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I have been launching and dousing my symmetrical spinnaker solo without a sock. As long as the jib is up blocking the wind, it works fine. Dousing under the boom into the companionway by pulling the sheet works great - no problems as long as I release the guy, then the halyard.
I store and launch my smaller spinnaker from a Target laundry basket, secured with bungee cords (seen here on deck):
I store and launch my larger spinnaker from a traditional turtle, which requires a bit of pulling to extract while pre-feeding the guy.
Jim, Yes a sock is a convenience, not a necessity. I'll get more use out of the asymm with a sock. The North Direct is only $350 or so, so given what I have put into the boat, its a rounding error. Great to see you are getting a lot of use and enjoyment out of the Pearson. She was a great boat before your upgrades!
The North sock uses an injection moulded bell while the ATN uses a Kevlar laminated bell. I imagine that is the basic reason for the difference in price. AFAIK the ATN still sets the standard for snuffers.
Check the used sail sites on the web - they frequently have ATN's very cheap, some near new as a lot of people decide they don't like using a snuffer.
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