Asymmetric Spinnaker Tacker

[Pete7]

Currently we fly our asymmetrical spinnaker by using a 2 meter long sheet from the tack to an eye bolt secured just behind the anchor roller and genoa furling drum. The clew sheet runs to a turning block mounted at the stern. The tack is set level with the clew about 1.5 meters off the deck so it clears the pulpit.

The sail is reasonably stable so I wonder what is the advantage of a tacker which holds the tack to the furling sail? does holding the tack on the centre line of the yacht have an advantage? does the tacker hold an asymmetrical sail more stable in stronger or squally gusts?

Certainly not paying $150 for a piece of plastic and a length of webbing strap, so might make my own.

http://www.atninc.com/images/products/tacker3.jpg

[MikeFergie]

I fly mine on my cat using a bridle rope connected to the d eyes on the top of the bows. I can pull the tack to either side of the boat to get a better angle depending on the winds.

I think these are more for mono hulls which can't do this and have no bow sprit

[dlymn]

I have a block at the base of the jib furler and run a line from the tack back to the cockpit. I usually have the tack a metre or two above the block. It worries me that the tackline or the sail is pushing with significant force on the pulpit at times. Having the tack fly off the jib might eliminate this.

[tmcdonagh]

The tacker allows me to use my traditional spinnaker without a pole without the accompanying complexities on my monohull. It's so simple and fast to set up I can single hand deploy and retrieve with a lashed tiller. The system is designed so that one can tack the spinnaker from the cockpit hence the name. My intention was to eek out as much speed as possible with the dying SW winds on buzzards bay toward the evening. Over the last few years, I have noticed the wind does not fall off as much toward sunset. I still fly the chute as much as possible in winds up to 15 knots.

[Suijin]

Pete, it just gives you more trim control and allows you to head incrementally deeper because the tack is pulled farther to windward. I made my own. The primary concern is chafe on the furled jib.

I have an anchor shackle on the bow end of my anchor roller (which is super beefy construction) and when I fly the asym I put a pully on it and run the tack line back to one of the bow cleats. This puts the tack forward of the forestay which makes for easier tacking. I still sock it and refly it to tack (in part because I only have one sheet for it, a lightweight dyneema line), but I just pass the socked sail to the other side forward of the stay and jib. I could run the tack line all the way back to the cockpit but find that it does not need adjustment often enough to merit that.

[robert sailor]

As many of you probably know the tack of a cruising chute should be adjusted for the point of sail. The closer to the wind the more you pull the tack closer to the deck which flattens out the sail and the further off the wind the more you ease the tack to make the sail fuller. The downside to easing the sail when sailing deeper angles is that the sail flies further and further behind the main which limits how deep you can sail. A tacker hold the sail in place not allowing this to happen. Hope this all makes sense.
You can make your own by simple using a steel cable and a bunch of small plastic or wood balls strung on it to stop any chafe. R

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

As many of you probably know the tack of a cruising chute should be adjusted for the point of sail. The closer to the wind the more you pull the tack closer to the deck which flattens out the sail and the further off the wind the more you ease the tack to make the sail fuller. The downside to easing the sail when sailing deeper angles is that the sail flies further and further behind the main which limits how deep you can sail. A tacker hold the sail in place not allowing this to happen. Hope this all makes sense.
You can make your own by simple using a steel cable and a bunch of small plastic or wood balls strung on it to stop any chafe. R

Further to the foregoing see "Asymmetrical Spinnaker Trim". While we have a tacker, one can also make and use a Parrel Bead Collar:



This, and the tacker, can be used with a symmetric spinnaker as well, allowing it to be used without a pole. On our boat we have fitted a ATN dowsing sock to our symmetric spinnaker, as we have on the asymmetric, although a 1,500+ SF it's a lot of sail for just the two of us. Note that, in either case, the tack line needs be adjustable to permit raising or lowering the tack to the same height as the clue just as is the case with a pole.

FWIW...

[Jeanneau 45.2]

I have an ATN Tacker, and aside from using it with my A-Sym ... makes a great attachment point on the forestay for a hammock ... spreads the load along the foil. As to cost, what does a good snap shackle cost if you DYI? YMMV

[Pete7]

Well that's a plan then, I am going to make my own. Thanks for the input.

Pete

[Capt.Don]

It also depends on the lead of your tackline. I have my tack secured inside my bow-pulpit, through a block attached to the base of the headstay. The taker keeps the tackline off the bow-pulpit and and makes it a little easier to handle the asyo.

I had a couple of reasons for this: I don't have a bowsprit and am worried about securing the tack to the anchor roller and I'm worried about the tackline ripping off my bow-light.

Seems to work OK for us.
Don

[Calif.Ted]

I have a tacker, prior to that I had something similar made by a sailmaker. It was made using nylon web straps and a piece of nylon cloth to replicate that plastic sleeve. Since a key operational point is the ability to adjust the tack up and down you want something that will slide on the furled genny. Going up is usually easy but pulling it down can be a bear.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Well that's a plan then, I am going to make my own. Thanks for the input.

Pete

I made mine using parrel beads (got a big handful from a rigger friend) that I strung together on dyneema line, which I do have to inspect for chafe now and then. Probably better to string them on wire if you have the means of crimping your own ferrules.