Howard and Phil, I would be interested to know where you have fit a sheave for the spinnaker halyard? My 2003 M17 mast head has room for only 2 sheaves (main and jib) side by side with wire halyards (currently) Thanks Bill Wickett On Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 4:09 PM, Howard Audsley <haudsley@tranquility.net>wrote:
Phil:
I have an asymmetrical that I purchased from Elliot-Pattison, who used to be Bob's sailmaker. Don't know if that is still true.
Anyway, the boat has a spinnaker halyard, but I often just use the jib halyard for the asymmetrical. I put a snatch block on the stemhead and run a line to the tack of the sail through the snatch block and that back to the winch on cabin port side. With that, I can control the luff by firming it up on the wind or letting it blow out there off the wind. My sheets are long and they lead around the forestay as you suggest. To change tacks, you jibe the boat. If memory serves, I run these lines aft to the stern cleats, then back to the jib cleats.
It's been an interesting sail to play with. I added it to the wardrobe for really light air, in which it's not been effective. It hangs just like the others. Any wind at all and it will get you moving, upon which the apparent wind shifts forward and the sail will luff and collapse. You have to start sheeting it in and/or falling off to keep the sail drawing. However, once the breeze picks up, you will be hauling.....and it won't take much to have you overpowered. In our variable winds, its not uncommon to go from flat calm to hull speed and hanging on in a matter of moments. Hearing that "whoomph" when the sail fills will get your attention. Even a little more of a handful when single handing, which is how I am most of the time.
The alternative is a big genny and a whisker pole. That's what I use 99% of the time in light air.
Howard
On Mar 15, 2010, at 1:32 PM, Philip Sullivan wrote:
I'm new to the list. I have a 2001 M17. I live in Sonoma county CA and
sail mostly in Lake Sonoma in the summer and Tomales Bay in the autumn. Both of these bodies of water are long and relatively narrow and have their long axes aligned with the prevailing winds, so my sailing is almost always either hard on the wind or a dead run.
I'd like to add an asymmetrical spinnaker to the sail inventory this year. Has anyone experience sewing one of these from a Sailrite precut kit? Also, how have M17 sailors attached the head of the spinnaker to the mast head. There is enough room in the masthead fitting to rig another halyard, but I'm worried about chafe between the head of the sail and the top of the forestay. I plan to use long sheets and jibe the spinnaker around ahead of the forestay.
Phil
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