Gennaker

[Cruiser2B]

This is a KISS site...and we often emphasize that simpler is better.  Overcomplicating your sail attachments will very likely cause problems, probably at the worst possible time (increasing winds, single handing, whatever).

I thought this site was for sailing far in small boats, different strokes for different folks.

[Captain Smollett]

I thought this site was for sailing far in small boats,

It is, but we've also always had a very decided KISS bent.  It's both.

From time-to-time, we've had discussions about is one of these "more important" than the other.

Personally, i think they go hand in hand.  I think, and this is just one point of view, that sailing far in a small boat almost demands the boat be much closer to KISS than otherwise.  Especially if you clipping the margin of safety even further by sailing single/short handed.

If you look at the body of accomplishment of those who have sailed far in small boats, about 30-32 ft and under, in general, the success stories come from those that are more simply appointed.

Of course, "simple" means different things for different skippers.

[CapnK]

I guess we could be "The people who think 'Hey advertisers, boat builders, and glossy publications - the guys who did it first back in the olden golden days didn't have ginormous boats or tons of conveniences, and *they* made it just fine over and over again, so we are gonna try and see past the hype because we think maybe they were onto something, and it didn't call for 45' LOA or a dishwasher in every hull, even though some of us have 45' LOA or a dishwasher, if that's what we want'... website".

But that's kinda hard to repeat that all the time...   ;D

[CapnK]

...and almost as if to prove the point above ::) ??? :P ;D - I've flown a spinnaker using a waaay undersized whisker pole (NOT a spin pole) and another time a common telescoping boathook, and it worked.

But - that wind, could barely be called wind.  ;) If it was blowing 10kts, both would have been reduced to scrap. :)

[Captain Smollett]

...and almost as if to prove the point above ::) ??? :P ;D - I've flown a spinnaker using a waaay undersized whisker pole (NOT a spin pole) and another time a common telescoping boathook, and it worked.

But - that wind, could barely be called wind.  ;) If it was blowing 10kts, both would have been reduced to scrap. :)

I've used a boothook, a rather cheap one at that, as a whisker pole.  Light air, same story.  Good expedient in the right conditions.

Added just for completeness:

Boothooks and undersized poles for poling out a clew are a far different animal from than using a pole as an unstayed bow sprit and tacking the sail to the outboard end.

For a "pole," most of the force is compression.  For a sprit with sail attached to the outboard end, if the end is "fixed" by strong enough lashing on the inboard end, ALL of the force is bending.  Small tube sections are very good in compression, but pretty darn poor in bending.

[CapnK]

Urp - I used them as sprits - and they were curv-vy, even in very light air... :D

[Godot]

Boathook as whisker pole on Godot...

[Captain Smollett]

Urp - I used them as sprits - and they were curv-vy, even in very light air... :D

Oops. My bad. Thought you talking about poling out.

I'm very curious why use of a sprit. What does that gain? Nothing for symmetrical, and I cannot figure an advantage for an asymm.

[rorik]

I can't see a use for it unless you have have weather helm you need to correct or there's just no way fly the asym inside the fore triangle, but here's a way to do it right:

http://www.pyacht.com/selden-bowsprit-kits.htm

[CapnK]

Oh, just playing around in light air, trying weird stuff when bored... :)

That made me reflect, and then I remembered some relevant pictorial info - here's an undersized whisker pole being used as a spin pole of sorts on Pixie Dust back when Connie and I took her to P-cola for a shakedown, from my album in the sailFar Gallery. You can see it is undersized for a spin pole in any real wind, very obviously :), but in the puffs we were getting that AM, it helped keep the sail from collapsing in the 'tweentimes...

[marujo_sortudo]

Slocum used a large bamboo pole as a jib boom (aka extension to his bowsprit) to set a flying jib and I believe it was unstayed.  Of course, his flying jib was probably a smaller sail, put away when the wind built up, lashed on well, and I'm sure it was a very beefy piece of bamboo.

[Cruiser2B]

Some pics would be great Cruiser2B.  And, yes, alas, I have many days to wait :(

If you still want a few photos of my complicated 3/8line run thru some fairleads to one block downhaul/adjustable tack for my asy spinnaker rigging I will be headed to the boat on Sunday....as long as the weather holds out I will be going sailing too.

[gregorygraham]

Yes to pics and yes I'm jealous!

[w00dy]

Here is our 1.5oz nylon asymmetrical, tacked down with a 3 part purchase inside the forestay:



We were making 3.5 kts in a 5-10 kt breeze. This sail seems to work best in protected waters, as the larger waves/swells in light winds will cause it to billow around. Any thoughts on this problem? Lighter weight sheet line?