ASymetrical Spinnaker Attachment

Oct 10, 2010
269
Hunter H260 Gull Lake
I'm doing some learning on flying my Asym Spinnaker this summer and I'd like to get some real world feedback on a couple points.

The manual states to use the Jib Halyard, that means that the head of the spinnaker does not go to the top of the mast. Is this correct?

It also talks about the tack being attached at various points including the anchor roller. Where do you guys attach the tack?

I would think that attaching to the pulpit would get the sail off the deck and above all the tangle and fray points at the bow but I have read that attaching to the pulpit causes stress and weakens it. I was thinking of having a two foot lead that would go from the deck plate (where the jib tack joins) to the tack of the sail to raise it over the pulpit. I have a roller furling so that spot is available. I don't know if this would alleviate the concern of ripping off the bow red/green light.

I'm trying to avoid fabricating a spar for it.

Thanks,
 
Dec 14, 2003
1,431
Hunter 34 Lake of Two Mountains, QC, Can
Spinnakers, asym or regular, are to be flown in front of the headstay. So you generally cannot use the jib halyard but have to use a spinnaker halyard which will bring the head of the sail above the headstay. I'm not familiar with your boat model so I can't volonteer precise info but my 34 is masthead rigged and has a baill for a block for the spinnaker halyard right at the masthead.

As far as the tack is concerned, I have a block on the anchor roller and it works good. My tack line is adjustable and I set it to be just above the railing, hence clearing the nav lights. Of course i can be set to fly higher whenever needed.

Maybe Crazy Dave can chime in. He is the specialist concerning your boat.
 

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,673
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
I hate crappy pictures and this is a crappy picture. But it's the best I have. I tied a short line on the bow pulpit right where the mast lies for trailering. I put a block in the line. Right now I have two blocks shackled together so the assembly could roll but I'm pretty sure that's overkill. The tackline runs back to a clam cleat on the cabin top. I have a factory-installed spinnaker halyard that exits the mast above the roller furler/forestay. I would NOT recommend using the jib halyard. This system works ok for me but I'm pretty sure I could never sell the idea on Shark Tank. My goal was to get the tackline above the forestay and use materials I already owned. So far so good.

p.s. The manual offers almost no help on this subject.
 

Attachments

May 11, 2004
273
RAPTOR Hotfoot 20 Ghost Lake
For sure you need a separate halyard above the jib halyard. It need not be internal so it's easy and pretty cheap to rig. ( how you could use the jib halyard if you have roller furling? ).
IMHO attaching the tack to the pulpit is a poor idea. The tack attachment is where the greatest pressure is applied and that pressure can be huge during puffs. And puffs do happen on mountain lakes. The pulpit just isn't designed to withstand much pressure. I'd find some way to get the tack out in front of the boat. Even 6" would be fine and you could run a bob stay down to the towing eye if necessary.
My boat is out at Ghost Lake and I fly an asymmetric a lot. Come on out and we'll discuss it.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,443
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Thanks folks for directing shanker. Shanker any spinnaker halyard has to be above the forestay for attachement in this case. Suggest that you pop rivet with heavy duty pop rivits
 

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,673
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Thanks folks for directing shanker. Shanker any spinnaker halyard has to be above the forestay for attachement in this case. Suggest that you pop rivet with heavy duty pop rivits
That's what I did on my H23. Pop-riveted an external block above the forestay. The halyard ran outside the mast. Worked fine.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
The halyard has to be free of any obstruction like a furler on the forestay. I'm sure there are more than a few people here who have made an unscheduled ascent to untangle one that got wrapped around the furler stuff up there.
Our bow rail got bent in an incident a couple of years back, and my two cents would be not to use the rail or any of it's fixtures for this. You might want to ascertain if the rail is actually though bolted to the deck, and not just screwed to the fiberglass.
We played with deck fittings, and finally went the middle road and built a pole to fit. All in all it was only a couple hundred bucks.
Cheers
Gary
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
You have pictures, Meriachee? Yes?
Kermit, of the bent bow rail? I'd rather forget that. Ha ha.
There is a posting on the blog page called "sprit city" that is a photo journal of what the build looks like. The criteria centered around the availability of the dreaded mounting ring, and the Selden part at 3" was the only viable option. The other deciding factor was the ability to store the pole, and it had to fit into the front berth at the side, which dictated the overall length.
My solutions to the ends led to a great winter project, I have a small lathe and a small mill, and a friend with a large lathe. None of this is truly necessary, it would be easy to craft this without heavy machinery, one could use a ring to hold a block inside the pipe, and the same at the inside end.
I have an Eastwood powder coat gun and have used it to coat a bunch of stuff, and if it will fit into my $20 toaster oven, I can do it at home. The pole, obviously, would not fit in the toaster oven, I sent it out to a local shop who coated it for me, at $50.00.
Here's the link:
https://meriachee.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/sprit-city/

Have a look and ask away. I've had the kite off this thing quite a few times and I am very happy with how it's turned out.

Next on the list is the completion of the home made top-down furler.

Cheers
Gary