H26 Spinnaker rigging

[Chiriqui]

The boat is rigged with a self-furring gib. This is a 1996 H26

I went online an bought new lines for the boat for the purpose of rigging the spinnaker which I've never had out of the bag.

I've come to discover that the rigging as described and depicted in the H26 manual is "different" from what is actually on the boat! On closer inspection of the mast I discovered that it doesn't have topping line port mid way up the mast. The same deal for the forguy.

I bought all the lines as listed in the manual. On my H26 there are two lines that extend from the top of the forward facing side of the mast. These I've never used. One is deteriorating so I decided to replace both of them.

What I received/ordered are:

Halyard 75'
ForeGuy/Topping Lift both 30'
Sheets both 40'

I just measured these lines and each line is a few additional feet or more in length.
All have spring shackles. The ForeGuy and Topping lift line is a simpler designed spring hook I guess you could call it.

The stern has two blocks on either side attached to the sterns corner railings

Questions:

Can I rig a/the spinnaker with the lines I have.
Where does the spinnaker boom/pole attach to the mast? Possibly down in the opening for raising and lowering the mast?
I was asked when I bought the lines if I have a symmetrical or asymmetrical spinnaker which I couldn't say. Looking at the diagram in the manual I'd have to say symmetrical but as I've said that diagram does not represent the mast on my H26

edited 9/25

I've since learned that it's possible to have either a symmetric or asymmetric spinnaker rigged for this boat. I'll have to pull the one I have out of the bag and see what I have the next time I'm down to the boat.

 

[Charisma]

We have a 98H26 and regularly fly a A-spinnaker

 

[Barnacle Bill]

First of all you have to determine what kind of spinnaker you have. Is it a cruising asymmetrical used without a pole or a spinnaker that is symmetrical that uses a pole. If the latter, then you need that topping lift for the pole you were writing about. If a cruising spinnaker then you need: A halyard to raise it, port and starboard sheets to trim it and a tack line to raise and lower the tack of the sail to control the luff of the sail.
If you have a spinnaker that uses a spinnaker pole (fixed length the same measurement as your "J" area), then you need: A halyard to raise the sail, two sheets (one for port and one for starboard) to trim the sail (more on this in a bit), and you also need a pole topping left (from the mast above) and a pole downhaul (or also called foreguy), both keep the pole in one postition (up and down). Two other items you might want, but not necessary would be tweakers (or twing lines) to barberhaul (sort of) the sheets. Now the sheet that is attached to the pole is called an after guy and the sheet attached to the opposite corner of the sail is the sheet. If you gybe the pole and boat and sail, so that the pole is now on the other side, the sheet that was the sheet but now is attached to the pole end on the opposite side becomes the after guy and the other sheet (previously called the after guy on the former tack or course) is not the sheet.
The spinnaker pole attaches to the mast on an eye that is either bolted on the leading edge on one position, or to an eye that slides on a track.
The basic rule of thumb is to keep both corners of the spinnaker level with each other and keep the up and down attitude of the pole level with the water (topping lift and foreguy). The fore and aft position of the pole should be perpendicular to the apparent wind direction (after guy). When this is established, then you ease the sheet until that leading edge (pole side) of the sail starts to curl. You just keep the sail on the edge of that curl.
If you have a pole track on your mast (adjustable) and you find in order to keep the two corners level, that the pole is higher on the outboard end and lower on the mast end, then you can raise the mast (inboard end) to level out the pole which also sticks the corner of the pole and hence that corner of the sail out as far as the pole will allow. If you only have one eye bolted onto your mast and no track with a movable car (preferred), and you find that the mast eye is not in the right position for certain conditions, then you can add a 2nd eye to the mast. Hope this helps. Ask more questions, if you have more.

 

[Chiriqui]

Ok, thanks. I've printed your reply out to take with me down to the boat when I'm there next time. With this in hand I should be able to get my bearings so to speak about what I have in the way of a Spinnaker setup. I'm sure that's a spinnaker pole I have (fixed length) but I can't recall an eye on the mast that I can use unless it's the eye that the spinnaker halyard is clipped onto.. yeah maybe that's it!