Spinnaker Singlehanded
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Ragtime!
Dec 1, 2009, 5:05:25 PM12/1/09
to J/92 Owners
Andy asked about this subject, so I copied part of an article I wrote
several years ago for our Owner's site. If you find and read the
whole article, be aware I have changed some things, mostly with the
hardware - no more fine-tune on the mainsheet (now 5:1), reefing lines
are back at the mast, and a few other things. In the portion below
I've also added some parenthetical comments.
(Except for overnight/offshore races, I use neither a sock/sleave nor
a spinnaker net - it's not worth the hassle.)
Spinnaker sets - Initial hoist is usually from the bag clipped up by
the shrouds; subsequent hoists of the same kite are out of the
companionway (tape everything up around there - ladder pins, etc.)
Overall, hoists are the same as with crew but the boat is on autopilot
(AP) and if I'm going to roll the jib I do that first instead of
last. Also, singlehanded sets are slower and when it's windy I
sometimes have to winch the halyard up the last few feet (mark the
halyard so you know when you're at full hoist). I have to be neat and
organized - I let the spinny luff a bit until I get the halyard and
tackline cleaned up - I probably won't have a chance once the sail is
full and I'm blasting along.
It is exhausting to constantly trim the spinnaker when it's windy - I
get the trim right and then steer to the trim as much as possible.
Spinnaker gybes - Rule one: Keep both sheets cleaned up and clear to
run. Rule two: Gybe early with plenty of sea room. The boat's on AP
and I'm standing in the front of the cockpit, facing forward with a
spinny sheet in each hand. I touch the AP to bear away until the
spinny starts to get soft behind the main. If it's really windy I
wait until I'm surfing so the sail isn't as loaded up. If the spinny
collapses I head back up a bit to fill it - never start a gybe until
the sail is full and stable.
Once the sail is on the edge of collapsing, blow the loaded sheet
(take it completely off the primary) and watch to make sure it runs
out well. Aggressively haul the sail around by the lazy sheet until
the clew passes the headstay, then touch the AP to bear away another
20-30 degrees, watch for the main boom and keep hauling the spinny
sheet. After the main comes across, touch the AP to head up 20-30
degrees and trim the kite. The main gybes "all standing" - there's no
other way. Once you start the gybe, don't hesitate or a wrap is
likely.
If you gybe into a broach (common when it's windy) you already have
the sheet in hand so ease it a bunch and if necessary ease the vang,
which you thoughtfully led aft so it's right there. If you get a
wrap, gybe back immediately to clear it, get the spinny full and then
start again. As with all assymetric gybes, the key is to not complete
the gybe (by gybing the main) until the clew of the spinnaker has come
around the headstay and aft. It's common to find myself sailing wing-
and-wing briefly before the boom flies across and I head back up.
(Good for downwind VMG!)
Douses (if to leeward) - again pretty standard - you just have to be
FAST. Make sure both sheets, tackline and halyard are free to run.
Put the tackline on the cabintop winch with one wrap. Bear away (on
AP) until the spinny softens behind the main. Up under the boom, grab
the loaded spinny sheet and pull it with you back over to the tack
line/halyard winch. Open the tackline clutch and gather the foot as
fast as you can, shoving it into the companionway bag. When you can't
gather any more, reach over and take the tack line off the winch and
put the spinny halyard on it, again with one wrap. Then open the
spinny halyard clutch and pull the sail down into the bag. If you
were sailing deep enough when you started the douse, the sail should
have collapsed behind the main.
Plan ahead - if you are approaching a lee shore, douse early. You
need room to bear away first, and you probably aren't going to be fast
enough to do a stretch-and-blow without shrimping.
Finally, don't dither around with these solo maneuvers. Take the time
to check everything over first, clearing and untangling anything that
may cause a problem. Think through what you're going to do. Then
once you start, watch what's happening but move through the maneuver
purposefully.
I'm certainly open to suggestions if there are better ways to do any
of this.
Bob Johnston
"Ragtime!" #18
San Francisco Bay
several years ago for our Owner's site. If you find and read the
whole article, be aware I have changed some things, mostly with the
hardware - no more fine-tune on the mainsheet (now 5:1), reefing lines
are back at the mast, and a few other things. In the portion below
I've also added some parenthetical comments.
(Except for overnight/offshore races, I use neither a sock/sleave nor
a spinnaker net - it's not worth the hassle.)
