Having been out on my Dean 38 about 6 times or so now i just decided to have a look in the spinnaker bag ( a case of a 'round tuit') for the first time. I was delighted to see what appears to be a very healthy symmetrical kite with snuffer and lots of string/tackle.
It then occured to me that in all my sailing i have only hoisted a snufferless spinnaker from a monohull with a pole. "Is there any difference" I asked myself - probably yes is the answer. I have 2 sheets. 2 guys, a selection of 6 blocks and a snatch block.
I guess the principles are pretty much the same but i have scratched my head a couple of times as to where the optimum connection points are, and to the drill for safe and effective hoisting without tieing myself up in the snuffer entrails.
Can anyone point me to a previous thread, article or website that can assist?
Hi. Sadly I have no experience of either catamarans or snuffers, so can't contribute anything much to help! Will try and find out though, and write an article soon! Always good to be given leads about what people want to know about!
All I can say at the moment is that you clip the sheets to the spinnaker and the guys to the sheets (snapshackle to snapshackle). Two of the blocks are for the guys (about midway down the hull on a monohull) and two for the sheets (as far back as you can get them). The other two blocks and snatch blockmay be to give a fair run for the guys to the winch, or they may be for the pole downhaul.
Sorry not to be able to be more specific! But good luck with sorting it all out!
'sounds very much like a regular mono spinnaker rig. Of course, i don't have (or need) a pole because of my width. i reckon that i am a snatch block missing and that some of the blocks are spares!
it will all come good i'm sure - irs probably the snuffer arrangement i'm most unsure of.
If you lead the guy from the stem of each hull and the sheet from the rear of each hull, you'll find you can position the tack pretty well anywhere you want.
One word of warning though (and I'm not familiar at all with your type of cat) do not try close -ish reaching in any sort of breeze, because unlike a monohull, cats do not broach-up when over pressed - they just capsize! Also resist carrying the kite down hill in a lot of wind, the can force the bows to bury quite unpleasantly.
You'll find the snuffer is a straightforward piece of kit, when in comes to lowering the kite, let the weather sheet and guys run free, winch in on the leeward sheet and then pull down on the snuffer lines, you'll fingd it much easier like that with the kite nicely hidden behind the mainsail!
I naturally intend to try it out in light airs at first. I see where you're coming from with regards to rounding up into wind in a gust - so you recommend keeping the wind abaft the beam?
I'm not actually sure if this kite has been used much in anger as there are no snap shackles provided. i guess the previous owner must have just tied the sheets/guys to the corners with bowlines. A bit worrying as i would hope that they could be released fairly easily.
Then again, unlike working from a pole, it wouldn't be as easy to trip the tack but i'm sure it could be reached from the deck as it wouldn't be outboard would it?
As long as the sheets & Guys are long enough you don't really need snap shackles, its just a convenience for attaching them.
When racing we never let go of the snap-shackles, just let the guy run and recover the kite from leeward and stuff it down the hatch!
Tripping the kite without a pole would be a recipe for disaster, if there was any load on the guy, it would most likely completely brain you! With a snuffer there definitely no need to trip!
Just start off in the light stuff - broad reaches & runs - you'll have a lot of fun, and it gives the crew something to do!
Just to add: I wholeheartedly endorse David's advice about running the kite rather than tripping it. We have done this for years. Saves sending someone onto the foredeck (always potentially risky) and keeps everything relatively under control from the safety of the cockpit.
Tip: tie the lazy guy to something like the coachroof handrail before you start the take down, so that whatever happens, the kite is attached to the boat, and won't pull the recovery crew off the deck. The recoverer then pulls in on the guy above the knot, while the weather guy is released, and then the halyard. In light airs, it's a good idea to gather in the foot of the spinnaker after the guy is released and before the halyard is blown (this is without a snuffer to do this for you, of course!)
The most important advice, using a snuffer or not, is to make sure that all the sheets, guys, halyard are neatly flaked and clear to run, and are not going to get snagged on something, or tie themselves in knots midway through the procedure!
This wont work on your cat unless you have chokers fitted!
What we do which certainly makes life easier - and I do a lot of single-handed sailing with the kite up and this works just a treat!
Before letting the guy run we pull the leeward choker on and then sheet the kite ih hard so that the leech is held in a straight vertical line from the mast-head/or hounds, then it is cleated off.When the guy is released, it is possible the gather up the foot of the kite and then slowly let the halyard off and the kite is nice and easy and in control all the way down - the secret is having the leech touching the leeward side of the main then no air gets in it. I usually find that when doing this single-handed I can pack it back into its tuurtle in quite strong winds - certainly up to a good 5. (Provided of course that the autohelm is behaving itself!)
I'm trying to picture these chokers and their lead. I can see why you'd need them - especially when single handed. I guess i'll have to see what happens when i do my first recovery to see what''ll work best.
I'm with you Cathy on keeping the lines organised. I'm getting quite exited about getting it flying!!
Perhaps i should haul it out of the snuffer to make sure that it doesn't have a big hole in the middle - that would be a bummer!
