Single handed Asymmetric gybing...

[Brian S]

Jackdaw, I did a bit of searching around regarding the asym "dick" and some folks say the correct term is an asymmetrical gybulator. But, I guess it looks like a… well, you get it. Some say it's a couple layers of stiff webbing sewed together, other say a layer of webbing, a plastic batten, then the sail, then another layer of webbing, all sewed up.

Some guys say they cut them off because they get hung up on lifelines. Other guys always gybe "inside" and don't need 'em. I figure you're more likely to gybe inside if you have an extendable bowsprit for the asym.

I totally see how it works, projecting up and off the luff right on the tack patch of the asym.

On my small dinghy, racers often have a bit of wire coming out front of the stem head fitting, and angled up. It serves to catch the symmetrical spinnaker sheet when the chute is not hoisted, and prevent it slipping down into the water because this class has an almost vertical bow with the stem head fitting all the way at the tip of the bow.

On my cruising boat, I have a bow pulpit, so since I've never noticed my asym lazy sheet falling into the water; I'm thinking it tends to get caught on the pulpit. But I'll be looking out this coming season, and if I start to see troubles, now I know I can put a gybulator on!

I love picking up new ideas like this, thanks!

Brian

 

[Jackdaw]

Jackdaw, I did a bit of searching around regarding the asym "dick" and some folks say the correct term is an asymmetrical gybulator. But, I guess it looks like a… well, you get it. Some say it's a couple layers of stiff webbing sewed together, other say a layer of webbing, a plastic batten, then the sail, then another layer of webbing, all sewed up.

Some guys say they cut them off because they get hung up on lifelines. Other guys always gybe "inside" and don't need 'em. I figure you're more likely to gybe inside if you have an extendable bowsprit for the asym.

I totally see how it works, projecting up and off the luff right on the tack patch of the asym.

On my small dinghy, racers often have a bit of wire coming out front of the stem head fitting, and angled up. It serves to catch the symmetrical spinnaker sheet when the chute is not hoisted, and prevent it slipping down into the water because this class has an almost vertical bow with the stem head fitting all the way at the tip of the bow.

On my cruising boat, I have a bow pulpit, so since I've never noticed my asym lazy sheet falling into the water; I'm thinking it tends to get caught on the pulpit. But I'll be looking out this coming season, and if I start to see troubles, now I know I can put a gybulator on!

I love picking up new ideas like this, thanks!

Brian

Brian,

You can also make them out of webbing for sure. If you use batten material, use very soft material so to not risk damage the sail.

It is designed for outside gibes for sure.

Properly flown on a deep point of sail, an asym tackline with pull forward and to windward, often knocking the lazy sheet off the pulpit. Its why they came up with these, er, gybulators!

 

[Brian S]

Jackdaw, I'm with you on materials. I was thinking a strip of polyethylene, essentially milk jug, sandwiched between some webbing, would be a good choice. It would be reasonably stiff, but also flexible. I don't think I'd use fiberglass batten material, though I do have some very slender battens for my GP14 which would be about the right size. Still, they could be bent enough to crack, whereas the polyethylene just plain wouldn't crack...

Brian

 

[Hannah Quinn]

I sail single handed a lot on my H306. I'm able to handle and gybe my Asymetrical spinnaker with the help of an ATN sock and "ATN Tacker". It's awesome especially for single handed cruising.

 

[Worldwalker88]

worldwalker88: Try the following for your soak sauce: saute a onion, green pepper, garlic clove and salt and pepper. Put that stuff in a cast iron pot together with butter, tabasco, red pepper flakes, 2 cans of Leinie, worcestershire, black pepper, Dijohn mustard and whiskey. Be creative with the amount of ingredients and then bring the mix to a simmer. After grilling the brats, poke some holes to allow the simmer sauce to come in contact with the meat. You have to poke holes because the brat skin is made of hog gut and is not very porous -- that why it's a waste of time to simmer first because all your doing is "steaming" the meat and the essential juices, spices and flavorful oils in the meat dry up.

Try my sauce -- you'll amaze your friends!!

Don, here's one that's simple as a thanks back.
Split your brats lengthwise and sear the cut side in bacon grease. Allow to cool and poke holes... soak in your favorite barley pop for about 10 minutes. While they're soaking, take water soaked cedar planks and liberally coat the plank with a mixture of mango chutney and habanero sauce. Place the brat slices cut side down and wrap in foil.
Smoke on the grill and then be the hero of the cookout!
;-D

 

[RichH]

I sometime sail singlehanded when flying both asymmetricals or symmetrical spinnakers.

