H260 Tack,

[GBGraham]

I'm looking for inspiration please. I've tried with a search to no avail. How do you guy's attach, adjust and fly the tack of your cruising chute on the H260, or any other yacht for that matter? I have fixed the guy blocks to the rails near the gin seats, The new uphaul is installed. That's about as far as I've got.
I don't want to go to the time and expense of a bowsprit or a ATN, the KISS rule for now must apply. I just need to try and see how I go first and then I might tweak over winter if it seems successful. Or more to the point, that the chute and myself gel.
Thanks in anticipation

 

[shemandr]

I think you'd have more responses if some of the language in the OP were more clear. The clew of any sail is the aft attachment of running rigging. So the answer seems to be a shackle of any sort or a knot. But I don't think that's what the question is. "Guy blocks" is not understood my me and maybe other posters. Gin seats are the seats on the transom? "Up haul" or "Pole up" is a term associated with a symmetrical spinnaker to hold the pole up. Or do you mean a spinnaker/gennaker halyard? We are assuming you are talking about a asymmetrical sail or at least a sail that is attached to something on the bow and flown outside the spreaders without a pole. Is that correct? I'm sorry to use terminology on you but I can't formulate an answer without better description and I suspect other willing to help posters can't either.

 

[Joe]

Use a lightweight line for sheets, 1/4 or 5/16. Use snap hooks to connect to clew, rather than tying on as you would an upwind sail. On my gennaker the clew's cringle size restricted my "fat" vinyl sheet shackles, so I attached a two foot pendant to the clew with a 4-5 inch bowline loop to make it easier to clip on. The sheets should reach back as far aft as possible before turning back forward to the winch or cleat you want to use. You can most likely tie a small block to your pushpit or stanchion base for this. If you want you can also create a pair of "twings" to give you more sheet control options. Google that to see what I mean. They are sometimes called "tweakers"

I'm not sure what you mean by an uphaul for a cruising spinnaker. You will need a spinnaker halyard that allows the sail to float outside the rigging, which means you'll need to fix a block to the mast just above the forestay connection and a horn cleat lower down to anchor it.

Besides the sheets and halyard, you'll want a connection for the tack.... these sails often come from the manufacturer with simple line attached to the tack that you would tie to the pulpit or tack fitting. The majority of sailors will build an adjustable tackline..... that runs back to the cockpit... so you can make adjustments to the luff of the sail.... maybe this is what you mean by an uphaul... You can attach a small block to the stem fitting for this. The tackline will have a simple shackle/hook for sail attachment, then down through the stemhead block before running aft to your desired cleat.

Once this is set up you will be ready to go.... all you need to do now is get the sail on deck in its bag, make the connections to sheets, halyard and tackline and you're ready to launch.

If you google search, "how to rig and sail a gennaker" you'll probably get a Youtube vid that will make more sense than this piece. ... Good luck, have fun.

 

[caverun]

If you mean the tack (not clew), here's a picture of the asymmetric tack on my H240. Harken block on the bow rail, just below the running light, leads the tackline back to a cleat on the cabin top for adjustment.

 

[GBGraham]

Humble apologies guys I mean the TACK, I must have been having a blonde moment or I needed to take more water with my drink. Thank you for trying to correct me and advise me without too much of an issue.
I have used a cruising chute on my previous yacht but it had very little use, I basically should be termed as a complete novice. The person that demonstrated to me on flying a chute years ago used these terms and I'm afraid they've stuck. To save any further confusion I suggest I use for the uphaul, will be the halyard and the guys will be the sheets.
shemandr
We are assuming you are talking about a asymmetrical sail or at least a sail that is attached to something on the bow and flown outside the spreaders without a pole. Is that correct? I'm sorry to use terminology on you but I can't formulate an answer without better description and I suspect other willing to help posters can't either.
Thank you for your time, and you are correct with your assumption, no apologies needed, my error!
Joe
Thank you for all your advice, I will of course look to Google and Youtube for more information. My main concern to start was how best to secure the tack. And I sure do intend to have fun.
caverun
Thank you for the picture, I take it that the pulpit is the same on the 260. I will check this out tomorrow when I go to the boat. I just have to find a like wise pulley block, this is not an easy task with where I am based.

 

[jssailem]

Good morning Graham. Greece is pretty much the source of sailing lore. If you can not find the resources to sail there it may not be possible to find anything.

Lets talk basics. The tack on an Asymmetrical sail needs to be adjustable. It is a control line to move the sail up and down - in and out to capture the breezes like a big pair of bloomers. Drawing the boat down wind. Depending on the cut you can generally sail from 90 degrees to 160 degrees to the wind. At 90 degrees the tack is going to be close to the bow. At 160 degrees you will let the tack out maybe 1-3 feet to get the sail up and out of the boat.

So to be able to adjust the sail you will need to use a block. The block needs to be attachable to the bow of the boat. If you have troube selecting an attachment point, picture of your boats bow would help. The attachment point needs to be strong as the tack will be holding down the sail in the same way the jib is held down to the bow. Usually a shackle is used attaching the block to the boat. I use a soft shackle made out of dyneema.

You will run a line from the cockpit forward to the bow, thru the block and up to the sail tack. Attach the tack line to the sail with a simple bowline knot. Attach the halyard to the head of the sail and the sheets to the clew. Remember the sail has one of the sheets running outside and infront of the forestay.

Here are a couple of links to rigging and flying the Asymmetrical Sail.

Good luck.

https://www.quantumsails.com/getattachment/Resources-and-Expertise/Articles/Downloadable-Sail-Trim-Guides/QuantumSails_TrimGuide_Asymmetrical.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US

Rigging the Asymmetrical Spinnaker

 

[Kermit]

If you mean the tack (not clew), here's a picture of the asymmetric tack on my H240. Harken block on the bow rail, just below the running light, leads the tackline back to a cleat on the cabin top for adjustment.

I’m NOT an expert on anything sailing but... I’m surprised that works for you. I always set up everything spinnaker-related on the out side of everything. Your tack is inside of the bow pulpit and I see a blue line outside of your spinnaker. My system is not “dog-tested, dog approved” but it seems to work. I have a shortish line with a block that runs on it in the mast crutch. The tack goes down through the block and back to the cockpit. Maybe @BradH23 can take a picture of it the next time he’s at the club and post it here.

 

[caverun]

Here's a better picture- that blue line is the port spinnaker sheet. The spinnaker flies above the bow pulpit, and everything is outside the jib furler. Had it up yesterday, you can see the typical summer wind conditions here in Ky!

 

[GBGraham]

Good morning Graham. Greece is pretty much the source of sailing lore. If you can not find the resources to sail there it may not be possible to find anything.

I may not know all the correct sailing terminology but I do know Greece well. Greece is a country of sea, sun, great charm and full of lovely people. But . . . . it is by modern standards a 3rd world country being dragged kicking, screaming and shouting in to the 21st century, be sure they are getting there.
For me to go try and find most deck/sailing hardware is a 200+mile trip into Athens/Piraeus. If it's for something a tad out the ordinary this can still be a challenge. All the local so called chandlers don't stock such things or if they do the quality is very suspect, Chinese s***. Telesales for posting is non existent here.
If I successfully order from the UK then I have to rely on the Greek snail mail, I'm may exaggerating with the snail part, it may never arrive. It's all a conundrum!!

Anyway back to the issue in hand. Thank you for the advice and I will study the links later. I'm going to the boat tomorrow so I will study the options. Do you agree that the pulpit is strong enough to fly from?

 

[Kermit]

Here's a better picture- that blue line is the port spinnaker sheet. The spinnaker flies above the bow pulpit, and everything is outside the jib furler. Had it up yesterday, you can see the typical summer wind conditions here in Ky!

I realized both of those things after hitting reply. I like it!!

 

[jssailem]

I feel your pain. And I am a bit envious of your sailing in the grecian Isles.
I would find a spot on the bowroller or the bow of the boat to attach the block for your tack line. In most cases the the pulpit will not handle the sail loads. When I built mine for a 15 ft trailer sailer I used a hole in the base for the fore stay. It was strong enough

 

[GBGraham]

This is what I have at the pulpit. These were fitted with the previous owner, I presuming that they are for Jack Stays or harness attachment but I will appreciate any other thought. The connecting shackle is mine for the sake of the picture.
I was hoping to attach a pulley block to point shown, run the control line through this and back to a block at the mast foot on the port side, add a cheek block to the top of the already two gang deck organiser, and finish in the cockpit.
#jssailem say he doubts the pulpit isn't strong enough but I really can't see any other clear place to fly from other than fitting bowsprit etc, which at this point I don't want to go down this road.
The sail isn't massive , luff 22 feet and the foot is 19 feet and #caverun attaches his on his Hunter 240 pulpit which looks the same as mine.
Please pass on your thoughts and any other ideas you experienced guys may have, they will be met with appreciation.

 

[isaksp00]

I'd be surprised if those blue straps were for jacklines as they look like they'd slide backwards. If the chute came with the boat I'd guess they were used as a tack attachment. If you think the pulpit isn't strong enough, you could run a line from what I assume is an unused chain plate attachment just aft of where the forestay is attached. That line would attach to the shackle holding the loops together (maybe you need a slightly larger shackle there) so the load from the asymm would be supported by the chainplate not the pulpit.

 

[kappykaplan]

I'd be surprised if those blue straps were for jacklines as they look like they'd slide backwards

Not very far with the angles on the pulpit.

 

[isaksp00]

Not very far with the angles on the pulpit.

I suppose, if they were down near where the mast rests in the crutch. However, if I wanted jacklines I'd run them along the deck and near the center, to keep me as far from the water as possible given the tether length. But who knows what the PO did.

 

[kappykaplan]

I'd run them along the deck and near the center

I agree!

 

[GBGraham]

I agree, boats that I've sailed that had jack stays run unobstructed and flat to the deck. There also another pair attached to the port and stb side rails of the pushpit. Nothing else was on the boat, no webbings or anything else that would resemble attaching to these points. Jack stays was my nearest assumption.