Spinnaker Retrieval Line Setup

[J Blass]

For rookies who have never sailed with a spinnaker retrieval line -

Could someone describe a straightforward method to rig the retrieval line properly while the boat is on the trailer? I have yet to get it right and end up correcting it on the water.

Thanks,

Jay

[davidreich]

I'll attempt in words - but a quick video would be more helpful. The basics:
1. layout spin on ground along port side with tack forward and clew aft - head on top.
2. start in the aft and tie sheets to clew.
3. tie halyard to head - make sure retrieving line (other end of halyard) is tied off to the bar at the bow opening. May have to get up on boat to tie the head on.
4. untie the line from bow bar and take it UNDER the sheet (stb sheet) and under the sail. go first through the grommet on outboard side of sail then tie to patch on inboard side of sail. The head will go up as you pull the retrieving line to thread it.
5. tie the tack line on the tack (think of the luff as having to make at straight line between the end of the sprit and the top of mast with nothing in front of it (inside jibes).

where many go wrong is on step 4 (they don't under the starboard sheet which coming around the port side of boat) and/or at 5 (the run the clew under the starboard sheet to tie on the tack.

There are a couple little things that folks do but this is the basic to not get things twisted. Keep doing and you'll get the hand of it. You can remove (or modify as some have) the trailer mast support and pull out the sprit so you can tie it up and launch the kite while it on the trailer (light wind mind you) to see it all play out correctly.

Hope that helps (and you are not more confused.....) Someone (Brian/Hayden/or sailmaker) should do a video.

Sail fast and fun.
Cheers,
David

[J Blass]

Thank you David,

That sequence solved the problem beautifully.

We're still having difficulty with takedowns getting hung up somewhere and will troubleshoot the line routings and so on. Windward a little less troublesome, but still way too much friction in the system.

[vernon green]

Jay,

We had some friction also at first, if you tie a small tail to the retrieval patch and then tie the halyard to that it will solve alot of it. We also have tied the bowline big at the patch in place of the tail and that seems to work also.

The theory is that it prevents the entire body from hitting the snuffer at once and spreads it out.

The other thing that we have found is that if the driver reaches down and banjos the retrieval line right as it loads up it seems to suck it past the worst of it quickly.

[J Blass]

Yes, we tied a knot about 18 inches below the retrieval patch to prevent that issue. It's coming to a screeching halt that I can feel while banjoing as you describe. It could be anything, from a hockle forming in the line or the sail catching on the lower furler hardware. I plan to tape it more generously next time out.

[davidreich]

You also might check for sure that your halyard is run properly under the deck and that it is not wrapped around the bow sprit.

[vernon green]

We had a pretty good hang up the the other day and realized the halyard got recleated .

[davidreich]

There is a solution for that! From the bulkhead directly above the cleat, hang a piece of 3/16 or 5/32 shock cord via a stopper knot through a drilled hole in the bulkhead. on the other end tie a stainless 1" - 1 1/4" ring on it just above the cleat. Run the halyard through the fairlead ahead of the cleat, then up through the ring, then through the cleat. When the halyard goes tight it pulls the ring down and holds in the cleat. When you release, the shock cord/ring holds the halyard up and keeps it from re-cleating.

[vernon green]

I like the idea of that fix, guess since the class pres said it is legal then it is good to go!

[rheausler]

Need help on this. How do you prevent shrimping with the takedowns. We had a few this weekend that were poorly done due to our newness to the boat.

[kpike]

Lots of advice available here.  Less bad things happen when the retrieval line is pulled in quickly.  Ideally the retrieval has to be pulled in faster than the kite is dropping.  This requires the crew to focus on that one task.  Speed comes with practice and technique.  My crew had to work out to improve her speed and endurance.  This also requires the helmsman to keep the boat stable while the crew cranks on the retrieval line. 

Douse from port - Tension the kite halyard hard which will pull the kite patch around the forestay.  Pop the halyard out of the cam cleat and continue to pull the kite down.

Another technique is to drop the kite against the jib (called a mexican).  From starboard, jibe onto port but keep the kite sheeted to starboard.  The kite is back winded against the jib. Stay deep and release sheet and the halyard, pull retrieval line like crazy. 

There a lot of tasks to be sequenced between the crew and helmsman to get a clean drop, round the mark and head upwind.  So it requires practice to smooth out the technique.   Good luck.

[Rod Favela]

Hey Jay,

I will give you a hand on that. You basically want to pull your messenger line  from the spinnaker launcher and leave the other end tied to the mast partners.