Re: Asym Spinnaker

The spinnaker pole as a sprit is a cool idea that I've toyed with but never executed. This may encourage me to try again. One concern is that this will put a lot of strain at right angles to the pole, while the normal configuration is mostly compression, as I understand it. If the pole is anchored near the end - as with your bail - I imagine the different force vector might not be a problem. The only thing I would add to the configuration is to rig a block on the end of the pole, and run a line to the tack of the spinnaker through that. This will allow you to adjust the height of the tack, which can be helpful. Finally, we had a symmetrical on Pentaquod, our Cal 29, and we flew it tacked to the bow as if it were an asymmetrical. It worked great. I wouldn't use that for racing, but for cruising, we were able to carry it to a beam reach with no problems. Alfred ==== The one's I've seen (not many) mostly just attached to a shackle at the base of the headstay. But the best system is on a friend's mid-80's Hunter; he has an old spinnaker pole with a ring on deck and a bail on the bow roller. To fly the spinnaker, just slide the pole out through the bail and lock it into the ring (same fitting as a spinnaker car but fixed at deck level.) The spinnaker then flies from the end of the pole as a bowsprit. That not only makes the spinnaker much more effective and even easier to tack, but it's also cheap and easy to rig - the pole was a broken one with a sleeve welded over the break (and positioned so the sleeve is under the bail at the point of max stress) and the rest is pretty minimal. The spinnaker and sheets were the only significant costs required. On Apr 12, 2009, at 10:37 AM, wheee_dogggie wrote: > I am trying to find anyone out there with experience flying an > asymmetrical spinnaker. I am familiar with a symmetrical but not > the correct way to rig an asym. Went sailing with a friend on his > new "family friendly" boat that was equipped with a spinnaker but > not all of the needed running rigging. One item that I found to be > different was that it had a short line attached to the clew but no > place on the bow to connect. > > We were able to fly it and it worked great, however it felt like we > were just guessing as to the correct way to rig it. > > Any ideas? > > Patrick > s/v L'Esprit Libre > Cal 40 >

On Monday 13 April 2009 09:39:47 Alfred Poor wrote: Interesting subject. Here's a link to a home made system similar to what is proposed. Not sure how well it would tack however. http://www.psychosnail.com/blog/post/ScreecherCode-Zero-G-0-bowsprit-gennaker-asymmetrical-spinnaker.aspx Various J Boats now add a retractable bow sprit/pole as an option. http://www.jboats.com/jsummary.htm For a cruising configuration I think a retractable pole would be overkill but a removable one would definitely and interesting idea worth pursuing in detail. /ch

On Monday 13 April 2009 09:39:47 Alfred Poor wrote: Here are some concepts from GMT Composites. If you click on each picture and open it in a new window you get a rather large scale image that you can review in detail. http://www.gmtcomposites.com/spars/bow-sprits Not sure I like any of these but a good starting point in terms of researching this subject. -- /ch

We only use our Asyos when beam-reaching. For cruising, such as our typical 20-mile reach home from Catalina Island to San Pedro, I rigged up a short after-guy made of 3/8" spectra. It's about 7' - 8' long, end-to-end. It has a snap-shackle at both ends. The aft end hooks to an eye on the base of our cast-stainless steel forward lifeline stanchion base. The forward end leads through the end of the pole, just like a typical after-guy would. We carry the pole at about the same height as the boom, and there is a short line attached to the forward snap-shackle, whish acts as a fore-guy. This cruising after-guy is just long enough so that the pole almost touches the headstay when the pole is level, in 15 knots TWS. If I raise the topping-lift a little, the pole moves up-and-aft, a little. In lighter winds, I can lower the pole, and with this fixed-length after-guy, the pole tip will move closer to the headstay. This fixed-length after-guy requires almost no set-up time, and involves no clutter in the cockpit. If we were racing with Aysos, we'd rig in what I would call the "normal" way, using a reaching strut, and a fully adjustable after-guy and fore-guy. Racing or cruising, we'd be unlikely to use an Asyo if the wind were aft of 110 degrees apparent. We can do it, but I can't remember the last time we gybed an Ayso, nor can I remember exactly how we did it. I think we used a double-snap-shackle attached to the pulpit, attached the Asyo tack to that, then gybed using just sheets, then re-attached an after-guy on the "new" windward side. Obviously, this would not be recommended if you had any doubt about the ability of your pulpit to take the loads involved. Fin Beven Cal-40 #24 Radiant San Pedro, CA From: "Alfred Poor" <ap… [at] bellatlantic.net> To: <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 6:39 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Re: Asym Spinnaker > The spinnaker pole as a sprit is a cool idea that I've toyed with but > never > executed. This may encourage me to try again. One concern is that this > will > put a lot of strain at right angles to the pole, while the normal > configuration is mostly compression, as I understand it. If the pole is > anchored near the end - as with your bail - I imagine the different force > vector might not be a problem. > > > > The only thing I would add to the configuration is to rig a block on the > end > of the pole, and run a line to the tack of the spinnaker through that. > This > will allow you to adjust the height of the tack, which can be helpful. > > > > Finally, we had a symmetrical on Pentaquod, our Cal 29, and we flew it > tacked to the bow as if it were an asymmetrical. It worked great. I > wouldn't > use that for racing, but for cruising, we were able to carry it to a beam > reach with no problems. > > > > Alfred > > > > > > ==== > > > > The one's I've seen (not many) mostly just attached to a shackle at > the base of the headstay. But the best system is on a friend's > mid-80's Hunter; he has an old spinnaker pole with a ring on deck and > a bail on the bow roller. To fly the spinnaker, just slide the pole > out through the bail and lock it into the ring (same fitting as a > spinnaker car but fixed at deck level.) The spinnaker then flies from > the end of the pole as a bowsprit. > > That not only makes the spinnaker much more effective and even easier > to tack, but it's also cheap and easy to rig - the pole was a broken > one with a sleeve welded over the break (and positioned so the sleeve > is under the bail at the point of max stress) and the rest is pretty > minimal. The spinnaker and sheets were the only significant costs > required. > > On Apr 12, 2009, at 10:37 AM, wheee_dogggie wrote: > > > I am trying to find anyone out there with experience flying an > > asymmetrical spinnaker. I am familiar with a symmetrical but not > > the correct way to rig an asym. Went sailing with a friend on his > > new "family friendly" boat that was equipped with a spinnaker but > > not all of the needed running rigging. One item that I found to be > > different was that it had a short line attached to the clew but no > > place on the bow to connect. > > > > We were able to fly it and it worked great, however it felt like we > > were just guessing as to the correct way to rig it. > > > > Any ideas? > > > > Patrick > > s/v L'Esprit Libre > > Cal 40 > > > > > >