Asymmetrical Spinnaker Rigging

[mottseng]

My new/old boat came with an asymmetrical spinnaker in a sock. There is no rigging at the bow or otherwise for this sail. I am looking for some advise on how to rig it and what hardware I will need to install?

[fallingeggs]

Originally Posted by mottseng

My new/old boat came with an asymmetrical spinnaker in a sock. There is no rigging at the bow or otherwise for this sail. I am looking for some advise on how to rig it and what hardware I will need to install?

I think you know this, but you'll need to attach the tack to something, preferably to a line that is run back to the cockpit so you can pull it in / let it out on the go.

As for where on the bow the tack line should be attached is a very boat specific answer. Maybe post some pictures of your bow and folks can chime in with what might work. Older boats weren't built with a asymmetrical spin in mind (they weren't invented / wide spread use at the time, I believe), so there is usually no perfect answer.

Ideally, the tack would be in front of the forestay / jib so that the spin flies in front, but it isn't always possible.

I have actually been trying different configurations on my boat to see what works best. Still not satisfied. One position (with the tack outside of the pulpit/lifelines) ripped my nav light clean off the pulpit! Trying now to route the tack line between the forestay and the pulpit without have it run on the jib furler drum. Just a matter of block placement on the anchor roller / pulpit to get the line to run true.

[sck5]

On my old boat I used a hole in the anchor roller fitting. A D shaped shackle lived in the hole and was what I attached the tack line to. I also used a fixed tack pendant rather than running the tack line back to the cockpit. This made it far easier to set up and take down and was perfectly good most of the time. There might have been 5-10% of the time when I wanted to adjust the tack line but honestly, it still worked OK even then.

So the total rigging needed? One D shackle for the tack and two snatch blocks aft for the sheets. Couldnt have been easier. By the way, you could always attach a block to the D ring if you want to rig a proper tack line but I did this only once and decided that on a boat with a crew of two simplicity trumped however much extra speed I might have gotten (not much, really)

[mottseng]

fallingeggs and sck5, thanks for your replies. I wasn't sure where on the bow you attached the block to. Pics of my boat are on my profile.

thanks

[Don C L]

I went looking for pics of the boat but don't see an album there.

[mottseng]

Not sure if this image shows up however under my profile I do show an album. At the bow I have an anchor roller and a furling genoa. Hope this helps. Sorry for any difficulty or confusion.

[Snore]

On my boat, under the roller furling gear, on the forestay is a shackle. Until I decide to rig the asym, I had no idea what it was for. Viola! Mount for a block that holds the tack.

Go forward this ending with a cold beer and have a look.

[mottseng]

I don't have that shackle however that is exactly where I had planned on installing one. How did you run the line back to the cockpit? Where did you install the eyelets or guides so it didn't interfere with walking or anything else?

[Snore]

I just use a bow cleat

[fallingeggs]

Originally Posted by mottseng

I don't have that shackle however that is exactly where I had planned on installing one. How did you run the line back to the cockpit? Where did you install the eyelets or guides so it didn't interfere with walking or anything else?

Thus far the line is simply running straight over the deck, through the deck organizer, to a free coachroof clutch and winch. I have a small strop on the block on the anchor roller to lift the block/line up so it doesn't rub as much on the deck. Yes, a small tripping hazard on the bow, but I'm only up there if taking the spin down. Still a work in progress. Alternative is to run it like the furler line.

I'm actually using two blocks on the bow to get the line to run without rubbing on anything. One (with a strop) on my anchor roller and one on the bottom rail of the pulpit. Im worried a bit about having a block on the pulpit, but they don't appear to be too high as I can depress the fully loaded line with my foot. Eh. Hard to explain without pictures, which I don't have right now.


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