The archives have little information regarding symmetrical spinnaker usage in a sock and I am wondering if someone can explain how it works....Obviously, you'd have to hoist the head via halyard, have the sheets tied on and pull some light line to raise the sausage-tube-sock to let it fly open. Do you douse it by letting both sheets run free and pull the sock down over the sail as its blowing off downwind or what? Must you go forward to douse the sail or can this be accomplished from the cockpit and dip the pole? Anybody got a good link for this explanation?
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A
al duquette
everything you need to know about spinnakers
check out this site and it should answer all your questions about spinnakers and socks. Have fun, also check out sailrite.com they have everything you need to do a spinnaker and sock. www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/spinnaker.htm
check out this site and it should answer all your questions about spinnakers and socks. Have fun, also check out sailrite.com they have everything you need to do a spinnaker and sock. www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/spinnaker.htm
B
Bill O'Donovan
Short answers
Look for a spinnaker halyard on the mast. If none, may have to use the jib halyard. Sock has its own lines self-contained. Tack line extends from bow back to the well. Sheets run outside all lines back to snatch blocks and then to the existing winches. If you'd like I can send you free pix on an 8-foot bowsprit that I perfected to keep the spin from being blanketed by the main.
Look for a spinnaker halyard on the mast. If none, may have to use the jib halyard. Sock has its own lines self-contained. Tack line extends from bow back to the well. Sheets run outside all lines back to snatch blocks and then to the existing winches. If you'd like I can send you free pix on an 8-foot bowsprit that I perfected to keep the spin from being blanketed by the main.
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Vic
depends on how strong the wind is ...
in light wind you can almost do anything and it will sort of work except letting the sheet and guy run free ... in heavy wind you run the pole somewhat forward on almost a run ... near collapse the spin ... pull down the tube while running out the guy and a little sheet only if necessary ... but the key is not to let the spin get screwed up and twisted as it comes down ... you don't want to bury an hourglass. so you need a little air in the sail to keep the edges clear and lined up. most of the time you probably can leave the sheet secured. so you want a little fill and you need to let off on the guy so that the tube is comfortably behind the main. I suppose if you want to connect and extend the dousing line to a block at the base of the mast you can douse from the cockpit without too much trouble. but then you have the tube sort of sitting there with the sheets sort of hanging out ... so at some time you will have to get on the deck to pack in all in and get the pole secured before you run the jib out. Vic "Seven"
in light wind you can almost do anything and it will sort of work except letting the sheet and guy run free ... in heavy wind you run the pole somewhat forward on almost a run ... near collapse the spin ... pull down the tube while running out the guy and a little sheet only if necessary ... but the key is not to let the spin get screwed up and twisted as it comes down ... you don't want to bury an hourglass. so you need a little air in the sail to keep the edges clear and lined up. most of the time you probably can leave the sheet secured. so you want a little fill and you need to let off on the guy so that the tube is comfortably behind the main. I suppose if you want to connect and extend the dousing line to a block at the base of the mast you can douse from the cockpit without too much trouble. but then you have the tube sort of sitting there with the sheets sort of hanging out ... so at some time you will have to get on the deck to pack in all in and get the pole secured before you run the jib out. Vic "Seven"
J
james rohr
Bill, post the pics on your bow sprit
I wanted to make up one for my O'Day 30 over the winter, but you know how it goes. just did'nt get it done. there can be some very big loads on the tack and I could'nt find much info on the issue. no one manuf. one for retrofit. the minitransat sit has some interesting ideas but they don't seem to be setups that can be retro'd easily. I did do some comparison sailing in light air, lashing spin pole to deck and stem fitting. amazing dif in boat speed if you get it out from behind main.
I wanted to make up one for my O'Day 30 over the winter, but you know how it goes. just did'nt get it done. there can be some very big loads on the tack and I could'nt find much info on the issue. no one manuf. one for retrofit. the minitransat sit has some interesting ideas but they don't seem to be setups that can be retro'd easily. I did do some comparison sailing in light air, lashing spin pole to deck and stem fitting. amazing dif in boat speed if you get it out from behind main.
D
Dale I
I'm missing something....
