Single Handed Spinnaker
Attaching the Spinnaker Box
to the Bow using the Painter
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Copyright Phil Rossoni 7/2/07
The set up of the spinnaker can be done while under sail, steering by keeping weight to windward. The painter can be used to tie down the spinnaker box and also to wrap around the doused spinnaker to keep the wind from catching it while sailing on close reaches. To deploy the spinnaker, sheet out the boom as far as possible with weight to windward. Once a run is established, continue the turn until the boat is sailing by the lee (almost at a North River jibe). The boat tends to turn away from the mainsail (upwind) and deploying the spinnaker requires a central weight as it must be deployed in the lee of the main sail. Sailing by the lee gives more leeway to deploy the spinnaker and still be on a downwind tack when weight can be shifted back opposite the boom side to arrest the upwind turn.
If the wind is heavy the centerboard should be raised at least half way up.
Dousing begins by applying weight to the boom side to round up and place the spinnaker in the lee of the main sail. Release the spinnaker sheet to depower and gather the spinnaker from the guy end.Risk of capsize in heavy wind while dousing the spinnaker was reduced by lowering the haliard so most of the weight of the luffing spin is held by the guy attached to the spin pole (the pole is closer to the center of gravity of the boat than the top of the spinaker haliard).
Copyright Phil Rossoni 7/13/2006