[C38] Spinnakers

Sat Aug 4 15:13:38 EDT 2007

There are spinnaker socks and then there are spinnaker socks.  I atypically went for the more expensive ATN sock.  It has worked well on my symmetric spinnaker.  I was sailing on a friend's Beneteau 393 a few months ago with his asymmetric with ATN sock.  I asked him to turn downwind so that we could snuff the sail and he said it wouldn't be necessary.  He said that the oval shaped fiberglass "bell" of the ATN would slide down easily.  The true wind was about about 14 knots and on the beam.  I was able to easily pull the sock down with the spinnaker fully inflated.  He, of course, eased the sheet at the last minute.  He had had a ring type sock previously and said that it was hard to work with.

Phil Gay
C38 049 Que Linda
Everett, WA

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Les <hlhowell at pacbell.net> 

> Hi, Charles, 
> Nancy and I have an assymetrical on JACE. I have rigged a down haul 
> using the anchor bearing, a light block on the foot of the spinnaker, 
> and use two sheets. The rig was suggested by a friend of mine who sails 
> a lot with a spinnaker. Unfortunately when he and his wife offered to 
> teach us how to use the spinnaker, the wind was blowing about 15 knots 
> and puffs going to about 18. Nancy wouldn't go on deck, so she had to 
> steer. My friends wife coached her. So there we were, flying a 27'x52' 
> assymetrical on a close run, and Nancy felt overpowered. The turned 
> into the wind (like with a jib), but this just filled the spinnaker more 
> and we about rounded up big time. She was scared silly, and we haven't 
> had the spinnaker up since. Maybe later this year (I hope). Anyway I 
> used snatch blocks on the toe rail, with 7/16" sta-set, and ran it to 
> the primaries. We furled the jib first, then set the spinnaker. It 
> worked like a charm, until it was time to take it down. I had pulled 
> too hard on the line hauling the sock over it, and the sock had gotten 
> snagged in the block at the top. It wouldn't come down over the 
> spinnaker. We doused it by hand, a real test of manhood in that wind, 
> even after we got it in the shadow of the main. 
> 
> What I learned: 
> 1. review the process thoroughly before leaving the dock. 
> 2. Check the gear carefully. The sock was frayed around the hole for 
> the control line, and that had caused (or at least aggravated) the 
> problem. 
> 3. You need a better system for the turning blocks, but since you are 
> currently using a spinnaker I suspect you already have that sorted out. 
> 4. Furl the jib first. Run off a bit and shadow the spinnaker with the 
> main. 
> 5. The sock is the also the tub portion of the turtle, and the cover 
> that goes over the hoop is actually the foot of the spinnaker. We have 
> a real hard steel hoop in the sock. This makes it a bit hard to handle, 
> because it is slightly larger than the companion way (it won't fit the 
> forward hatch at all. I think that newer spinnakers may have a better 
> solution, but I don't know. 
> To launch it: 
> 1. take the turtle cover off. 
> 2. attach the head to the halyard. 
> 3. run the downhaul, 
> 4. run the sheets thru the turning blocks and back to the winches. 
> 5. raise the spinnaker in the sock. 
> 6. pull the sheet in a bit on the working side and let the other sheet 
> run around the outside of the headstay and keep just enough tension on 
> to keep it from trailing in the water. 
> 7. Once this is all sorted out, raise the sock stop as soon as it is 
> clear of the head. Don't do what I did and keep pulling until it gets 
> stiff, because that will bunch the sock and likely snag it in the block. 
> Tie the control line off so you don't loose it. I tied mine to the 
> shroud, but my friend suggested that I mount a small cleat on the mast 
> for it. 
> 8. trim it and you should be good to go. 
> 
> To take it down: 
> 1. turn downwind and put the spinnaker in the shadow of the main. 
> 2. ease the sheets 
> 3. use the control line and pull the sock down over the spinnaker. On 
> mine it is a complete loop. This is good, but I need some way to mark 
> which way to pull. I haven't figured this out yet. 
> 3. If you will want to use it again, just leave it up and tie off the 
> lines near the mast, holding the spinnaker and sock near the mast. This 
> is not for cruisers, because it will soon chafe through. If cruising 
> take it down or make sure it won't chafe on the mast, radar, reflectors, 
> spreaders etc. etc. 
> 4. To lower it, just ease it down and stuff the thing into the turtle 
> skirt as you go. 
> 5. coil and head the lines, stow them on top, unshackel the head and 
> put the cover on. 
> 
> If the sock is snagged, just open the forward hatch, and stuff it 
> inside. You can sort it out on deck when things are calm. At least 
> that would be my suggestion. But remember that hoop. It will not go 
> inside my hatch. This meant I had to finesse it diagonally and without 
> the trutle, it went inside. It took about an hour dockside all on the 
> boat to straighten it back out. So it could be done underway, on a run 
> with the jib furled, by one person, using the halyard to pull the head 
> up as you worked the spinnaker into the sock. 
> 
> What I would say is that it is a good sail if the helm knows what to do, 
> and the foredeck part is easy, especially without the pole, uphaul, 
> downhaul, fore and after guys. If you use a pole to hold the clew, then 
> you would have to add the steps for rigging the pole. One thought I had 
> was one of those devices with a retractable pole through a fitting on 
> the stem head, at least until I priced it. Instead, I think one of 
> those bands around the head stay would be a much cheaper and reasonable 
> alternative (The Tacker (tm)) 
> 
> Speed was very good with that much wind, and it held up well. It is 
> just a lot of cloth to handle, and a gust would really make your life 
> busy on the foredeck. I haven't looked up any tricks for handling it 
> yet. This was to be the year, but other things.... You know... 
> 
> Ours is 52x27 at the widest point, and 23 or so at the foot. 
> 
> I think it is called a tri-radial cut. It was on the boat when we got 
> it. 
> 
> Regards, 
> Les H 
> On Fri, 2007-08-03 at 18:21 -0400, Charles wrote: 
> > It is probably obvious from the number of emails from me today that I 
> > have out on the boat for some time and am full of ideas and questions: 
> > 
> > I currently have four symmetric spinnakers (.75 and 1.5 oz.) that I 
> > seldom even carry as I cruise short handed or with folks with little 
> > sailing knowledge. I am thinking of getting an asymmetric spinnaker 
> > with a sock. I am very interested in the "pros and cons" of this before 
> > letting go of these four sails. And, in terms of asymmetric, what is a 
> > good size and weight for cruising? 
> > 
> > 
> > Charles Finn 
> > Mighty Quinn, #114 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________ 
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