Do I Want a Cruising Chute?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Dan,

Using an ATN Tacker, if you attach a tack line to clew, and run it down through a block and then back to the cockpit using stanchion blocks, you can adjust the height of the asym's tack from the cockpit. That gives you additional control of the trim of the sail. You'd need to attach the first at an appropriate point at the foot of the furler so the tack line would run fair. Your photo in Post #53 shows the tack line.

Thanks Hud - That's what we did - However as the height of the foot raises the tack line got more and more squrrely and would foul the pulpit. The luff also loses shape a bit and the sail flies further away from the centerline of the boat. As wind speed increased we had to go tighter and tighter on the tack line to control the sail and it still wasn't ideal in about 15 knots.

The tacker looks like it will do a good job of controling the tack and the shape of the luff.

We've been running the asym with a pole ever since our experiements which adds a lot of complexity to any gybes we would make. It's not a huge problem because we fly the asym more on beam reaches and when headed somewhere we usually don't gybe it.

It could be very useful if we sail certain triangle courses.

I am not entirely sure when I choose the a-sail but it would be light airs when reaching. Over the genny this gives me a sail that is lighter and easier to keep full.

My big problem is that I need to become captain Bligh. My crew would rather drink boat drinks then mess with sail changes... Maybe I need to lock the beer cooler until the right sail is flying

Originally Posted by Stephen Hicks

Hi I have read numerous reply's to this post and it seams the majority of you place your tack inside the bow pulpit forcing you to roll up your genoa. Think about placing the tack point forward of the bow out side the pulpit and run a downhaul down the deck to a stopper block ahead of a winch do not use stanchion blocks as they may not be able to accomidate the load a straight run down the deck from a 3 point down haul will allow you infinitude adjustment and an adjustable tack point

I think this is an ideal situation. It allows you to run a longer luff and lower the foot of the sail. On most race boats I see the asym is tacked directly to the sprit. A downhaul/cunningham whatever arrangement could add flexibility to trim.

I already have an Asym and it is designed to fly above the pulpit. The tacker is a good option for me to control the tack line and make the kite fly closer to the center of the boat at all angles.

[malbert73]

One last post about this.

cruising chutes are nicely designed for reaching, and are cut with a higher clew and flatter shape for this generally.

A point well worth repeating for anyone on a budget- a conventional symmetric spinnaker flies just about as well on a reach without a pole, and perhaps even better at deeper reaching angles without a pole due to fuller shape.

Using an ATN tacker, or lashing the clew to the forestay, simulates the reaching position of a usual spinnaker when you put the pole all the way forward. So really no different

This is relevant because used serviceable symmetric spinnakers are way cheaper and more plentiful, and will do virtually the same job- and you never need to buy a pole for this.

Only on planing boats where your boatspeed can exceed the windspeed are flatter cut asymmetric spinnakers essential for maintaining hot angles (see Melges boats, A cats, etc)

[Stephen Hicks]

I agree symmetrical used spinnakers are much less expensive and plentiful. These sails can be re cut in order to make them more manageable and flatter for tight reaching or not. for running the head needs to be opened up but do not expect to go much deeper than approximately 150 degrees.