Association Forum - drifter ?????

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

General Sailing Forum

drifter ?????

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

sdaly66
Navigator

Member Avatar

USA
143 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/03/2004 : 08:15:19

So after almost a year of owning my 250 WB, I finally unfurled the drifter ????? It was great downwind (broad reach) light wind sail, but I was surprised by one thing and am wondering if I had the darned thing up correctly... The sail has no tack! It has sheets port and starboard, which I ran outboard of all rigging, but no tack. I secured the sheets to my winches and the cam cleats over the companionway. Due to the aspect of the sheets on the full sail they wanted to pop off the winches. I decided not to run to my stern cleats in the event that I needed to quickly dump.

Anyone have a sail like this that they have used? Did I do it right? I mean, "boat go fast", "sail get big", but did I miss something?

This site is a GREAT resource full of VERY helpful folks.

250 WB 1996 Hull #205

Thank you all.

Edited by - on

nate
Navigator

Members Avatar

240 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2004 : 08:30:45

Shawn,
Are you sure it's a drifter/gennaker and not a trad. spinnaker? Is there a pole on the boat?
Nate

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

Members Avatar

793 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2004 : 09:33:59

<font size="2"> <font face="Comic Sans MS">
My drifter is great in Long Island Sound during these August doldrums. It does not have hanks it flies free. To get the right angle on the winches I run the sheets to blocks on toe rail way back by the stern then come back to the winches.
One thing I do is attach a long line to the tack and run it through a block on the bow and then all the way back to the cockpit. That way when the wind comes up I can “float” the drifter down like a spinnaker and stuff it into the cabin without going forward.
</font id="size2"> </font id="Comic Sans MS">

Edited by - on

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2004 : 09:48:11

I'm not sure what you mean that the sail has no tack.....since the tack is the forward lower corner?????? However, many C250 sailors set their drifters up like John G mentioned. That is, set flying. Halyard to hoist 'n lower the sail; a tack line lead through a block at the bow and adjusted near the aft edge of the cabin top, and the two sheets. Some skippers are securing blocks for the sheets to the stern rail's forward stanchion. Sail this sail as if it was a large jib.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

sdaly66
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
143 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2004 : 09:49:16

I could well have the wrong nomenclature. As for a tack through a bow block, there is no cringle (grommet) for the attachment of a tack on this sail at all - so it just flies free from the two sheets and the halyard.

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2004 : 10:11:35

Shawn, if the sail has two equal length sides -- from the head to both clews -- it is probably a symmetrical spinnaker. You are going to need to use a spinnaker pole and run the sheet and guy to your after winches. A drifter/gennaker is asymmetrical -- the luff and leech are not the same length. Next time you go to the boat, measure the lengths of the sides, and that will tell you what you've got. It really sounds like a full blown spinnaker to me. If there are red and green markers on the sides, then it is definitely a spinnaker.

Brooke

Edited by - on

sdaly66
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
143 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2004 : 10:41:10

Yes there are red and green markers on the sides and it is symmetrical. So, what length pole do I use? What hardware do I need to attach the pole? It attaches to the front side of the mast, right?

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2004 : 18:10:31

There are socks and dousers to help a person single hand an asymmetrical that tacks to a stem fitting. I do not know of anyone who flys a real chute single handed. Before you worry about hardware... do you have crew? If the hardware is not on the boat it seems strange that the sail is. But if the hardware is truly not on the boat (down haul, up haul, pole, fairleads, cleats, aft turning blocks, spare halyard, etc.) then I would sell the sail and buy a drifter/genniker or cruising chute.

Edited by - on

nate
Navigator

Members Avatar

240 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2004 : 08:01:50

Great advice Frank....my gennaker has a snuffer and is easy to fly solo in light conditions. I think a "real" spinnaker would get a lot less use.

Edited by - on

Gary B.
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2004 : 15:02:51

OR....try this. Tack one end down to the bow with a line (adjustable, preferably) and put the two sheets on the other end of the sail, (which becomes the clew). I suspect you can fly it fine in lighter air just like this. I DID with my old symmetrical that I built from a kit from Sailrite. Add a $100 "snuffer" and you are in business. I used to fly mine singlehanded all the time. There is no reason that you cannot do this, although it won't be as efficient as it would be without all the hardware, poles, etc. Try it some light air day and see...it is not an asym, but you can fly it as though it is!

Gary B.
Commodore of Vice
s/v Encore! #685 SK/SR

Edited by - on

Charlie Vick
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
423 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2004 : 16:04:52

That is how I use my symetric but I use a 4' tack line run up behind the front stay run though a D ring which is also attached to a bungee cord stretched between the bow pulpit behind the front stay. The D ring is also attached to the front stay. The bungee just keeps the tack line inline with the front stay and keeps it above the pulpit so there isn't any interference with the pulpit. The beauty of this is that you are able to tack with the symetric. It works better in a jibe but will also work in a normal tack. You can't point as close as your jib but you have a whole lot more flexability in your pointing than you do with a poled out spinnaker. I tried using it with a pole but it ended up being a pain in the a$$ with no appreciable difference plus the pole added to the complexity of the rig I was trying to keep simple and took away any tacking abilities.
I can change out the spin with my hank on jib in 5-6 minutes when I need to head to windward, all singlehanded.
I know this isn't the proper use of a symetic spinnaker but at this point all I have is my 110 and in light air that just doesn't get it and this has given me the option to use a larger headsail/spinnaker with the ability to tack with minimal rigging, effort, working and changing of the sail. It still amazes me how fast it will pull the boat in a 3-5 knot wind.
Sometimes you just have to use what you have and make it work the best you can. I've used this setup many times and have never had any problems with it.

CVicK
PnaceaII '81 C25 #2439 SRSK

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.