Hi all

The Tassie racing season starts in about a months time and the new Jenneau 349 that i will be crewing on for the racing season is still a couple of months away so we have decided to use my Sailmaster for the Cock of the Huon race in the season opener

I have a spinnaker that i have never used but appear to have most of the gear on board to use it

The ring on the front of the mast is fixed height and there is no bridle on the spinnaker pole but there is a small shackle at the top and bottom of one end so i assume that the topping lift and down haul went directly to the outer end of the pole (like a dip pole on a larger yacht ) and when gybing the spinnaker the pole was never end for ended

The spinnaker sheets are just single with a single (there is a block on them with a shackle attached where i assume they will shackle on to the slotted toe rail) and not double with a lazy guy so i don't think that dip pole gybing is a option

The topping lift is the same as on the boat i race on but the downhaul looks like it ran back to a block on the cabin top just forward of the mast instead of a block on the fordeck as shown in the photo below

Having a look on the net it appears this is not uncommon on sub 30 foot boats and allows the spinnaker pole to be moved forward and backwards without adjusting the down haul position

I am going to renew the halyard, topping lift and downhaul and have decided to use 8mm double braid for all 3

I am tossing up whether to fit a bridle to the pole or just run the topping lift and downhaul to the end of the pole

I suppose if i fit a bridle i can end for end the pole and it might also make it easier to clip the pole on to the brace when gybing

If i fit a brace i can either use wire or small diameter spectra and i ham wondering what the forums thought were on this

As far as lengths go (everything stops at the base of the mast)i thought 2.5 times the mast height for the halyard, 3 times the height of the topping lift sheeve for the topping lift and 2 times the working length for the downhaul

Have i forgotten anything

Regards Don

If you are doing end for end gybes you will need bridles on the pole on both down haul and topping lift so it can be end for ended, and trust me, end for end is THE ONLY way to go on your boat.
Also go spectra for the downhaul, alot of load on it and stretch can be a pain.

Sheets for you boat, 2 lengths 2.5 times the length of the boat in 8mm spectra.

You will also need 2 x barberhaulers at about your chainplate plate, two pulleys on the toe rail.

Looking at your boat I would also look at front hatch launches and retrieves. If you get one of those bungy cord cargo nets and sling it under the hatch the kite with sit there nicely, no need for packing between sets.

I'm in Launnie and have all this stuff in stock, will do VERY good pricing ;)

Hi Rumblefish

Thanks for the information and the offer

I work for the local Council down here and deal with you company in Derwent Park a fair bit and have bought stuff for my boat there before and have always received good service

I already have the sheets and snap shackles and i have a box full of spare assorted blocks on board so i might have a look at what i have before i order anything


Regards Don

plus 1 for the bridle and end for end the pole

not sure what you mean by " if i fit a brace " ... ?

Select to expand quote

SandS said..

plus 1 for the bridle and end for end the pole

not sure what you mean by " if i fit a brace " ... ?

Hi Sands

Meant to type bridle but typed brace instead

On the subject of bridles if i use 4mm spectra instead of wire would this knot be ok to tie to the ends and the ring in the center

www.animatedknots.com/poachers-knot

Looking at the description of the knot it looks like it would work

Regards Don

Select to expand quote

Donk107 said..

SandS said..

plus 1 for the bridle and end for end the pole

not sure what you mean by " if i fit a brace " ... ?

Hi Sands

Meant to type bridle but typed brace instead

On the subject of bridles if i use 4mm spectra instead of wire would this knot be ok to tie to the ends and the ring in the center

www.animatedknots.com/poachers-knot

Looking at the description of the knot it looks like it would work

Regards Don

should be ok ...... my bridles are just 6mm cord whipped back onto itself at the pole ends .......

Attach the pole to the mast and see if you can dip pole it. if not then it comes down to a 2 person operation (unless you want to go end for end setup and add all the costs to get your current setup right), a pseudo dip pole with someone at the mast to disconnect the pole from the mast and enable it to move back, and a bowman to swap the sheets. it's quite simple.

Don't over complicate it, unless you want to spend extra dollars rigging all that extra end to end stuff, work with what you have (or get your mast guy to think a bit) and even perhaps add an extra crew member as a work around.

Hi Freeradical

I don't really want to add a crewman as she Is only a 28 footer and I already have 4 on board in helm, brace, sheet and forward hand

I could leave the topper and down haul attached directly to the end of the pole and when I gybe it let the topper go a bit, disconnect the pole from the mast, disconnect the brace from the pole and dip the pole behind the forestaybut I think then I would have trouble picking up the new brace in the pole end because having the topper and down haul attached to the end of the pole would limit the up and down movement of the end of the pole

If i fit a bridle to the pole i could just do a normal end for end gybe like i am used to doing on the previous race boat

What do you think

Regards Don

Yeah, sorry. I'm thinking much bigger boat with a mast hand. You could try it rigged to one end but it would be much harder single handed than with a bridle

For dip pole gybes you really need a sheet and brace each side. Basically two sheets each side you take the tension on the sheets so braces aare slack allowing pole to be unclipped and re attached to the new brace. Does that make sense?

Don
just take James sailing he has done it 100 times on the Etchell.
L

Select to expand quote

lydia said..
Don
just take James sailing he has done it 100 times on the Etchell.
L

Hi Lydia

I reckon he will be on something bigger and better for the pipe opener series than my boat

Regards Don

Hi Twodogs

yep I understand

My little Spacesailer was actually set up like that

Regards Don

Mmm that jenneau 349 is a sweet ride for a cruiser racer you might surprise a few people when she gets going

Hi Andy

The old boat was a Jenneau 33i performance with oversize Doyle straits ice sails and use to punch well above her weight so it will be interesting to see how the new 349 goes compared to her when it arrives

We suspect it might be a bit slower in light airs but a bit better behaved in strong winds

Regards Don