Thanks Ken, but that's what I use the second knot for. I tie the halyard to the top patch, and then drop down about 18" and tie a figure "8" in the line. This knot picks up the bottom patch 18" before the second patch and they enter the snuffer mouth with this distance between them.
My problem seems to be that the bottom of the spinnaker blows aout, often putting the spin sheets under the front hull and then I'm screwed. I've just shortened the spin sheets to where they should be just long enough and I've raised the height of the snuffer end about 16". I've also put in a bigger bungee at the rear block where I run the halyard. I've not tried this yet, but should have a chance this weekend and hopefully I'll have our normal 15-20 winds to try it on.
I have also just installed a second "patch" midway between the top and bottom patch which hopefully will keep the lower part of the spinnaker from billowing out as I take the spinnaker down. remember, I'm doing this in pretty hefty winds. I don't have a problem when the winds are under 15 and the seas are flat (2-3').
I've attached a picture of the halyard (red/white) runs through a bullet eye back thru a block bungeed to the rear beam and back thru a harken swivel cleat (right side) and up the mast.
