Drifter

[WB3]

I have a drifter sail with a hank for attachment. Currently a roller furl Genoa. What is the best way to attach the drifter, can I use type of similar homemade device> What is max wind for the drifter? Is this suitable to replace an A spin?

Thank you, WB#

[rikhall]

WB3

Good question - but . . . we need more information. It might be advantageous for you to read the following as Sailing Dog says it best :

If you're new to the Sailnet Forums... please read this POST.

[blt2ski]

Do not quote me, BUT, I believe you can add something like a sock that some boats use on gale sails, that will fit over the furled genoa.

Another option, since many are designed to use in winds of less than 7-8 knots, a temp forestay can be used, ie line/rope that you hank the drifter to and pull up. If you have 2 jib and 1 spin halyard as I have, an easy task to do. 1 jib is holding the furled sail. the other then could be used as a temp halyard, with the spin halyard hoisting the drifter, or vice versa, ie spin as forstay, jib to hoist.

OR, you can have a sail maker remove the hanks and install the appropriate luff tape to fit you furler, remove the genoa on to the deck when using the drifter, drop the drifter when the wind pipes up, and re hoist the bigger/heavier genoa. This would probably be my 1st choice, with the temp stay right in there depending upon how many jib/spin halyards you have. The first option would be last option in my opinion. At least for me anyhow.

Good luck
marty

[Faster]

Don't think it's worth the time and effort to convert the drifter to lufftape.. a drifter is usually a short lived application that you might not want to go through the effort of removing your genoa just to use it for a while. As soon as the apparent wind gets up over 6-8 knots you'll want it down.

Unless you are seriously trying to go upwind you could simply fly the drifter free (like an asymmetrical sail). If that's satisfactory then perhaps remove the hanks and just use it that way.

Using a spare halyard as a temporary stay is a good idea too (wire would probably work best).. as long as you have another to hoist the drifter.

These hanked on drifters are really meant to be extremely light air genoas (hence the hanks) and so are not really spinnaker replacements. We had one once too, rarely used it. The only real similarity is the cloth they were made of.

I remember seeing a nylon drifter that was actually two identical sails with a common luff... upwind and reaching the two clews were attached together and the sail used as a genny, off the breeze the clews were separated and the "sail" used wing-on-wing for DDW work. Interesting concept and I've never seen it since.