Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

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Dan Corcoran
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Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:32 pm

Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

Post by Dan Corcoran »

I am looking to replace some of my lines and spin halyard.

What are the best practices these days for design (product, lengths, ends, etc.) for
tack line
spin sheets
spin halyard

I am guessing just copying what I have would leave out improvements that have been learned over the years

Thanks!
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Vento Solare
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Location: Newport, RI

Re: Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

Post by Vento Solare »

Dan,

The rigging document posted on the class site is still very good. Mouse over Info, then click on Drawings & Manuals. You'll see J/109 Rigging & Specification documents posted there. Make sure you put sheet stoppers on the halyards by the shackles so if the halyards get tensioned against the sheaves, you don't damage the sheaves with the end of the shackle. I use a Tylaska shackle on the tack line so it can be easily spiked, and in big air for distance races we'll run a trip line to easily do a letterbox takedown. The spin halyard is tapered to minimize weight aloft.
Dan Corcoran
Posts: 280
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:32 pm

Re: Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

Post by Dan Corcoran »

My crew has asked for the new tack line to be an extra boat length long, in case we have to retrieve it after it has gone under the boat. Does that make sense?
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Vento Solare
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Location: Newport, RI

Re: Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

Post by Vento Solare »

Ummmm - why would it go under the boat?
Dan Corcoran
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Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:32 pm

Re: Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

Post by Dan Corcoran »

I am fuzzy on this now. I believe the thought was that in high winds the extra length provides another take down option to avoid getting the sail under the boat.

Having had the spinnaker under the boat twice, I can attest that's really slow.
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Vento Solare
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Re: Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

Post by Vento Solare »

You are talking about a letterbox takedown you want to do. What you want is the ability to blow the tack and have the spinnaker fly free in front of the boat so it doesn't fill and can be pulled down. You can release the tack clutch and run the tackline all the way out. The other way is to have a trip cord rigged from the tack shackle so you can trip it without releasing the tack clutch. You also rig the lazy sheet in between the foot of the main and the boom from the forward side. Then when the tack is blown, the halyard is eased and the lazy sheet is pulled drawing the spinnaker into the companionway. The spin fits in between the main foot and boom slot (like a letterbox slot, hence the name).
Dan Corcoran
Posts: 280
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:32 pm

Re: Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

Post by Dan Corcoran »

What are the best setups for a trip line for the tack line? E.g. type of shackle, etc.?
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Vento Solare
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Re: Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

Post by Vento Solare »

There is a good diagram on the Tylaska website on how to use the plug fids with the remote trip. This is normally not needed except for big wind when you want to execute a letterbox takedown. You run a trip line long enough so the foredeck can easily trip it with the plug fid in the shackle.

Try the Tylaska shackle
Image

Get the associated PF8-T8 Plug Fid

Image
Dan Corcoran
Posts: 280
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:32 pm

Re: Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

Post by Dan Corcoran »

Why would my tack line be 35 feet (my crew complains its too short) and on the web-site it shows 60 feet. What are most owners doing?
https://j109.org/docs/j109_rigging_us_built.pdf
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Vento Solare
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Location: Newport, RI

Re: Looking for optimal design for spin sheets, tack, & halyard

Post by Vento Solare »

The extra length is so you can do a takedown and pull the spinnaker and line into the boat without having to unshackle the end. My crew throws the extra line through the aft opening portlight in the head.
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