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Spinnaker Rigging Question

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1981capri
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Initially Posted - 10/24/2007 : 15:15:07

My question is: What is the best (or correct) position on the outside car rail for the blocks for trimming the spinnaker sheet and afterguy on a Capri 25?

I have one pair of nice ratcheting car blocks, but I am not sure where they should be positioned. Also do I need other blocks for turning blocks.

If anyone has pictures or even a drawing of how to rig the spinnaker sheet and guy lines it would be greatly appreciated.

Edited by - on

Ericson33
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Response Posted - 10/24/2007 : 17:28:21

As far back as you can get

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1981capri
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Response Posted - 10/24/2007 : 23:30:07

Yes that's what I was thinking. I am still scratching my head though. I hate to admit that I am a complete spinnaker novice, but perhaps that would be a good place to start.

The outside car rails go all the way to the back of the boat. I was thinking the blocks should be about at the cockpit winches and using the v cleat there for the guy. When I look at Harken's rigging tips at http://www.harken.com/rigtips/spinnaker.php they are showing the sheet going all the way to the back of the boat and using tweekers on the guy.

I'm just not sure if the lines need to run to the winches or if the ratcheting blocks will be enough to hold them while trimming...or if I need turning blocks on the stern rail and run them back to the winches.

Edited by - 1981capri on 10/31/2007 11:50:31

Ericson33
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Response Posted - 10/25/2007 : 00:27:17

you will use the ratchet block untill 12 knots, then you put the sheet around the winch to trim, i always have the guy rapped around the winch and to the cleat. When it starts to blow i use the tweekers on the guy and sheet to get the sail flatter. The capri is a total blast to sail with the spinnaker

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1981capri
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Response Posted - 10/25/2007 : 15:17:13

Well, at this point I can't really imagine trying to handle the spinnaker in winds above 12 knots with a novice crew, but maybe someday. We have a lot of days when we get a 6 to 12 knot wnw wind in the late afternoon. Since the Columbia river is running pretty much east to west in Portland the fun sport is to start down river at the Interstate 5 bridge on the north side and then set the spinnaker and come sailing upriver thru the Portland harbor. We took the ASA basic Keelboat course from Leading Edge Sailing http://www.leadingedgesailing.com/ (no commercial connection just want to get in a plug for Shay because he's a great guy to go sailing with) on a Laser 28 . What a fun boat! The last day he rigged up the spinnaker and we went up river pretty fast. I was driving at the time so I didn't pay much attention to how he was rigging it though. There is kind of an unwritten rule on the river that most people stay well clear of boats flying kites. Without a spinnaker you are just stuck broad reaching up river and that can be pretty boring, watching that #@^^ J24 with the kite sail out of sight up river.

Are you putting the tweaker for the guy fore of the winches? Do you put your guy block at the winch?

Edited by - 1981capri on 10/31/2007 12:03:03

Ericson33
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Response Posted - 10/25/2007 : 20:01:01

Here is a breakdown of how I rig the spinnaker.

1. Run the sheets - I set the ratchet blocks on te t track all the way aft - about 1'-6" off of the end of the track end. I run the lines thru the blocks outside of all stantions, thru the tweekers, in front of the bow pulpit and back to the companionway hatch on the port side. I then will take the starboard sheet and setup the pole.

Spinnaker pole - I attach the pole at the base of the mast with another ring car, I then put the pole tip thru the pulpit on the starbord side, I take the starboard sheet run it over the pulpit and attach the sheet to the pole. I attach the downhaul and the uphaul to the pole as needed, and run the uphaul back to the base ring. This keeps everything neat and out of the way.

Halyard - I run the halyard outside of the port stay and back to the companionway hatch.

Tweekers - I installed a small block at the stantion base in front of the winches - you want them mid boat. I then have a cam cleat behind the block, and I have a small 3/16 15'-0" line with a Snap shackle at the end. I then attach the snap shackle to the sheets on both sides.

