"Jere Lull" wrote in message
news:2008101601092950073-jerelull@maccom...
On 2008-10-15 17:50:11 -0400, Wayne.B
said:

On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:19:07 +0200, "Edgar"
wrote:

When I had a 34 footer my wife was not all that keen on flying the kite
with
just the two of us aboard but finally we reached a compromise which
enabled
me to use the 'storm' spinnaker, and we used it for many miles although
sometimes when the wind increased when we had it flying the question of
getting it down without problems gave us some food for thought.

My wife and I always flew the spinnaker with just the two of us and an
autopilot. It was fairly easy as long as we were well organized.
For the douse we'd bear off dead down wind with the boom all the way
out and collapse the chute behind the main. A good spinnaker sock can
be useful also. We would sometimes jibe that way, dousing the chute
with the sock on the original tack, dipping the pole over, jibing the
main over and resetting on the new tack.

Jibing in light air and flat water, we would bear away to DDW, center
the spinnaker, center the main, dip the pole over, then jibe and ease
the main.

I've been resisting this sub-thread, but can no longer resist.

Xan ain't big, but her chutes are. The big one almost reaches the
transom-mounted turning blocks when sheeted tightly.

Pat may be onboard, but she is usually down below enjoying a good book
while we fly the chute.
Thus, I'm single-handing the cruising chute with Otto's help.

With practice, flying a chute is just a bit more more difficult than a
jib. Gybes could be a problem, but Otto gives us a nice smooth turn. At
the proper point in the gybe, throw the main over, blow the now windward
sheet, let the chute blow forward, then haul in on the new sheet.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/


Naturally the competence and experience of the lady in question play a major
part in whether or not it is worth the risk. My wife was a relative newcomer
to sailing at the time of said broach, and was not amused, despite my
assurances that this was a regular occurrence in my racing career! What are
the cockpit drains for anyway?

Some years later, sailing 2-up on a 36-foot out-and-out racer, 3-quarter
rigged, massive runners, checkstays, bendy mast, thin-as-string backstay,
and with a rather-more-experienced (sailed since the age of 3) young lady on
board, I regularly flew the kite in anything less than force 4, although the
technique we developed was hardly in the how-to-sail books! I seem to
remember she had very strong teeth!

We would gybe the main first, letting the runners go, then sort out the
foredeck, end-for-ending the pole on it's centred-span uphaul, whilst
praying that the backstay would hold the mast upright despite the runners
flapping loosely for a minute or so. Such manouevres are best performed if
the helm has 4 arms, but as I said, a strong set of teeth is as good as a
third arm. Swept back spreaders hadn't been invented!

I doubt whether Skip and his good lady could handle their 47-footer in like
manner, but a cruising chute would be an asset on such a boat.


Dennis.