O
/.....\
/.......\
/.........\
U=====================U
<------- "U" represents a "Jaw" opening up
\........./
\......./
\...../
O
<------- Lower Ring, Connect pole down
(downhaul/foreguy) here
Ok, hopefully, yall's e-mail displayer will not mess with the spacing in the drawing above, and it will look something like I meant it to look :) (it's supposed to be a spinnaker POLE!!!)
Rigging the Pole: With the pole oriented so that the Jaw's are opening upward, connect the pole lift (pole uphaul) to the ring on the top of the pole. Connect the pole down (pole downhaul or foreguy) to the ring on the bottom. These are used to control the height of the pole and also holds it somewhat steady until the chute is filled. One Jaw hooks to the Ring on the mast, and a Spin sheet goes through the other jaw. The pole is set up on the oppisite side that the chute will be flying from. The sheet that goes through the jaw becomes the guy, and controls the pole, the other sheet is now the trim.
Controling the Pole:
Fore/aft angle of the pole:
Trimming the guy will rotate the pole aft. Easing the trim will rotate the
pole forward, towards the headstay. Some pole downhaul configurations will
require you to release the pole downhaul before you can trim the guy. And
visa-versa, you will need to take up on the pole downhaul when you ease the
guy.
pole height:
As the wind changes and your point of sail changes, you will need to adjust
the height of the pole. The rule of thumb here is that the pole should be
parrellel to the deck, and that the chute's clews should be level. The trim
clew of the chute will float, so you adjust the pole clew by the height of
the pole. Short term adjustments (changes in wind veloicty) adjust the pole
lift and pole downhaul to rase/lower the pole so that the clew's are again
level. Long term adjustments (course change or permanate wind shifts)
adjust both the mast ring (inbord pole end heigth) and the pole
lift/downhaul so that the clew's are level and the pole is parrellel to the
deck.
Gybing the pole:
1) Square up; run dead down wind, bring the pole 90 degrees to the
centerline of the boat.
2) Release the pole downhaul. This makes things very much easier for the
foredeck guy :) However, in heavy air, someone should maintain a watch on
the pole downhaul to take it up if thing get out of control up front.
3) Release the pole from the mast (remove the pole jaw from the mast ring)
4) Place the current chute trim into this jaw (the trim is about to become
the guy)
5) Release the other jaw from the guy (the guy is about to become the trim)
6) Place this now free jaw onto the mast ring.
7) Foredeck guy shouts "Made", gybe the main
8) take up slack on the pole downhaul
9) Ease pole forward and trim to new course.
Craig Johnson