Primaries

[pete]

Hi all, hope everyone is doing well -

Not sure if this has been answered before - apologies if it has...

For gennaker sheeting - We don't have any primary winches planned on the traditional location of the cockpit coaming, so sheeting for these sails will be to the pulpit base area, through a turning block or similar, then to where? Would you lead it up to the snubbing winch? If so, launching the gennaker behind whatever jib you have up might get pretty interesting depending what tack you're on as you soon run out of winches, but definitely not impossible.

I guess the following might be a method for worst case where genny halyard is same side of boat to sailplan:

1. Gennaker on foredeck/pulpit in bag, head tack clew attached to right bits of string/boat... turn deep downwind.

2. Cleat/Jam jib sheet

3. Run gennaker halyard to snubbing winch

4. Run gennaker sheet through turning block with slack to cleat somewhere near winch (?)

5. Launch gennaker, snub to full height with winch

6. Jam gennaker halyard, free winch

7. Release gennaker sheet that was loosly attached to cleat, apply to winch (?)

8. Lower jib (maybe via downhaul)

9. Trim on gennaker using winch

Step 7 is the difficult bit. With a big sail flapping about (even if covered by the jib it will still bounce about a bit) getting the sheet to the winch while still being able to release it from a cleat might be a challenge. If it were already round the sheet winch then you just grind it in. But to transfer it to a winch while it flogs about behind the jib is pretty challenging in my experience.

The only reason i'm thinking of this right at this moment is to do with deck hardware placement. If the gennaker sheet needs to be led to the cabin roof winch, then the winch needs to be quite far back to avoid the sheet running over the cabin top edge.

You're probably all more experienced racers than me so please let me know if i'm in the ballpark! Or if you have any better ideas about the gennaker sheet leads. Currently scratching my head a bit here! Thanks!

[Joe - Sail No 46]

I was planning a furling asymmetric and hope the boat goes fast downwind so no need for a symmetric kite and problems you mention above

[jimschofield]

I was hoping to get away with no winches at all, just a line of cleats on either side of the coachroof. Like the pictures of Setkas I've seen.

My plan was to run the gennaker sheet through a turning block on the transom, then to another turning block near the mast and back to a cleat. The double block arrangement was to actually add friction to the sheet and take any bang out of it.

I will have to go forward because I'll probably won't have any furlers, unless I get a sponser !

If you think I'm wrong, please tell me now ?

Jim

[peterbrumby]

Hi

This is the next great discussion, after how I fit my marine toilet.

I think we will know much more once Trekka is in the water and Don has tested the rig out.

Would perhaps be a great theme for another zoom conference at that point so we could all get on line and review the boat set-up with Don live!

I’m not rushing the build at the moment so that is Ok for me. But the other thing I plan to do is reinforce anywhere that I think could potentially have a fixing in the future. For instance the underside of the coaming at the top of the seats in the cockpit, and on top of the roof around the companion way/cockpit.

Cheers all

[jimschofield]

Good idea Peter, another good zoom is overdue.

On the strengthening, I've copied Dan's idea of adding triangles of ply to the foredeck, either side of the king planks and the transom corners, for a backstay. I will also beef up the transom under the cockpit seats as well as the areas you mention.

[captdan]

Jim mentioned ..... "My plan was to run the gennaker sheet through a turning block on the transom, then to another turning block near the mast and back to a cleat. The double block arrangement was to actually add friction to the sheet and take any bang out of it."

I have used the turning blocks that have a ratcheting feature built in to them to help with reducing the loads felt on the line. They really work and maybe they might be something to look at. www.harken.com/en/shop/carbo-air-blocks/57-mm-ratchet-block-swivel/
I wouldnt know if they are sufficient enough to be able to use 2 and then not have to use a winch of some sort. They have a manual lever to turn the ratcheting feature on and off.

Personally, I am in the camp of using a furler ..... I feel very fortunate that a friend of mine donated a Selden top down single line furler, stantion block and a fiddle for the set up.
ca.binnacle.com/p8939/Selden-GX-15-Asymmetric-Spinnaker-Furling-Kit-Max-1236-Sq-Ft-Sail-Size/product_info.html

Captdan

[pete]

Good point about the top down furlers - not cheap, but a load less awkward to use. Does anyone know if you can retro fit an existing flying sail to a top down furler - i.e. i can buy and fit the furler later once I've found out if launching the gennaker the traditional way is too much hassle?

Also ratcheting blocks - another great suggestion, I used to have one of these on the mainsheet of a Solo class dinghy that i raced with many eons ago, it reduced hand fatigue no end... I think that trimming a gennaker on a deep reach in a decent wind without a winch may still be a problem so i checked out the lead to the snubbing winch location last night - looks a bit weird with it running back up to the cabin roof, but works pretty well.

Last point (kind of related) I'm starting to think about deck hardware (as you can probably tell) - has anyone used the blue shark stuff that Don mentioned a while back? www.blueshark.cc/
While i generally like to support local brands (with the support/ advice that comes with it), the pricing of the blue shark stuff seems keen but i've not yet heard of anyone who has used the stuff for an opinion on whether it's worth the risk?

[captdan]

Hey Pete,
I agree with your point about having the winch on the cabin top to take the load of the spin sheet. I looked at the path of the line coming from the turning block location and it would seem to work out good. The only issue would be is, if your winch is mounted more than 15 - 20cm forward of the aft end of Frame S. The line would then be rubbing hard on the edge of the deck

Blueshark - I have not used that brand before but I think Alenka had mentioned that she had purchased a couple of blocks to try them out. ( I could be mistaken though ...)

[pete]

Mar 22, 2021 11:33:32 GMT captdan said:

Hey Pete,
I agree with your point about having the winch on the cabin top to take the load of the spin sheet. I looked at the path of the line coming from the turning block location and it would seem to work out good. The only issue would be is, if your winch is mounted more than 15 - 20cm forward of the aft end of Frame S. The line would then be rubbing hard on the edge of the deck

Yep that's my thought process too on the winch position Dan - I'm currently planning on mounting the winch quite far back on the deck so that the lead is ok for the spin lines. I do however have a rough plan in my head for a deck water stop thing (like a lip on the coaming) to stop deck water going directly down the companionway that will mess this all up though, but waiting to see if the boat is so wet that it needs it first. My main task at the moment: Get Boat Into The Water! (play around with its precise setup later).