Cruze Spinnaker

[Mark]

Interested to know how many of you have a Doyle APC?What conditions, wind strengths you use it?Dousing sock? (seems not required)It would appear that over there (US) you can just buy one off the shelf. We would need to have one made here in aus.I am thinking of welding an attachment plate on the front side of the pulpit down low just above the fixing bolt to fix the sail to. Any thoughts?

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Check the Archives

for dozens of great postings on spinnakers.

 

[Les Blackwell]

I use a Doyle Asymetrical chute on my H380

I bought and use a Doyle Asymetrical chute on my Hunter 380 and find it a very useful sail anywheres from 90 to about 165 degrees apparent with winds up to about 25 knts. It is a 3/4 ounce chute with sock.I have used it with one of my sailing classes in winds of about 30+ knts and we reached back and forth in Bellingham Bay. I didn't give myself enough sea room and so the reaching part. We really screamed back and fourth--I believe the results are two students selling their power boats, can't wait to sail and two students probably won't get on a sailboat again. We really kicked ass that evening with the chute-we shoulda been racing.

 

[Chuck Wayne]

Doyle APC

Ditto for me! very easy to set, and a real kick in a broad range of winds. Works really well from a beam reach down to a deep broad reach. The best part is at drop time-just pull the sock and haul in the sausage! a breeze compared to a conventional chute!

 

[Bob Thome]

get the dousing sock

I have a dousing sock and it has come in very handy when the wind picks up suddenly. If the spinnaker wraps around the head stay while taking it down without a dousing sock it will make two very large pockets full of air. That makes it difficult to get the spinnaker all the way down and it's also hard to control the boat.I am comfortable sailing singlehanded using the main and spinnaker up to 10 knots of wind but only because I have the dousing sock.