Asy spinnaker on PSC 31

[adamowens]

I ordered a cruising spinnaker for my 31 and it should be ready soon. I am trying to get my hardware in order and was wondering how some of you run your sheets. I have thought about a stand up block at the very end of the genoa track but that doesn't seem far enough aft. My other thought was a single block on a strap around the aft cleats. Any ideas?

Adam Owens
PSC 31 Journey

[Beattie]

Hi...I have a PS31 (#115) with a gennaker, but I have an aluminum toerail so that facilitates mounting the aft sheet blocks. I assume your toerails/caprails are teak, so I can't add much insight to solving your problem.

Richard Beattie

[JohnRPollard]

Hi Adam!

I just got back from vacation and noticed your post. Hopefully it's not too late to offer a reply.

We have stand-up blocks at the tail end of our genoa tracks. They are plenty far enough aft to give a good lead to the asym. Our asym is fairly large size-wise, so if yours is more conservatively proportioned, the stand-up blocks will definitely be fine.

From the stand-up block, we can lead the sheets to either the primary winches or to the secondary winches on the coachroof.

If possible, I suggest having a running rather than a fixed tack line, that can be adjusted from the cockpit. Good luck with the new sail!

[Beattie]

Hi John,

How do you attach the tack line to the bow? I mount mine to a snatch block on the forestay fitting, but I get a foul condition on the pulpit rail which, given time, will wear through the tack line.

Thanks,

Richard Beattie PS31 #115 "Stardust", Dana Point, CA

[JohnRPollard]

Richard,

We don't have a running tack line on our asym arrangement. The tack of the sail has a fixed pendant, about 30-36 inches in length, that shackles to the sprit just forward of the attachment point for the headstay (on our boat, the attachment point for the headstay has three holes in it, with the headstay affixed through the aft-most). The tack sort of "floats" out above the pulpit, shifting from side to side when we jibe the sail. We adjust luff tension via the spin halyard.

Much better to have a running tackline like yours. I assume you have that block all the way forward at the headstay fitting, more or less in the same location that we shackle our tack pendant. [You mentioned the "forestay" fitting in your note above, which to me usually refers to the deckplate on the foredeck well aft of the headstay -- which wouldn't be a good place to run the tackline.] To reduce fouling/chaffing, you might consider a lead arrangement similar to the fairleads and blocks used for the roller furling control line. I don't have any specific suggestion beyond that -- it's probably a case of trial and error.

Maybe Larry or Adam has a suggestion....

[Beattie]

Thanks John.

I do in fact mount the block in a position similar to your pendant attachment point. The potential fouling condition occurs not on the inboard side of the block (ie to the deck cleat) but between the block and the tack clew of the sail...the tack line rubs against the pulpit rail and will eventually rub through.

I think my only practical option is installing a removable gennaker bowsprit...fuctional but not very pretty!

Is your pendant rope, or wire with a plastic cover? And does it foul on the pulpit?

Thanks again,

Richard

[JohnRPollard]

Richard,

We haven't had any trouble with chaffing against the pulpit. Our pulpit is clean in that area, i.e. it's just smooth stainless tubing with nothing to chafe against.

Our pendant is actually made of nylon webbing, about 1.5" wide. It is fairly smooth and with the wide flat surface it doesn't seem to catch or chafe on anything. But this wouldn't be good material for a running tack line.

I like your idea of the removal gennaker bowsprit. Could you use your whisker or spin pole for this, by securing it to one of the anchor rollers and at the inboard end to the deck cleat? I mention this idea because I would think you'd have to get the tack fairly far forward to avoid having the foot of the sail hang up on the pulpit when jibing. - John