Singlehanded spinnaker use

Has anybody got any tips for using a spinnaker single-handed?

I've got one so I think that I ought to try it out preferably on a not too windy day, but with enough breeze to be fun.

Great fun sailing single handed, I have done in it in over 30 knots of breeze, incuding kite up

Here is an article I wrote some time ago on the subject
www.sailracer.biz/ca/tips.asp?id=1

Incidently for those star spotting, the young lady sailing alongside me in the photo is Lucy McGregor, now top GBR Match Racer

IMCA Secretary

I think Simons article covers it very well. As he states plan your controls so they are easy to use, and run free. Then get out on the water, give yourself plenty of space and practice. head up to hoist and drop if nessecary and enjoy yourself.

Bob.T

I'd like to fit a fly-away pole system - I've got most of the bits, but can't seem to find the page that used to have a diagram of how it all fitted together. Can anyone point me at a page which has the diagram on it or instructions on how to fit?

Thanks

Andy

Andy.
The article appears to have disapeared in the change to the new web site. I've just found a hard copy from the winter 2001 copy of reflections. I could email this to you if thats acceptable.

Thanks Bob, that would be great.

andrew_jackson2uk@yahoo.co.uk

I eventually got round to trying flying the kite singlehanded after my crew (son) decided that it was too wet, cold and windy. I soon decided that I needed to be an octopus.

Admittedly I still have the boat set up as she was 30 years ago. Next time I will have a loop in the halyard to catch round the cleat.

Is there a better way of arranging the sheet and guy than through clips on the gunwales?

Also, I had trouble controlling the spinnaker boom. We have never fitted the uphaul - is this compatible with an old aluminium mast?

Hi,

I'm still struggling to get the kite flying solo. Somethimes it works but more often it costs more time than it makes up.

I have to let go of the tiller while I launch or recover which means rather erratic steering.

The same when I need to gybe.

Is there an easier way of doing this? Or can you suggest how to stop the boat heading up?

thanks

dan

Dan

This should be pretty straightforward! In our family Mirror, no.69304, there is a wooden brace running crossways on the floor in front of the rear tank. The brace should have a conveniently positioned slot for water to drain through next to the floor. Simply tie off a piece of elastic at this slot. Have a loop on the other end of the elastic and make the elastic long enough so the loose end can be put over the outer end of the tiller. NB. not the tiller extension, the tiller, and the elastic should be in tension when put over the tiller end!

When you want to go forward to sort out whatever is required loop the elastic over the end of the tiller. There should be enough tension in the elastic to hold the tiller amidships whilst you go forward. This method should allow you a crucial extra few seconds to sort out spinni sheets or pole etc. when compared to just dropping the tiller and leaving it to its own devices whilst you go forward. In my experience of estuary sailing and light to medium winds the elastic should help steer the boat in a straight line but eventually the boat should gradually luff up into wind. I guess the elastic has to be no more than 5mm diameter and possibly as little as 3mm.

I suppose another option might be to fit an extendable tiller extension of the type sold by the likes of Holt. Somewhat more expensive than a piece of elastic and also does not necssarily free up both hands for a long enough period as the tiller would still have to be dropped if you needed both hands.

Anyway just my two pennarth. Hope this helps.

Dan.
Practise makes perfect and whilst the elastic strop mentioned by Ian has it's uses, it can become a hinderence whilst racing. The only answer is perseverance and practise, practise and more practise. At first you will wonder why you bother at all, then it will start to occassionaly pay off and then you'll start to enjoy the thrill of handling all 3 sails together and then it'll bite back. Just persevere and you soon realise that sometimes a spinny makes all the differance and is great fun in the right conditions and then sometimes it is not worth the hastle or three places on that leg.

Bob.T (single handers rep)

Um interesting. Not sure why you think the piece of elastic might be a hindrance whilst racing Bob? If anything its a bonus whilst racing singlehanded as it allows you to go forward without fear of the boat going all over the place and whack the sheet in the end of the pole before pulling out the pole and hoisting the kite. I am using the spinnaker pole self launch system as set up on Hannah Stodel's boat all those years ago. I guess Dan is too or if he isn't he should be! Agree that practice makes permanent.

Ian, thanks for the elsatic suggestion. It reminds me that one guy I used to know 20+ years ago had a pice of shock cord between the gunwalls to do a similar job.

I may have to adapt the elastic suggestion as I don't think that there is a drain in the floor stiffener - and the floor has been doubled as a quick repair/reinforcement. I'll measure her when I'm next down at the club, and I may put in a couple of eyes either end of the stiffener and have two elastic guys.

As I said in a previous post, the boat is still set up pretty much as she was built 37 years ago. I have the original style separate pole that needs to be fitted by hand to guy and mast. The sheets are lead back to clips on the gunwalls behind the thwart.

I have (in my garage) a couple of side entry cam cleats that I am planning to fix in the gunwall to hold the guy (when I have decided where to put them).

I think that possibly the most frustrating thing about Sundays sailing is that the downwind leg was a dead run and we gybed several times. I was sailing on a river so I couldn't sail more on a broad reach to avoid this. I coped fine when I had a crew (my wife) but when she jumped ship to look after the kids it all went to pot.

Bob, I agree, practise is the answer, but I was hoping to find (and think I have found) some hints whether there are some adjustments that I could make to the set up to make things easier.

thanks

dan

Dan

This is the link for info about the spinnaker pole self launch system (I hope it works):

www.ukmirrorsailing.com/Technica ... Spinny.htm

In my opinion it is the only way to go for easy singlehanded hoisting, retrieving and gybing. You need the side entry clamcleat, port and starboard, for the spinn. sheets. All these items are available online from Trident UK and they used to, and probably still do, a complete kit of parts for the self launch pole system so it is relatively straightforward to retro fit. I think the link above shows a picture with the pole line cleat on the side of the centreboard case but I prefer this cleat on the underside on the thwart.

I hope this helps and good luck.

Ian.

Dan
And the clamcleats s/be positioned about 4" forward of the shroud plate.

Ian

bobt. I am interested in single handed spinnaker use, but cannot find the article referred to. Grateful if you could supply a copy.

birch(dot)w(at)btinternet(dot)com

Regards William.