(1st: thanks guys.) al, I went to the C&C site...been there before as I have a C&C, but found only reference to an asymmetrical with a sock there...will revisit it again to make sure I didn't miss something. I won't need the sailrite people as I already have the set-up that came with the boat but am just now getting up to speed with everything. Bill, I have an external spin halyard in place and run through a block at the mast head a little to the side of the forestay....I have a Profurl-ing jib as well. I am uncertain what you mean by 'Tack line extends from bow back to the well'... I thought that only asymmetricals had a 'tack' per se. Vic, ....seems to make sense as you have explained it...sounds like you've got a similar arrangement. I would guess that doing/seeing it happen in a light air experiment will help my understanding. Thanks again to all.
(1st: thanks guys.) al, I went to the C&C site...been there before as I have a C&C, but found only reference to an asymmetrical with a sock there...will revisit it again to make sure I didn't miss something. I won't need the sailrite people as I already have the set-up that came with the boat but am just now getting up to speed with everything. Bill, I have an external spin halyard in place and run through a block at the mast head a little to the side of the forestay....I have a Profurl-ing jib as well. I am uncertain what you mean by 'Tack line extends from bow back to the well'... I thought that only asymmetricals had a 'tack' per se. Vic, ....seems to make sense as you have explained it...sounds like you've got a similar arrangement. I would guess that doing/seeing it happen in a light air experiment will help my understanding. Thanks again to all.
J
John
Spinnaker Sock
I can't help you regarding a symmetrical spinnaker, but if you have a sock to douse it, I don't think you'll be able to raise or lower the sock from the cockpit. I have an asymmetrical spinnaker with a sock and I basically have to be on the foredeck to make sure the halyard clears my radar housing and other appurtencances. I can't imaging how I would lower the sock from the cockpit on my boat. As was posted earlier, the sock should have its own self-contained line for raising and lowering it.
I can't help you regarding a symmetrical spinnaker, but if you have a sock to douse it, I don't think you'll be able to raise or lower the sock from the cockpit. I have an asymmetrical spinnaker with a sock and I basically have to be on the foredeck to make sure the halyard clears my radar housing and other appurtencances. I can't imaging how I would lower the sock from the cockpit on my boat. As was posted earlier, the sock should have its own self-contained line for raising and lowering it.
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Vic
John ... you are right ... I didn't mean raising
the sail on the halyard from the cockpit ... that could be a problem as the sail and the sock seems to have a life of its own and coming out of a bag could induce a twist unless it was packed really well. I am talking about after the sail in the sock is raised ... and the halyard secured ... Then the key to raising or lowering the sock from the cockpit is to break the sock control endless loop into two lines ... this means you need two new longer lines to replace the loop ... I would do green to raise , red to lower. Each would have to run into a block at the bottom of the mast to turn into the cockpit. If the sail is weakly filled ... or just about to collapse it it relatively easy to run the sock down and still be several feet away from the mast. raising the sock would also require the sail to partially fill as the sock is raised ... that would pull it out away from the mast ... I have never done it that way but by aways standing at the base of the mast where I feel I easily can be replaced with a couple of blocks ... now don't call me a block head. the key on raising with out hourglassing is to make sure the guy and the sheet are right ... I think the sheet can be marked and secured both on the set and douse and the guy needs all the attention ... but I haven't thought about it lately and haven't used a sock for a number of years on the symmetrical as I have had enough crew to handle it with a bag. Using the bag we keep the sheet kind of loose until the sail is raised and the guy hauled in ... then we trim up the sheet. Vic "Seven"
the sail on the halyard from the cockpit ... that could be a problem as the sail and the sock seems to have a life of its own and coming out of a bag could induce a twist unless it was packed really well. I am talking about after the sail in the sock is raised ... and the halyard secured ... Then the key to raising or lowering the sock from the cockpit is to break the sock control endless loop into two lines ... this means you need two new longer lines to replace the loop ... I would do green to raise , red to lower. Each would have to run into a block at the bottom of the mast to turn into the cockpit. If the sail is weakly filled ... or just about to collapse it it relatively easy to run the sock down and still be several feet away from the mast. raising the sock would also require the sail to partially fill as the sock is raised ... that would pull it out away from the mast ... I have never done it that way but by aways standing at the base of the mast where I feel I easily can be replaced with a couple of blocks ... now don't call me a block head. the key on raising with out hourglassing is to make sure the guy and the sheet are right ... I think the sheet can be marked and secured both on the set and douse and the guy needs all the attention ... but I haven't thought about it lately and haven't used a sock for a number of years on the symmetrical as I have had enough crew to handle it with a bag. Using the bag we keep the sheet kind of loose until the sail is raised and the guy hauled in ... then we trim up the sheet. Vic "Seven"
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Vic
Dale ... only time to start playing with ...
a spinnaker is in light air with an extra pair of hands. that floppy little sail at 5 kts can become a monster over 15 ... if you haven't thought out your moves. Vic "seven"
a spinnaker is in light air with an extra pair of hands. that floppy little sail at 5 kts can become a monster over 15 ... if you haven't thought out your moves. Vic "seven"
J
Joe
spinnaker comments.
