Wind forecast to be 8 knots all day - an ideal time to try out the new spinnaker. We already had this sail; we've had it recut for Cat Play, and added a sock and turtle bag.
Deployment was fairly smooth. I clipped the top of the sock to the halyard, connected the guy line turning blocks to the forward cleats with my home-made soft shackles, and ran the sheet back to a cockpit winch. Couple of snags but they were soon sorted. Next, hauled up the sock containing the sail. Final check that all lines and shackles were in place and I pull the sock off the sail. Deployment was near perfect.
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| Hauling up the sock. |
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| And...she's flying. |
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| Wind just over the starboard quarter. |
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| Unfurled all the way up. |
The wind was very light, about 4 knots, and we never made more than 1.5 knots boat speed. Still, it was a good test of the sail fittings and I was able to run out in the dink for piccies.
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| It was calm enough to jump in the dinghy for some piccies. |
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| I think that's set right. |
Recovery went as well as deployment and I learned a few lessons about the order in which to do things. In higher winds, this won't be as easy to handle so keeping it manageable at all times will take technique.
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| The money shot. |
Location
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| Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island |
