Hendrickson Sailmakers has good news for cruising sailors who have shied away from including a spinnaker in their sail inventory because they sail shorthanded. Until the last couple of years, the spinnaker was a scary thing because it could be difficult to douse and many cruising sailors didn't care to deal with the spinnaker pole, and I don't blame them. But the new cruising spinnakers open up a new world of speed, fun, and convenience.
The new cruising spinnakers eliminate the pole, and dousing is simplified by the use of a sleeve, or "sock." This is a long nylon tube that snuffs the spinnaker while it is flying. By easing the sheets, and pulling the sock down over its shoulders, a single person can douse and maintain a spinnaker, instead of three. A cruising spinnaker is smaller in the "shoulders," and cut a little more flat than a racing spinnaker.
But you can have a cruising spinnaker flying in a couple
of minutes, and dousing is a snap, even when the wind picks up. The "sock"
is controlled by two lines, one pulls the sock up and off the sail, and another
pulls the sock over the spinnaker. This system does for the spinnaker what
roller furling did for the Genoa. A cruising spinnaker doubles your boat speed
sailing off the wind in light and medium air, and it also is tremendous fun.
Call Hendrickson Sailmakers, Inc., for a consultation about
adding a cruising spinnaker to your sail inventory, drop us a line via
e-Mail, or if you wish you can call
us direct. The lofts telephone number is (609) 764-0888.
Cruisers who sail with a single 150 or 135 percent Genoa on their roller furling system and do not carry a second headsail on the boat are making a big mistake. Those big Genoas can be torn to shreds in the higher wind ranges, even when they are reefed on the roller furling. A smaller, bulletproof jib say, 100 or 110 percent of the foretriangle is a necessity for any serious skipper. Deploying a smaller headsail in heavier air also will extend the life of that big Genoa. Depending on the big genny alone will stretch and deteriorate the sail prematurely.
Converting a mainsail with partial battens to a full-batten main is a
simple task for a sail loft, and benefits for the sailor may be substantial.
Partial battens may act like a whip, causing the mainsail to whip around when
you are luffing during a tack or you are raising or lowering sail. Battens are
narrow, flexible panels inserted into pockets sewn into the sail. With full
battens, the mainsail is very docile during raising and lowering, and its
service life is extended because all that whipping is avoided.
Hendrickson Sailmakers do not recommend a full-batten retrofit on old, soft sails. But stiff, newer sails will last longer and provide better performance in light air. "The full battens maintain the shape in light wind conditions, improving drive," Hendrickson said. "And when vou have a full-batten main combined with the Dutchman svstem, the mainsail flakes itself - the convenience is like what roller furling did for the jib." Call Hendrickson Sailmakers, Inc., for a consultation about converting your existing main to a full-batten main, drop us a line via e-Mail, or if you wish you can call us direct. The lofts telephone number is (856) 764-0888.