Is it possible, or more.. without the pole, guy, etc ..

To fly a regular spinnaker on a cruising sailboat.

I came across a couple on the net that are cheap cheap.

The sails are in great shape.

But :: these are regular symetrical spinnakers. The kind that need pole,
guy, etc. Spinnaker track ..

I got thinking .. ?? What would happen if I just flew the spinnaker
without the "stuff".

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:13:36 GMT, "Sir Thomas of Cannondale"
wrote:

Is it possible, or more.. without the pole, guy, etc
To fly a regular spinnaker on a cruising sailboat.
I came across a couple on the net that are cheap cheap.
The sails are in great shape.
But :: these are regular symetrical spinnakers. The kind that need pole,
guy, etc. Spinnaker track ..
I got thinking .. ?? What would happen if I just flew the spinnaker
without the "stuff".


Are you familiar with the phrase,
"Don't get your knickers in a bunch?"
Like that maybe?....
:-)

Brian W

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:13:36 GMT, "Sir Thomas of Cannondale"
wrote:

But :: these are regular symetrical spinnakers. The kind that need pole,
guy, etc. Spinnaker track ..

I got thinking .. ?? What would happen if I just flew the spinnaker
without the "stuff".

It can be made to work under some conditions. Probably the easiest is
beam reaching in light to moderate conditions. If you have a
reasonably strong bow pulpit just attach a short piece of line or a
sail tie with a snap shackle on the free end. That becomes your
virtual pole, and the sheet is lead back aft to a turning block as you
normally would. This will give you a *big* increase in speed,
especially in light wind.

Broad reaching or dead down wind can be done also by just letting it
float out on its sheets (use very light lines for sheets). For
control purposes attach a slack line to one clew and lead it to a
block on the bow (that is your virtual down haul or foreguy). The big
risk running this way is getting the spinnaker wrapped around the
headstay which can be a really miserable experience. I once had to go
up the mast and cut a spinnaker down.

All of this is easier if you are used to flying a spinnaker the
conventional way and know some of the tricks of the trade in advance.

Have you considered getting a pole and snuffing sock? The pole helps
stabilize the chute when running, and the sock makes the sets and
takedowns relatively easy. Practice makes perfect, and consider
getting a tiller pilot if you don't already have one.

On Dec 14, 6:13 am, "Sir Thomas of Cannondale"
wrote:
Is it possible, or more.. without the pole, guy, etc .. ...

On a run or broad reach small racing boats often fly the spinnaker
without a pole during the jibes and prior to take downs. It is often
helpful to run the sheet and guy through blocks outboard near the
shrouds (tweakers)... If the trimmer is any good and can control both
the sheet and guy he can keep the sail flying as long as he can pay
attention. It is, however, a full time occupation. Just tacking the
clew to the bow pulpit may work for reaches but will tend to blanket
the spinnaker behind the main sailed deep and there will be an
enhanced possibility of wrapping the sail around the forestay. So,
yes, many folks could dispense with the pole and sometimes even the
guy but it makes the job a lot harder. Since you mention multiple
spinnakers maybe they could sell one and buy a used pole.

-- Tom.

Consider an ATN "tacker"
http://www.atninc.com/tacker.html
Good for beam reaching and down almost to a broad reach

You can also make something similar by yourself made from 2-1/2"-3"
wooden balls, light steel cable, etc.

Also, a smaller than full size spinnaker usually works best for
'poleless' spinnaker sailing as you can either gybe it through between
the mast and the headstay OR gybe it 'out and around' the headstay.
Out and around, for best results, should have a spinnaker crane
attached to the top of themast .... but for 'easy sailing' you dont
really need one.

Also consider a 'chute scoop' or spinnaker sock to make launching and
take-downs much easier
http://www.atninc.com/sleeve.html

The above websites are just 'one' manufacturer ... and many others
have 'equivalents'.

:-)