Spinnaker - I have our spinnaker in a companionway hatch bag, I attach both the shhet and guy, and the halyard to the correct tack.

The set - Starboard rounding, downhaul off uphaul off - set pole on upper ring, Trimmer adjust the pole 90 deg. to mast Call for the set I raise halyard hard as trimer pull the guy hard and brings the chute around the forstay and squares off of the wind, at this time I have set the halyard, and I sheet the spinnaker to the air. I let the chute breath, and I watch the edge to curl, then I sheet and release. this keeps the spinnaker full.

Heavy air - I lower the pole, tweek both the sheet and guy to bring the foot down and flatten the chute.

Really heavy - main and set the 155

Most of the time we race on a I2 - So we will gibe the chute, The takedown is release the halyard smooth along with the guy, and pull in by the sheet, Man forward removing the pole to the base of the mast. The gibe is really simple with some practice, just remember to keep the Genoa sheets above the pole, or you will get the sheets *(&)) up.

Good Luck - and if I left anything out someone correct

Edited by - on

1981capri
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Response Posted - 10/25/2007 : 21:57:00

Wow Chris, thanks for taking the time to explain that in such a clear way. I finally have a good picture in my mind on how to rig, launch and take down the spinnaker on the Capri 25. Along with the other posts in this forum at http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13141 there is some really good information now on this topic.

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SailCO26
Captain

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457 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2007 : 10:10:29

One thing I do different that I dont think has been put out yet:
I run my spin sheet thru a block at the far-aft end of the outside track (G in the graphic above), then to another turning block farther fwd on the track (just behind the cabin top), then to the cockpit. This way the spin trimmer is trimming with the sheets coming back to him (either by hand or on a winch, depending on conditions), easier to face fwd to watch the kite trim.

The graphic just shows the spin sheet from block (G) dropping right into the cockpit. Dont think that'd be very efficient. Twings/Tweakers look to be about right, and my fwd block is just behind those.

Jim

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1981capri
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Response Posted - 10/27/2007 : 10:32:37

Interesting. That is kind of what I was visualizing originally. Running aft to what I was thinking of as turning blocks and then back to my ratcheting blocks near the winches. I guess the point of agreement is that the lines should lead from the tack and clew aft to near the stern pulpit and then back to the winches. That's the main thing I was trying to get at. How far back for that initial block.

How are you handling the Genoa takedown? Are you dropping that first or are you trimming the spinnaker around it and then dropping it?...

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SailCO26
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Response Posted - 10/29/2007 : 10:23:25

Set/Trim the kite around the genoa.

If you know you can fetch the mark, you can get the pole set and the spin pre-fed to the pole just before rounding the mark. As you round the mark, ease the main/headsail trim while the hoist is in progress. Once the kite's trim and stable, drop the headsail. Alway sail fast with what you've got. If the set gets blown, you're still drawing with the headsail until it gets resolved.

Also, divide the crew. One part sails fast with whatever you have in the air, the other is making the change (set, douse, whatever). The "driving" crew should let the "working" crew do their job, and just worry about making the boat go with what you've got now. One of these days, I'll actually DO this on the water... :)

Opposite for the douse: hoist/trim the headsail, then douse the chute.

Jim

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Andy_334
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Response Posted - 11/01/2007 : 21:24:33

Pretty much what the other guys said.

Run the sheets aft to a turning block as far back on the track as possible, then forward to to ratchet blocks on the outside track slightly forward of the primary winches. The pole guy uses the winch to keep the square the pole to the wind. The trimmer plays the sheet to induce the curl in the luff.

Twings or tweekers run from about the end of the first window can be used to "choke" the kite in higher winds. These are run to cam cleats and do not need to be winched.

Jalapeño is fortunate to have had the same crew for a few seasons. For the 2007 season we had an old chute cut down (a panel removed from both sides to slim the shoulders) for use in higher winds. It means we can confidently fly it in just about anything.

On the race course: Ease jib --> chute up --> jib down --> jib up --> chute down --> trim jib.

The Capri is a blast with the chute up.

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