How to Rig and Fly a Spinnaker

Moderator: GreenLake

Re: How to Rig and Fly a Spinnaker

Postby GreenLake » Mon Jun 01, 2020 6:41 pm

Just finished rigging the boat for the season; I know, a bit late :) but nothing this year has been as forecast.

Now, I ended up with a longer stretchable part on the uphaul. Thinking that 42" might work. When not in use, I store the UH along the mast (the shackle gets clipped to the mast ring). Total unstretched length is just slightly less than the distance from upper eye-strap to the mast ring, so there's slight(!) tension on the UH when not in use. I've marked this with a note in my original post discussing the geometry.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: How to Rig and Fly a Spinnaker

Postby tomodda » Mon Jun 01, 2020 6:54 pm

Greenlake: Thanks for the tips! Question, where exactly are you attaching the uphaul along the mast? At the spreaders, or?

Tom
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Re: How to Rig and Fly a Spinnaker

Postby RobH912 » Mon Jun 01, 2020 9:24 pm

Still following this thread :D
Rob


DS1 #2444
Cape Cod
Eastham, MA
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Re: How to Rig and Fly a Spinnaker

Postby GreenLake » Tue Jun 02, 2020 12:59 am

Thanks for following, Rob. Tom, there is an eye-strap 60" above the mast ring. All my measurements assume that location for the UH. The DH position I have is too far back; I may get around to adding yet another fairlead a bit further forward. Will see, but probably not at the forward edge of the cuddy, because I want to be able to rig everything while standing in the cockpit (and the current position, while too close to the mast, is not that terrible - mostly works - so I figure I'm not that far off).
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: How to Rig and Fly a Spinnaker

Postby GreenLake » Tue Dec 01, 2020 12:18 am

Just in case we never mentioned that in any of the posts so far:

The standard location of the mast ring is 58" above the bottom of a keel-stepped DS1 mast. (Note chapter 3 of the DSA class bylaws defines the legal positions, two of them IIRC). Look at the main DSA site for that info.

DSA Bylaws Part 3 wrote:A maximum of two fittings may be attached to the mast for securing a spinnaker pole and/or whisker pole. The fittings shall be fixed in position no more than 48 inches and no less than 24 inches above Mast Datum. No portion of such fitting shall protrude more than 2 inches from the front of the mast.


The topping lift for the spinnaker (uphaul) is fitted to an eye that is at spreader level on my mast. I assume that would be standard. It does not seem to be regulated.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Update: bamboo spinnaker pole

Postby GreenLake » Sat Sep 17, 2022 6:45 pm

A number of years I built a spinnaker pole made cheaply from bamboo, as described earlier in this thread. Here's a bit of an update. The pole is still going strong (with picture). It's been generally trouble free and I can't imagine ever wanting to switch this for a heavier and more expensive aluminum one.

That said, I did bang the pole against the forestay while sailing at the upper end of the wind range where I still fly the spinnaker and while on a broad reach - always the most challenging point of sail for a symmetric spinnaker.

This jarred loose one of the end fittings to where it could be wiggled a bit. So I re-seated it with a bit of Marine Tex and at the same time gave the end of the pole another wrap of fiberglass to strengthen it against that kind of wrenching, sideways load on the fitting.

Treating your pole like that isn't recommended, but it's good to see that it held up so well that I could still finish the sail that day.

PS: for reference, here is the post with the description of how I put it together.
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