The FJ Spinnaker

by Larry Weatherly

 

General spinnaker tips:

1. You need something protruding out 4-6" over the stem, to prevent the spinnaker sheets from getting under the boat. Something as simple as a coat hanger wire will work.

2. Become "smooth"- before you try to be "fast".

3. Practice!!! Start on shore, on the trailer, then on-water in lighter winds.

4. Most FJs use a single, continuous spinnaker sheet (vs. two). 3/16" or ¼"- 50 feet in length. Polypropelene (Marlowe Marstron- available from Layline- 800- 542-5463) is nice, light, and doesn’t absorb water.

5. Two open-fairlead Clamcleats - one each CL 218 Mk 2 and CL 217 Mk 2- port and starboard- make great reaching or guy hooks- mount forward of the shrouds and outboard, near the rail.

 

 

Gybing the spinnaker

I like to approach the gybing mark a little bit wide, conditions permitting, so that we can do things smoothly. Gybe the main and jib first- then the chute.

1. As I bear off, my crew, Cathy unclips the guy from the reaching hook, then brings the

pole back (into the boat),

2. Rotate the whole sail around the forestay. ( If you forget this step, you will find that the

spinnaker has draped around the windward side of the forestay, on your new jibe.)

3. She then takes both sheets in her aft hand and says, "Ready."

4. As I jibe the main, we both cross the boat. As she is crossing, she uncleats the jib.

5. As soon as we have the boat stabilized, she hands me the sheets,

6. While I try to keep the sail filled, she changes the pole, clips the guy under the reaching

hook and sits down (or traps out!), then I hand the sheets back to her.

 

Dousing

We always douse on the windward side. (This keeps the crew "up", not under the boom.) Cathy first:

1. Unclips the pole from the mast;

2. Takes the guy in hand;

3. Unclips the pole from it;

4. Then calls to me when she is ready to start stuffing things into the turtle. The sail must be well in hand when she indicates that she is ready, because I simply uncleat the halyard and let it go. The pole is left dangling on the topping lift, during the mark rounding, and will be stowed after things are under control, on the beat.

Important- pull the spinnaker into the boat by working your way up the center- the corners will follow. This keeps the sail from twisting- avoids "hourglasses".

 

Larry Weatherly and his crew, Cathy Doering, have had a long and successful career in FJ's.