Gennakers

[mrbill]

I'm considering adding a Gennaker to my sail inventory and wonder what experiences other people might share about their usefulness when single-handing. I've "come into a bit of cash" and am thinking this might be a useful sail addition. I already have a used drifter for light air but it is a bit small for my boat.

Can a Gennaker be carried "wing and wing" or are they not too good straight down wind?

[vinegarj]

i bought a drifter for my boat (alberg 29) a couple of years back.  got it used at usedsails.com.  have flown it as a double head sail with the gennie in pretty good wind.....really ups the power without the constant vigilance that i need when sailing wing on wing.  the drifter is also very good in ultra light winds....will generally keep my boat moving if the seas are fairly flat.
while it's a lot simpler than an spinnaker to raise and lower (i'm guess as i've never flown a spinaker by myself), it still takes a little thought and practice to raise and lower without dumping it in the water.   
vj
(btw....i paid $350 for it and was very satisfied with the deal...a few stains on the sail, but generally looked like it had been used very lightly).

[Auspicious]

I sail my asymmetric spinnaker one of three ways.

Most often I double reef the main and fly the spinnaker off the bowsprit on the same side as the main. Reefing the main lets more air through to the chute. I usually sail angles this way at 150ish.

Sometimes I fly the spinnaker off a pole to windward with full main. I don't generally do this singlehanded unless I have a long run.

I have tried sailing double headsails with the jib poled out, the chute to leeward, and no main. I've only done this once. It was fine, but the work was similar to poling out the chute with the main up and I didn't see any particular benefit. A lot of people like double headsails though so I'll try it again and gain more experience.

[vinegarj]

when flying the double head sails, i've used the boom (with a block on the end of it and a preventer) to pole out the gennie (on the windward side, more or less:>) and let the drifter fly free.  it works well.   but absent a great self-steering system, i find that if i've got sails out on both sides of the boat and singlehanding, it soon becomes a bit much as i've got to pay constant attention to the steering.  vj

[AdriftAtSea]

I have a roller furling screacher for my boat and find that it is better to "tack" downwind, rather than sail DDW.  My boat is much faster reaching than going DDW.  I don't need or use a pole, mainly because the screacher sheets go to blocks on the amas on an 18' wide boat, so the pole would be a bit superfluous.

[Gus]

I love my drifter. It came with an old Mac 23 that I was restoring. When I sold the boat, I decided to keep it. For a video go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/osbo20022002

[Frank]

Being somewhat 'lazy' while out here...my light wind sail is a nylon 150. With the bowsprit, the fore triangle is large to start with and a 150 makes for a very large headsail.Made out of nylon, its a great lightwind sail that is super easy to handle and pole out.

[mrbill]

Update: I located a used Gennaker at Atlantic Sail Traders that is just right for my boat (I hope!). It is in very good condition and came with a snuffer and a launching bag. Looking forward to using it this summer! The used package was half of a new one.

I bought my drifterat Atlantic Sail traders too, and have bought used rope and other goodies there, and sold a Genoa to them...and have been very satisfied with the prices and quality.