Rigging and cruising with an asymmetric spinnaker

[samgoucher]

Have an asymmetric spinnaker that I would like to fly this season on my CD30 cutter. Have never rigged or flown one and would appreciate and tips or tricks this forum could offer.

[Steve Laume]

I have a very heavy anchor roller on my sprit that I drilled to accept a block to handle the tack. You could install a pad eye with a good backing plate. I run the tack line back to a cockpit winch so I can set the sail near the shrouds and then adjust the tack once the sail is hoisted. I only ever attach one sheet and run that back to a pad eye near the stern and then onto the opposite winch. A webbing loop through the stern cleat would work as well. A sock is the most helpful thing you could add to your sail. It allows you to hoist everything and then deploy whenever you are ready. It is even more important when taking the sail down. Make sure there is nothing sharp projecting past your pulpit as this will surely rip the thin sail. Take your time top be sure everything is run outside of all the rigging. Make sure you have plenty of running room the first time you set the sail as it may take longer to douse it than you anticipate. Down wind sails are a blast and pull like a freight train, Steve.

[Maine_Buzzard]

Hopefully you have a masthead bail and spinnaker halyard. 5/16” is a good size. Add a braided sennit tail to the ring on the snap shackle to open it quickly. Ditto on Steve’s suggestion for a padeye well forward. I used a block on a snapshackle, as a line through the padeye was too difficult to adjust under tension. I just tied off to an anchor cleat after adjusting foot height.

Without a sock, you can blanket the chute with the main in order to douse it easier. If you were wing and wing, jibe the main while dead down.

Ease the sheet a foot or two, walk forward while slipping the sheet through your hand as the helm heads up just enough to blanket the spinnaker downwind of the main. Pull the foot forward to reduce size on the spinnaker and with your third and fourth spare hands, start easing the halyard down while bundling the sail and shoving it down the forward hatch. (Without falling in.).

Clip the halyard to the windward pulpit for a moment. Blow the tack and shove the rest of the sail below before grinning at the 60’ dayboat who thought you’d never make it in time, then turn upwind and let the genoa fly. Wave to the people headed back to Camden. Never let them see how hard you are breathing.