Adding gear to an asymmetrical spinnaker

[RobertSchuldenfrei]

Hi Forum members,

Yesterday we tried the asymmetrical spinnaker for the first time on Esprit du Vent.  It went well.  The sail came to us with the boat we purchased last fall, but this was the first time we took it out of the bag.  It has minimal gear:  One sheet, so no gybing for us yet.  One 8' length of line for the tack downhaul.  We set the sail on a starboard tack and raised it in the lee of the mainsail.  I tied the tack to the bow cleat. Everything worked.

So now I want to improve the rig.  I am going to add a second sheet so we can gybe.  I have seen pictures of a wire collar with nylon balls that fits around the furled Genoa.  I do not know the name of this collar nor where I can purchase same.  Any idea what this is called?  Has anyone used one? 

I am considering a turning block to lead the tack downhaul back to the cockpit, but I think I will hold off that modification until I get a tad more experience. 

Thanks,

Bob

[Dave Spencer]

Bob,
Congratulations on the successful run with your asymmetrical spinnaker.  I think the term you're looking for is "parallel beads".  A quick search of a couple of marine stores didn't come up with any assembled system but I'm sure they're out there.  Here's a link to individual beads that could be made into what you want.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1%7C118%7C103371%7C311571%7C311613&id=89729   The attached link from a C&C user group talks about making a parallel bead tack which seems fairly straight forward.  http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/spinnaker/spinnaker.htm  ATN makes a sleeve that fits over the furled genoa called "the tacker" which is widely available.

I picked up a couple of old asymmetrical spinnakers from one of my dockmates in the fall.  I picked up a spinnaker halyard, masthead block, 135 ft sheet to allow for gybing and a couple of snatch blocks at the Toronto Boat Show in January... I can't wait to try it all out.  I haven't figured out how I'll rig the tack yet.  Like you, I'll try it out and see what works and what doesnt.  I'd like to keep the tack outside the pulpit as far forward as possible.  No doubt another run the the chandlery will be required once I figure out exactly what I want to do.  

Keep us posted on your progress.  Take some pictures if possible!

[Jim Hardesty]

Try this does the same thing, may be better.  Don't think many C34 use them, I set the tack from the anchor roller.

http://www.atninc.com/atn-tacker-sailing-equipment.shtml

ATN also makes a snuffing sock, so do others, but if I rember they have a good video.  Thats what I use.  I use a single sheet.  To gybe, I snuf the spinnaker, gybe, rerun the sheet to the other side, then pull up the sock, trim, and sailing again.  Thats me with a short or no crew.  I don't race much.   I worry about the long lazy sheet.  And I don't need to gybe too often (Lake Erie has lots of room).  Remember when you gybe the spinnaker goes outside the forestay with the sheets.  My concern is running over the sheets.
Search here, been a lot of discussion on setting up asymmetrical spinnakers.
Back to your original question, I think that Sailrite would have the parts you need to make one with the balls.  

Jim

[Stu Jackson]

Dave was close:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrel_beads

Google is your friend for sources.

[RobertSchuldenfrei]

Dave was close:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrel_beads

Google is your friend for sources.

Great news!  Here is the source and cheap too: http://www.neilprydesails.com/store/beads.htm.  Thanks guys!  Bob

[Dave Spencer]

Thanks for correcting my terminology Stu.  No wonder I didn't find much in my search!   
I'm glad you found what you need Bob.  We'll be looking for pictures of your new setup!

[RobertSchuldenfrei]

Thanks for correcting my terminology Stu.  No wonder I didn't find much in my search!   
I'm glad you found what you need Bob.  We'll be looking for pictures of your new setup!

We are starting into a heavy travel period, so you might not see anything here for a bit.  When our other partners in Esprit du Vent get into port this evening I will have "before" shots.  If they agree, I will order the beads this week.  If Neil Pryde Sails has good delivery I should be able to get the rig set up.  However, it may be a bit of time before we get out on the water with the sail.  The C34IA has been a great treasure for us.

Cheers,

Bob

[Ron Hill]

Bob : I done all the things that you are looking to do.

1. I got my "beaded necklace" from Lee sails - white nylon beads held by a stainless 7/19 wire & shackle
2. I attach a small block to the bow filling for the tack down haul control line
3. I run the tack control line back to the cockpit thru 2 small blocks on the base of stanchions and attach it to a small Lewmar #16 ST winch.  That winch also serves to hold the roller furling line for the Genoa.
4. I have 2 - 70ft sheet lines one red and one green
5. I also sewed small pockets to the inside a sail bag to keep all the sail inside shoot scoop and lines (including the shoot scoop control line) in place while stored.

Hope this helps

[Gary Brockman]

My boat came with two spinnakers, a racing symmetrical and a cruising asymmetrical. I bought an ATN Tacker for the asymmetrical and used it 3 or 4 times before I decided that since it used a tack line through a block on the anchor roller, I could just use the tack line without the Tacker. I set up the tack line with a 2 to 1 purchase running back to the cockpit so it is easy to adjust the tack line when the spinnaker is filled. I took the Tacker off the boat and it is sitting in my garage.

[Clay Greene]

We also bought an ATN Tacker instead of the parrel beads and it worked well.  We led a line through a block attached to the bow roller and then cleated it off on the bow cleat.  We didn't adjust the tack line much so we didn't think it necessary to run a line back to the cockpit.  We also had a spinnaker sock (not from ATN - we had it made by the sailmaker who made the asym) and it worked fine. 

We decided we wanted to get the sail more out in front of the bow, so we installed one of the Selden bowsprits.  We can now fly the sail farther forward and sail better downwind than we could when the tack was secured to the forestay through the tacker.  This also makes it easier to gybe - there is a bigger opening between the end of the sprit and the forestay for the sail to pass through.  We also bought a Selden GX furler so now we can furl and unfurl the kite from the cockpit.  We like to avoid going up on the foredeck if we can avoid it and the furler is quicker than operating the sock.  It works well for racing, which we tend to do short-handed, so the equipment makes up for not having a foredeck person.  The furled sail also stores much more compactly as well - the spinnaker, furler, and all the sheets fit nicely in the bow shelf in the v-berth.  Obviously, it's an investment, but it is what my wife wanted for her birthday, and when your wife asks for sailing gear for her birthday, it is hard to say no. 

[Jim Hardesty]

You are a lucky man!  Ever since I've seen furling spinnakers I've wanted one.  Do you have pictures?  Think that it would work without the bowsprint?
Jim

[Clay Greene]

I don't have any photos, which is a mistake I will correct as soon as we get back in the water.  I think the furler probably would work without the bowsprit.  The sail furls around an anti-torsion line that is raised with the spinnaker halyard so it follows the same path as the head and luff of the spinnaker without the furler.  My question is whether the forestay would interfere with the anti-torsion line if the furler was tacked down just in front of the forestay. 

If you're interested, I would call Holly Hannah at the Catalina Yachts store.  She sold us ours last summer when the GX furler came out and she is pretty knowledgeable about both the furlers and the bowsprits.  She has access to the Selden technical support people if there is a question she cannot answer.  Their prices were better than anywhere else I could find online, although there were not many companies selling the Selden products. 

I spoke to our closest Catalina dealer at the Strictly Sail show in Chicago past January and he said they have developed a profitable business in installing the furler/bowsprit combinations on older Catalinas.  It really is an easy DIY project though - much simpler than 90 percent of what is discussed on this website.