Flying my spinnaker

[DwayneSpeer]

Gee and I'd made a really cool covering from leather to protect the turnbuckle on the babystay (I threw away the piece of white plastic pipe that was covering it when I bought the boat). Oh well, I guess I will "put it away" when I'm planning to fly the spinnaker.

I went looking for the blocks that I'm supposed to have near the shrouds as Sailingfool noted since I didn't remember having any such hardware. Well, I'll be darn there were the padeyes for them right where they should be and I had the blocks tucked away in my spares locker. "Bright light over head" Now I know what they're for.

Thanks for all the help guys!

[10M2Bill]

The 10M is a great boat, I've had mine for for about five years now and have sadly only flown the spinnaker about 2-3 X a year.
Some might say; (including my wife) "you can get 8.5 knots on a reach, whatdoya need a spinnaker for" - Because fast is fun, I reply, and sometimes we have to go downwind.

I've a favor to ask of you and others who might be reading. In your thread you mentioned a baby stay. I've got a track that runs the length of the fore deck - right down the middle, and was wondering what the heck this was for?
Are they meant to be used as a mount point for a baby stay, or is it meant for something else?
I've asked another 10M owner in my area and he wasn;t sure either ....

I know my boat was raced aggressively in her younger years, given the number of sails I got with her, any other comments are welcomed.
Also if anyone has pictures of this thing being used as a stay or.......?
They're worth 1000 words.....

[SeaFever2000]

Bill,

I doubt you have a baby stay on your 10M. But then again you might. I will try and attach one or two pics. Note that if you have baby stay on deck, there will also be a supporting mechanism below decks. The first picture shows you the baby stay with a bit of blue tap flickering in the wind. The second one shows the supporting rod underneath the deck.

The track on the foredeck can be used for fitting up a staysail. I have the track too. There is an eye on the mast around 4-5 feet below the top of the mast where a block can be fitted. The staysail has a wire luff and can be raised on its own. The eye for the foot of the sail can be fitted on the track on the fore deck. You can slide the eye forward on the track to put the tension on the staysail's luff.

Hope that helps.

[10M2Bill]

Hey Dwayne,

Thanks for the RSVP, Dan Pfeiffer (of Pearson 10M Website fame) has the attachment enclosed from the Pearson Brochure, I've looked at a million time but never noticed the staysail positioning.

QUestion is, does this stay sail require the supposrting mechanism (below decks) or is that mechanism just for the baby stay?

Hmmmm.

[DwayneSpeer]

If you look closely at the first photo of my boat at the dock you can see the babystay just ahead of the mast. It is anchored below deck. It is attached to the mast just below the spreader. I'm told it is there to limit the mast from pumping in heavy seas and to aid in bending the mast to shape the main sail.

The second photo showing the PO flying a staysail from a track that is about three feet long and anchored only onto the foredeck.

[10M2Bill]

Thanks Dwayne,

I think I'm all set on the differances between the baby stay and the staysail track. Your comments were similar to others.

My boat doesn't have a baby stay.

I do have the stay sail track and would like to put it to use as the winds up here blow over twenty-five mph pretty regularly. Seems like a good alternative to reefing down the jib on a furler.

A couple more questions...

Q1 Do you know if a stay sail (as configured on the 10M) can (or should be) be used without the spinnaker?

Q2 How is the luff of a typical staysail configured, are they hank on or what?

[DwayneSpeer]

I'm no expert but I believe most boats routinely fly their staysail without their spinnaker. Only a racer would routinely fly both together as is being done in my photo.

Also I just read an article in Cruising World where the fellow just added a furler to his staysail so I assure that means it's in a foil, not hanked on. That doesn't mean that you can't hank on such a sail as my buddy's HC38 has a hank on one.

Finally, a good staysail is a great alternative to a reefed genoa or jib in high winds. It's closer to the mast for better balance and is more efficient.

[SeaFever2000]

The staysail I have has a wire luff and shackles to fit the eye on the strip on the foredeck. I plan to put a block on the eye on the mast and haul up the staysail with a halyard. Then push the tack forward to get the right tension on the luff.

[mgiguere]

My old Chris Craft (S&S) Apache 37 also came equipped with a spinaker stay sail which I have used a couple of times. And as far as sheets and guys, as my old female friend of mine said when I asked her how can you tell which is the sheet and which is the guy....she said: Guys have poles. (Easy way to remember). :>)