Thought I'd post some more now that I have more time with some specifics. My pole has the tack line led internally though a back-to-back double block so the halyard also tensions the tack line (allowing a single line to hoist/douse the spi w/o need for a separate tack line). With the midpole snuffer one only needs about 4-5 feet of "slack" to snuff the tack so I shortened this line to take the un-needed excess line out of the system. I have the SS "gate" on my mast and settled on using a short bit of SS wire w/ thimbles as a sort of "pigtail" between the mast padeye (that supports the vertical loads) and a small Ronstan block with becket for the upper halyard. The upper halyard is 1/8" Spectra deadended on this becket, runs down through a back-to-back small Ronstan double block, back up through this block and down to head of spinnaker. The "conventional" halyard- which exits a through block at the back of the spi pole now runs up the side of the mast and through the other end of the double block then back down to a swivel Ronstan block mounted on the rear of my mast via the sail groove (I drilled and tapped a bit of Aluminum rod which slides into the track and then the block screws into this). The lower halyard then runs the length of the trampoline to a block with becket (use a larger block here than a micro to reduce friction/snarls) I shackle/clip to the padeye that holds the port hiking strap. A short bit of Spectra extends from the back of my snuffer bag to the becket on the block- holding the bag back and the block aligned. The lower halyard then runs along the hiking line into the bag and through a small loop in a short bit of line that extends from the lower snuffer webbing (make the loop small enough a large stop knot tied in the halyard will not slide through it) and ends on the upper snuffer patch webbing. I tie the stopper knot in the lower halyard line about 6-12" from the upper webbing so when snuffing the lower webbing point is pulled into the skunk this far ahead of the second patch. By pulling what WAS the original halyard end (which exits the spi pole and cleats on the pole) now you can take all the "slop" out of the halyard/snuffer line you want (don't want it snug when fully snuffed but with just a bit of slack). I actually took off the heavy, rotating cleat and just put a light jam cleat in it's place to keep from "snagging" it with the jib sheets, etc. and to save weight. Also- tie a bit of bunji from the swivel cleat on back of mast to the rotator to keep lines from "falling" into this cleat (spi sheets tended to get trapped there). If you pass the spi sheets between the forestay and spi luff (so you jibe the spi through the foretriangle rather than around the outside) they won't end up wrapped around the pole (very easily) and when snuffed (if you have the right length) the excess sheet is drawn into the snuffer as well so there's no extra sheet flopping around! I have small Holt-Allen snatch blocks I shackle to a sail slug and slide into the front beam as turning blocks for the spi sheet so the sheet just runs along the back of the front beam when snuffed (and I don't use the barber haulers when spi sailing) and stays out of the way. I have the Ronstan autoratchets shackled to the shroud adjusters as my "main" blocks and they seem to work quite well. Since the "skunk" is mounted on the side of the pole it wants to "rotate" and to prevent this I simply tie a line from the pole, along the back of the skunk and under it, to the port bridle wire- trapping the skunk between this line and the stabilizing line from the pole to the bridle tangs on the hull. Now- if only I had a selftacking jib like the Tornados sailing sloop with the spi would be a snap!