Spinnaker sets - Initial hoist is usually from the bag clipped up by
the shrouds; subsequent hoists of the same kite are out of the
companionway (tape everything up around there - ladder pins, etc.)
Overall, hoists are the same as with crew but the boat is on autopilot
(AP) and if I'm going to roll the jib I do that first instead of
last. Also, singlehanded sets are slower and when it's windy I
sometimes have to winch the halyard up the last few feet (mark the
halyard so you know when you're at full hoist). I have to be neat and
organized - I let the spinny luff a bit until I get the halyard and
tackline cleaned up - I probably won't have a chance once the sail is
full and I'm blasting along.
It is exhausting to constantly trim the spinnaker when it's windy - I
get the trim right and then steer to the trim as much as possible.
Spinnaker gybes - Rule one: Keep both sheets cleaned up and clear to
run. Rule two: Gybe early with plenty of sea room. The boat's on AP
and I'm standing in the front of the cockpit, facing forward with a
spinny sheet in each hand. I touch the AP to bear away until the
spinny starts to get soft behind the main. If it's really windy I
wait until I'm surfing so the sail isn't as loaded up. If the spinny
collapses I head back up a bit to fill it - never start a gybe until
the sail is full and stable.
Once the sail is on the edge of collapsing, blow the loaded sheet
(take it completely off the primary) and watch to make sure it runs
out well. Aggressively haul the sail around by the lazy sheet until
the clew passes the headstay, then touch the AP to bear away another
20-30 degrees, watch for the main boom and keep hauling the spinny
sheet. After the main comes across, touch the AP to head up 20-30
degrees and trim the kite. The main gybes "all standing" - there's no
other way. Once you start the gybe, don't hesitate or a wrap is
likely.
If you gybe into a broach (common when it's windy) you already have
the sheet in hand so ease it a bunch and if necessary ease the vang,
which you thoughtfully led aft so it's right there. If you get a
wrap, gybe back immediately to clear it, get the spinny full and then
start again. As with all assymetric gybes, the key is to not complete
the gybe (by gybing the main) until the clew of the spinnaker has come
around the headstay and aft. It's common to find myself sailing wing-
and-wing briefly before the boom flies across and I head back up.
(Good for downwind VMG!)
Douses (if to leeward) - again pretty standard - you just have to be
FAST. Make sure both sheets, tackline and halyard are free to run.
Put the tackline on the cabintop winch with one wrap. Bear away (on
AP) until the spinny softens behind the main. Up under the boom, grab
the loaded spinny sheet and pull it with you back over to the tack
line/halyard winch. Open the tackline clutch and gather the foot as
fast as you can, shoving it into the companionway bag. When you can't
gather any more, reach over and take the tack line off the winch and
put the spinny halyard on it, again with one wrap. Then open the
spinny halyard clutch and pull the sail down into the bag. If you
were sailing deep enough when you started the douse, the sail should
have collapsed behind the main.
Plan ahead - if you are approaching a lee shore, douse early. You
need room to bear away first, and you probably aren't going to be fast
enough to do a stretch-and-blow without shrimping.
Finally, don't dither around with these solo maneuvers. Take the time
to check everything over first, clearing and untangling anything that
may cause a problem. Think through what you're going to do. Then
once you start, watch what's happening but move through the maneuver
purposefully.
I'm certainly open to suggestions if there are better ways to do any
of this.
Bob Johnston
"Ragtime!" #18
San Francisco Bay
Ragtime!
Dec 1, 2009, 5:23:56 PM12/1/09
to J/92 Owners
A bit got cut off:
Windward douses into the companionway work fine too if you want the
sail on that side for the next downwind leg. They also have the
advantage of keeping the sail over the deck, so they are often better
than leeward douses in windy conditions.
Tie short lengths of cord in the "V" just above the lower spreaders so
the sail won't catch in there, and generally tape up anything that the
sail could catch on.
I've also heard letterbox douses (over the boom) work well
shorthanded, but I haven't tried that yet. Again, tape up any boom
hardware the sail could catch on.
Windward douses into the companionway work fine too if you want the
sail on that side for the next downwind leg. They also have the
advantage of keeping the sail over the deck, so they are often better
than leeward douses in windy conditions.
Tie short lengths of cord in the "V" just above the lower spreaders so
the sail won't catch in there, and generally tape up anything that the
sail could catch on.
I've also heard letterbox douses (over the boom) work well
shorthanded, but I haven't tried that yet. Again, tape up any boom
hardware the sail could catch on.
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