My spinnaker Halyard system is rubbish! anyone have any pictures of some more modern systems or diagrams. My hoists seem to be very very slow. any advice greatfully recieved |
All Merlins I know of, with a spin chute, have a continuous halyard from the head of the spin, down the mast and turn across the top of the c/board case through a cleat, continues back under the thwart, around the back of the c-board case towards the bow, up through the spin chute to a retrieval patch on the spin. This system only is a 1-1. http://www.merlinrocket.co.uk/library/how_to/spinnaker1.htm |
Not sure what 'bing' arm movements are though. |
Cheers alan, from the sounds of it my system is the same as the rest, i need to make sure the line is clear as some times it gets fould. but i think the main point is to get a crew that can or learn myself the quickest and most effective hoisting method |
Make sure the halyards aren't twisted around one another inside the mast - very slow, lots of friction when under tension. |
Ditto above, also a can of 'Mac lube' or Holts teflon? spray on the chute area & centre of the kite make life easier especlally if you have an old or non silicon finished kite. |
If you are hoisting yourself, stand up in the centre of the boat, tiller between legs, grab the halyard near the thwart and pull hand over hand, i.e. us both hands for hoisting, knees for steering, again 'big' arm movements. |
As most things size does matter in this case, "length" (Of the line!) is critical too long and its a real buggers muddle too short and it messes up the kite. As everyone else has said you need to pull like buggery both up and down. |
Useful thread. Two more spinnaker questions from a numpty (Scots for thicko) |
I suspect Alan's arm span is more realisticaly 1.6 m not 2. |
Russ, This is an excellent example of something you could get sorted at Rutland. |
I'm not sure about hoisting yourself - petard seems a little strong for one's own spinnaker attempts, but... |
Would love to go to Rutland but i have no crew for the new season yet. What dates are the traing days on? |
Yes, the ring works....as long as the knot on the sail nipple doesnt get stuck in it! http://www.merlinrocket.co.uk/library/how_to/spinnaker1.htm |
Hornets seem to all have the ring and bungee system. A ring either too small for the knot or big enough so the knot doesn't get stuck seems to be the best way forward. One of those white plastic Holt rings do the job... |
My arm span, including my chest, finger tip to finger tip, is 6ft 6 inches, which in new money is 2meters, I use it often when meausring up things! But given sub-optimal stance and the fact I can't handle spin halyards with the outstretch tips of my fingers I'll accept 1.6 meters as a usable estimate. |
And how long is it from bow to halyard sheave (i.e. how much rope do you need to pull to hoise the spinny) ? |
Pythagorous should give an approximation. |
Oh for those who do not know it here is Pythagorus Theorum |
Excellent reply one of the best yet! I'll copy that for my daughter to use teaching 6/7 yr olds. Barry |
Chuck my bit in here. Everything in the system needs to run as freely as possible with the least chance of snags or tangles. The sheave in the mast should be a good quality ball-bearing jobbie, the halyard low-stretch Dyneema or similar, the block at the foot of the mast again ball-bearing with a clean lead in the right direction. I have a couple of stainless-steel lined bullseyes under the thwart (one either side) to lead it through and would recommend them. I replaced the cheek block at the stern with another stainless-lined bullseye and have had absolutely no problem with it since. Blocks here do not have the capacity to lead in 2 different directions when you hoist and drop and seem much more likely to tangle and foul. I have had the shock-cord and ring system for some while. The ring is a standard nylon ring of about an inch outside diameter tied to a bit of shock cord that goes up under the foredeck to a turning block a couple of feet up from the mast and back to a knot at the side deck. Though it doesn't pull the spinny right back under the deck it does very much reduce the chance of it ending up in the jib blocks or under the crew's feet. |
Right everything sounds as i have already. I'm gonna check that all the blocks in te mast run freely. Does anyone have any pictures of the ring system? |