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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Drifter

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John Pittman
1st Mate

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USA
44 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/30/2012 : 22:24:32

I am wondering how to rig a drifter as a solo sailor with roller furling.

How is set up and what additional hardware will I need?

I have a standard rig.

johnnyp

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 12/01/2012 : 06:25:57

A drifter is actually just a very light air genoa. Do you already have the sail? If so, will it go on your furler or is it a hank-on sail? Is your furler a CDI brand that frees up your jib halyard? If so, you could use that halyard to fly the drifter loose-luff behind the forestay without removing the furled sail. If it has hanks, you could attach one or maybe 2 hanks to the furled sail with a small loop of 1/4" line around the sail. An extra shackle on the furling drum could serve as an attachment point for the tack or you could run a loop of line through your bow cleats and attach the clew shackle to that line.
If your jib halyard is being used by the furled sail, you will need to add another halyard, such as a spinnaker halyard. with that, you could fly it loose like an asym spinnaker. Just be careful to take it down on the same side that it was hoisted up or you could wrap it on the forestay.

Edited by - on

John Pittman
1st Mate

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USA
44 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 13:17:10

I have a CDI furler.

I have not purchased the sail yet.

I have been thinking about a sail that would be more productive than my current 135 Genoa.

I wonder what the forum recommends for a single hander.

Symmetrical,asymmetrical spinnaker or a drifter.

Really I am tired of watching my sailing buddy on his ODay 25 doing nicely with his drifter while I am barely moving.

Not that we are racing,but I know my C25 is faster.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 14:47:41

From what I've heard others say on this site, an asymetrical should be somewhat easier to fly solo vs a symmetrical. The drifter maybe the easiest.

I'm sure others will chime in with better info (I don't own any of the above)!

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 16:06:44

If your O'Day buddy has a 150 or larger drifter and you are sailing in light air, he will outsail you using a 135 on a furler, simply because he'll have more sail up and lighter fabric to boot. Since you have a CDI furler, your jib halyard should be available to hoist another headsail. To do this solo, you will need to be able to secure the tiller while you go forward, and you will need to learn to hoist and take down the drifter very quickly. You'll also want a second set of genoa block cars on the tracks and a second set of genoa sheets, unless you use a quick release shackle on the furler jib sheets so they can be moved from sail to sail easily.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 16:09:15

I use a drifter and free fly it with no hanks. It tacks well, points reasonably and is easy to use. Just don't raise it upside down, it is hard to explain when the women on board ask "is that upside down?".

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 16:58:42

I also have a drifter, My cars can handle two sheets so no need for extra cars and I fly it without hanks on the inside of the headstay/furler. I attach it to the aft most hole in the stem fitting with one of these.

Edited by - on

cshaw
Captain

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USA
460 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 21:36:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pastmember
 I use a drifter and free fly it with no hanks. It tacks well, points reasonably and is easy to use. Just don't raise it upside down, it is hard to explain when the women on board ask "is that upside down?".
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I use a drifter I built a long while back in the same way as Frank (except right side up most of the time). We also use it as a "Blooper" by pulling the foot and leech lines tight to make the sail VERY full (the luff is a streachy rope so it automatically makes things full if you ease the halyard way out (like 10 ft), and have the tack on about a 3ft pendant. We lay the sheet over the end of the boom. Amazing the speed that is added flying it that way with a chute and a tallboy staysail and the main all bagged up. Besides, its a hoot to play with so many strings!

I once hoisted my spinnaker by a clew once, with the sheet attached to the head. Amazingly it still moved the boat. I took a lot of guff about it though......

Frank, the picture you had in your note is simply beautiful!!!!!

Chuck

Edited by - cshaw on 12/02/2012 21:38:12

CarbonSink62
Navigator

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USA
208 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2012 : 08:15:15

I'm getting an Asymetrical Spinnaker soon; this is a good thread to ask some questions.

How is a drifter different from an Asymetrical Spinnaker?

Shouldn't the Asymetrical Spinnaker have its own sheets? The windward sheet needs to go around forward of the forestay and then back to the jib car & winch because I would tack by gybing the boat. Right?

Is that the difference? A drifter tacks like a jib but an Asym Spinn tacks like a spinnaker?

Thanks in advance,

Ken

That is a sharp pic, Frank.

Edited by - on

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2012 : 08:47:06

I have both a drifter (155% jib made of 1.5 oz spinnaker cloth) and an asym spinnaker. I use the drifter on all points of sail - while the asym is only really good on broad to beam reaches downwind. I also use my drifter 10 to 15 times for every one time with the asym.
Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2012 : 08:57:32

I have no experience with a drifter, but I think a 3/4 oz. asymetrical spinnaker is a versatile supplement for a boat with a roller furling jib and mainsail. If you have a chute scoop and autopilot, you can easily fly the cruising chute singlehanded. The light sailcloth allows it to draw in all but the very lightest of winds, but it's still strong enough to fly downwind in 18-20 kts. It can be used for sailing downwind, but I have been able to drive my boat as close to the wind as about 50 degrees with the asym., which isn't bad considering it's sail area. This picture shows it trimmed for a close reach.

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bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1776 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2012 : 20:41:30

On previous boats I used my drifter very, very often. Those were all hank on head sale configured so swapping sails was the only way. I have a furled on Limerick and have wanted to get a drifter but not rig on the fuller but set it up so it is in effect hanked on. I had thought to do so I would need an additional halyard. Frank, how is yours rigged or do you have hanked on headsails?

In light air a drifter should outperform a spiniker on several,points of sail and should be easier to handle.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2012 : 17:46:02

Nah, I took the hanks off and free fly it so the furled sail just stays put. Halyard tension sets the luff tension. If I am flying a drifter it is because the wind is in single digits and a drifter will work on all points of sail. As a single hander I usually just gather it in by hardening the sheet and loosing the halyard as I gather the leech, when the sail is pretty much on deck just cross the wind and drop it the rest of the way on to the deck. In drifter wind the sail handling is no big deal.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 12/05/2012 : 05:50:44

Mine has a wire luff, so I don't have to hank it on. I'm finally through with the jib halyard back to the deck so I can add another halyard on the mast.

Looking forward to trying to run both the big jib and cruising chute ( or drifter ) one day.

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