Drifter or Gennaker question

[Lafayette Mike]

Been out cruising a bunch this summer when the wind was 1-2 knots. Excruciatingly slow even with a Genoa. I wouldn't mind getting a gennaker or drifter, but not sure about a few things. Could use some help deciding. My C22 is a 1987 model. Hank on jib.
1. Drifter or Gennaker? Will typically use on a large lake, when trying to actually get somewhere, wind 1-2 knots. Very little wave action. Which should I get and/or does it really matter?
2. Looks like used ones are hard to find, and I hate to pay $$$ for a new one I'll use once per year. Anyone ever made their own? We are pretty handy with sewing lightweight, tent-like material.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Mike

 

[Minnesail]

I have a 170 drifter and I love it. I use it up to about 5 knots or so. I like to night sail and where I am the wind tends to drop at night so I use the drifter a lot.

I run the sheets through the spinnaker blocks at the stern of the boat. It's really too big to use the normal jib cars.

I love flying it. It's bright and colorful, and I love being able to pick up some speed in almost no wind.

It is, however, a chore to tack. It wants to get caught on everything. And since it's so big the sheets have to be really long, so you end up with a lot of spaghetti in the cockpit. I use Samson Ultra Lite 3/16" for the sheets so they don't weigh down the sail.

 

[Lafayette Mike]

Thanks for the info. I don't have any spinnaker blocks and really don't want to install them permanently. As an alternative, I have some Dyneema soft shackles I could attach to the stern cleats and use them in place of the blocks. Kind of a poor mans snap shackle. Where did you obtain your drifter? I'd like to find one used/inexpensive if possible.
Thanks
Mike

 

[JRT]

Not much help for a C22, but our old O'day 25 was hank on sails and the old drifter was a great sail to have. I liked it so much I'm looking for options for our C310 now.

 

[Lafayette Mike]

Let me know if you find a source of them......
Thanks
Mike

 

[Minnesail]

Thanks for the info. I don't have any spinnaker blocks and really don't want to install them permanently. As an alternative, I have some Dyneema soft shackles I could attach to the stern cleats and use them in place of the blocks. Kind of a poor mans snap shackle. Where did you obtain your drifter? I'd like to find one used/inexpensive if possible.
Thanks
Mike
View attachment 167997

Oh yeah, those would work.

I'm sure racers or purists would have very specific opinions as to where the drifter blocks should go, but I think anything far aft would work. I did fly it once or twice through the regular jib cars, but it works a lot better through the spinnaker blocks.

Mine came with the boat, so I'm no help for sourcing one. What I can say is that mine is old and stretched out, but still performs well. So even a very well used one should still be good for you.

 

[Gene Neill]

Another happy 170 drifter owner here. I stumbled across the sail on eBay and stole it for $240 shipped, in mint condition. Some random thoughts:

We have no trouble running the usual sheets though the usual cars on the usual tracks, just a little aft of where the 150's sheets would be. Maybe ours is cut differently than @Minnesail's. Measurements are: luff 25'10, leech 24'11, foot 14'6, LP 13'7. These numbers are a good bit different from what you will find at sailrite's C22 page: https://www.sailrite.com/Catalina-22-Sail-Data.

Sailrite has everything you need if you choose to make your own.

1-2 knots?? I think you'll still be motoring. Move all crew and ballast to the leeward side to help the sail form and hold a shape when air is lightest. Any waves or boat wakes will screw up the shape in very light air.

Ours was made by Rolly Tasker Sails. You could hunt down a Rolly Tasker dealer for a price. National Sail Supply has a similar one for $639.

Most drifters are nylon. Ours is polyester ("Dacron"). Heavier but stronger.

I don't know about gennakers, but our drifter will point higher than any other sail we own.

 

[Lafayette Mike]

Sounds good....thanks.......
We tend to hit the 1-2 knots on our local lake around sunset. The winds just dies (though it will pick up after sunset nicely). There are no other boats on the water during the week, so the water gets nicely smooth. But we hardly move! I hate to break out the motor. If I could just coast along a little, it would be great!
I'll be looking on all the various sites for one.......thanks for the response.
Mike

 

[Minnesail]

Mine is nylon and very lightweight. That’s why I went with the Ultra Lite for the sheets, so that any little puff will inflate the sail.

Regarding jib cars vs. spinnaker blocks: Mine was fine with the jib cars (set all the way back) for close hauled to a close reach, but for beam or broad reaches it pinched the sail a bit. Using the blocks on the stern allows the sail to open more. I only have experience with my sail, so your mileage may vary.

And I sail in 1-2 knots of wind all the time, and I love it! Admittedly, I’m not trying to get anywhere….

I can make 1-2 knots on a beam reach in 2 knots of wind. There’s something magical about gliding (dare I say…drifting?) across glassy smooth water while the sun sets behind the sail.

OK there’s a little more than 2 knots here, probably 5 knots. But still a nice sunset drifter sail

 

[Gene Neill]

@Minnesail , yup, our drifters are cut differently. Ours is bigger, yours is probably more correcter.

I wouldn't be surprised if ours was made for a larger boat, honestly. At maximum height, the tack attaches directly to a snapshackle on the bow, with room for MAYBE a 3" pendant. The clew is roughly level with the lifelines. So we lose some sail shape where it drapes over the pulpit, tacking is more involved, and there is no seeing under it at all - a true "deck sweeper".

On the upside, it is huge, which is nice when poled out. And ease of sheeting, as mentioned.

What I would love to know is, how does a drifter compare to an asymmetrical "cruising" spinnaker? I'm sure the asym does better off the wind, but how much better? Do I "need" to own one of those too??

 

[Hardhead]

Gene - what's generally the highest wind speed you fly the drifter in? Either of these would be great for the slow wind days around here. That's one of the big trade-offs with a roller furler IMO - can't switch out to any specialized sails.

 

[Gene Neill]

Gene - what's generally the highest wind speed you fly the drifter in? Either of these would be great for the slow wind days around here. That's one of the big trade-offs with a roller furler IMO - can't switch out to any specialized sails.

Hmmm ... good question ... probably 13 knots, on a dead run? Much less if sailing to windward, maybe 8.

 

[Hardhead]

I'll bet it moves the C22 right along at those higher wind speeds. Nice set-up-

 

[Gene Neill]

Here is what 12 knots looks like, poled out on a deep broad reach.

Feel free to start at 9:15.

 

[Hardhead]

That's a great video -



It's keeping me from getting any work done..

 

[Jackdaw]

What I would love to know is, how does a drifter compare to an asymmetrical "cruising" spinnaker? I'm sure the asym does better off the wind, but how much better? Do I "need" to own one of those too??

An asym, being free flying, is designed to rotate to windward in front of the boat. This is a much more powerful and stable form. In particular when your main is us as well. One of the reason you drop your main is that it blankets much of the foresail when run/reaching deep. The free-fling nature of the asym solves that to a large degree. So do you need one? Depends. It for sure would make your sail inventory much more versatile. I cannot image not having one. But everyone must answer at what cost, and to what benefit?

 

[Minnesail]

Is a code zero basically a drifter with a free luff? Like a drifter that flies in front of the forestay instead of attached to it?