Size for Spinnaker Sock/Sleeve

[kwaltersmi]

Anyone know the length (approximate) of a symmetrical spinnaker for the C34? I'd like to get a sock/sleeve for ours before spring and can't get to the sail anytime soon to get a measurement. 

Also, any thoughts on the ATN Tacker for handling a symmetrical spinnaker? I've got a pole, but don't have a topping lift/down for the pole, so I figure using a Tacker might be easier than installing blocks/pad eyes for the pole lines. We only intend to use the spinnaker occasionally while cruising in light air (no racing, etc.) so I'm not too concerned about limited trim because of the Tacker.

[Dave Spencer]

IIRC I think 43 ft is about right - but that's for my boat which is a standard rig. 

I had a symmetrical spinnaker given / loaned to me and tried flying it off a tacker as you are suggesting with only fair to poor results. 
I didn't bite the bullet and order a symmetrical spinnaker at the Toronto Boat Show this year... maybe next year.

Does anyone else have any experience flying a symmetrical spinnaker like an asymmetrical cruising chute?

[kwaltersmi]

IIRC I think 43 ft is about right - but that's for my boat which is a standard rig. 

Thanks Dave. I should have mentioned that I have the tall rig.

[Gary Brockman]

My boat, which is also a tall rig, came with several symmetrical chutes and a cruising asymmetrical spinnaker with a sleeve. I believe that the sleeve was around 44 to 45 feet long as it did not go all the way down the leech of the sail which was 46 feet long. I tried using this sail with an ATN Tacker and also with a tack line to the bow and found that the tack line worker far better than the Tacker.

I gave up using the sock after an incident where my son in law and I were using it to fly the chute on a day sail and when we tried to pull the sock down, we found that the sock had wrapped around the headstay so tightly that we could not get it down. As we were rapidly approaching a lee shore, we tried to gather the chute behind the main, turn on the engine and go into the marine about 1.5 miles away. It didn't take long for my son in law to loose control of the chute and we entered the marina with a 46 foot long banner flying from the mast head. Once in a slip, my son in law hauled me to the top of the mast where I unhooked the chute and it quickly unwrapped and fell to the deck. Some of my friends still like to joke about this incident from time to time. From talking to my sailmaker and friends, my no name sock may have been the problem as everyone speaks highly of the ATN sock.

Using a symmetrical chute with a Tacker will limit the angles you can use the chute to tight reaching angles of 90 to 110 degrees true and maybe out to 120 degrees at the most as the main will shadow and collapse the chute in running angles as the shoulders of the chute are not cut to float out around the front of the boat like an asymmetrical.

I would take the time and the expense to rig using your pole as you will be able to get a lot more use from your chute. We use the pole for both symmetrical and asymmetrical chute for running.

Gary

[kwaltersmi]

Gary - Thanks for the info.  Can you tell me more about how you rig the tack line? I'm assuming this is a smallish (~3'?) line with snap shackles on either end that attaches to the stemhead (anchor roller, or other?) and the spin tack. Do you also need to tether it to the furled headsail for stability?

[Gary Brockman]

My tack line is set up with a two to one purchase so it is easier to adjust while sailing. When I used a direct line the load would sometimes get too heavy for someone to adjust. The end of my tack line has a loop that I attach onto the stainless pin over the starboard anchor roller. I then have a block on the line with a snap shackle attached to it that snaps onto the spinnaker, then the tack line goes thru another block that is attached to the stainless pin over the port anchor roller, then leading back to the cockpit to a cam cleat. We are able to adjust the tack line under a heavy load with this set up.

For just daysailing you could get by with a shorter static line thru a block to the anchor cleat. When we douse our spinnakers, we usually release the shackle on the tack and pull in on the sheet. We did it the same way when we used the Tacker.

Gary