Show me your screacher

[mikereed100]

I am going to be adding a screacher to my boat soon so when I went to a boat show recently I asked 5 different sail lofts for their recommendations regarding size, sheeting angles, materials etc. Interestingly, I got 5 different answers. Size ranged from 80% to 170%, materials from 1.5oz nylon, to 10oz Dacron. Some said I absolutely had to have a no twist luff rope, others said not necessary. I left more confused than when I arrived.

My own feeling is to use 3.5 oz polyester sized at 150% with a luff rope. On my boat this will come to about 60m2 which is relatively small, but I'm just trying to avoid motoring in winds less than 12 knots while keeping loads reasonable. This will be mounted on a Colligo continuous line furler on a prodder.

Given the widely differing recommendations I got from the professionals, I thought it would be interesting to see what other folks with cats are actually using. So what have you got on your cat? Do you like it and would you make any changes the next time around? Bigger? Smaller? Different material?

[sy_gilana]

Heres ours...

[POH]

I'm also interested - looking at buying a ~40ft cat and most don't have sprits/screechers.

I assume you mean a cruising Code 0 when you say screecher? I've seen people refer to deeper Asym spinnakers as 'screechers' as well, so it might help to add your wardrobe & clarify what you are looking for a bit.

I'm thinking the ideal combo would be a Code 0 + a deeper sailing spinnaker.

Are you planning on using a kit for the sprit or doing a custom job?

[Jeannius]

60sqm was nowhere near big enough on my boat but then I'm a big heavy cruiser. It was a totally useless sail because it was too small to be of use in light winds and too lightweight to be used if there was a risk of 20 knots gusts. It was also difficult to furl tight enough because the bolt rope would twist.

It eventually destroyed itself when 35 knots got in the furled sail and unfurled the top few feet which then flogged itself to death.

[tamicatana]

Code Zero is not a screacher, it's made of different cloth. C0 is effectively a rather flat cut spinnaker, a screacher is more of a genoa

this is a screacher:

[Talbot]

Different saillofts use different words to describe the same sails. Just as well to check that you are comparing the same sail type. North have good desciptions of their sails on their site.

[POH]

Exactly my point. Screacher seems to mean a number of things to different people.

I read a post in another forum about the nomenclature around it - but basically the forum turned into "No, it means this". "No it doesn't, it means that" towards the end.

I think if you sit down with a good sailmaker (and you're problem may be finding a good one you trust) and walk through your sail inventory, your intended use and what you are looking for, they would be able to give good guidance.

I know you (OP) started off by saying you got a range of answers from a bunch of sailmakers and got a dog's breakfast of responses, but I think if you find one person you trust and take the time you'll get the right result.

How to find that sailmaker ... sounds like a new thread!

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by Jeannius

60sqm was nowhere near big enough on my boat but then I'm a big heavy cruiser. It was a totally useless sail because it was too small to be of use in light winds and too lightweight to be used if there was a risk of 20 knots gusts. It was also difficult to furl tight enough because the bolt rope would twist.

It eventually destroyed itself when 35 knots got in the furled sail and unfurled the top few feet which then flogged itself to death.

Thanks Mike, that's usefull stuff, I may have to think of going bigger. Problem is, I would like to be able to sheet inside the cap shrouds, but with a bigger sail the leech would come in contact with the cap shrouds when sheeted tight, so I may be stuck.

What kind of bolt rope did you have? Was is a low-torsion (GFL) or polyester? What was the sail made of? Did you end up replacing the sail with something else?

[mikereed100]

Code 0, G0, screacher, gennaker, tomayto, tomahto, ketchup or katsup it would look very much like this:

Rolly Tasker Screechers | Screecher Sails

[HapaPops]

Me - I've got what you'd call a screacher/code 0, tack attaches on a furled at the end of a bow pole - about a 150% using the new triangle - so quite large for the sail plan. Useful for tight reaching in the light, and as the wind builds, you head deeper downwind. At about 15 knots, I'm deep enough downwind to drop it and put up my assym kite. The screacher then might reappear if it's really snorting, and the seas are flat, and I'm looking to be a little nutty. Then it's more of a downwind sail, don't even get close to 90 degrees apparent.

It's a mylar/pentex film sail.

Contour 34 trimaran.

PS - I also carry a symmetric kite for those light air races with DDW waypoints/marks. Other than the mainsail, it's about the easiest sail to manage with lazy sheet/guys - and guys led to turning blocks on the bows - no pole.