Spinnaker experience

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mike cunningham
Posts: 489
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:21 am
Location: Jacqueline, F30 #3, Discovery Bay, California

Spinnaker experience

Post by mike cunningham »

Well, I got my gunmount spinnaker all rigged up and ready fo the race to Hawaii. I practiced with it a couple of times and figured I would only set it only in relatively light air. Plenty of time to re-enforce my practice while on a 2200 mile race to Kauai. Once well offshore and as the wind moved East I was able to execute my first set. The kite went up just like a pro was sailing the boat. However, within thirty minutes the boat rolled a bit, the sail luffed a little and when it filled and snapped back it pretty much exploded. Drat!! i got the sail nown and dragged it out of the water. I found much of the white sailcloth had pretty much rotted. It looked OK but I could tear it with just a little pressure. So much for that. I shoukd have replaced the sail before the race. But By God she moved well during that short time I had the sail working.

As it turns out the whole gunmount thing was far from a waste of time. When you use the gunmount you quickly realize there is no rush pulling the pole in. It sits out there like a yardarm quite comfortably on any point of sail. It seems to have minimal impact on boat performance just remaining fully deployed, even when beating to weather.

So I was in no rush to stow the pole. As I pondered things going forward I realized, gee wiz, that deployed pole would make a great wisker pole for the camber spar albiet the pole would be behind the sail instead of in front of it. I attached the spinnaker clew to the jib sheet fitting on the end of the camberspar and voila! I had a beautiful way to manage the jib downwind. Not only that, all lnes led to the cockpit so no fussing with a wisker pole on the foredeck. Initially I used stbd clew to pole the jib out a port clew for a preventer on the main. I eventally became concerned about the potential forces applied to the pole by the main preventer and dropped that configuration. I then attached the port AND starboard clews to the camberspar which allowed me to tack the jib if and when necessary. This was fantastic and way way better than my previous attempts at jib management during the 2016 race. I am convinced it had a lot to do with my much better performance this time around.

I am now in the market for a new spinnaker so I can get back to trying the gunmount system for its intended purpose.
Mike Cunningham
Freedom 30 (Mull) Hull #3
Build date...June, 1986 . Freedom Yachts USA, sloop, shoal keel
Gun Mount and pole retrofitted (purchased from a Hoyt Freedom 32)
Yanmar 2gm20F , 1600 hrs fixed two blade prop
e-rud and ocean racing equipment

lee
Posts: 52
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2017 11:28 am

Re: Spinnaker experience

Post by lee »

Hey Mike,
Just acquired a gunmount pole and spinnaker for my 30. Do you have a diagram by any chance of how it is rigged? i was not able to find anything on the site (nice video but the quality is poor and it is hard to make out details)
Is it always rigged with the pole centered on the gunmount or do you pull it back for reaching?
Lee

Grimsby_Alan
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:42 pm

Re: Spinnaker experience

Post by Grimsby_Alan »

Hey Lee,
If you search on here you will find a manual. Look through that and there is a diagram of the set up of the lines.
Good Luck
1984 F32 Hoyt hull #41
Port Dalhousie, Ontario

lee
Posts: 52
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2017 11:28 am

Re: Spinnaker experience

Post by lee »

Thanks Mike. found it in the 32 manual.

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JohnReinagel
Posts: 94
Joined: Mon May 08, 2017 1:44 pm
Location: Suburb of Buffalo, N.Y.

Re: Spinnaker experience

Post by JohnReinagel »

Mike,

I blew mine spinnaker out in the same manner you did. I received quotes from about 6 sail manufacturers and the one I am probably going to purchase from is Precision Sails. They have been very responsive, way moreso than every other vendor, some of whom replied they would reach out to discuss but have failed to follow through. The quotes I did receive was a nice apples to apples comparison, same cloth weight, same cuts and options included, only Precision gave me a much larger discount which made the price a minimum of $300 less that everyone else. I have a couple of friends who have purchased sail's from them and both spoke very highly of the company as well as their sails. I will not take delivery of the new spin until March, boat will splash around end of May at which time I'll be testing it. If I think about it I will followup with this message about the overall experience as well as my thoughts about the spinnaker.
John


1984 Hoyt F32
Hull #53

F32Circle
Posts: 90
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:14 am

Re: Spinnaker experience

Post by F32Circle »

So far I have not been successful in finding a source or maker for a spinnaker retrieval sleeve for my Hoyt F32. If you know of anyone with the experience or specs to make one, or you have one you could part with, or loan for use as a pattern, I’d be most appreciative. I’m in CT.
Dale
F32 Hull #67, Saybook CT.
Yanmar 3GMF, Loose-footed Main, MaxProp, Ronca, Muir windlass,
Heart Interface inverter/charger, SeaFrost

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hotstonp
Posts: 78
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:54 pm
Location: Southampton

Re: Spinnaker experience

Post by hotstonp »

Hi Dale

I drew up the size of the steel work on the bow and then told the cover maker how much drop I wanted and what length of tube to include the spinnaker and he made one up from my back of a cigarette packet drawing,

It works fine.

Keep well
Peter
Feronia - 1986 Freedom 33 Cat Sloop (UK Hoyt), Hull # 001, Aluminium Needlespar rig, shoal keel.

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