Help with a nautical term requested.

[Greg Shakeshaft]

I was sailing in an offshore race at the weekend and during one of the spinnaker drops when much drama was unfolding in the cockpit with a number of the crew seriously struggling to control the kite, the helmsman suddenly screamed "fire it! fire it!" at the person responsible for lowering the spinnaker.

How would you interpret this command?

[Jim Cate]

Probably to just dump the halyard with no dreams of a nice controlled drop.

But different ships, different long splices, and different colloquialisms.

Jim

[Snowpetrel]

Ha, that old tale of shooting a few flares through the middle of a kite comes to mind... Id probably go with jims interpretation as well.

Old trick we used to do was drop the halyard in the water behind us. No chance of a tangle, and just the right amount of friction when we blew the clutch.

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[Snore]

Sound like a gentlemanly way of saying, "get the (expletive) thing down".




Sent from my iPhone- please forgive autocorrect errors.

[FSMike]

Probably means the same as when somebody yells "blow it" meaning to totally release the sheet/halyard etc.

[Celestialsailor]

The skipper employed the chute...therefore fired it.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Greg Shakeshaft

How would you interpret this command?

You need to ask this over on Sailing Anarchy. You'd have had a dozen definite responses from hardcore racers by now.

[sailing_gal]

How about asking the helmsman?

[Bleemus]

Aussie term for "blow the halyard".

[Scott Berg]

As already said, blow the halyard so it streams low and can be pulled aboard
Heard it from Yankees as well as Aussies


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[savoir]

Originally Posted by sailing_gal

How about asking the helmsman?

Too sensible.

[Yachtmasteroz]

It means release the sheet from the spinnaker pole

[Seighlor]

I believe your skipper needs to take a weekend or so before the next race and engage in a little coaching and crew practice.

[savoir]

The thing that the crew should be trying to "fire" is the snap shackle holding the spinnaker tack. Nonetheless the skipper might have meant the halyard. Hopefully not because that can make the job even harder.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by savoir

The thing that the crew should be trying to "fire" is the snap shackle holding the spinnaker tack. Nonetheless the skipper might have meant the halyard. Hopefully not because that can make the job even harder.

Agreed, but the "command" was directed (as I understood the OP) at the chap on the halyard. PErhaps misunderstood...

Jim