I am new to flying a spinnaker and am wondering if I should use the retired jib halyard sheave (the boat has a self contained jib roller) or should I rig a block system at the head of the mast to keep the spinnaker halyard forward of the forestay. If a block system is recommeded, what size block should I use? I sail a Pearson 30. Pat PS: I posted a message a few weeks ago regarding shallow water at Arcadia, MI. I'm still on the hard so no news to report regarding the channel.
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Halyard forward of stay
Using a sheave would not give the head of the spinnaker the room it needs to move around w/o fouling. Remember, a jib is attached to your fore stay so its head is not free to move. On a thirty footer, I would want a half inch halyard- maybe you could go with a 7/16. Make sure you use a good heavy shackle to attach tha block. Buy sheets that are lighter than what you use for jib sheets. In light air, 1/2 sheets can pull the set of the sail. I have visited Arcadia a number of times and really like ports like that. Not much there, but quiet and secluded and well protected. We would walk up to that bar by the highway for dinner.
Using a sheave would not give the head of the spinnaker the room it needs to move around w/o fouling. Remember, a jib is attached to your fore stay so its head is not free to move. On a thirty footer, I would want a half inch halyard- maybe you could go with a 7/16. Make sure you use a good heavy shackle to attach tha block. Buy sheets that are lighter than what you use for jib sheets. In light air, 1/2 sheets can pull the set of the sail. I have visited Arcadia a number of times and really like ports like that. Not much there, but quiet and secluded and well protected. We would walk up to that bar by the highway for dinner.
On the other hand...
Simply deploy the spinnaker outside the jib forestay and you'll be fine. In the event of a gybe, be sure to pull the chute down and throw it around the furled jib to keep it from fouling on that side. Here’s an easy-to-make bowsprit, seats in the anchor locker. This will throw the spin ahead of the main, less blanketing. Tack line and 2 sheets permanently deployed for quick setup. (Note that the link here has 2 pages of pix and directions.) Typo correction: Eyelet should be 3/8 inch. http://www.sailboatowners.com/bowsprit.doc
Simply deploy the spinnaker outside the jib forestay and you'll be fine. In the event of a gybe, be sure to pull the chute down and throw it around the furled jib to keep it from fouling on that side. Here’s an easy-to-make bowsprit, seats in the anchor locker. This will throw the spin ahead of the main, less blanketing. Tack line and 2 sheets permanently deployed for quick setup. (Note that the link here has 2 pages of pix and directions.) Typo correction: Eyelet should be 3/8 inch. http://www.sailboatowners.com/bowsprit.doc
Sneaky motor problem...
O.K. here's one for you guy's. I posted a problem with my motor, wouldn't start and had white smoke coming from the engine. I checked the plugs and they looked ok, fuel filter looks unclogged. Just for the heck of it I try to start the motor again and it fires right up. I put it in forward/reverse/idle for aout 15 min.'s and no problem. I take the boat out the next day... Great sail, then as the sun and wind are going down I try to fire it up and the damn motor won't start. I pull the "hood" off to try and see stuff...nothing looks wrong...I pull and the motor fires right up. I go to put the "hood back on and it starts to die off...I take hood off and it reves right back up...repeat for same results. So I imagine it has something to do with air getting to the gas? What could make a motor run fine with the cover off, but bogg down and stop with the cover on?!?
O.K. here's one for you guy's. I posted a problem with my motor, wouldn't start and had white smoke coming from the engine. I checked the plugs and they looked ok, fuel filter looks unclogged. Just for the heck of it I try to start the motor again and it fires right up. I put it in forward/reverse/idle for aout 15 min.'s and no problem. I take the boat out the next day... Great sail, then as the sun and wind are going down I try to fire it up and the damn motor won't start. I pull the "hood" off to try and see stuff...nothing looks wrong...I pull and the motor fires right up. I go to put the "hood back on and it starts to die off...I take hood off and it reves right back up...repeat for same results. So I imagine it has something to do with air getting to the gas? What could make a motor run fine with the cover off, but bogg down and stop with the cover on?!?
opps...sorry to take the thread
I meant to paste this in a new topic section...had to hurry and replied here by mistake...I'll repost in a couple of hours....
I meant to paste this in a new topic section...had to hurry and replied here by mistake...I'll repost in a couple of hours....
Input from a newbie
Pat, I have a Pearson 303 and it's the first boat I've had with a spinnaker, so take my input with a grain of salt, okay?
I have a shackle at the base of my forestay (yep, just good old fashioned bow shackle.) I run the tack line through that to a cleat. I adjust it so that the tack is about 2" above the bow pulpit. I have a dedicated spinnaker halyard that runs through a masthead sheave. There's an exit plate above the main halyard on the starboard side and a clam cleat on the mast to secure the halyard. (yes, it's all pretty low tech - but simple. ) I do have an ATN sock on my spinnaker which helps to simplify all of this a bit too. I run the sheets outside of everything, then raise the sail/sock. It worked pretty well the first (and so far, only) time I did it. Now, the PO showed me this setup, so I can't say that it's 'right', just that it works. I am going to add a couple of blocks to the stern pulpit so I can account for the clew (and sheet routing) a bit better. I imagine I could make a bow sprit or create something to have it off the bow pulpit, but I'm not a performance sailor - I just like to cruise and have fun. If I had to tack or gybe I'd go forward, sock it, do my thing and un-sock it. Given how it's setup now, I wouldn't have to adjust the tack or anything. Just my two cents... Dave Crowley Wind Dreamer II
Pat, I have a Pearson 303 and it's the first boat I've had with a spinnaker, so take my input with a grain of salt, okay?
I have a shackle at the base of my forestay (yep, just good old fashioned bow shackle.) I run the tack line through that to a cleat. I adjust it so that the tack is about 2" above the bow pulpit. I have a dedicated spinnaker halyard that runs through a masthead sheave. There's an exit plate above the main halyard on the starboard side and a clam cleat on the mast to secure the halyard. (yes, it's all pretty low tech - but simple. ) I do have an ATN sock on my spinnaker which helps to simplify all of this a bit too. I run the sheets outside of everything, then raise the sail/sock. It worked pretty well the first (and so far, only) time I did it. Now, the PO showed me this setup, so I can't say that it's 'right', just that it works. I am going to add a couple of blocks to the stern pulpit so I can account for the clew (and sheet routing) a bit better. I imagine I could make a bow sprit or create something to have it off the bow pulpit, but I'm not a performance sailor - I just like to cruise and have fun. If I had to tack or gybe I'd go forward, sock it, do my thing and un-sock it. Given how it's setup now, I wouldn't have to adjust the tack or anything. Just my two cents... Dave Crowley Wind Dreamer IIUse a masthead block
Using a jib halyard sheave for a spinnaker is asking for trouble - when sailing a tight reach with the chute, there is a lot of side load on the halyard. It could possibly jump out of the sheave and jam at the exit point, leaving you with no way to get the chute down. Not fun.
Using a jib halyard sheave for a spinnaker is asking for trouble - when sailing a tight reach with the chute, there is a lot of side load on the halyard. It could possibly jump out of the sheave and jam at the exit point, leaving you with no way to get the chute down. Not fun.
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