Posted by rick_simonds (rick_simonds@…>)
… We rigged the spinaker boom through the gunmount so that it
projected forward 7 feet from the gunmount swivel and tensioned it
at >3 points using the cleats at the base of the mast and the life
rails. > …
Now, …putting a ridiculously huge light air Genoa way out there
to
try to get to windward better… THERE’S a cockamamie idea I’ve
kicked around maybe 1000 times…
Your setup of lines to aim and steady the gunmount pole is exactly
what I’ve always mentally eyeballed, though never set up. I’ve always
thought that it seems like that pole could be set WAY out there and
hold the tack of some big jenny. Instead of downwind, though, I’m
really trying to think of ways to improve getting to windward in
light air.
I actually do have a light air jenny that I’ve used in place of the
Camberspar jib, tacked down on deck and hooked to the forestay, not
hooked to the pole. I’ve found that it really doesn’t point
appreciably better (a little bit, maybe) but it does have the
advantage of power or “punch”; it keeps the power on when there’s
light air and a sloppy sea. Other than that it really never seemed to
be worth the trouble of setting up and cranking it around on tacks.
Given that experience, despite my daydreams of projecting the pole
way out, I really don’t think my version of the “cockamamie gunmount
pole” idea will actually work well in the real world, at least not to
windward.
I certainly only know my own Hoyt 32, not the other models, but
assuming 8-ish knots of apparent wind maximum and proportional flat
seas, my spinnaker will go up to 60* apparent any day of the week. In
unusually steady wind it will go higher than that, maybe 50* or so.
(Lift the end of the pole inside the lifelines, pull the leeward clew
right down to the pole and ease the windward clew out until it’s
ahead of the forestay.) My new spinnaker isn’t as reliable at
pointing as the original flatter, skinnier one. This one has
broader “shoulders” (a bigger “S” curve on the luffs) and it
collapses more readily. At least in theory it should be a bit faster
just from having a bit more sail area but I really liked my old one.
Alas, I wore that one out to a frazzle and blew the budget on this
one. If I ever find a good deal on the right size “star cut” reaching
spinnaker, I’ll get it and keep this one as a spare.
And a “frustrating outing?” (sigh) Gee, I’ve never had one of those…
On the other hand, Sunday I took some friends out who had guests
visiting from Philly. It was one of those days when I found out why I
put up with owning a sailboat. Perfect weather, perfect wind, clever
fun people, great food, steaks grilled on the beach afterward, on and
on… The highlight was seeing the out-of-her-mind delight of the
woman who had never seen porpoises in the wild before. A full speed
reach with dolphins playing tag with the boat, not 4 feet away from
her, a 60+ year old woman hooting and giggling in wide-eyed wonder…
These boats are worth ALL the trouble sometimes.
