Easier Gennaker Gybing?

[AlastairLC]

To keep it simple, I fly my asymmetrical spinnaker with one sheet and a dousing sock. Gybing, however, is not so simple, requiring walking the doused sail and sheet around the forestay and walking it aft, before raising the sock.
In an attempt to simplify it, I'm considering the following:
1. Attach snaps to the tack line and sheet where they are now tied onto the chute;
2. Place a second sheet with snap along the weather deck running aft to the block and winch;
3. To gybe, douse the chute, detach the snaps, resnap the tack line on the weather side of the forestay, snap on the weather-side sheet, and raise the sock.
Has anyone tried this? Any better ideas?
Thanks, Alastair.

 

[uncledom]

I fly it with two sheets and the dousing sock lines run back to the cockpit via turning blocks. I also use an eight foot length of dyneema that is permanently attached to the clew and has an eye for the snap shackles of the port and starboard sheets to attach to at the same time. That keeps the shackles closer to the boat and weighing down the clew a little less. It lets me stay in the cockpit except for setup and removal.

 

[thinwater]

Dousing is safe, and when single handing I often do it that way.

But really, you should be able to fit two sheets and do an outside jibe flying, assuming at least 5 knots of wind. It is all about the timing, sheet tension, and getting it around before it can wrap. The rick is to let the clew fly in front of the boat, without so much slack that you run over the sheets. Just a few feet of slack.

Dousing is fine too. But always 2 sheets.

IF you are using a squeezer, consider using soft shackles. Less weight on the clew and less to bang around.

 

[AlastairLC]

I don't like two sheets permanently attached to the clew because they have to be twice as long and the lazy sheet flops around out there. My "two sheets with only on snapped on" idea would avoid both problems.
Our frequent, light breeze conditions on Lake Pleasant, AZ, make it risky to fly the chute around the forestay.
Good idea about soft shackles. Where do you get them?
Cheers! Alastair.

 

[LeeandRick]

Make your on soft shackles.
http://l-36.com/soft_shackle_howto.php
This site has several articles on soft shackles.
Or WM and the other stores sell them.
They don't hurt as bad when they are flailing around and hit you in the head.

 

[Joe]

Next time you set up for outside gybing.... fix a batten or stick to the pulpit.. an extender, if you will.. It will catch the lazy sheet to keep it from dropping down below the pulpit.
Another hint, attach a pendant to your sail's clew.... say 3 feet or so.. with a large loop spliced into the free end. This give you is a large opening for shackled or clipped end sheets. I did this to my asym because the lightweight plastic shackles were to large for both to fit the clew's cringle. Much faster to set up also.

The advantage of outside gybing is not have to go to the foredeck to douse and transfer the sock across. In any event, have a separate sheet for each side with clips makes he job easier because you don't have to re run the single sheet every time you gybe.

 

[thinwater]

Yup, make my own soft shackles. This also gives you more flexibility in length and style. I like the Edwards style, slightly longer and larger than needed (easier to handle). Strength is a non-issue for these, so don't worry over the latest construction details.

Sometimes I only use one sheet, for the reasons stated above. But I leave both sheets reeved, clipped to stanchion bases well forward. This makes hooking them up fast. I whip the soft shackles loosely to the sheets so they can't fall off.

 

[gettinthere]

I think I will do this pendant/shackle setup with my Code Zero I keep up front on a continuous line furler. Is there a preference for adding the soft shackle to the pendant or to both sheets?