Raising a Spinaker

[Schmacko]

Can anyone help with a detailed explanation on how they raise a symetrical spinaker on a multihulled boat...........ie. from making the decision to raise it to finally putting it back into the bag..........long story but an independant persons contribution will prevent a punch up.

Regards

[Omatako]

It depends on the sailing you're doing - racing or not. I guess not.

Ideally you should have a snuffer that allows you to hoist the bag in a sausage form and then hoist the snuffer to expose the bag.

Step by step without snuffer:

• Clip the launching bag onto the boat on the side you intend to set the bag with the ends of the sail (tack clew and head) sticking out of the bag in their logical places. i.e. if the bag is on the starboard rail, the green corner will be aft, the head (white?) will be in the middle and the red in the front. This of course needs to be made so when the spinny is packed into its launching bag. Ordinarily the launching bag will be attached to the guard rail but given that yours is a multi, it should probably be attached to the trampoline if you have one.
• Take the port sheet, pass it outside everything and around the forestay and attach it to the tack (in this case the red corner). It is advisable to have the sheets running to a block on the toe-rail near the stern and back to a winch.
• Lower the pole to the bow, clip it to the sheet and set the height of the pole to where you think it will set. Also remember to set the inner end height if your gear requires it, some boats don't. If you are setting guys (used on bigger boats) as well as sheets then the port guy needs to go into the jaw of the pole. Avoid guys in light air.
• Run the halyard behind the headsail and attach it to the head.
• Run the starboard sheet outside everything to the clew (in this case the green corner). Once again the guy also attaches here if you use one. If you are not expecting to jibe the bag, forget this guy.
• Use the port guy/sheet to haul the pole back the where you think it will be set
• Hoist the bag behind the headsail and haul in the starboard sheet to open the sail and set it.
• Drop the headsail
• Whilst sailing your course, trim the starboard sheet until the leading edge of the bag just tends to curl inwards. This is the best draw the bag will give.
• To strike the bag let the pole go up to the headstay, trip the shackle to release the tack.
• Using the starbord sheet/guy either gather the bag onto the foredeck or into the cockpit as you desire whilst letting the halyard down slowly.

Actually thinking about it, the process above would be no different using a snuffer.

As an alternative to a snuffer, we used to have a large-diameter (400mm)plastic pipe about 600mm long which we had heated and flared at one end. The spinny was passed throught this "funnel" and the funnel had a hundred elastic bands stretched around it. At chosen intervals a band was slipped off the funnel onto the sail.

The sail was then hoisted behind the headsail in a sausage (as with a snuffer). When the sheets were pulled tighter after hoisting the elastic bands snapped and the sail deployed.

If the punch-up still happens, try and land the first one :-)

[sigmasailor]

I never had a snuffer but use the following procedure:

- When lowering the spinnaker get it out of the wind behind the mainsail en dump it in the cabin (I had a 33 Sigma OOD);
- Get yourself a small piece (about 10 inch length and diameter) of plastic drain pipe with a dozen or so rubber bands around it;
- Pull the spinnaker (starting with the top) through this pipe and release a rubber band every three feet or so;
- store the spinnaker (now looking like a sausage) in a spinnaker bag making sure the top sticks out of the bag;
- continue until the clews are also in the bag and store for reuse (no more than 5 minutes of work all in all);
- When hoisting the spinnaker attach the bag to the pulpit and connect all the lines and sheets;
- Hoist it behind the mainsail, check if everything OK and pull the sheets;
- The wind will catch it and rip the rubber bands with a rewarding wwooohhhs-pop and your spinnaker is set.

[tommays]

Well

I wont get into the details as its allready well covered BUT in race pratice we spend by FAR the most time doing spinnaker handling drills with over 30 hours this season

And if you google "spinnaker handling drills" you will get plenty of pictures and advise

[gershel]

Actually, the previous posts are fine, except if your multi is a catamaran. If that's the case, then forget the pole. Just connect the sheet and guy to each tack, and let it fly free. I use a snuffer. I let off on the windward guy, then pull the snuffer down. Because it flys free, it's almost self adjusting. I fly my spin. solo, and the autopilot handles it fine. Jibing is almost a non-event.Try it in mild conditions, and you'll see what I mean

Marc

[DropTop]

Originally Posted by sigmasailor

- The wind will catch it and rip the rubber bands with a rewarding wwooohhhs-pop and your spinnaker is set.

this is the exact same method my father used when he raced back in the 70's

he claims to be one of the first to use this method (after a few drinks sometimes claims he invented it), and attributes the winning many races to it's use. he would raise the spinnaker before just rounding the mark, keeping it bunched up like a sasuage, then yank on the sheets and the chute deploys in about a second.

[tommays]

The rubber band thing is kind of gone the way of the Dodo bird and there is the issue of discarding trash in the water in the from of rubber bands

[pschoonveld]

Banding is still popular on larger boats that sewer launch (from the hatch on the foredeck). Yarn is most common as it breaks up quickly in the water and is cheap. Those that bag launch the kite don't typically bother with it.

I haven't seen a tube employed, but it sure would make it easy.