Ok, in my never ending quest to prepare for racing next year, I am looking for some guidance in the setup of my spinnaker rigging. I'll briefly explain what I DO have, point out what I think I DON'T have, and hopefully get some help from the combined wisdom of the group. Do Have - Boat came with 2 spinnakers, 2 spin halyards, 1 set of spin sheets, pole, pole uphaul line, pole downhaul line, and 3 fixed attachments at the mast. I've flown both spinnakers a couple of times, with out TOO much problems, but I know that there are several missing pieces that would make my life easier. Don't Have - A means to fasten the pole uphaul/downhaul lines. (I've been setting the height to something close to horizontal and then tieing off to whatever was handy.) Should I fasten cleats on the mast and leave it to my foredeck crew? (Considered using Spinlock cleats.) Figure out a way to run these back to the cockpit when shorthanded? Something else? Blocks for turning the spin sheets. (I've got a pair of large U bolts currently attached at the stern, just behind the toerail and cockpit winches, and was improvising with those.) Are snatch blocks mandatory, or are there other alternatives? Thanks again in advance for the feedback from all. T J
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check out harken
Harken puts out catalogs with sample deck layouts and sugessted fitting sizes all figured out for you. I sure other hardware companies offer the same information. Spend some time doing the homework. the holes are a pain it the butt to fix!
Harken puts out catalogs with sample deck layouts and sugessted fitting sizes all figured out for you. I sure other hardware companies offer the same information. Spend some time doing the homework. the holes are a pain it the butt to fix!
Spinn setup
...first let me say that this is MY setup that I have refined over the years, it may not work for you. 1) A spinn pole car is a must. Get rid of the 3 rings. Moving the inboard end of the pole under any kind of load is not possible without an adjustable car. 2) The pole lift needs to be attached to a bridle on the pole. 3) The Downhaul(Foreguy) depends on the type of jibes that you use. If you dip jibe then the downhaul needs to be at the outboard end of the pole. If you end for end, then you need a bridle for it. 4) Bring the deck attachment of the downhaul to the base of the mast. This saves one extra adjustment you don't have to do as you trim or ease the pole. 5) No, snatch blocks are not needed but a dedicated set of stand up blocks are needed. 6) Twings are something that you should consider for your sheets. 7) We use a cam cleat strategically placed on the mast to allow the mast man or the cockpit to adjust the pole height. 8) Strongly suggest a set of ultra lite air sheets for those drifter conditions, they make a huge difference. I'm curious about one thing.....you said that you have 2 spinnaker halyards The original mast comes with only one. How was the second sheave placed on the mast?
...first let me say that this is MY setup that I have refined over the years, it may not work for you. 1) A spinn pole car is a must. Get rid of the 3 rings. Moving the inboard end of the pole under any kind of load is not possible without an adjustable car. 2) The pole lift needs to be attached to a bridle on the pole. 3) The Downhaul(Foreguy) depends on the type of jibes that you use. If you dip jibe then the downhaul needs to be at the outboard end of the pole. If you end for end, then you need a bridle for it. 4) Bring the deck attachment of the downhaul to the base of the mast. This saves one extra adjustment you don't have to do as you trim or ease the pole. 5) No, snatch blocks are not needed but a dedicated set of stand up blocks are needed. 6) Twings are something that you should consider for your sheets. 7) We use a cam cleat strategically placed on the mast to allow the mast man or the cockpit to adjust the pole height. 8) Strongly suggest a set of ultra lite air sheets for those drifter conditions, they make a huge difference. I'm curious about one thing.....you said that you have 2 spinnaker halyards The original mast comes with only one. How was the second sheave placed on the mast?
Second Spin Halyard
If memory serves from the one time I've been up the mast, I believe that they are side by side, just above the forestay. I'm sorry that I can't give a better answer than it was there when I got it. My boat was one of the Liberty Cup boats, so I almost have to assume that it was an upgrade at build time. My current pole has bridles top and bottom, so I assume that it was setup for end-to-end jibes. The initial couple of races that I'm looking at are longer, straighter races and not bouy races, so I'm hoping that a few seconds lost on a tack or jibe will not be a deal breaker. (Although we will do our best to be brisk, as those seconds can add up). Spinn pole car sounds nice, but won't probably make it in the racing budget for this year. But I'll keep it on the 'Wish' list. Definitely will have to pick up some blocks for the toerail to bring the spin sheets back. A cleat on the mast sounds like a given, but just one for the pole lift? Or do I need a second for the downhaul? Thanks Alan, I always appreciate your racing pointers. T J
If memory serves from the one time I've been up the mast, I believe that they are side by side, just above the forestay. I'm sorry that I can't give a better answer than it was there when I got it. My boat was one of the Liberty Cup boats, so I almost have to assume that it was an upgrade at build time. My current pole has bridles top and bottom, so I assume that it was setup for end-to-end jibes. The initial couple of races that I'm looking at are longer, straighter races and not bouy races, so I'm hoping that a few seconds lost on a tack or jibe will not be a deal breaker. (Although we will do our best to be brisk, as those seconds can add up). Spinn pole car sounds nice, but won't probably make it in the racing budget for this year. But I'll keep it on the 'Wish' list. Definitely will have to pick up some blocks for the toerail to bring the spin sheets back. A cleat on the mast sounds like a given, but just one for the pole lift? Or do I need a second for the downhaul? Thanks Alan, I always appreciate your racing pointers. T J
TJ
We lead both the downhaul and pole lift back to the cockpit where they are on stoppers. Adding the mast cleat to the pole lift allows the mast man to adjust the height quickly. When he moves off the foredeck the line is tensioned in the cockpit which pulls it out of the mast cleat. As the guy is eased and the pole moves toward the headstay, the pole needs to be lowered to adjust entry angle. If you can't move the inboard end down, you could comprimise the pole and give away some of your pole length. I'm in the process of running a masthead spinn halyard for more sail area. The gamble is that the spinnaker clears the jumper strut on its way up and down, we'll see.
We lead both the downhaul and pole lift back to the cockpit where they are on stoppers. Adding the mast cleat to the pole lift allows the mast man to adjust the height quickly. When he moves off the foredeck the line is tensioned in the cockpit which pulls it out of the mast cleat. As the guy is eased and the pole moves toward the headstay, the pole needs to be lowered to adjust entry angle. If you can't move the inboard end down, you could comprimise the pole and give away some of your pole length. I'm in the process of running a masthead spinn halyard for more sail area. The gamble is that the spinnaker clears the jumper strut on its way up and down, we'll see.
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