spin takedown steps

Hi you wise souls out there. I just got my Infusion..What a nice sailing boat. Yes the daggers do gybe!.. Pretty cool to see them going back and forth..

My question is this: What is the sequence for taking down the spin?

What I have got so far is this:
1. crew gives spin sheet to skip
2. crew releases halyard
3. crew starts snuffing as fast as possible
4. skipper uncleats tack.

Problem is if crew doesn't snuff fast enough then the bag goes in the drink! I could bring a whip on the boat, but I am looking for a 21st century solution!
Thanks,
Dave

If your halyard and retreval line are the same rope and the right length, its very unlikely that you're kite will end up in the water. On our boat I never touch anything kite related. The crew does it all.

On the Infusion the tack is a separate line and it can be rigged so that either the crew or skipper can release it. If the crew releases it then they have to stop snuffing and reach down to release it..Slower imho..

It will firstly all depend on how you have the boat set up ie Halyard / Tackline.

1) Crew comes in of wire with skipper going out (if fresh)
2) Crew puts windward board down, then ducks under boom and puts the leeward board down.
3) Crew sheets in Jib and brings in Mast rotation.
4) Crew stands on kite sheet to maintain kite flying
5) Crew takes up slack in retrieval line before uncleating the spinnaker halyard and retrieving.
6) As the crew is retreiving he must step of kite sheet.
7) Once kite is snuffed, crew moves to wire and swings out while he grabs the downhaul and applies necessary tension.
8) Crew then fine tunes jib and mast rotation before taking the main sheet.

** If you have a seperate tack like we do, when the crew is retreiving, the skipper will trip the tack line. I have a release at the end of each rear beam so it is accessable when I am trapping of the transom or sitting in. I also have a back up one beside the retreival line for the crew to trip if I have too much on (and will call it)

I don't have the crew hand me the sheet - I let them keep it snug while they pull in the slack on the dousing line. They then release the sheet and start the douse (releasing the sheet makes the douse easier). The tack line doesn't get released until the ball of the snuffer has just started to go into the hoop - I've never had a spinnaker in the water problem unless the tack is released too soon.

We use the separate tack line also.

when the chute stops coming into the snuffer, then it is time to release the tack line.

you have to be a little careful if you have a really strong & keen front person. Kevin has ripped a chute or two ;-0

We are also rigged to have the tack so we can reach it from the wire so we can pre feed, so we have at least one on the wire at the hoist and the rounding.

I was about to do this when we put the boat on the market, so it'll have to wait for the next boat. Our proposed system is at the back of the boat where I as skipper can reach between my legs and give it a tug. Has anyone used reverse purchase here to minimise the amount of rope that needs to be pulled?

Yep, initially tried 1:2 purchase and was too hard to pull out..... Now 1:1

Also have 1.5 mm lines running under the tramp to 3 locations to trip the tackline cleat. Will take some pics soon and post.

Hey, Hey, Hey! There will be none of that. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I'm definitely interested in seeing your set-up. Robbie put something similar on his last Cap (they keep selling out from underneath him) and I'll be doing the same over the winter. No change to the stock 1:2 single-line set up until after I get through Nationals and our Championship Qualifying event in November.

I would like to see your triple trip set-up. I though about running the trips aft but was thinking a wave might trip the tack <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />.

Step by step:
1. on distance race, realize you are trying to run the spin way too high or low, say "crap" and call for the spin to be brought down.
2. quickly try to remember whether it works better to release tack line first or halyard while sorting out the mess of lines on the tramp.
3. release halyard and/or tack line
4. pull on snuffer line while the skipper tries to figure out where to grab the stupid spin sheet.
5. yell "BUTT CLEATING" as the crew is standing on the snuffer line while pulling.
6. realize the spin is not being snuffed because:
a) the halyard auto cleated
b) someone is standing on the snuffer line again
c) the darn thing is hung up on the hoop
d) the line has kinkied and isn't running through the block
e) you have already run over the thing
f) skipper drives into the wind wondering if yet another daggerboard broke
7) have the crew invariably crawl up the bows to release kite from under boat
8) finally get the spin in the bag
9) decide to call it a day because the crew is suffering heat stroke from pulling on the lines/crawling on the bows/ getting yelled at by the skipper.
10) do it all over again in a vain attempt to "get it right"

It's always the crews fault!

That's what I tell my crew.

tback
Uni F16

Me n you T! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

it isn't always the crews fault <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I want my crew to be as involved in tactics/planning as I am. It is so much more fun when it is a collaborative effort

You missed the irony, there - two single-hand skippers are blaming their crew. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Regardless, in any situation it's always the crew's fault! Like, "Why did you let me come to this regatta?" "Why didn't you tell me it was gusting to 40?" "Why did you get me that 10th beer??" "Why didn't you drive home?" "Why did you tell that cop I could kick his butt??" <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Tim, you up for Wildcat? Maybe we could steal one of FoN's extra N20....

yeah, missed that one. damn it... I work too much <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Yeah it is. The beauty of collaborative efforts is that when a wrong call is made, the crew should have pushed harder for the correct course of action. Of course when the right call is made, the crew should always congratulate the skipper on a great piece of strategy etc <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Tiger Mike

Spinlock cleat for tack line on the inside of the front beam.


Trip line tied to top of Spinlock cleat.

Tack line comes from under tramp and through a small swivel pully to allow you to pull the tack from any angle. The Spinnlock cleat has a wedge block (supplied) under it so as you pull the tack, the Spinnlock automaticly cleats. The Tack then sucks into the front beam through a single exit block and pulled tought with bungie with about 3 wraps up and down inside the beam. The bungie is sewn inside the tack line to allow for the bungie to pass through the block too.

The use of the exit block reduces the friction from the system a lot.

Trip line for the Spinnlock travels around the dolphin striker and splits of into 3 lines that run to various points around the tramp.

First trip line comes out beside the retrieval line for crew's access.

2nd and 3rd trip lines travel to the rear corners of the tramp for skipper's access both on and off the wire.

It comes up through eyelets in the tramp and ties of on the beam end cap. I have drilled a small hole in the end caps and tied a stopper not behind. I have also added a tie ball to make it a little easier to grap line but now think it is not neccasary.

Thanks mate, very nice. What happens on harbour courses with stbd roundings? Do you send Brent down to get a face full of spray?

When you've got a minute to spare, would you mind knitting me a new jumper? It looks like you've had practice.

Love it - thanks a bunch, Steve. This is much cleaner than a couple of other attempts I've looked at. Assuming that I prove to myself in the next two races that I really need this, it will be my pre-Tradewinds project over Christmastime. Talking with the other NA Cap owners, the seperate tack line takes three pulls off the eleven needed to hoist using the stock, single-line system. Along with being able to pull the tack out (and release it) from the wire, it sounds like a serious time-saver and can really put a couple of boat-lengths on the competition at a crowded A-pin.

Thanks again for taking the time to post some pics. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the PIC's Mike.

<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />