Help adding asymmetrical spinnaker

[George Kornreich]

This is in reply to the question posted last month by Albert Shilton. I am in the process of installing the hardware for the spinnaker. The problem of a turning block location was hard to solve, as you have already discovered. The pushpit rail foot was a possibility, but if this has a catastrophic failure under load you could become the "headless horseman". Finally I discovered that the ideal place to mount a snatcd block is at the stern cleat. I removeone of the two large bolts holding the cleat in place by unscrewing it (it is threaded into an aluminum plate which is imbedded in the deck glass), and replaced it with a Wichard eye bolt. Since the screw is english and the bolt metric, I had to drill our the threads in the aluminum plate, and added backing washers. Due to the angle of the bolt as it comes through is not 90 degrees to the inner side of the deck glass, the washers didn't fit flush, at least on the stb side, so I built this up with epoxy mixed with high-density filler (Mixed into a thick putty). The aft bolt of each cleat was left in place. The cleat itself ties the two bolts together, giving it a very strong attachment. Essentially the cleat is now a padeye.Albert, have you already installed yours, and how did you decide to do it?

 

[Peter Milne]

430 Spinacker Hardware

George,I am in the early stages of arranging a spinacker instalation for next season. I am not sure I follow exactly what you have done to your aft cleat. Any chance that you have photos??Welcome back!Peter MilneS/V Blue heron

 

[George Kornreich]

No photos...yet

Hi, Peter,I'm up in Colorado for the summer (avoiding the Texas heat, or actually this time, the Texas rain), but will be back home in another week and will take some photos. Email me with your email address, and I should have them to you within 2 weeks or so: gkornreich@houston.rr.comMeanwhile, maybe I can tell you more clearly what I did. I removed the forward of the two bolts that hold the aft cleat in place. Then I drilled out the threads in the aluminum backing plate that's imbedded in the deck glass (because the replacement eye-bolt is slightly larger). I then replaced the bolt with a Wichard eyebolt, and fastened it from within the locker with large washer (which makes a backing plate) and the nut that comes with the eyebolt. I had to level the back of the hole with epoxy so that the washer fits squarely against it. On the 430, on the Stb side, to get at the bolt hole, you have to cut out a bit of material from within the locker, but it's not structural. On the Port side, the hole is not covered with anything that has to be removed.Now, the forward-most of the two cleat bolts is an eyebolt and serves as an anchor point for a snatch block as well as securing the cleat. I have a pretty beefy Garhauer snatch block with a tang, to which is attached a bungie to the lifeline, so when the block in not loaded it doesn't bang on the deck. Hope this all makes more sense.George

 

[Albert Shilton]

New idea for the Asymmetrical spinnaker attachment

George, thank you for your response to my question. Your idea is a good one, but how is the angle on the sheet when you run it to the wench? Are you using wenches on the cockpit rails or are you running the sheet to the forward wenches? I have and idea I would to run by you and everyone reading this. I am thinking about attaching a padeye just below the foot on the aft pulpet (almost above the vent). If I do this, I can get easy access to the underside through the port and starboard lockers. This would provide access for installation of a backing plate. Once installed, I could attach a short cable to a snatch block. What do you think?Al Shilton (ashilton@earthlink.net)