[nccouple]

Watching Jaws 2 today and noticed the scene where the kids on the sailboat have the spinnaker rigged to the bosun chair and are having a blast. Anyone ever actually do this? Looks like a lot of fun or a good way to ruin your sail. Not sure witch.

 

[Faster]

Never actually tried it.. does look like fun but I think you need to be confident in your anchored situation, and have a very steady, light breeze - with required wind depending on the weight of the 'rider'.

but it also looks like something that could go 'wrong' in a hurry....

 

[captflood]

GREETINGS EARTHLINGS, That's how the hang glider was invented would not like to try it as I mainly single handed what happens when you get run over by the boat

 

[Faster]

GREETINGS EARTHLINGS, That's how the hang glider was invented would not like to try it as I mainly single handed what happens when you get run over by the boat

I believe it's generally meant to be done while anchored by the stern....

 

[Gary M]

I watched it numerous times, takes a fairly big spinnaker, seem to remember the boats being about 40 feet. Looked like fun, you tend to hear a lot of screaming when a gust comes along and lifts the person from the water to mast height or higher in about 1 second.

 

[Classic30]

Us kids and our friends used to do this whilst anchored out on my parent's yacht in a quiet cove in North Queensland. I was too young at the time to remember fine details, but what I can remember is:

1. IIRC, it was called "Parasailing" (no, not "paraflying" - that's something entirely different, although the terms were often mixed up).
2. Our boat wasn't small - it was a 52-footer.
3. We anchored by the stern. Winds 0-5kts. Warm sunny day.
4. We used the heaviest weight, oldest spinnaker in the wardrobe.
5. We didn't use a proper bosun's chair - it was a seat off a rope swing that would on other occasions be tied to a tree branch overhanging the water and used to launch us into the water off of the nearby rocks.
6. The "participant" stood on the pulpit and hung onto the forestay prior to launch.
7. It took one adult (or about 3 of us kids) to haul in the lazy sheet in preparation for lift-off (don't let go!).
8. It's great fun!! ..and not all that dangerous - at least not at all dangerous to a 12-year-old-boy.

If you're out on a balmy summers day and have a few young teenagers on board, give it a try - but don't use your best spinnaker and watch out for forestay wraps..


Edit: ..and you won't get to mast-height or even close - the highest you'll ever get above water is deck height + height of the clew + about 1/2 the length of the foot. But it sure *feels* like mast-height!

 

[SloopJonB]

I've always wanted to try it but never had the opportunity - in my case it would take the chute from a 75 footer or more.

I'd want the halyard eased WAY off to ensure I was not over the hard parts of the boat when the chute collapsed.

 

[capta]

This was all the rage down here in the late 70's and early 80's. Stern to the wind for sure and it was good fun. A lot of the charter boats did it, if the conditions were right. But most of us were anchoring on a bit of chain and the rest rode in those days, so it was pretty easy to flip the boat around.

 

[Classic30]

This was all the rage down here in the late 70's and early 80's. Stern to the wind for sure and it was good fun. A lot of the charter boats did it, if the conditions were right. But most of us were anchoring on a bit of chain and the rest rode in those days, so it was pretty easy to flip the boat around.

Same over here.

I've no idea why it went out of fashion - perhaps iPads are easier to set up?

 

[SailRedemption]

I'm sure people got hurt and it died out, I can see a lot going wrong quickly if not extremely careful.. Looks fun indeed, but you'd have to really respect it because that's a lot of sail area for such light weight. A little gust and you're going flying like the guy in this video.

http://youtu.be/B5kL-FV9E5Y

Had the people on the boat not blown the halyard there's no telling where he would have landed. Plus, you get up high enough and hitting the water has the potential to cause serious injuries.

That downer stuff said, I'd do it because it looks like a blast!

 

[Classic30]

I'm sure people got hurt and it died out, I can see a lot going wrong quickly if not extremely careful.. Looks fun indeed, but you'd have to really respect it because that's a lot of sail area for such light weight. A little gust and you're going flying like the guy in this video.

Andy flies like a bird - Spinnaker Flying is Dangerous! - YouTube

Yesss.. weelll.. let's just say that's a good example of how NOT to do it and demonstrates that it's not hard to find idiots if you're looking for them.

When we did it as kids, one clew stays on the boat at all times with the 'flyer' on the other. That (a) limited the height you could get to, (b) meant the people on board had some amount of control at all times and (c) ensured you could never turn the spinnaker into an oversized flag, making you the laughingstock of the entire anchorage.


Edit: ..but you're probably right. Nothing kills an activity's popularity quite as quickly as a few people hurting themselves doing it all wrong.

 

[Multihullgirl]

The best search term, that I found when researching this activity online, is 'spinnaker flying'

here's a SAIL magazine article:
http://www.sailmagazine.com/spinnaker-flying

 

[Classic30]

The best search term, that I found when researching this activity online, is 'spinnaker flying'

here's a SAIL magazine article:
Spinnaker Flying | Sail Magazine

Interesting...

That certainly isn't how we used to do it - and I'd think that would have frightened the life out of me as a kid.

 

[Faster]

Ouch... that looked like 'instant enema'!

 

[SVAuspicious]

Watching Jaws 2 today and noticed the scene where the kids on the sailboat have the spinnaker rigged to the bosun chair and are having a blast. Anyone ever actually do this? Looks like a lot of fun or a good way to ruin your sail. Not sure witch.

The Sail magazine article is most like we did. I've flown anchored by the stern on the spinnaker halyard and anchored off the bow on a main halyard. No particular preference. I haven't done that in 30 years and have no interest in doing it ever again. I'm too old and cranky.

 

[Faster]

...... I'm too old and cranky.

... Say it ain't so!!

 

[capta]

I'm guessing this photo was photo shopped, because this is NOT how it's normally done. This isn't even how they described it in the article. I don't see how you would retrieve this chute if someone fell off.

 

[Multihullgirl]

There is a reason why one learns to read articles instead of looking at pictures, despite what the US school systems apparently teach...

 

[SVAuspicious]

I'm guessing this photo was photo shopped, because this is NOT how it's normally done. This isn't even how they described it in the article. I don't see how you would retrieve this chute if someone fell off.

You've never had a squid? You sail under it. Worst case you send someone up the stick with another line. You almost always end up with a soaked sail.

 

[Boasun]

The Sail magazine article is most like we did. I've flown anchored by the stern on the spinnaker halyard and anchored off the bow on a main halyard. No particular preference. I haven't done that in 30 years and have no interest in doing it ever again. I'm too old and cranky.

Well you could be teaching your grand & great grand kids on how to do this safely....