Down wind sailing

I've never tried a whisker pole, so I can't compare, but by pulling the clew out over the ama and then loosening the sheet line, it really scoops any wind. I only use in very light (barely sail-able) wind.

If there is more than 5-6mph wind then I think sailing a broad reach (45 down wind) instead of a run (strait down wind) is actually faster (and more fun!).

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Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

I agree that doing broad reaches is better than a straight downwind run, certainly a lot quicker.
I am using the AI as a work platform to monitor the Chichester seals and other wildlife from. Some of the places I need to get it are down very narrow often shallow creeks (maybe 3 AL lengths wide) and often the normal wind direction is straight down the middle, so requires the mainsail out as far as it will go to maximise the wind. Hence my thoughts towards a spinnaker pole.
Coming back up I have to Peddle / Paddle or do lots of very short quick tacks.
The Barber Hauler works fine to a point, but using a pole will get the sail right out past the Amas, it will create a bigger surface to catch the wind and hopefully work better.

I have got a couple of old assymetric spinnakers kicking about, maybe that might be the next mod? Problem is they are left over from my 59er and K6 and are way too big for this baby and would need cutting down.
With a spinnaker setup correctly, it should help lift the bow which would help with wave piercing. It would put excessive stress on the mast etc without some stays to help. Not sure the seals would be too impressed if I rock up at their mudbank with a sodding great spinnaker billowing and the bows 2 feet in air!


Hmmm. interesting thought though...

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Skymax was experimenting with using a Pacific Adventure sail mounted on the bow as a kind of spinnaker, but hasn't posted any recent updates. Are you reading this Max???

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I have got a WindPaddle cruising sail (large one) that I use on my tandem O-K Malibu2XL.
It is very efficient on that and really gets it going down wind. Problem is that you need to get access to it to collapse it when not in use, which is not going to be easy with the mast in the way. I will have a look and see how well it works on the AI. It might be possible to run it to one side on one of the Amas Frames, which would mean it would be easily accessible without leaving the seat.

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I was interested in the idea of a Windpaddle - they look a bit more like a spinnaker, but the logistics of deploying it and furling it on an AI seem a bit complex, as you say. That seems to be less of a problem with the PA sail. It'd be interesting to see how you go with a Windpaddle. Here's Max's original post on the PA: viewtopic.php?f=44&t=12728&p=71093&hilit=pacific+action#p71093 I have an O.K. Malibu 2xl too!

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This is the windpaddle I will experiment with. It does occur to me that it would probably work well with tramps. If its base was attached to the forward Amas frame, the 2 control lines could be routed to the cockpit . The mainsail could be out one side and the Windpaddle the other.
When not in use, it could simply lie flat on the tramp under a bungee.

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Beautiful! I hope you have a red AI to go with it .

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Err..Nope! Yellow

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Oh well, it'll probably work anyway. On a more prosaic level, I was concerned that it would need to be mounted well forward to minimise the effect of the mainsail stealing its air - particularly on a broad reach, when I imagine it would be difficult to gullwing the two sails.

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I have a 16sqft PA sail that I use for broad and beam reaches runs on my Kodiak, and I am trying to figure out how one could adapt it for use on an AI.

The PA sail is set up to have a line on each side of the kayak to pull the sail's shape into a fin. For example:

The above image shows the various positions of the sail and the lines coming off of it.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/pacific%20action%20sail/shufoy/IMGP0006zz.jpg
THIS photo shows the sail stowed. It still requires lines running off to both sides of the boat.

Seems to me, as long as you were only using it as a straight-up, no-frills "jib," you could modify it so that it only rises and lowers with the sheets on one side. I don't know how handy this would be... but I might try it, assuming I want to poke more holes in my boat.

Also, I suppose I am a wuss, because every time before I installed the Hobie Sidekick Amas on my Kodiak, I would set the PA sail for a beam reach and the heeling force would roll the Kodiak right over, no matter how hard I leaned out to counteract. Makes me glad the AI is a trimaran.

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My thoughts about rigging the WindPaddle are to mount the base onto one of the Amas front frames, so the sail is facing forward and parallel to the frame. I would then run a fixed line from, for arguements sake the grab handle on the Amas back to the hull and mount a couple of blocks in the correct places to allow the control lines to do a 90 degree turn and also run across into the cockpit. So if for arguments sake the Windpaddle was mounted on the right hand side, the control lines would enter the cockpit on the right hand side with the lefthand control line forward of the righthand control line as viewed where they enter the cockpit..
It would be a bit finnicky but would be easy to lash up for a test.
It would be a lot easier with tramps on the AI, but I can't afford any just yet

I might see if I can borrow a spinnaker from a RS Feva whilst I am there this week, I reckon that would be a suitable size to do a mock up as well.

Will take some pics and keep you posted.

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Hawkeye
- Great approach. I'm using extendable boat hook but without snap hooks at each end. Please describe in more detail. On the hull, what do you hook onto? Thanks.
- Al K

I have made a spinnaker pole out of a carbon tiller extension with a rollock that clips round the base of the mast and an out haul setup at the other end , that I can adjust to tension the sail. I have retained the Barber hauler which I am using as a kicker. This setup gives me complete adjustment and worked well in the little wind we had today. It is a bit chaotic at the moment, I need to tidy all the lines up and simplify the setup. I will take some proper pictures tomorrow of it all.

An unexpected bonus is that when going upwind, I used it as a boom and altered the sail shape with the outhaul. I think it pointed slightly better. I need some wind to experiment with.
I was tacking with the pole still attached with no problems, I believe this is worth more investigation.

Pics to follow.

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Here are some pics of the spinnaker pole I have been trying out. It is a carbon tiller extension with an Oar rollock at the mast end and a outhaul pulley the other. I have still got a couple of refinements to do and will probably shorten it once I have established the maximum length I will ever need. I am also going to reduce the loop that everything hooks onto at the back of the sail. I have given it a couple of tests and it certainly makes a difference and being able to alter the outhaul means that you can stick the sail at at right angles and adjust the shape of the sail from dead flat to a nice scoop. I am using the barber hauler as a kicker to stop it lifting, so the end result is a very adjustable sail shape. I obviously still need to unclip the barber before tacking, but otherwise it all tack perfectly.
I have also been experimenting with it up wind. Not sure what the actual outcome is of that, sometime it feels as though it points a little higher, the jury is still out on that one.

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I either let the large rubber-covered end just sit against the opposite gear pocket if it's not a long run, or clip the snap to the black eyelet just in front of the gear pocket on the starboard side if it is a long one. A bungee over the whisker pole keeps the sail from pulling the outboard end up too much in a gust or you can just hold it down with your hand. Keeping the pole down ensures that each gust translates into a great burst of speed going downwind.

I have considered mounting a padeye (with a strong backing plate) somewhere in the center of the boat just below the mast, I just haven't done it yet. And yes the bungie acts much like a boomvang. btw: I loop the bungie (it's a long bungie) around the ama carrying handle and attach it to the eye of the sail at the same time I attach the snap shackle from the 'whisker pole.' One could also tie a small block to the ama handle and run a line from the sail through the block to the cockpit...but then it's getting kinda complicated again!? I might work on both those ideas this week now that you guys have me thinking about it again. Because when the wind is 15 to 20 mph or more nobody's arm is strong enough alone to keep the whisker pole down. When the wind is really strong, I have just been leaving the pole strapped to the akas not using it at all. For me so far, it has been most useful when the wind is light to moderate and I want to squeeze all possible speed out of it.