fact of not having any experience with the sail and usually having guest on board that have never sailed.

I have had a few good sails with it and as I think back the wind has usually been more than 5 knots. I need to get an expert Catamaran Spinnaker man on board for a few sails. (Calling Sandy)

OH and I don't own a spinnaker pole, but our tack is on two double block and tackle rigs to be able "fly" the tack from either bow or any point in between, which I think helps and definately adds to the learning all the techniques to fly the sail for the best performance.

Note: Halyard just installed and spinnaker up for the first time (for me) in sig picture

[sailorboy1]

Yeah when I put it up yesterday it was in 1.5-2 knot wind. Didn't fly put I don't regret it was it was only the second time and it kept most of the drama down. Noted that once wind got to 4 knots it flew pretty good and we we doing 3 knots. When it got to 6 knots we got to 4.3 knots. This was our heavy spinnaker (1.5 oz), we have a 0.5 oz that haven't used because it doesn't have a sock.

In the end we were happy we put it up. We even pulled the sock down and moved the pole over to the other side to change course. Also it was good to learn how various sheet and hieght changes worked in the light air. Ecen had lots of time to get out the book while it was up to see what I might be doing wrong.

I'm going to master this sail enough to use it regularly. Yesterday it was the difference between sailing or motoring for 6 hours. May never be "good" at it, but will be enough to make way better with it than without it.

But back to the pole questions; I posted a thread a few weeks ago asking this and didn't get much response. So I just don't know, but the boat has a Tacker that came with it so I ASSUME the last owner did it.