pole & spinaker 101

[Faster]

It does sound like a spinn pole... especially if the length is NOT adjustable. Most whisker poles are adjustable (a good whisker on a genoa will be longer than the "J").. So you're probably good to go with that.

Also it's VERY important that your downhaul be adequate. The greatest loads will be trying to pull the spinnaker pole up. The downhaul's job is to prevent this. It should be readily adjustable but easily cleated/released too. Most downhauls attach to the deck somewhere between mast and bow, and so need to be trimmed each time the pole position is adjusted. The pole lift should keep the pole level, but really, once the sail is flying there's usually no load on it.. it needs to support the pole in light air and during sets and jibes. Also if you value your deck gelcoat train your crew to gradually ease the pole lift to gently set the pole end on deck...

Do a search for "spinnaker" here and you'll find some further discussions....

[Jeff_H]

A couple quick points;

It sounds like you guys are talking about twings and not tweakers. Tweakers adjust the lead on the genoa similar to a barberhauler or inhauler. Twings bring the lead for the guy to the deck at the point of maximum beam.. On a thirty foot boat, you can get by with a snatch block on the rail that you insert the guy into rather than going through the trouble of making up twing lines.

As a rule of thumb, spinnaker sheets are twice the length of the boat and genoa sheets are between 1 and 1.5 times the length of the boat depending on the overlap, use of turning blocks, and whether you have a furler. A jib sheet will be too short.

I would not bother with tapered spinnaker sheets for what you are doing, but the previous posters are right, 1/4" is way too light line for a spin sheet for 30 foot masthead rig boat.

The diameter of pole on the boat and its on deck storage sounds like a spinnaker pole, but if it is longer than the J of the boat and long enough to use as a whisker pole, then it probably is too long to use as a spinnaker pole. Denise's description only mentions trip lines and does not mention lift and downhaul bridles so the pole may actually be a whisker pole.

Faster is right that you will need to rig a pole downhaul, but it can be rigged from the bridle on the spin pole to the base of the mast so it does not need to be adjusted when you adjust the guy or during the jibe.

Jeff

[Faster]

Originally Posted by Jeff_H

Faster is right that you will need to rig a pole downhaul, but it can be rigged from the bridle on the spin pole to the base of the mast so it does not need to be adjusted when you adjust the guy or during the jibe.
Jeff

True Jeff (you're showing your Laser 28 heritage) but this arrangement provides no forward component to the downhaul's pull and makes (btw, you're correct of course),"twingers" mandatory to keep the pole end against the tack of the spinnaker.

We've always found at that bit of ease on the downhaul (cleated, of course) makes it easier to get the pole back on the mast during a jibe in any case.


One other point - hopefully obvious - Denise, be sure to clip the spinnaker end of the pole on the guy itself, not into the cringle on the sail (some newbies try this)

And I agree that tapered sheets are unnecessary for this scenario.. but they look racy!

[zz4gta]

Originally Posted by Faster

And I agree that tapered sheets are unnecessary for this scenario.. but they look racy!

Racy is cool
And for future reference, orange is the fastest color.

One more thing, make sure you clip the spinnaker into the ring jaws UP. If it goes in jaws down it can get wedged/stuck in the ring when the wind pipes up. The guy should also go in jaw up, so when you open the jaw, the pole drops right off the guy.

Oh, and disconnect from the mast first, then to the new guy (now you have both sheets in the pole ends), finally disconnect from the old guy and put it on the mast ring.

Hard to explain all of this, but it happens a lot faster and easier than it sounds. Sit back and enjoy new speeds downwind.

Edit: I use swivel shackles on the sheets as well as the halyard, and I've never had an hourglass go up. For the little extra weight, it saves huge amounts of time not having to douse and re-set.

[davewild]

Don't worry to much about getting a wine glass/ hour glass or two. EVERYBODY has done it. The way to avoid it is to pull the brace out so that the tack of the sail is touching the spinnaker pole(outer end!) before the hoist and keep the sail set through gybes. Also make sure kite is not twisted before hoist. Do this by running your hands along the luff tapes to make sure they are not fouled up. We have also all put kite up sideways( halyard onto tack/clew instead of head). Don't let mistakes upset you to much. If you have not made these basic mistakes you are either a world champion or not put yourself under much preassure on the race course. There are two equally legitimate schools of thought on which way up the spinnaker pole should go. My personal preferance is for the beaks to be open end down(I've been doing this since the late 70's with no problems). For the practical side of kite work there is no sustitute for having somebody out on your boat to show you. Maybe ask around at the local yacht club. Most yachties are happy to help out. Just remember to make sure you and your crew are comfotable that the breeze isn't to strong. You don't want to damage your boat or crew.