New to rigging the 26M

[Morwenna]

Hi all,
I have just joined the Macgregor fleet with my 26M "Morwenna" based here in Dubai. After the usual nightmares of vessel registration we have taken her out a couple of times. I am still playing with the tension in the rigging to get it right - was too loose, now too tight but we are getting there.

We had very little wind the other day so I tryed the cruising spinnaker. I used the jib halyard (genoa is on roller furler) but it seemed to me that the sail was very low and "too big" for that arrangement. The photo in the Macgregor brochure and website seems to show the spinnaker head a bit above the hounds (where the shrouds join the mast). Is it recommended to use the jib halyard or add an additional halyard?

Thanks in advance.
Nevil Adkins

[James V]

Welcome. There is some threads on tension in the rigging. Good luck. I have always found that a little loose is better than a little tight.

I have never flown a spinnaker. Sometimes the American words does not translate well. No problem really. As far as I can recall, nobody has put another pully higher up for a spinnaker.

I suggest that you take it easy on the Modifications for a few months. Enjoy the cooler winters.

Fair winds, James "LYNX"

[parrothead]

Nevil,

The spinnaker shown in the photo on the MacGregor factory web site is [misleadingly] being flown from a dedicated halyard that is attached to the mast via a separate, higher, hound. This is not "required", but is the best way to go if you want to be able to flatten the luff of the spinnaker for close reaching. See the top photo on my mod page regarding running backstays at http://macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=819 for my original rig of a dedicated spinnaker halyard. I have subsequently down-sized the halyard to 1/4" line and have fitted a matching composite block directly to the upper hound [for a few more inches of height]. Both of those changes result in less weight aloft.

Doug

[Clemo]

Sorry, James V, but I've got to say that an asymmetric spinnaker does need its own halyard, about a foot higher up the mast than the forestay.

There is a very good post with photos on this board, somewhere, but I can't find it right now.

The reason for flying a spinnaker above the forestay, and from the pullpit is to get it well clear of the deck hardware and well away from the forestay.

Truth is that I am waithing for my asymetric spin to arrive, so I havn't flown one on a mac either, but I've done my research.

My plan, when my spinnaker arrives is to test sail in light winds, under the spinnaker alone. I'll use a temporary halyard duct taped to the mast so that I can find the right spot. But I know it will be above the jib halyard.

Since I sail an X I havn't looked at a rotating mast. My guess is that if the spinnaker dimensions are the same for an X and an M then you will want the same height.

Tks,
Clemo,
C ya.

[Clemo]

Me again,

There is a post in Mac Mods by Thomas Chapman on Assy Spinnakers, with photos.

Search mods for "Assy Spinnaker".

Not the one I was looking for but the same message.

& welcome to the world of Mac.

Tks,
Clemo,
C ya.

[Morwenna]

All
Thanks for the advice. Point taken about living with things for a while before drilling holes all over the place - a practice I intend to follow as much as possible. The only holes I have drilled so far were to mount a fire extinguisher in the cabin (legally required here). I am also required to mount a radar reflector so will do this on the front of the mast, but leaving enough space to retrofit a spinnaker halyard at some point.
Regards
Nevil

[Clemo]

Ok. I found the post I was looking for and the photos and detail are by Parrothead. Good on you mate, tks.

Look for "Asymmetrical Spinnaker" by bostonjack Mon Jul 14 2008.

Parrothead's post is halfway down the page. They really show clearly how he flies his kite. And he has posted here as well, thanks for that mate.

There is one definition that may be a translation thing. I know a shute-scoop as a container on (or through) the fore deck. The spinnaker is kept in the container with sheets and halyard attached. When required, by pulling the lines in the right order the kite comes out and goes up perfectly. To douse it one crew man goes forward and, as the lines are pulled back through the scoop he stuffs the sail back in the scoop ready for next time.

A different bit of kit is the spinnaker sock. This is a tube, one end fixed at the spinnaker halyard, the other end has a ring surrounding the spinnaker and sheets with the sail contained inside the tube. The kite goes up in the sock. To deploy it a line up the inside to the halyard and back is pulled and the ring end goes up scrunching the tube up and releasing the width of the sail. Dousing is the reverse, pull the sock back down containing the sail.

I associate the shute-scoop more with dinghys and the sock with bigger boats like ours, but I could be wrong.

Parrothead also shows running backstays. Apparently, with no back stay on am M, tension on the forehead stay can be a problem, running back stays would solve that. On racing boats with a fractional rig the back stay can be used to induce a bend in the mast as an aid to managing main sail shape. But I think most X sailors (as cruisers) use it to tension the forehead stay as well. I know that I do.

Probably too much information for a new owner, Morwenna, but look at the Parrotheads pics of his rig in action. They will explain much better than my words.

Thanks for your posts Parrothead, great help to me.

'n havn't you gotta love this website.....

Tks
C ya
Clemo.

[bubba]

We sail the A-spinnaker with a chute scoop sock and have an adjustable tack line http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm42 ... nakert.jpg and my wife does not have to get out of the front hatch to set up the sail and to use the chute scoop sock to tack the boat. The new longer anchor roller was not too hard to switch with the stock one and only one hole to drill in the new hardware for mounting, and 2 holes to mount the tack pulley. The tack line runs back to the cockpit thru the eyelets used for the roller furling and has about 6 ft of extra line with a quick disconnect for setup from the front hatch. The extra length of the anchor roller helps point up with the A-spinnaker and to be out of the way of the bow light that always got tangled before.

We also have a down wind spinnaker with spinnaker pole for any heading that the A- spinnaker can not handle like here on the Columbia river when the wind blows straight up or down river and tacking is not that possible in the narrow areas. It is an old spinnaker sail from my wife's 20 ft daysailer with about 200 sq ft but it really lifts the front of my M and makes 3 to 5 ft rollers a smooth ride when running down wind.

There is a modification we have hot added yet for using bigger spinnakers is the running back stays http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm42 ... 8013-1.jpg . But if we got a bigger down wind spinnaker we would need extra support in the rigging and probably need them now for stronger breezes.

Nevil Adkins I hope this helps, these mod's really helped our enjoyment of sailing with the A-spinnaker.