Hoisting and dropping, with and without a snuffer
1The lesson in plain words
Hoist behind the headsail, fast, on a broad reach. Drop behind the main or headsail, depowered first. A snuffer makes both easier.
Prepare
Bring the sail on deck in its bag on the leeward side, secured. Lead the sheets, outside everything, back to the cockpit. Check the halyard is clear and not wrapped round the forestay. On a symmetric spinnaker, rig the pole on the windward side, at roughly right angles to the apparent wind. Brief each crew member on their job.
Hoist
Bear away to a broad reach so the main shelters the sail while it goes up. Hoist the halyard quickly, all the way to its mark, while the sheet stays slack so the sail does not fill too early. Then trim the sheet (and guy) and roll away or drop the headsail. A sail that fills half-hoisted can drag a crew member or wrap.
Trim
The basic trim rule for any spinnaker: ease the sheet until the luff just starts to curl, fold in, then trim a little. Play the sheet constantly. On a symmetric, keep the pole roughly at right angles to the apparent wind and the two corners at about the same height.
Drop
Bear away so the main shelters the sail; set the headsail. Have the gathering crew take control of the leeward sheet and clew (lower aft corner). Using the boat's briefed method, ease the guy forward on a symmetric, or ease the tack line on an asymmetric. Retain the leeward sheet and gather the foot (bottom edge) behind the main while lowering the halyard under control. Do not let the halyard run free: keep the sail out of the water.
Snuffer
A snuffer or sock is a long tube of cloth with a ring at its bottom, hoisted with the sail inside. Pull the snuffer's uphaul line to release the sail; pull its downhaul line to pull the sock down over it. Before snuffing, ease the sheet fully and bear away so the sail collapses behind the main. Then lower the sock and sail together.
2Step by step
Dropping an asymmetric with a snuffer
- 1
Bear away to a broad reach; unroll the headsail.
The main and headsail shelter the spinnaker and take its load.
- 2
Ease the sheet fully so the spinnaker collapses behind the main.
A powered sail cannot be snuffed safely.
- 3
Pull the snuffer down over the sail with its downhaul.
The sock smothers the sail from the top down.
- 4
Lower the halyard under control and gather the snuffed sail in.
A running halyard can drop the sail into the sea.
- 5
Release the tack line, bag the sail and coil the lines.
A tidy foredeck is ready for the next hoist or a manoeuvre.
3Key data
- Hoist
- Broad reach, behind the headsail, sheet slack until full height
- Trim rule
- Ease until the luff curls, then trim a little
- Symmetric pole
- About square to the apparent wind; corners level
- Drop
- Broad reach, behind main or headsail, halyard controlled
4Key points
- 1
Hoist on a broad reach, sheltered behind the main and headsail, quickly to the top.
- 2
Keep the sheet slack until the sail is fully hoisted.
- 3
Trim rule: ease until the luff just curls, then trim in a little.
- 4
Drop behind the main or headsail, with the halyard under control.
- 5
Snuffer: depower the sail first, then pull the sock down.
5Frequent mistakes
Wrong: Trim the sheet as you hoist, to fill the sail quickly.
Right: A sail that fills half-hoisted is uncontrollable. Hoist fully, then trim.
Wrong: To drop quickly, let the halyard run.
Right: The sail falls into the water and can be run over. Lower the halyard under control as the crew gathers.
Wrong: Pull the snuffer down while the sail is still full.
Right: A full sail will not snuff and can lift the crew. Bear away and ease the sheet first.
6Practice case & exam keys
Hoisting the asymmetric on a beam reach in 12 knots, the crew trims the sheet before the halyard is fully up. The sail fills halfway, the halyard is torn from the hoister's hands and the sail twists.
Show the answer
Ease the spinnaker sheet immediately to unload the half-hoisted sail. Bear away to a broad reach so the main shelters it, then lower under control and clear the twist. Before trying again, check the halyard and sheets are clear. Hoist behind the headsail with the sheet slack until the halyard reaches its mark; only then trim.
Exam keys
- Hoist on a broad reach behind the headsail; sheet slack until fully up.
- Trim: ease to a slight luff curl.
- Drop behind the main or headsail with the halyard controlled.
- Snuffer: depower first, then pull the sock down.
Finish this unit
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