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Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere – I’ve been searching the internet and this site but just can’t find what i’m looking for.
I’m a brand new GP14 owner – well, i’m brand new to GP14 – my boat however is a series 2 wooden GP14 from, I think, the early 90s
I’ve sailed a number of dinghies before, so I have been having great fun working out the ropes of my ‘new’ boat. Crucially i’ve never sailed anything with a spinnaker in it – so I’m looking forward to getting to grips with it…however there’s one thing i can’t work out:
The boat is rigged with twinning lines, an elastic uphaul and a rope downhaul – all of that I can work out. Oddly the thing I can’t make sense of is the spinnaker halyard. I’ve read and seen pictures of a halyard pulley system going up the forestay in series 1 boats, but also read that this is not normally the way with series 2. From entering the sheave, my halyard goes down the mast and along the bottom of the boat to a 2:1 pulley system near the transom – so that makes sense. My question is how is the halyard is then normally run/rigged from when it comes out of the mast sheave to the the spinnaker head (when the spinnaker is stowed under the foredeck in a bag) such that it is secure and, of course, clear/outside of the jib/jib sheets, so that it can be raised when it is either on the leeward or windward side.
I can see how this could be done by running the halyard down the forestay – perhaps with some sort of attached (via appropriately placed stop knots) loop that ran up and down the forestay – and then aft along the foredeck, but even then I’m not certain how you could ensure that it did run all the way to the bottom of the forestay, when taking the spinnaker in, without some sort of extra rope system pulling the loop down..so my question is – is this (or something like this) the normal way of running the spinnaker halyard? I suspect i may not be, but I can’t work out an alternative, or find any pictures or guidance which sets one out
So I’ve come to the conclusion that the solution must be so obvious that it isn’t worthy of mention anywhere! so if anybody can help by telling me what the obvious/usual solution to running the spinnaker halyard once it exits the mast sheave on a series 2 boat is, i’d be really grateful
Thanks
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I am sure there are top racers who are more expert that I am, but since no-one else has responded I will help so far as I am able.
There is no fundamental difference between the rig of the several different hull types, apart from the well known caveat about not applying too much rig tension on a series 1 unless the mast step conversion has been done. But other than that, the rig is basically a matter of how you personally choose to rig the boat, within the constraints of the Class Rules. However the rig has progressively evolved during the 65-year lifetime of the class; and what was state of the art in an earlier era is now often considered outclassed by modern improvements.
Therefore if you like the spinnaker halliard operating via a 1:2 clipped to a traveller on the forestay there is not the slightest reason why you should rig in that way, irrespective of series 1 or series 2. If you already have a 1:2 inside the boat you may wish to discard that in favour of the 1:2 up the forestay.
Alternatively you can leave the spinnaker halliard loose, and just allow it to flap around; it won’t seriously get in the way. If it is mildly annoying, you could secure a small clamcleat permanently to the shroud, aligned so that you pull the halliard downwards into the clamcleat to engage it, and then pulling the halliard to hoist the kite will instantly disengage it. If you know that you won’t be using the spinnaker for a couple of hours or more, e.g. on an 8-mile beat down an estuary and then perhaps a break for lunch, you could untie/unclip it from the spinnaker and stow it on the ring on the mast and then pull the halliard taut; plenty of time later to re-set it for instant readiness.
I used the clamcleat arrangement on a shroud on a previous boat, but with my present one I just leave it loose if I want it in instant readiness, while if I know I won’t be using it then I secure it to the mast ring and haul it taut.
Hope this helps,
Oliver.
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Thanks for the reply Oliver
That all makes sense – I think my fear of it (the halyard) getting caught on something (most likely the jib sheets) just comes from experience that if a rope on a boat can in theory get caught or tangled, then it eventually always will in practice – normally at the most inconvenient/dangerous time! However, if you’ve experience of leaving it loose with no issues then I’ll give that a go and see how I get on.
Many thanks
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Hi Dave,
I refer you to the section in the members’ library entitled ‘a beginner’s guide to rigging a GP14, which may be helpful. The most used method of hoisting a spinnaker is to have the 1:2 hoist along the bottom of the boat. This system has the advantage of not needing a well tensioned forestay up which to run, and allows a quicker hoist since the rope length needed is less. Care need to be taken to prevent the exposed halliard getting tangled with either the pole or the pole retaining ring on the mast. This is achieved by ensuring the loose halliard is positioned behind the spreaders after dropping the sail.
Hoisting with the sail which is stowed on the leeward side is just a matter of hoisting, but fouling of with the genoa can occur. This may be avoided by hoisting the sail as the crew pushes the pole out to clip it on the mast, or by keeping the genoa fully cleated in until the kite is hoisted. A windward hoist is achieved by the crew picking up the sail and throwing it out so that it clears the front of the genoa—-difficult on a reach and may best be achieved by the helm bearing away to a broad reach or run for a few seconds whilst the throw is carried out.
The spinnaker is always pulled down on the windward side and placed in the boat between the genoa sheet and the front deck (preferably behind a restraining curtain arrangement or into bags)
The sheet/guy is normally a single continuous tapered rope for the sheet/guy running via fairleads (or through deck) via camcleats (used normally only when cruising) from one side to the other across the boat. The halliard is attached to the top of the kite but has a knot and bobble approximately 4 ins from the attachment point to prevent the top of the spinnaker touching the mast when hoisted.
The best way to ensure the rigging is correct is to fully rig the boat on shore and to hoist the kite and correct any fouls there and then.
I hope this helps
Maurice Cooper
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