Mike Raehl wrote:The only time I have used my asym spinnaker was last season's final sail to winter storage in Waukegan, IL. I had rigged the sheets and tack line and hoisted the sail at the dock for practise so once on the Lake, things went fairly well. Unfortunately, wind at two knots required motor sailing to meet a time deadline at the marina.
Before the mast is stepped in the Spring, I need to refine how the spinnaker tack line will be configured. My question is where should the tack line run and how should it be attached to the stemhead? My CD27 stemhead has three holes for standing rigging and the forestay currently uses the middle hole. The roller furler drum extends over the forward and the aft holes in the stemhead. I also have a Danforth anchor suspended from the bow pulpit.
Should the tack line be attached forward or behind the forestay / furler drum? Should I move the forestay to either the forward or the aft holes in the stemhead for less chaffing? Does the tack line from the snatch block to the sail run inside or outside of the bow pulpit?
On a CD27, is the spinnaker halyard block at the masthead mounted above or below the forestay attachment?
As you can tell, I am attempting to visualize all this while sitting here in the den with the boat wrapped in plastic two hours away.
Mike,
My CD27 is set up like yours, with the furlex furler extending over the 3 holes on the stemhead, which means running the tackline up there can be a problem. A couple of solutions. First, Andy Denmark told me that even though you should try and run the tackline forward, it doesn't have to be. You can attach it to the double mooring cleats on the bow. If you intend to run the tackline back to the cockpit, you can attach a block at the mooring cleats when you need to use the spinnaker.
But here's a better solution...also from wise old Andy. Sometimes trying to adjust the tackline with the chute under load, ain't so easy. Mechanical advantage is always welcome when hauling on loaded sails. You may have to read this a time or two but it isn't complicated. The CD27 has two bow chocks way up forward. Those bow chocks have "keepers" the little bar that slides into the opposite hole to close the chock when a line is in it. Now, you will need a block to attach to the tack cringle on the chute. Take your tackline, make a good bowline in one end, and run the keeper of the port bow chock through the bowline and close and lock the chock. That securely attaches one end of the tackline to the chock. Then take the free end of the tackline and run it up thru the block attached to the tack cringle of the chute. After running the line thru that block, run it down towards the starboard bow chock. There you should attach another turning block to the closed keeper on that side. Run the line thru that block and then you can head it back to the cockpit on the starboard side. Obviously, if you want the tackline to run back to the cockpit on the port side the setup should be reversed. This effectively gives you a "bridle" attached to you sail and a 2:1 advantage when having to adjust it up or down. It also brings the control back forward and at least on my boat it seems to avoid the furlex furling drum .
If you REALLY want to go whole hog on this, you can make this modification. Instead of attaching the tackline to the port bow chock keeper with a bowline, put another block there. Get a very long tackline and attach it to a cleat back at the cockpit on the port side. Then run it up to the block at the port bow chock, then up thru the block at the tack cringle on the sail, then thru the block at the starboard bow chock and back to the cockpit cleat on the starboard side. Now you can control the height of the spinnaker tack by adjusting the line either on the starboard side of the cockpit or the port side. Nifty!
For my spinnaker halyard block I had the yard attach a spinnaker bale above the forestay at the level of the masthead. The block hangs from the spinnaker bale and is outside of everything.
If you have any questions ask me or ask Andy Denmark, as I'm sure he has forgotten more about spinnaker handling on his CD27
Rhiannon then I will ever know.
