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I got a real deal on an asymmetric spinnaker for my Venture 25.

It's a full-rig, has a sock and I got a spinnaker crane to hang it from the top of the mast.

Now, what do I do?

Do I "need" a whisker pole?


Thanks for any info.


John

I fly mine just like a Genoa. No, you don't "need" a wisker pole...

with or without hanks(multiple)?

SURV69 wrote:I got a spinnaker crane to hang it from the top of the mast.

I don't know what a spinnaker crane is, but I'm betting I don't have one.

As for hanks, Huh? I have a hank on Jib that gets stowed when I fly the Spi, which has no hanks. There is a ring at each of the three corners. Thats it...

When I said I fly mine like a Genoa, I guess I should have said a loose luff genoa (as compared to a loose footed main). Come to think of it, the Spi is loose luff, foot, and leech...

No, I don't hank the Spi to the forestay. I run the head up the forestay and secure the tack along the forestay, but thats it...

Thanks

that's what i kinda thought.

Since this is a full spinnaker(if that's the right term . . . maybe I should've said oversized spinnaker), I have to fly it from the top of the mast.

SO . . . I got a spinnaker crane which is an apparatus to allow the spinnaker to be hoisted to the top of the mast and then still allow some movement(side to side). It's kinda like a BIG "U" bolt, with the open ends facing rearward and the closed section to the front(where the sock and spinnaker gets hoisted to).

I fly mine singlehanded with no pole, sheets outside the shrouds and controlled from the cockpit I use the ATN sock and Tacker for easy launch and dousing.

never saw it before, in my internet travels

Sound slike it isn't an assym spin, but the full deal. If it truly is assymetrical, you can just use a tack line about 1-2 feet, run the sheets aft around the shrouds, hoist, pull down the sock, and off you go. Don't have any experience with the full spin. I don't think there is one available for the Mac.

Leon

well, I finally sent a heavy line up to my spinnaker crane and replaced my headsail line with a more appropriate 1/4" line(all it does is pull up the headsail).

I set a block on the bow to hold the clew and to be able to adjust it as I see fit.

NOW . . . the big question.......... how much is too much wind with a full-rig asymmetrical spinnaker on a fractonal rig Venture 25? In other words, I wonder what winds will bring the entire mast down?

If your venture 25 is the same kind of frac rig as my 26X, I wouldn't fly a spinnaker from the top of the mast. The only support that I have at the top of the mast is the backstay. As long as you are mostly downwind, then probably most of the forces would pull on the backstay, however, if you start reaching with it (or the wind shifts to the beam). you could get some high lateral loads which have no support at all on a frac rig. If you aren't paying attention and the sail starts collapsing, you turn slightly down and it fills up with wind abruptly, it will cause a nice little shock load. The risk is that the top of your mast could break off where the shrouds attach. Maybe it would be safer to have the sail re-cut so you can fly it from the jib halyard.

I share your concern Dimitri-200-Tampa

I intend to wait for a relativel calm day, get the spinnaker up, enjoy it in really light winds(5mph or less), at least once. If I'm really lucky, I might actually get a picture.

I just feel a real need to see it . . . at least once.

The difter I also got happens to be fractional.

I wonder if a split backstay might give the mast enough support for a full rig spinnaker?

FWIW:
For any of you interested, I found a very simple instructional video that lasts 17 minutes, that reduces all the myth and worry about spinnakers to a very understandable level and would likely add a lot of fun to your sailing experience.

The site for the video is $20. Available in VHS or now in DVD.
http://www.ukhalsey.com/LearningCenter/ ... rlogin.asp

You ought get the video just to get an idea of the ease of working with this sail and the fun it delivers. Then decide whether to buy one.

Can someone explain to me the advantage of a bowsprit? Does it provide more spinnaker lift? Is it less likely to initiate a broach?