Technique: Twisted spinnaker

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Twisted spinnaker

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13860
Printed Date: 10 May 25 at 6:24am
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Topic: Twisted spinnaker

Posted By: Henmch
Subject: Twisted spinnaker
Date Posted: 11 Oct 21 at 6:33pm

Hoisting the spinnaker in my new gp14, the head always gets twisted. There’s a pump action cleat. Normally goes up in one pull. We’ve been very careful not to twist it when taking it down. Any suggestions?

Replies:

Posted By: Sailerf
Date Posted: 12 Oct 21 at 6:24am

If you have rigged it correctly, the halyard may be shot. as its been under tension to long .

Posted By: eric_c
Date Posted: 12 Oct 21 at 1:08pm

Wrong sort of rope for the halliard?

Try a few 'hoists' ashore, without the sail, do you still get twisrs?

The system may eventually settle when you've really got all the twists out of the rope.

Does it always twist the same way?

If the core and sheath of the rope are twisted relative to each other, I think you're doomed as the rope as a whole will twist differently according to the tension on it.

A 'solid' plait rope with no core may be more co-operative than 'braid on braid'.

I'd recommend the rope I use, but I don't know what brand it is, we got about half a mile of it for a tenner in a rope end bin. Possibly 8 pliat pre-stretched polyester. No core IIRC.

Posted By: Paramedic
Date Posted: 14 Oct 21 at 5:25pm

does it have to have a pump?

waste of time on a GP in my opinion. its only 1.5 pulls of a normal halyard.

Posted By: Oatsandbeans
Date Posted: 15 Oct 21 at 10:49am

I once sailed with a very good gp sailor and he would Chuck the haliyard off the back of the boat for a minute with the kite up so it would stream back and remove any twists

Posted By: Lukepiewalker
Date Posted: 25 Oct 21 at 6:21pm

GP14s often have a 1:2 in the system, either running up the forestay or along the floor. With the kite being relatively small there isn't an issue with it loading up. Have you got a stopper knot in the halyard so it isn't pulled tight against the sheave on the mast?

-------------
Ex-Finn GBR533 "Pie Hard"
Ex-National 12 3253 "Seawitch"
Ex-National 12 2961 "Curved Air"
Ex-Mirror 59096 "Voodoo Chile"

Posted By: Oatsandbeans
Date Posted: 25 Oct 21 at 6:55pm

Yes gps used to have a 1:2 system with a rope coming from the bow round a block on the end of the haliyard and then back to the spinnaker head. Quite an effective 1:2 system but loads of wind age on the Genoa -probably not worth the drag I suspect!

Posted By: ohFFsake
Date Posted: 26 Oct 21 at 8:27pm

Had massive problems with kite halyard winding up into loops and jamming on my daughters 29er despite taking the halyard off, stretching it etc.
In the end it was just the wrong type of string. Although it was a braided outer that in theory shouldn't have wound up, I think it had a core that did, so it was always wanting to spring into loops.

Worth looking into this, but also make sure you fold rather than coil halyards when packing the boat up for travelling so you don't wind coils into them that take an age to remove again

Posted By: Oatsandbeans
Date Posted: 27 Oct 21 at 5:48am

I agree the type of rope is important. I tried a polyester braid once that was great through the turning blocks but was so soft and slinky it would wrap itself up into knots at every opportunity. Not good-replaced it with a stiffer one wit a core got rid of the snagging.