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Single-handed Spinnaker Sailing

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johngfoster
1st Mate

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USA
34 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/04/2014 : 20:07:44

I tried flying our spinnaker yesterday for the first time. In fact, it was the first time I've ever sailed with a spinnaker. I got on YouTube and watched a few videos about rigging and sailing with a spinnaker, and had a fair idea of what I was doing as a result. The wind was also light (around 5 knots), so that also helped. However, I was the only person on board who had any significant sailing experience, and I'm still a fairly inexperienced sailor. On board we had my wife (doesn't know how to sail), our 2-1/2 y/o, our 1 y/o, and my MIL (also doesn't know how to sail). My wife has developed somewhat of a sense of how to steer with the tiller. Anyway, managed to get the chute up and stabilized for a short while until the wind shifted forward of the beam and we had to take it down. Apart from having someone to hold the tiller while I was up front, I was essentially single-handling it. what tips do you have for single-handing or short-handed sailing, especially with a chute? Here's a brief video of it:

http://youtu.be/odqPR51f5vE

Edited by - on

joearcht
Navigator

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USA
236 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2014 : 06:45:08

First tip - Don't try it in higher winds without more experienced crew. This is a racing boat, search U-tube for
"Capri 25 spinnaker" for some really exciting video.
Second tip - invite more people sailing! i've often sailed with novice crew and managing the spinnaker can be done if you are patient and careful. Again, I discourage doing this while racing unless you want a good laugh or don't mind being the subject of a good laugh by your competitors and if you find the video I'm thinking of, a good dose of humility also.
Last tip - have fun with it. This is a great and forgiving boat, but you need to always respect it and the wind. I've yet to feel comfortable single handing this boat, but some in this forum are proficient at it, perhaps they will have some "detail" tips. if I don't feel like i have a crew that can handle the spinnaker, i just pole out the 150 and have a beer.

Edited by - on

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

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USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2014 : 12:19:33

Short handed spinnaker flying is always entertaining. Short handed can be with 4-5 people aboard, if you catch my drift. Sounds like you are WELL aware of that.
A) get a tiller pilot, best darned piece of equipment you can buy.
B) Tiller pilots only help, they stink downwind. A good helmsman can stink downwind under a chute (it's different)...

OK, first things first... if you had a deck ape (foredecker/crew/whatever)... you as the driver would [hopefully] be driving at a broad reach, in VERY light air (under 8knots) 5 is great...
Launch is pretty straightforward, my suggestion is you do it from the companionway... you'll see why...
DON'T lower the genoa!

run your sheets above/over your genoa sheets and around the genoa, and outside everything, and back to the aft turning blocks. ON the Capri 25, I'd suggest using stand up blocks on the toe rail as "permanent tweakers" or non-adjusting ones, this helps hold the sheets down, and prevents inadvertant skying of the pole.

When you launch the spinnaker, you'll want to (this sounds odd), prefeed the clew to the pole, do it slowly you have time (don't allow the head/halyard to get away while you prefeed)...

Now, grow a 3rd arm and while Otto the Autopilot is driving (or a good helmsman), you throw the spinnaker halyard out and behind the genoa, while you hoist! If you have a LIVE helmsman, this is whenyou confuse them and tell them to trim the lazy sheet a little to pull the clew out from behind the genoa (to fill the kite some as it raises)...

trim the sheet, and you should be flying
NOW you can lower the genoa.

NOTE NOTE NOTE, save yourself some trouble, raise the genoa before you douse, then steer deep enough downwind, to drop the spin by blanketing MOST of teh spin with the genoa...

ALSO, NEVER EVER let the sheets go, if you have a spinnaker problem you BLOW THE HALYARD, not the sheets. The Capri 25 isn't called a broach machine for nothing.

Some TIPS?
you steer UNDER the kite, you do not steer to trim the kite! This is counter intuitive for a good driver, becuase you CAN steer to trim a genoa, you cannot steer to trim the spinnaker, you are merely attempting to keep the boat under the balloon! Steering DOWN usually gets you under control, not the other way around.

Dousing, ease the halyard, grab the sheet, and pull back toward the companionway... a basket in the companionway is best... ease the lazy sheet some, drop some more halyard, and soon you'll have the whole kite... even single handed, you can do this in seconds, and never get it wet.

OK some single handing tips? non-spinnaker related.
Get a tiller pilot (did I mention that?)
run your lines (halyards/trimmers) together in one spot. I have poleup/pole down, spinnaker halyard together on starboard... in retrospect, I'd prefer the halyard on the mast, because you are usually in a better spot to launch from the mast, not the cockpit.
Cross sheet your genoa sheets... from the genoa clew, to the block, to the lee rail winch (1 wrap) to the windward rail winch (1 wrap)... Once you have 90% trimmed and the winds start to HOWL, you'll need more wraps on the windward, keep your winch handle in the winch if you have to.... while driving you can drop the traveler to say on your feet... the Capri likes to sail with a bubble in the main if the winds come up... sit your keester on the rail, use the hiking stick, if you need to ease the genoa (traveler/mainsheet out, basically no main, and still overpowered) then you have your genoa at your fingers the cleats are away from you, so you'll have to pull the sheet straight UP toward you...

I've single handed regularly in 20 knots. I've even been caught with the 155 up in 20 knots single handed (ugly, but thankfully short period at that rate)... But 20 knots and full up main and 135 is fun!!! NO spinnaker at those winds.

My cutoff single handed is about 10 knots for the spin... Its just too big a spin alone in much more than that. The tiller pilot can't keep up with it, maybe there is a way to get it to, but I haven't tried.

I only have a light air spin, so I don't toss it above say 15 knots wind... it'll just shred. If I had a heavy spin, I'd have no problem.

WE always sail short handed, best I've had was 3 aboard... it was very manageable then. WE typically race 2 up.

These are just MY own threshholds for pain, so don't chastise me. I've found the Capri 25 to be MORE than capable of sailing in whatever winds you throw at it, my max winds were 35 knots... and with the right reef, and headsail she sails real nice even light on crew. I got video of it at 25 knots with me and another guy sailing in one of our races, earlier in the race we measured a single gust at 42mph. We were sailing on reefed main alone at about 7 knots.

I'd love to hear others chime in on single handed setups.

OH, and cross sheeting? Single handed? you shouldn't need a winch for much until say 15+ knots. You as the driver can grab the obvious sheet between leeward and windward winch, and pull aft!!! with your free hand, grab the windward line on the cleat, and take up the slack! It works great to trim/ease. I've single handed with "passengers" and they hate it when I run my sheets this way, as it takes away space (12 inches or so) to sit... but it makes it so they can relax and go for a sailboat ride, while I sweat the sheets and sail the bottom off the boat.

Edited by - shnool on 08/05/2014 12:34:14

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.