Assym hardware.

Clydo

.
May 28, 2013
341
Catalina C310 SF Bay/Delta
Wonder if snap shackles are strong enough to use on Tack and for sheets on clew? I usually use cow hitch for jenny clew sheets so don't have metal objects slamming into my body on windy day but shouldn't have this problem for assym? Do you usually stuff 120' of line into
assym sail bag or disconnect from sail after use? Would be nice for quick connect/disconnect
on anchor brail for tack. Appreciate any response to my first experience with assym.

Clyde Thorington
C310 # 245
I LEAN TOO
San Jose, CA
 
Oct 22, 2014
21,146
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
How about a soft shackle? If you need to remove the line. I always stuffed the shoot and coiled the sheets on the outside of the bag. Or get a sock and douse the spinnaker leaving the lines in place.
 
Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
A snap shackle is what I use for the tack - I have a line made up for just that purpose. That's a great way to handle the tack line IMHO.

I'd never use one on the clew - you get the sail flailing around when you get a bit off course and that shackle will just beat the crap out of everything. Cow hitch (if you've got long enough sheets) or a bowline. I'd never use a shackle on a clew of a sail.

My assym came with a sheet that was just a little too short to be right for both tacks - It's stuffed into the bag bowline'd onto the clew. I generally do not gybe the asym, and if I do, we have to have a windward side sheet attached. I commonly just douse it into the sock, and pop it back on the other side. Not racer-fast, but saves me buying $200 of rope.
 

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
8,007
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Well, even with a dousing sock you still disconnect the sheets. I would never store my sheets in the bag with the sail... any sail for that matter. (maybe a small boat is ok) For an asym I would use a normal snap shackle for the tack line (an adjustable tackline is highly recommended)

For the sheets, you can go with snap hooks if you want one handed operation and don't want to spend a fortune on snap shackles. Here's what I have on the regular set.
On the light air sheets I have some of these plastic "nab shackles" .

They're pretty cool, very light weight, one handed operation also. However, I found were too thick to put both in the asymetrical. So on that sail I rigged a 2 foot extension line to the clew and clip the sheets to a bowline in the other end... works really well.

Final comment here. Using some type of clip or shackle on your spinnaker sheets is universally common practice. First of all. Most sailors will rig the sheets before going out. Clip them to the lifeline at a convenient location on the foredeck.... hanging outside the lifelines out of the way. The sail stays in its turtle or sleeve down below until you need it. Permanently attaching your sheets to your spinnaker is just not practical... and totally uncool. Secondly, since the sail is always gybed.. you never have the flailing issues you would have with the upwind sails.... think about it. With asymmetrical and symmetrical sails they never luff or flap..... because they always have wind in them...theoretically. Also, the sheets never cross over the foredeck...like an upwind sail does.. because the sail and the sheet ends float outside the rigging. So definitely put some kind of quick release device on your spinnaker sheets..... do not cowhitch your spin sheets to your asymmetrical and store them in the sock.... NOT GOOD.
 
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