Hello.
My newly bought freedom30 has gun mount installed (And furling jib if that matters). It is missing a spinnaker right now.
I have never used a gun mount spinnaker but have read it is quite easy and doable singlehanded so want to buy a spinnaker.
Would anyone teach me how to rig spinnaker and use it?
and is there a suggested dimension for the spinnaker? (I can use ordinary spinnaker can’t it?)
Thanks.
Freedom gun mount spinnaker needs to be a specially (symmetrically) cut sail to work with the gun mount spinnaker pole - which locks in to the bow pulpit tube with 1/2 on either side of the bow. A spinnakers made for the boat will also have a storage sock that lies (clips) horizontally along one of the toe rails. The spinnaker launches out of the front of the bag and up through the opening in the center of the bow pulpit… easy and amazing. To retrieve, there is a reinforced loop in the center of the aft side of the chute with a light retrieval line that runs down through the pulpit, and exits the aft end of the sock.
to retrieve, you simply release the halyard and pull on the retrieval line. The chute is drawn down through the bow pulpit and into the sock. When jibing, the chute remains fully inflated and the boat essentially changes orientation (port jibe to starboard jibe or the opposite). The ends of the pole have lines (called leashes) attached that run back (typically) to cam cleats installed on the cockpit combings. To jibe - simply put the wheel over, release one leash and pull in on the other. The sail can truly be single handed. Only two down-sides in my opinion: Small size of chute due to the relatively short fore-triangle hoist, and it takes a fair bit of time to rig the spinnaker for use. When we had our F 30, we would rig the spinnaker at the beginning of a 2 week trip and just leave it (in the sock) for the entire trip. We found it to be too much work for the two of us for a day sail - so typically only used it on trips.
On unrelated note, I’m thinking about adding roller furling to our F38 and wondered what kind of furler you have. How big the sail is and of what material - and also how the luff extrusions are holding up to the whiploading of the unstayed mast?
Thanks,
Bob
A gunmount spinnaker is absolutely great and we’ll get your going on this, but do you just need the sail itself? Do you know what pieces you have (the gunmount and the pole, some lines and blocks, the bag…?) Search the “Manuals and Documentation” section of this site for the “Freedom 32 Owners Manual”, there’s a diagram of the gunmount rigging in there. I’m not sure the 30’s line lengths are the same but the basic rigging should be.
My experience with the sail itself is that a gunmount spinnaker pretty much an ordinary symmetrical spinnaker with a single alteration: It needs to have a reinforcing patch sewn onto the center of the sail for the retrieve line to attach. Measure equidistant from each corner and put it 2 or 3 feet above that point. It looks like a “bullseye”: It’s 4 concentric circular layers of standard 1.5 oz. nylon, each layer decreasing in size. Put a small grommet dead center and you’re all set. It’s an easy alteration for any sailmaker, I’ve even done it myself.
I don’t know if the 30 has the same dimensions, I would think it doesn’t, but on my Hoyt 32 if the chute’s foot measurement is a little longer than the pole (or around 22-ish feet, from memory) and the luff measurement is a little longer than the hoist (35-ish feet), plus or minus several feet, it’ll fly on the gunmount. Somewhere I have a drawing I made of the original sail’s dimensions, I’ll try to find it if you want.
I’ve had 5 dfferent spinnakers over the years. The original spinnaker that came with the boat was a fairly standard 3/4 oz. tri-radial with the exception that it had a very gentle “S” curve to the luff edges (i.e. - It was pretty straight-sided, it didn’t have big “sholders” at the top of the sail.) The worst I tried was a gigantic, light air, .5 oz racing spinnker. It flew in even the barest breeze and it exploded in ribbons if you looked at it funny. I repaired it twice then junked it on the third blowout. I tried a heavy-cloth, too-small reaching spinnaker. Meh. Nothing wrong with it but it really likes more wind than I care to fly a spinnaker in. It’s carefully packed and stowed aboard, one day it will be a “get home” sail. The other 2, including my current one, have been standard 3/4 oz. tri-radials. They’re a little wider on top and they don’t point quite as high as the orginal chute but everything else is about the same. I have the boat’s orginal chute stored at home. The cloth is too sun-rotted to ever use it, but if I ever have a new chute made from scratch I’ll have them copy the shape and dimensions of that one.
