Does anyone have any experience using a "Cruising" spinnaker? My definition (whether right or not) means no pole and self-dousing via a sock or other apparatus. I have a 361 and I semi-single hand (wife and small kids are on board but not helping to sail!), and am considering one of these, but it ain't cheap! I want to be sure its worthwhile. My questions are the following: * What is the min/max wind speed that you can use these types of sails? * How far toward the wind (e.g. beam reach?) can you use one of these? * Can one person plus an autopilot handle hoisting, trimming, dousing? * How hard is it to gybe? (does it go around the outside the furled up genoa or through the slot?) * What performance gain can be expected? * What other rigging is required. Obviously a halyard and sheets, but what do you do for blocks? * plus any other considerations I've missed. Thanks in advance. Tim Armand s/v Bella Donna
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Go for it ,Tim
Tim, I sail my 361 with wife and 12 y/o son and I have used an asymmetric spinnaker for the last two years. I love it. Here are my thoughts on your questions: How far: ~60 degrees apparent One person?: hardly, you need at least two since one has to be on deck bringing the sock up or down (me) and the second need to be hoisting and trimming. I have set the gennaker with my son and learned that the key is to have my autopilot (B&G network) on and in downwind setting. Before I leaned that point, I use to set the autopilot in normal and in one occasion as the wind increased just after hoisting the pilot was unable to keep a stable course. Gybe: I have done it both ways and found that the easiest way, particularly when short handed is to bring the sock down, gybe and then bring it up. I remember my first entrance into Boston harbor this summer with traffic and I tried to gybe the Gennaker around the outside. Result, it wrap around the forestay and took me quite a while to unwrap. This is something I really don’t want to repeat. Performance gain?: unquestionable. The gain is very clear in winds between 5 and 15 kn. I had it up in a dead run and using the pole when the wind increased to 18 to 20 kn. It was a fun ride of 8-9+ kn surfing on 3-4 ft waves but a little too much for my wife. On a reach or broad reach, with winds more than 15 one begins to loose control. Other stuff: I like to use the pole if I have to run down wind. It makes the sail much more stable. I do use a block on the tow rail to guide the sheet to the winch. I also use a block to control the tack line but the same effect on sail shape can be obtained controlling the halyard. Final comment, make sure you experiment and learn in low winds until your wife and family are comfortable sailing with it. I made the mistake of leaving it up as the winds came up and now I am paying for it. Both wife and son "hate that crazy sail". It will take me some time to recover from this one. Good luck and enjoy it.
Tim, I sail my 361 with wife and 12 y/o son and I have used an asymmetric spinnaker for the last two years. I love it. Here are my thoughts on your questions: How far: ~60 degrees apparent One person?: hardly, you need at least two since one has to be on deck bringing the sock up or down (me) and the second need to be hoisting and trimming. I have set the gennaker with my son and learned that the key is to have my autopilot (B&G network) on and in downwind setting. Before I leaned that point, I use to set the autopilot in normal and in one occasion as the wind increased just after hoisting the pilot was unable to keep a stable course. Gybe: I have done it both ways and found that the easiest way, particularly when short handed is to bring the sock down, gybe and then bring it up. I remember my first entrance into Boston harbor this summer with traffic and I tried to gybe the Gennaker around the outside. Result, it wrap around the forestay and took me quite a while to unwrap. This is something I really don’t want to repeat. Performance gain?: unquestionable. The gain is very clear in winds between 5 and 15 kn. I had it up in a dead run and using the pole when the wind increased to 18 to 20 kn. It was a fun ride of 8-9+ kn surfing on 3-4 ft waves but a little too much for my wife. On a reach or broad reach, with winds more than 15 one begins to loose control. Other stuff: I like to use the pole if I have to run down wind. It makes the sail much more stable. I do use a block on the tow rail to guide the sheet to the winch. I also use a block to control the tack line but the same effect on sail shape can be obtained controlling the halyard. Final comment, make sure you experiment and learn in low winds until your wife and family are comfortable sailing with it. I made the mistake of leaving it up as the winds came up and now I am paying for it. Both wife and son "hate that crazy sail". It will take me some time to recover from this one. Good luck and enjoy it.
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