Dale. Using the sock on an symmetrical spinnaker will not eliminate having to go forward. You still need a crew to manage the pole and get everything hooked up. As long as a spinnaker pole is involved you'll need a crew on deck to help with the sail. Trying to control the hoisted sail/sock from the cockpit is difficult because it will try to wrap around the spreaders. On my boat I found that being able to control everything from the mast was of greater benefit than having a few lines led aft and some not. That way you can take care of everything all at once. 1- keep the sail/sock accessible from the forward hatch. 2- roll up or lower the headsail. 3 turn downwind and ease out the main as far as is comfortable. 4 send the crew to the mast, rig the pole, retrieve the sail through the hatch and connect the sheet and guy. 5 hoist the sail/sock with spin halyard, crew controls package to keep it from fouling in rigging. 6 pull up sock with control line, tie off to mast or deck cleat, trim the guy, trim the sheet..... start sailing. When taking down, turn downwind and let the sail collapse in the main's shadow, ease the guy and sheet enough to allow the package to be pulled back near the mast after the douse, haul down the sock, release the halyard and lower the whole thing right back down in to the forward hatch. I don't use the sock with my symmetrical spinnaker. Since I need a crew I find the turtle bag is much easier to manage. I have rigged it as a "sewer" bag in the forard hatch, or just clipped it to the lifeline. With an asymmetrical, however, I find the sock a tremendous help, especially with an inexperienced crew or when single handing. By the way when single handing I set the autopilot after setting up the boat downwind, then handle everything from the mast. There I have additional cleats for the spinnaker halyard, the sock's control line, and a little jam cleat to temporarily control the tack line. I tape my hatch dogs so I can open it from the outside, and leave the sail hooked right inside. I have never had any kind of hour glassing problem because the sail's head is attached to a swivel block inside the sock that allows the sail to unwrap itself when you trim it.
Dale. Using the sock on an symmetrical spinnaker will not eliminate having to go forward. You still need a crew to manage the pole and get everything hooked up. As long as a spinnaker pole is involved you'll need a crew on deck to help with the sail. Trying to control the hoisted sail/sock from the cockpit is difficult because it will try to wrap around the spreaders. On my boat I found that being able to control everything from the mast was of greater benefit than having a few lines led aft and some not. That way you can take care of everything all at once. 1- keep the sail/sock accessible from the forward hatch. 2- roll up or lower the headsail. 3 turn downwind and ease out the main as far as is comfortable. 4 send the crew to the mast, rig the pole, retrieve the sail through the hatch and connect the sheet and guy. 5 hoist the sail/sock with spin halyard, crew controls package to keep it from fouling in rigging. 6 pull up sock with control line, tie off to mast or deck cleat, trim the guy, trim the sheet..... start sailing. When taking down, turn downwind and let the sail collapse in the main's shadow, ease the guy and sheet enough to allow the package to be pulled back near the mast after the douse, haul down the sock, release the halyard and lower the whole thing right back down in to the forward hatch. I don't use the sock with my symmetrical spinnaker. Since I need a crew I find the turtle bag is much easier to manage. I have rigged it as a "sewer" bag in the forard hatch, or just clipped it to the lifeline. With an asymmetrical, however, I find the sock a tremendous help, especially with an inexperienced crew or when single handing. By the way when single handing I set the autopilot after setting up the boat downwind, then handle everything from the mast. There I have additional cleats for the spinnaker halyard, the sock's control line, and a little jam cleat to temporarily control the tack line. I tape my hatch dogs so I can open it from the outside, and leave the sail hooked right inside. I have never had any kind of hour glassing problem because the sail's head is attached to a swivel block inside the sock that allows the sail to unwrap itself when you trim it.
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