Spinnaker Rigging - How to??

[Ritdog]

Reference an Oday 25 1977:

The wife wants to run up our spinnaker, but is unsure as to how to rig it.

Have been searching the site, with no luck.

We do have what we think is the original whisker pole and the spinnaker, but how it all connects is the question.

Anybody know?

 

[gpdno]

I find it is much easier to fly mine as a crushing spinnaker. No pole required and easier to fly single or short handed. I have a symmetrical spinnaker and it still works quite well.
Attach one end (clew but now the tack)of the spinnaker to the bow with a short line. Run two working sheets to the other clew. The when flying is to keep everything outside the jib and shrouds. Run the sheets as far back to the stern as possible and use a block to turn them back to your winch.
Then just hoist the spinnaker and fly it like an oversize jib.
I run on a broad reach all the time on this setup. Jybing takes a bit of practice. Just have to let the spinnaker fly out I front of your forstay before you sheet in the line.

 

[RichBone]

There is plenty of info on the web, with diagrams and all. Once you understand how everything hooks up and how it's trimmed and doused it really isn't that difficult. When I rebuilt my 25 I elected to go with an asymmetrical because it was easier and cheaper to set up on a boat with nothing. Now I wish I would have spent the time and money to rig a symmetrical. I've used and flown one for many years and miss it. They're lots of fun and thrilling.
I suggest that you have an extra hand or two when you're learning as it can be a handful once it's out of the bag. But go for it!

 

[Shoaldrafter]

Two very good replies.

The first reply illustrates that no spinnaker
pole or lines to hoist pole are necessary.

A spinnaker is great in light winds and often
gets you home without iron jenny.

What size?

When learning get a used one slightly smaller
than big. You will feel more comfortable trying
to use and less likely to get in trouble.

Fair winds,

Ed K

 

[vtsailguy]

I use something called the ATN Tacker.

Check it out, it's very very good....

 

[Flyboy69]

Me Too! Great little invention and makes singlehanding the chute so much easier on my 23. I also use a douser or sock to collapse and retrieve

 

[RichBone]

If you're not using a douser or a sock for your spinnaker the chute can be launched, retrieved and repacked relatively easy with a little practice.

Launching from the bag is fairly straight forward. Have the wind coming from the quarter or a little abeam to mininmize the chance of having it wrapped around the forestay- the dreaded 'hourglass'. Having the headsail up when launching greatly reduces the odds of this happening. One thing to remember is that once you start and the chute is coming out of the bag then you need to get the halyard raised as quickly as possible- as fast as you can- it ain't going back in. That's a lot of ripstop flapping in the breeze. It helps to have the halyards led back to the cockpit. Also partially trimming the sheet opens up the foot. Once it's up and trimmed then the headsail can be dropped or furled.

To retrieve, unsnap the shackle at the tack or at the pole end (depending if it's an asymmetrical or symmetrical). Now the luff of the chute becomes the leech and the leech becomes the luff and the clew will be blowing downwind. Gather in the foot and loosen the sheet and pulling it in under the boom start stuffing the spinnaker into the open companionway hatch as the halyard is let down.

Now the cabin is full of spinnaker and you wonder how are you going to get it all nicely packed into that 'tiny' bag. This the technique I used when we were racing a mastheaded 26 footer. With a little practice it can be easily accomplished in under two minutes. Sit on one of the quarter berths and put the open spinnaker bag between your legs with the metal hoop resting on top of your thighs. Find the foot of the chute- usually it has a white tape sewn on- then move along the tape until you find the vertical seam running up the center of the chute. You might want to mark the spot with a maker to find it easier next time. Lay this on your lap across the top of the open bag with the foot extending right and left to the sides. Now reach out and grab the material on each side of the vertical seam and pull it in towards you and set it on your lap. Reach back out and keep repeating, pulling in and piling it up on your lap. There'll be times when you'll find the spinnaker twisted. No problem. Just pull it apart sideways and keep going until you get to the head of the sail. Now you've got a big pile of ripstop piled on your lap. Just what you want. All gathered in, no twists and ready to go into the bag. Take a big bunch and stuff it into the bag. Do this a few times until most of it is in the bag then take the cloth on one side and stuff it in, then the other side. When it's all in the bag all you've got is the three corners of the spinnaker sticking out and ready to go again. Pull the spinnaker out of the bag a few times in the cabin and try it.
Sail handling, whether it's the main, headsail or spinnaker, is just a matter of working with the sail and wind instead of against it. There are techniques with hanked-on genoas and mains. Mains being the easiest and quickest, of course.

Rich