Really though, in my experience, if it’s even vaguely the right size you can use about any symmetrical.
Thanks for the information.
I just had my jib furling system fixed so didn’t have a chance to sail with it yet. I will let you know how it is like when i have enough sailing with it.
The boat currently has gun mount kept original and a gun pole laying on my deck which is actually very annoying. Wanted to get rid of it once but now want to try this rather unique spinnaker. Now I need a bag, spinnaker, blocks and sheets. Getting bag and spinnaker seems more difficult than I expected. Anyone know where I can get a spinnaker and a bag? Used or new.
I found a freedom 21 (which looked neglected for years) in the marina. I will ask around and see how the spinnaker works.
Thanks.
Get a stanchion mount pole chock; you only need one. When stowed, the forward end of the pole can remain in the gun mount. The aft end can just rest on top of the lifelines, but the pole chock is a more secure and tidier way to hold it. Any sailmaker familiar with Freedoms can make you a chute and bag. I got my bag made from sunbrella fabric so I can leave it rigged on deck for extensive periods without worrying about UV damage to the sail. If you do this, be sure to have cringles sewed into the bottom to act as drains for any moisture that gets in. Also get some kind of have zip closures at both ends. When not in use, I hang the bag from the lifelines using sailties to keep it drier. When sailing, I drop it to the deck for better visibility.
Believe the oem sail maker for Freedom was Haarstick Sails. If memory serves, my F30 spinnaker was a Haarstick. They will probably have info, specs, etc. Mark Edwards - now at TPI Composites may have information as well. Also Paul Dennis at Warren River Boatworks at 401-245-6949. Paul was former production manager for Freedom Yachts.
Regarding furling jib I had 3 questions:
- What brand and style furler?
- What sail material e.g. traditional - dacron or light weight -nylon?
- What is the size ( l.p.) of the sail - 100%, 120%, 135%, etc?
Thank you,
Bob
Regarding furling jib I had 3 questions:
- What brand and style furler?
- What sail material e.g. traditional - dacron or light weight -nylon?
- What is the size ( l.p.) of the sail - 100%, 120%, 135%, etc?
Hello Bob.
Had to get to the boat and check it out. I do not have all the info about my boat yet 
Regarding the furling jib, I made a photo gallery. Hope you can figure out the configuration with the pictures.
http://gallery.me.com/yjchun/100018
It lost its brand mark and I couldn’t find its brand name.
Sail looks to be ordinary dacron. Its size is a little less than 120%. Exact measurements I do not have.
I’m still trying to figure things out and work with it. Lots of work to do.
I will probably contact Haarstick sails when I have to order the spinnaker. Thanks for the info.
Chun.
EDIT: 200%->120% sorry for the confusion.
Enjoy the boat. We loved ours - took it all over the southern Great Lakes. Planning to retire (in a few years) on our F38.
I just got a F-30 and will send you pics (next week, I’m away from the boat now) and/or video on that fascinating gun mount spinnaker, about how the rigging looks and how to go about running the boom out, raising the sail, and then dousing it. It was a mystery when I got the boat, and there are still things I’m playing with, but it makes sense so far and is an interesting, and very useful, sail.
I am also very, very interested in your roller furler. I see from your pics that someone has installed jib sheet winches aft to manage it, along with other mods. I’ll be grateful for info as you use it and gain experience. I’m thinking hard about doing a roller furler jib myself.
Finally, I’m also interested in investigating a solid boom vang to hold the main’s boom up and allow me to relax the lazy jack lines (which are, all alone, holding the boom up, if you can believe it!) as I raise the main. Right now, the main battens get hung up in those lazy jacks regularly and cause all kinds of hassle at inopportune times. Best of luck and I’m lovin’ my Freedom 30 so far,
Joseph