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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

spinnaker with hanks

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Deric
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USA
408 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/19/2008 : 19:27:08

Hello Sailors,

I have a spinnaker with hanks. I have no idea of how this sail is supposed to be set up and used. After researching online, I noticed that most spinnakers are attached at the head and tack; no hanks attached to any fore stay.

The sail has 4 hanks.

I seek ideas or direction as to how this spinnaker is supposed to be set up and used. It is an ASYM.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/19/2008 : 21:49:30

Spinnakers should not have hanks. It sounds more like a drifter or a really light wind reaching sail. Set it like a big light air genoa.

Edited by - on

Deric
Captain

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408 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 05:40:43

Thanks, D.

Hmmm interesting. It explains why the sail didnt work so well in the manner we tried.
I'll have to try again in lighter wind.

Deric

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 06:03:28

Can't tell from the pic, but are the hanks on the edge of the sail?

Paul

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Deric
Captain

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408 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 09:51:31

The hanks are located on the edge of the sail: on the luff.

I think it is a dirfter sail, now that I have become aware of that type of sail.

Deric

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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4593 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 10:56:45

Sounds like a cool sail! I have very limited experience with drifters, but it seems like a very small number of hanks, any grommets missing a hank? Does it hoist all the way to the top of the forestay? Can you post a pic with the sail hoisted and full?

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 12:05:13

I assume 2 of the hanks are at the head and 2 at the foot. This is just a poleless asym, I sail on a local boat with a similar sail.

The tack of the sail should be on a pennant bringing the foot up above the pulpit.

Clip on the hanks and hoist with your jib halyard. If you have roller furling, use one of those ATN Tackers (or make your own - its easy) and you'll need a spinnaker halyard block at the top of the mast forward of the jib halyard.

This is a reaching sail from beam winds aft. You can't go dead down wind. You don't use a pole. Tighten the pennant to flatten the sail for higher pointing.

You may be tempted to head up with this sail - bring the wind really forward of the beam because it will seem like the sail stays full and keeps pulling. It actually causes a lot of heeling and less drive than your genoa in this situation.

Sail is good in 0 to about 15 knots of wind, aft the beam.

Gybe by dipping the clew of the sail between the luff and the forestay as you come through the wind.

Edited by - on

Deric
Captain

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408 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 14:59:50

I'll post a picture once I get to the point where it appears I have a sense of how this sail is used and set.
The posting this far have been very helpful.

There are grommets and hanks, by the head and tack. When I flew the sail last weekend, I didnt have the sail above the pulpit. No mechanism in place to do so, Ill have to fabricate something akin to the ATN Tacker.

Deric

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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1709 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 15:16:26

Jim is right on. My asymetric spinnaker has only one hank attached at the bottom of the luff. It attaches to the forestay and a penant is attached to the hank. The penant is led from the sail through a block then back to the cockpit.

The asym is an off-wind sail because the main tends to block wind from getting to it on a run. The penant is adjusted out to allow the sail to belly out when sailing on a broad reach. The closer to a reach you sail the more the penant is tightened - luff is flattend.

Many boats are now adding bowsprits so that the asym spinnaker can be moved farther out in front of the boat and away from the wind-blocking influence of the main. It allows you to sail further downwind. The "sock" can be eliminated by adding a furler available now through most furler manufacturerers.....for a price. A sprit and good furler could run as high as $2000+.

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dmpilc
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4593 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2008 : 19:31:02

I wonder if it has the 4 hanks because the C-25 class rules require a (non-spin) headsail to have at least 4 hanks? Hmm!

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Champipple
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Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 07:01:59

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dmpilc
 I wonder if it has the 4 hanks because the C-25 class rules require a (non-spin) headsail to have at least 4 hanks? Hmm!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Doubtful, but still possible. Most sailors don't know the rules and most sailmakers wouldn't even consider the racing rules for the C-25 because most one design fleets rule for boats without a bow sprit would mandate a symetrical.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by aeckhart
 Jim is right on. My asymetric spinnaker has only one hank attached at the bottom of the luff. It attaches to the forestay and a penant is attached to the hank
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I've never seen an Asym with hanks, but then again I've never seen an asym without a bow sprit either.

This still looks like a sail that will be a lot of fun.

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Deric
Captain

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USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 10:49:53

Hello Sailors.

Some have asked for additional pictures. Here they are:

Head of Sail. One hank app 1 foot from end of sail.

Tack of sail. Notice no hanks nearby.

Full size picture. Tack toward right, Foot left, Leech top, luff bottom.

This is a nice looking sail. I am having fun learning more about this type of sail, and I am anxious to sail with it.

Edited by - on

Deric
Captain

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408 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 10:50:56

I meant to write "head toward right" in my previous post.
Deric

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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4593 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 11:56:12

I think you've got a ASYM spinnaker there and the hanks were added for optional use as a drifter-type sail. The leech (side without the hanks)should be a little bit longer than the luff. Other thoughts anyone?

Edited by - dmpilc on 08/21/2008 11:58:51

JimB517
Past Commodore

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3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/21/2008 : 13:39:48

It is indeed a poleless asym spinnaker, the use of the hanks is optional. Use them if you need to point. Otherwise it is just as I said, above.

The sail is beautiful and looks in perfect condition. Expect your boat to be a rocket in winds around 10 - 12 knots with it up.

Wear gloves!

You should buy blocks for it and put them all the way aft on the boat. You should use 1/4 inch sheets, each 50 feet long, from the lowest stretch line you can afford. I am using West marine Stayset. Stayset-X is lower stretch but it is too stiff to be a good spin sheet. If your local store has the VPC that would be best I think.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
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Response Posted - 08/23/2008 : 11:48:18

If you're talking 1/4" sheets on a sail that big, I'll agree that gloves will be a must have!

Edited by - on

Deric
Captain

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408 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2008 : 07:06:51

I went sailing and tried the sail on Friday evening. I am providing my observations and a few pictures. Please provide your thoughts and comments.

Conditions:
We went sailing app at 8:00pm, Friday evening: light wind conditions, i.e., with just the head sail, the boat moved about .5 - 1.5 knots, most of the time we were at .5 knots.

Test 1 - we sailed on almost on a run, more like a broad reach, without the hanks attached to the forestay. The boat picked up speed and the sail filled out. I made my own version of the ATN Tacker in order to have the tack of the sail above the pulpit. Boat speed app 3 - 4 knots

Test 2 - we sailed on a reach, without the hanks attached to the forestay. Sail filled out, speed good. When we tried to point, we couldn't maintain shape, so we attache the hanks and pulled tack down closer to the deck of the boat. By doing so, we were able to point higher, not as high as with a Genoa, but higher than sailing without the hanks. Speed 3.5 - 4.3 knots.

Conclusion: ASYM sail great for a run with the wind off the aft and to the side of the boat, broad reach to a reach as long as the hanks are not attached. ASYM sail is great for a reach to a close reach with the hanks attached to the forestay.

Please feel free to offer suggestions, critique, and comments.

ASYM sail set without the hanks attached.

Notice the green yarn attached to the stay in the foreground; no wind, yet the sail is full.

Wind coming from behind us off the aft / starboard.

Edited by - on

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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1778 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2008 : 08:51:07

It looks like you have what was called in the 60's-early 80's a "drifter/reacher" which is a large head sail made with spinnaker weight sailcloth and was flown like a genoa. I had one on an old Bristol and loved it in light weather. During the 80's the sail was modified In large part because of furler systems becoming more common) to morph into the "Geneaker". If you use hank on head sails you will love the sail in light wind -- but it is not furler friendly.

Edited by - bigelowp on 08/24/2008 08:51:59

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