First Sail on Spinnaker

[44'cruisingcat]

Trying out a new (second-hand) spinnaker.

https://youtu.be/c5Ry0s2vhPU

Haven't got it all set up properly yet, but it's a nice thing to have in the right conditions. Sailing at around 155' AWA, the headsail won't work that deep.

Doing about 7.5 - 8 kts in around 13 kts TWS at about 170' true.


(For the inevitable sceptics I also showed SOG.)

[smj]

Sorry but the wife looks very unimpressed! Sure you didn't have the motors running [emoji38]

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by smj

Sorry but the wife looks very unimpressed! Sure you didn't have the motors running [emoji38]

Of course he had the engines running! All catamarans do 100% of the time, and if t hey shut the engines down, the cat will promptly flip over on its back.

Everyone knows these facts... and they have been written on the internet, too, just for proof.

Jim

[Jim Cate]

Hey, 44, looks nearly as old as our kite! How did you have it rigged? A tack to each bow? Certainly looked stable... not rolling much is a big help compared to use on a mono, but no sign of what the sea state was at the time.

Anyhow, you'll have fun with it!

Jim

[44'cruisingcat]

Gee Jim, you sound almost as fed up with that kind of tripe as us multihull owners are!

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Hey, 44, looks nearly as old as our kite! How did you have it rigged? A tack to each bow? Certainly looked stable... not rolling much is a big help compared to use on a mono, but no sign of what the sea state was at the time.

Anyhow, you'll have fun with it!

Jim

Jim, It's fairly old, but little used. There's a little colour transfer from having been wet, but it's in decent condition I think.

I had a tack to the port bow, plan to maybe set up a line between bows so I can adjust the tack position. Sea state was pretty good, have used the sail again in lumpier conditions and flukier winds, and it wasn't as stable, still effective though. It would probably help if I had any idea what I was doing too....

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by smj

Sorry but the wife looks very unimpressed! Sure you didn't have the motors running [emoji38]

Sailing in nice weather can get boring.

Should have had the engines running, forgot to start them. Bugger!

[chris mac]

Moving that fast with your wife that relaxed... You definitely have it set up well. Nicely done

[admiralslater]

Flying the chute is one of the great pleasures of all sailing but particularly on a cat. So stable ! I have found that about 120 or so apparent is were we get the most bang for the buck .Have fun

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by chris mac

Moving that fast with your wife that relaxed... You definitely have it set up well. Nicely done

Not bragging but 8 knots isn't fast. But it's nice to be able to do it in that breeze on that angle.

It was only a temporary rig-up to see if the sail was going to be any good for us. I'll get it set up a bit better, then start learning how to use the thing.

[andreas.mehlin]

Nice!
How big is it? Boat displacement?

[44'cruisingcat]

Boat weighs around 6 tonnes. Severely overloaded! Won't sail! death and destruction! HUGE fines and jail time! blah blah etc etc...


The spinnaker is around 100 - 110 sq metres. I think.

[catsketcher]

I hope the kite is symmetrical.

I have written a few times about my scepticism with assys. I flew one up and down the coast three times before I ditched it and got a screecher for reaching and broad reaching and an old symmetrical for square running.

The problem you will find is when the waves and breeze comes up. The apparent wind will wander forward and back and then you have to either trim the kite all the time or stay on the helm. And yeah cruising cats don't go faster tacking downwind to make up the difference caused by the extra miles.

So if this was just a test and you haven;t paid for it yet and its not a symmetrical I would put the money into an old light genoa and furler for a screecher and get an even older symmetrical in a sock for square running with no main up. Sheets to each bow with main down is the easiest sailing you will ever do.

If its yours already good luck. I have three downwind sails, the screecher, the symmetrical and the assy. Last cruise the assy only got pulled out twice, the screecher heaps and the symmetrical lots. I would trade my assy in a heartbeat for a bigger reacher or symmetrical.

cheers

Phil

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by catsketcher

I hope the kite is symmetrical.

I have written a few times about my scepticism with assys. I flew one up and down the coast three times before I ditched it and got a screecher for reaching and broad reaching and an old symmetrical for square running.

The problem you will find is when the waves and breeze comes up. The apparent wind will wander forward and back and then you have to either trim the kite all the time or stay on the helm. l

Or let the autopilot do it.

[Training Wheels]

Very kewl! I'm looking for a used symmetric myself to do the same thing. What ounce cloth Is it?