As I have just mentioned in another thread I have swapped my Taipan Cat for a sloop with spi. The spi unfortunately is not F16 compliant as it is 21sqm. A smaller spi will have to wait for another day.

We went for a first sail yesterday and had a great time. We picked a fairly calm day for our first sail, around 5 knots. It's quite different having the downwind sail pass so quickly!

We are launching our spi out of a bag on the port side of the tramp.

We are having a problem with the section of line that pulls the tack out getting twisted. This is causing the very bottom of the spi to get twisted and makes it a little difficult to launch. We are throwing the halyard over the back of the boat before we drop. Any suggestions? We thought about putting a swivel at the tack.

We are also finding, as I mentioned in the other thread, that we don't seem to be able to sail much higher than a broad reach without the luff curling and the spi wanting to collapse. Any suggestions for this one?

At the moment we are hanging the head of the spi directly of a saddle rivetted to the mast. Is this being a bit optimistic in expecting the saddle to take the load?

What do the rest of you do with the mass of a halyard that is left after hoisting the spi? Leave it dragging behind the boat?

Rob.

"What do the rest of you do with the mass of a halyard that is left after hoisting the spi? Leave it dragging behind the boat?"
Have a chute on the Spitfire now, so the halyard is continuous, but when I had the bag, I used to tie the end of the halyard to the base of the mast, so that it could not knot.