Build a Spinnaker from a Surplus Parachute?

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RobertLangdirect

RobertLangdirect

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Apr 22, 2009
342
Pearson P-31 Quantico
I searched the past forums and did not find anything on this.

I went to the boat show and did not find anything like a parachute for less than thousands of dollars.

I went online and, while I found a surplus store with a picture of a boat flying a parchute, I did not find anything that showed a chute used as the basis for a "chute."

For another boat, a masthead rigged 31 footer, for example, I am thinking that at 34 foot cargo-chute, sometimes available for less than $100, would be a bit short, but ripstop nylon, sold in 6' wide material, would be easy to add alond the bottom (and would easily base-stiitch to follow the increased radius).

That said, 1/2 a chute and a bit of materials might provide a KICK-A$$ chute. Since there are a slew of 30-31 foot boats in my area, maybe the other half will fund my project.

But I ask, has anyone out there tried this?
 

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justsomeguy

justsomeguy

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Feb 20, 2011
8,048
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
RobertLangdirect said:
I searched the past forums and did not find anything on this.

I went to the boat show and did not find anything like a parachute for less than thousands of dollars.

I went online and, while I found a surplus store with a picture of a boat flying a parchute, I did not find anything that showed a chute used as the basis for a "chute."

For another boat, a masthead rigged 31 footer, for example, I am thinking that at 34 foot cargo-chute, sometimes available for less than $100, would be a bit short, but ripstop nylon, sold in 6' wide material, would be easy to add alond the bottom (and would easily base-stiitch to follow the increased radius).

That said, 1/2 a chute and a bit of materials might provide a KICK-A$$ chute. Since there are a slew of 30-31 foot boats in my area, maybe the other half will fund my project.

But I ask, has anyone out there tried this?
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I have a tandem instructor friend who says it's been done. We've used old rounds to injure ourselves at the dropzone on too-windy days, hooking them up to a piece of corrugated cardboard. The DZ is probably the most dangerous place to be if you're not jumping, 'cause then you're usually drinking!
 
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tommays

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Oct 2, 2006
1,517
Jboat J24 commack
Having built my first J24 Spinnaker (remember my wife is a killer with the sewing machine) its not even remotely close to the right shape

Its a LOT of work and i would never do it again as there are to many GOOD used ones on the market for less than you can make soemthing that will work
 
GeorgiaBII

GeorgiaBII

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Jun 14, 2011
277
Hunter 22 Fin Keel Lake Martin
I just read an article about cargo ships flying kites to reduce fuel consumption. Seems this would be similar.
 
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Benny17441

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May 24, 2004
7,164
CC 30 South Florida
With no prior experience in sail design and sail making I would recommend you abandon that idea. It is not a good project for a do it yourself.
 
jepomer

jepomer

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Jan 22, 2008
507
Catalina 310 278 Lyndeborough NH
Benny17441 said:
With no prior experience in sail design and sail making I would recommend you abandon that idea. It is not a good project for a do it yourself.
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Where is your sense of adventure, quest for knowledge, and joy of doing something yourself?

But without prior experience in all probability, it will not save money or have the level of performance, ease/reliability of use that the current production ones would.

I do enjoy experimenting. Someone has to experiment to get new and better ideas. One just needs to know what is most important for the situation.
 
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Gary_H

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Nov 5, 2007
469
Cal 2-25 Carolina Beach NC
Never have heard of this use of a surplus parachute. I do know that the Pardeys use a 8ft surplus chute as a storm sea anchor.
 
Ron20324

Ron20324

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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Why not just cut the chute into a half-circle? Hoist the center of the curve on a halyard. Attach the one tack to the spin pole on one side, and the other to the swung-out boom on the other side. Fly it like the old square-riggers do.
 
RobertLangdirect

RobertLangdirect

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Apr 22, 2009
342
Pearson P-31 Quantico
Ron20324 said:
Why not just cut the chute into a half-circle? Hoist the center of the curve on a halyard. Attach the one tack to the spin pole on one side, and the other to the swung-out boom on the other side. Fly it like the old square-riggers do.
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Ron -- That is, more ir less my idea. But, unless there is some former Soviet oversized chute on the market, for cheap, half of a standard cargo shute is undersized. Thus the thought to add a panel at the bottom.

For me, it was an idea that if possible, saves a great deal of sewing over a scratch start.

In Panama, twenty some years ago, the Naval Rodman Yacht Club had several AMF dolphins (bathtubs, really). I used light rayon jacket-lining material to make a spinnaker for one. It worked, but that was also working in the trade winds.
 
FourPoints

FourPoints

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Apr 8, 2010
1,606
Frers 33 41426 Westport, CT
take the chute and attach the leading edge of one side to the halyard, the other side to the tack line, use the old cord to make a Y and use that as a sheet.

The airfoil multi-cell shape of the chute will generate much more lift per sq ft than a one dimensional spinnaker would, and you may find that a 34' chute is actually too much power, assuming of course that you can get it to fly with any decent shape to it.

I think it sounds like a fun idea (but probably won't turn into anything more than a fun way to spend one afternoon)... If I were nearby I'd come out to give you a hand trying to fly it, just for the hell of it to see how it works.
 
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