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I want to mount the Spinnaker hound today – they shipped to me but I got no instructions:



Where do I put it? Here? or further up here? Or down more??




?? ?? Seems like there ought’a be a perfect measurement from something somewhere considering the detailed specs and angles the factory sent concerning the forestay. (Or maybe not?) just askin. . . .

I put mine 18" higher than the forestay hound. Seems to be a good location as far as the sail goes, and I use a tack line led aft to the cockpit on the other end.

Okay, thanks skipper. I guess I'll block off a distance and get to work. Is the weather good in New York today? Did they finally give you guys a nice warm day?

I was gonna try that Liberty Harbor in Jersey City someday. When I was there in the summer it was very nice and hot and the water was great and boats were everywhere. If it's like that all year round it would be one of the greatest sailing places in the world! Does that nice weather last a long time? If so I want to try sailing there.

BOAT wrote:Is the weather good in New York today? Did they finally give you guys a nice warm day?

Not as nice as yesterday, but it sneaked just above freezing here today for a brief period.

BOAT wrote:Does that nice weather last a long time? If so I want to try sailing there.

It lasts a couple of months longer down there than up here. I was told when I moved up here (grew up down there, in the metro NYC area) to add a month to each end of the winter I was used to.

I thought that was funny then.

I don't now.

I also put mine 18" higher than the forestay hound, but the winds down here have been howling (on my days off), so I haven't had the opportunity to try it out. Thursday (my day off) is finally forecast to be less than 15-20. Hopefully then I will be able to "fly the kite".

Agree with 18"...had installed one at 12" orginally and things got tangled up when furling sometimes.

I would ask Highlander as I believe he has 4 of these installed up there somehow...

No, don't ask Highlander - that thing is not a boat - it's the Flying Dutchman.

I'm not Davey Jones so I am not an octopus squid creature with multiple appendages able to manage 16 sails at the same time with my many arms. Only Highlander can do that. I still can't figure out how Highlander keeps that ship on the water. (Maybe he doesn't?)

I taped a string line on the mast at 18" like you folks said and then I raised the mast. In the AM when the wind is dead calm I will take that string and tie it to the pulpit to see if I get a good angle off the forestay. If it looks good, I'll pin the hound there.

I just looked up that Whitby place on Google maps - your right across the pond from Captain tkanzler? Is it cold there too?

Oh, say it ain't so Captain Joe!! Key West!! I LOVE that place! I thought we were good here at 63 today but what is it in Key West today?? Over 70 I bet? Nice!

BOAT wrote: Oh, say it ain't so Captain Joe!! Key West!! I LOVE that place! I thought we were good here at 63 today but what is it in Key West today?? Over 70 I bet? Nice!

We were in the low 80's. however a cold front is headed our way toward the end of the week. It looks like we will have to "suffer" through a high of 67 and breezy.

JoeG wrote:

BOAT wrote: Oh, say it ain't so Captain Joe!! Key West!! I LOVE that place! I thought we were good here at 63 today but what is it in Key West today?? Over 70 I bet? Nice!

We were in the low 80's. however a cold front is headed our way toward the end of the week. It looks like we will have to "suffer" through a high of 67 and breezy.

The Admiral has been in Boca Raton for almost three weeks now, and she's slipped a couple of times and told me it was 'cold' (60's), either because all the locals (and the TV news talking heads) call that cold, or because she's getting used to the warm herself. Of course, we have members here where the singles and teens are considered warm, so everything is relative.

Remember that when flying the spinnaker, the luff won't be a straight line from the hound to the stem fitting, and even if you use parrel beads or a ATN Tacker to hold the tack to the furled genoa, interference with the furled sail or forestay won't be an issue with the halyard that high above the jib/genoa hound.

The spinnaker halyard can interfere with the genoa furler if you mount the spinnaker hound too low, or if you let it sag if terminated on the bow rail (with no sail on it), but that's just something to be aware of while sailing (too much halyard slack). You can also bring the halyard to the mast when it's not being used, but many folks like to use it as a backup forestay, and terminate it at the bow rail. Either way, just keep it away from the furler, or it'll get wound up in it, causing the spontaneous discharge of copious amounts of spirited vitriol.

Hey, will I be able to use the new spinnaker hound to raise the genoa cover at 18 inches okay? I will be able to pull it all the way up over the top of the furled genoa, right?

I don't see why not. It's a bit above the jib/genoa hound, but gravity is pulling down, so it's going to balance somewhat, and probably slide up there like poop through a goose. Probably, as I don't have a cover, and can't speak from experience, but it seems logical.

I taped a line at 18 inches and pulled that down to the pulpit and the angle and it almost looks too LOW! (!)



So, I went upstairs to see it from the bedroom window and sure enough, it looks too low! :



Hmmm, you think it would be okay to mount the hound at 19 or 20 inches??? Or do you think maybe my eyes are just getting fooled by the perspective?

I don't know what your concern is, but it looks ok to me. Remember that the asymmetric will billow out, and not be anywhere near the forestay when flown.

Here's a pic I grabbed from the web, though it's a much bigger boat, and a masthead rig to boot, but it's a good view of the luff and its relationship to the forestay. It even has a snuffer at the top, and a Tacker (or the functional equivalent) at the bottom.

Yuppers, I had a masthead rig on my old A23 but that boat had a shorter mast and enough heft to support a masthead kite but really the only reason my dad mounted the kite on the masthead of the old boat was so we kids could ride the whisker pole when the wind was heavy.

I don't think the MAC carries enough ballast to do that so I think I would rather fly the spinnaker from a lower position. I think I will go 19 inches?? Does that sound okay?

Yes Boat...snowing here again tonight, cold as a witches left breast.

Should be fine at 18 - 20", just clip the spin halyard to the slot for the mast trailering pin, pull it tight and lock it down when not in use. Makes for a great forestry backup in the event of failure for extra security or tie your hammock to at anchor. Once in a while you might even find it useful to fly the spin if the Admiral's had enough wine.