My chosen method when singlehanding is to have a tight tack line (or foreguy) when gybing. Such will greatly lessen the possibility of a forestay wrap if the 'unexpected' happens during a gybe, and regardless of whether you are gybing inside the foretriangle or 'out and around' the forestay.

With an asymmetrical on a mast head rig, the safest and easiest way to singlehand gybe (and if necessary to TACK !!!!) is via the 'through the foretriangle' and with a tight luff/tack-line - just like with an inside gybe with a jib or genoa. The 'inside gybe' can be quite slow, can be very controlled, especially if that tack (tack line) is taught which lessens the potential of wrapping the spinn around the forestay. BIG hint - FIRST bring the mainsail boom to near centerline, and pull the tack line taught before gybing (unless youre a Hindu deity with more than two arms).
An 'out and around' is done in the same fashion - bring the boom to near centerline and pull in on the tack line fully before you do anything else ... to lessen the potential of a 'wrap'. Use 'lightweight' sheets whenever possible to prevent them from 'going under the bow' when gybing.

if you happen to have 'twings' attached to the spinn sheets - all the better, to produce DOWN force to the asymm's 'edges', tighten *both* twings before your tighten the tack line before gybing to help pull the 'shoulder' at the top of the sail to be more 'flatter' for less chance of a 'wrap' up near the head of the sail.

;-)

 

[weinie]

I sometime sail singlehanded when flying both asymmetricals or symmetrical spinnakers.

My chosen method when singlehanding is to have a tight tack line (or foreguy) when gybing. Such will greatly lessen the possibility of a forestay wrap if the 'unexpected' happens during a gybe, and regardless of whether you are gybing inside the foretriangle or 'out and around' the forestay.

With an asymmetrical on a mast head rig, the safest and easiest way to singlehand gybe (and if necessary to TACK !!!!) is via the 'through the foretriangle' and with a tight luff/tack-line - just like with an inside gybe with a jib or genoa. The 'inside gybe' can be quite slow, can be very controlled, especially if that tack (tack line) is taught which lessens the potential of wrapping the spinn around the forestay. BIG hint - FIRST bring the mainsail boom to near centerline, and pull the tack line taught before gybing (unless youre a Hindu deity with more than two arms).
An 'out and around' is done in the same fashion - bring the boom to near centerline and pull in on the tack line fully before you do anything else ... to lessen the potential of a 'wrap'. Use 'lightweight' sheets whenever possible to prevent them from 'going under the bow' when gybing.

if you happen to have 'twings' attached to the spinn sheets - all the better, to produce DOWN force to the asymm's 'edges', tighten *both* twings before your tighten the tack line before gybing to help pull the 'shoulder' at the top of the sail to be more 'flatter' for less chance of a 'wrap' up near the head of the sail.

;-)

Thanks Rich. That's pretty much how I envisioned doing it.
But I'm glad you mentioned the possibility of wrapping the the spinn around the forestay.
So how do I get out of that jam if it happens?!?!??
Also, is a "tacker" device useful?

 

[RichH]

Thanks Rich. That's pretty much how I envisioned doing it.
But I'm glad you mentioned the possibility of wrapping the the spinn around the forestay.
So how do I get out of that jam if it happens?!?!??
Also, is a "tacker" device useful?

Ha! Am in the process of writing up an article for Don's Sail Trim sub-site of how to unwrap a spinnaker thats now become any angry shimmering blob of spinnaker rip-stop bubbles tightly wound around the forestay !!!!!

Summary:
1. (most important) DO NOT pull DOWN on the leech or luff or spinn sheets, as this will only 'tighten the knot' that's forming on your forestay !!!!!!
Repeat this item #1 at least 250 times !!!!!!

2. Immediately rig a preventer and let the mainsail go as far forward as possible .... lay the boom onto the cap shrouds if needed --- tighten the preventer to hold the boom against the side stays ... as far as the boom will go forward.

3. With the boom fully forward and prevented .... Slowly turn the boat back and forth while watching which way the 'bubble' or 'bubbles' are turning on the forestay. Using the wind on either side of the prevented and fully forward main/boom ..... Unwrap the largest bubble first by slowly bringing the prevented mainsail through the 'eye of the gybe' if needed. It will become intuitively obvious which way you need to turn, just carefully WATCH the direction of the 'bubble' that youre attempting to unwrap is turning/rotating around the forestay when you steer back and forth. Keep turning back and forth and unwrap each bubble - larger bubble first, then the next largest. The wind caused the bubbles / wraps to form on the forestay, use the wind as directed from a prevented mainsail to 'unwrap' them .... one at a time.

