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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Spinnaker jive

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86Cat25
Deckhand

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USA
22 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/28/2006 : 13:24:08

A friend and i recently bought an 86 Catalina 25 wing keel. The boat was never rigged for a spinnaker but did come with one so we used some tips from different places to build the rigging. Im simply looking for ways to improve the efficiany of the spinnaker and make it easy and graceful to sail.
Our haylard runs down the outside of the mast and is cleated there. We have a downhaul running to the bow and then back to the cockpit, a topinglift running to a block on the mast near the spreaders down to the bottom of the mast and then to the cockpit, and we run the control sheets to the jib wenches.
Jives are a mess and we cant seem to figure out a smooth and graceful way to preform them. Any advice?

Andrew Miller
Niceville, FL
"Es Muy Bueno"
'86 TR/FK

Edited by - on

esailor
Navigator

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USA
118 Posts

Response Posted - 07/28/2006 : 13:55:06

Jibe as some might call it. Never even having sailed a C25 but Jibing basics should hold true, I'll try to help. Assuming you have a symmetrical sail with a pole. The person sailing the chute around must learn to sail it with out the pole as this will be the case at the mid point of the jibe. The skipper and the trimmer must work TOGETHER. Picture the boat turning in the wind and the kite never changes its presentation to the wind, thus the trimmer must gently let out the old sheet while trimming equally (theoretically)the new sheet.

The fore deck crew, on most any boat where the person changing the pole steps onto the deck, should keep their back to the mast. Unhook the pole from the mast. Reach out and grab the old sheet and connect it to end of the pole, this is the new guy, while as simmiltaniously as possible dropping the old guy from the other end of the pole. Push the pole out as forward to the bow as possible and finally hooking the end to the mast.

A good excersise for the trimmer and the skipper is to sail right on the edge of a jibe, jibing back and forth keeping the kite full. Do this with no pole and in lighter air. Finally and the most important thing about jibing is practice, practice, practice.

When we are doing a practice session 30+ jibes are not unheard of.

Good luck,

Edited by - on

Bruce Baker
Captain

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USA
402 Posts

Response Posted - 07/28/2006 : 14:03:38

What's a "jive"? Do you mean "jibe"?

It sounds to me like you have a couple of problems.

1. First, your pole downhaul should be attached to the middle of your foredeck, not the bow. Some C-25 owners just use a bungie attached to the front of the mast--the downhaul isn't really critical, particularly if you have your guy set up properly.

2. Your guy and sheet should go to blocks as far aft as possible. My genoa tracks go all the way aft, so you could just put some new blocks on them.

3. Between the sail and the aft blocks, you ought to have a set of "twings" (aka Barber haulers) to hold your guy down.

When you go through your jibe, you grab the sheet, take the pole off the mast and put the sheet (now guy) through the jaw that just came off the mast. Now you hand-over-hand the pole outboard, remove the old guy (now sheet) from the jaw and clip that jaw to your mast.

And don't mess with the "jib wenches". They're nothing but trouble:)

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 07/28/2006 : 14:33:48

Before turning, dig down by bringing the pole all the way back and steering more downwind. on the gybe command, the guy in the box is going to release the one Tweaker (aka twings) and bring in on the other. realease the downhaul (aka foreguy) and generally lookout for the safety of the guy on the bow by relaying any communication back to the helm or trimmers.

Most of the rest is what Bruce said, except I would do the following differently.....have your trigger line on the pole release both jaws at once. Pop both ends off, mast and old guy, hook on the new sheet, push the pole out and connect it back up. If the wind is really humping, you don't want to fight the sail with the sheet still connected.

While the pole is off the kite trimmer or trimmers are working in unison to keep the sail full. Turning too quickly will collapse the chute. Don't let the helmsman turn quickly - he needs to steer under the sail. When it is all said and done, you should be on about a broad reach with the pole about 3 feet back from the forestay. Once the foredeck guy announces (yells) that the pole is made fast trim to the new heading.

All of this should take less than 30 seconds in under 12 kts of breeze. A few more curse words and bruised egos will occur as the wind builds.

Edited by - on

86Cat25
Deckhand

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USA
22 Posts

Response Posted - 07/29/2006 : 10:26:14

Thanks so much for the tips. Rest easy that they will be put to good use.

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.