Association Forum - Roller Furler/ Cruising Spinnaker

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Roller Furler/ Cruising Spinnaker

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Tony Partain
1st Mate

Member Avatar

USA
93 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/04/2004 : 17:07:16

Gentleman I am in the process of doing a little upgrading on my 250wk tall rig. It came without a roller furler or a spinnaker. That is about to change. I need some more input on which roller furler to install. From what I found in the archives the CDI sound like the furler of choice. How difficult are these units to install? What things do you need to watch out for to avoid any major problems?

Second will it be spinnaker or drifter? Is the drifter legal for the Nationals? What are the pro's and con's between the two? I have talked with Catalina about a cruising spinnaker. Sounds like the have a pretty good system for the 250. They are working up all of the of the parts for a complete kit at this time. Arlyn what is the square footage of the drifter you use? I guess the difference between the drifter and the spinnaker would be in jibing inside or outside. Does the drifter allow for better reaching than the spinnaker? What about downwind speed difference ? Can the drifter match the spinnaker?

Let the fun begin.

Tony Partain
Bend Oregon

Edited by - on

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2004 : 17:44:23

Hi Tony,

To start the discussion; a drifter generally refers to a lightweight genoa jib - 150% or 155% usually. Although I have seen a 170% drifter. The big difference between the drifter and a "regular" genny is that the drifter is usually made of 1.5 oz spinnaker cloth instead of 3.5 oz dacron. The lighter cloth fills in breezes of as little as 2 knots and will drive the boat on all points of sail when heavier sails simply stall out. Of course, you have to douse the drifter if the breeze gets much higher than seven or eight knots because the spinnaker cloth stretches so much.

I'll leave the "legality for the Nationals" to the measurers - but normally if you do not exceed the size dimensions for the largest jib, I'd say the drifter would be legal.

The drifter - since it is a jibsail in all respects - can be sailed up wind close hauled as well as on the other points of sail. Spinnakers are reaching and running (downwind) sails that are very difficult to bring up to a close hauled point of sail. They are considerably larger than the largest jib in most sail inventories - typically measuring around a 180% and are cut with a very deep maximum draft. They are also set flying (no hanks or luff tape). Set flying means that the luff edge is unsupported. My drifter has seven or eight lightweight hanks so that the sail can be hanked to the forestay, and I hoist and trim the drifter just like any other jibsail.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

Tony Partain
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
93 Posts

Response Posted - 05/05/2004 : 11:18:43

Bill thanks your input gave me a better understanding between the drifter and the spinnaker. I have some experience with a spinnaker but none with the drifter. Are most drifters hanked? The pictures that I have seen they are being flown like spinnakers.

Edited by - on

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 05/05/2004 : 12:33:51

Hi Tony,

The preponderance of drifter jibs are hanked on or have a luff tape for a luff foil or furler. That-having-been-said, I know of several C250 owners who have elected to sail with their drifters set flying. I believe that Arlyn Stewart sets his this way.

It would be easy to shackle a block at the stem and use a tack line & halyard to set the sail. Dousing the sail would be accomplished by releasing both lines and pulling the whole affair into the v-berth or cabin if the breeze suddenly piped up. This setup would allow for quick deployment of the roller furling jib after the drifter was down.

Don't forget that the jibsheet lead blocks for the drifter need to be farther aft than a standard 110% or 135% jibs.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 05/05/2004 : 13:34:07

Tony,

I'd add to what Bill says that if you decide on a drifter and wish to use a furler also and haven't made the choice yet, I'd consider the CDI.

Because... the CDI uses and an integral halyard which leaves the jib halyard free for use with the drifter. As well, the integral halyard doesn't present the need for a turning block or eye strap on the mast which will interfere with a drifter.

Bill is right, I do fly my drifter free with the jib simply furled. In the light airs its flown in, the luff will harden up well when close hauled.

Edited by - on

sterngucker
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
169 Posts

Response Posted - 05/05/2004 : 17:38:48

Tony,
Just curious on what the price quote was from Catalina (not Catalina Direct right?) for the cruising spinnaker.

To those with a Shaeffer (sp?) roller furler, does a dedicated line and block need to be installed for the cruising spinnaker?

Charlie (C250 on order

)

Edited by - on

Tony Partain
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
93 Posts

Response Posted - 05/06/2004 : 01:15:12

The quote from Catalina was $806 for the spinnaker not including any hardware or sheets. I also got a quote from Northsails, much higher @ $1000.00. The dilemma now is how much sail can I have and still be legal for the Nationals. The spinnaker from Catalina is well below the maximum.The measurement listed in the racing rules is for a symmetrical spinnaker. I have requested a ruling on this matter from the chief measurer. His thought was that it would go by the PHRF Northwest spinnaker measurements. Should know in a day or two.

Rigging should be fairly straight foreword, I plan on running an external halyard for the spinnaker, a tackline and sheets aft. (the furler is on hold until after the Nationals, I don't want to give up any pointing ability) Also Kent from Catalina informed me about a mounting system for the tackline, this is a bolt on apparatus that mounts foreword of the pulpit.

Edited by - on

Tony Partain
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
93 Posts

Response Posted - 05/09/2004 : 20:42:27

Here is the update on the spinnaker story. Cruising Direct is the place to get a spinnaker. 50% less than Northsails and in stock instead of waiting six weeks. Much better. Second has anybody added an external halyard? The roller furler will wait until after the Nationals so I need another halyard. Also does anybody have Kent's email address at Catalina?

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

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.