REPEAT - do not pull down on the sheets, leech or luff when attempting to 'unwrap', as this will only TIGHTEN the KNOT that is forming on the forestay. If you pull DOWN on the leech, luff, or sheets, be prepared to send someone aloft with a knife held in their teeth to correct/clear the KNOT that is forming (a cut and slashed spinnaker makes one a hell of an interesting artform aloft). Use a prevented mainsail and slowly gybe back and forth using the wind deflecting from the prevented mainsail to 'untie' the KNOT that is forming.

A spinnaker 'wrap' is not all that uncommon, the most common time for a 'wrap' is about 10-15 minutes before a major squall line or severe thunderstorm crosses your boat. ;-)

Use your 'preventer' and use the wind to unwrap those 'bubbles'. The wind caused those 'bubbles', use the wind to 'unwind' those bubbles.

hope this helps.

ATN Tacker or 'parrel beads' --- VERY useful with an asymmetric spinnaker, especially on a screaming beam reach. The tacker will keep the tack of the sail much closer to the boats centerline. Without such and the spinnaker flying 'high' (tack line eased 'way out'), you can begin to experience an 'oscillating' spinnaker ... not pleasant and can be the forewarning of 'a dunking'. Plus, without a tacker or parrel beads you wont be able to sail as 'high' because the tack of the sail is well or too far to leeward. On All-purpose asymetricals, cut flattish, so to be useful on low close reaches, the 'tacker' or 'beads' really keep the tack to the boats centerline .... better (safer) with which to accomplish the famous/infamous "Nantucket Sleigh ride" with a Spinn.

 

[Hannah Quinn]

Ha! Am in the process of writing up an article for Don's Sail Trim sub-site of how to unwrap a spinnaker thats now become any angry shimmering blob of spinnaker rip-stop bubbles tightly wound around the forestay !!!!!

Summary:
1. (most important) DO NOT pull DOWN on the leech or luff or spinn sheets, as this will only 'tighten the knot' that's forming on your forestay !!!!!!
Repeat this item #1 at least 250 times !!!!!!

2. Immediately rig a preventer and let the mainsail go as far forward as possible .... lay the boom onto the cap shrouds if needed --- tighten the preventer to hold the boom against the side stays ... as far as the boom will go forward.

3. With the boom fully forward and prevented .... Slowly turn the boat back and forth while watching which way the 'bubble' or 'bubbles' are turning on the forestay. Using the wind on either side of the prevented and fully forward main/boom ..... Unwrap the largest bubble first by slowly bringing the prevented mainsail through the 'eye of the gybe' if needed. It will become intuitively obvious which way you need to turn, just carefully WATCH the direction of the 'bubble' that youre attempting to unwrap is turning/rotating around the forestay when you steer back and forth. Keep turning back and forth and unwrap each bubble - larger bubble first, then the next largest. The wind caused the bubbles / wraps to form on the forestay, use the wind as directed from a prevented mainsail to 'unwrap' them .... one at a time.

REPEAT - do not pull down on the sheets, leech or luff when attempting to 'unwrap', as this will only TIGHTEN the KNOT that is forming on the forestay. If you pull DOWN on the leech, luff, or sheets, be prepared to send someone aloft with a knife held in their teeth to correct/clear the KNOT that is forming (a cut and slashed spinnaker makes one a hell of an interesting artform aloft). Use a prevented mainsail and slowly gybe back and forth using the wind deflecting from the prevented mainsail to 'untie' the KNOT that is forming.

A spinnaker 'wrap' is not all that uncommon, the most common time for a 'wrap' is about 10-15 minutes before a major squall line or severe thunderstorm crosses your boat. ;-)

Use your 'preventer' and use the wind to unwrap those 'bubbles'. The wind caused those 'bubbles', use the wind to 'unwind' those bubbles.

hope this helps.

ATN Tacker or 'parrel beads' --- VERY useful with an asymmetric spinnaker, especially on a screaming beam reach. The tacker will keep the tack of the sail much closer to the boats centerline. Without such and the spinnaker flying 'high' (tack line eased 'way out'), you can begin to experience an 'oscillating' spinnaker ... not pleasant and can be the forewarning of 'a dunking'. Plus, without a tacker or parrel beads you wont be able to sail as 'high' because the tack of the sail is well or too far to leeward. On All-purpose asymetricals, cut flattish, so to be useful on low close reaches, the 'tacker' or 'beads' really keep the tack to the boats centerline .... better (safer) with which to accomplish the famous/infamous "Nantucket Sleigh ride" with a Spinn.

Here is a photo of my ATN tacker, I highly recommend it! single handed chasing down a solar powered ship in Halifax Harbour this summer.