Is anyone using a spinlock for their spinnaker halyard? How have you rigged it? Which model are you using?

I'm happy with the one I'm using with 6mm halyard mounted on the beam about 8 inches from the mast. I have a block about 2ft behind the spinlock so that it doesn't accidentally get uncleated you have to pull the halyard up between the block and the spinlock to uncleat.

The stock spin cleat setup on the Infusion seems unacceptable to me. The halyard catches in the cleat during a douse every time.

Have any Infusion sailors replaced the cleat on the mast with a Spinlock? Where do you put it?

Do you get the swiveling Spinlock or the one that does not turn? Do you mount a block somewhere that leads to the Spinlock?

The stock setup works well. You may have to rotate the cleat so that the jaws are down and you may have to rotate the jaws so that the line can drop out of the cleat.

Dave, I'm interested in your stock setup - mine is stock too but it doesn't work well at all. I have a swiveling cleat on the starboard side of the mast above the mainsheet downhaul cleats. I don't believe the jaws are adjustable. The spinnaker halyard releases by pulling it up out of the cleat jaws, but then it goes a bit outboard and down to the trampoline. While I'm snuffing the chute the line recleats itself every time.

yes.. take the whole block/wheel assembly and disconnect it from the mast and re-attach it upside down. The jaws are bolted on to this assembly and they need to also be unbolted and flipped upside down.

The Infusion should release by pulling down not up. Your swivel cleat may be wrong side up. Mine goes through a block on the trampoline after the cleat allowing it to be uncleated from the port side easily by pulling through the block. Mounted correctly there is no way that it could accidentally recleat itself. We have had the cleat on the mast since we started sailing F18s and like it. I do not use Spinlocks for halyards I have broken too many in that application. I use spinlocks for Cunningham as they are so easy to undo when loaded hard.

Great advice - thanks guys. My assembly is definitely upside down then.

Anybody have a picture of the way they have their cleat on the mast?

no I don't sorry.

Take the cleat off and turn it upside down on the Pivoting system. Like the one on the left. No straps to keep the line any place it will work fine this way.

Later,
Dan

I'll give it a try! It looks like with this setup when you uncleat the halyard it will drop between the metal jaws of the block beneath the cleat which would allow it to run free.

That's the plan.

uogecko, the std system is used by the ex world champs, it is much safer than a spin lock, you may want to use a spin lock on the down hauls though, this allows fast release from heavy loads form hard sailing conditions