AI2 Spinnaker Kit Confusion

I'm installing the kit and don't understand how parts of it are supposed to work. Neither the booklet nor the "installation" video show certain parts in action. Possibly I've just not understood things yet. Thanks for any clarifications or mods that help out here.

First, the cheek block behind the snuffer. If you run the continuous halyard/snuffer line back forward through the block after exiting the snuffer so as to get a good lead to the harken cleat forward on the Xbar, then you seem to have a very bad lead when you try to snuff the chute. Either you are pulling forward with your arm and shoulder so that the line doesn't make a right angle across solid plastic on the cheek block casing (not much strength), or you pull towards yourself where you are sitting and then you have the added drag of a foul lead from the cheek block casing. On land, at least, I would not trust myself to get the chute back into the snuffer. I know it's harder without wind in the chute pulling it forward, but still--this arrangement looks odd to me.

Then there is this loose length of the continuous halyard/snuffer line when the chute is up (between the harken block and the snuffer cheek block), which, if it is not sitting it on top of a trampoline, just looks impossible to stow anyplace securely. The video does not indicate whether the demo guy lead it over or under the tramp forward to the harken.

I'm starting to see why the "travelor pulley" is necessary, but I still don't understand how to rig it. Where does the "knot" go?

And then people are talking about a length of pipe necessary up top to keep the halyard from fouling on the wind indicator mast. On an AI2, is that pipe in front of the mast or behind it?

See if I can help out. I have the TI spin and have had it out a bunch this summer. First, your lead problem with the cheek block. I noticed the same issue and found a Ronstan block to replace it. The Ronstan also is a ball bearing block, so not only is the lead better, the friction is less on the sheave. The same holes in the aka work but you do have to thread the bolts through the holes in the block, the Hobie supplied screws are very slightly too thick. Don't worry it works fine. Much improved. I think the West Marine paart number on the block is RF35151. You could cut off the plastic on the inboard end of the stock block but I don't know if the block will still be strong.

The loose line is on top of my tramp, if I am understand you correctly. We just leave it on the tramp. A little bit can fall into the water but we have gone long periods in moderate waves with no issue.

By travelor pulley do you mean the part attached to the bow? If so I made a mod there too. I switched out the block on the bow with a Harken 29mm carbon air block with becket west and Harken # 2042190. On the stock set up the Micro block doesn't swivel and while it works, it causes more friction. The end with the knot pre-tied in it is the end that ties to the sail. The other end ties to the bow eye. However on mine I tie off to the becket on the new block. When the sail is down the double micro traveler block should be up near the bow. When you hoist the halyard pulls those blocks aft and it pulls the tack out of the sock and to the bow.
Not sure about the pipe. We use a paddle to clear the halyard/backstay or we roll the sail for jibes. Not sure how easy it is to post pictures here but if it doesn't mean that much of a hassle I'll post pics.

The pipe goes on the backstay side. As regards the spare line in the cockpit, I just live with it, including the tail(s) of the spinnaker sheets. I might swap out that block behind the spinnaker though, as it is sometimes too difficult to douse the spinnaker fully into the snuffer (although it is getting better as the reinforcement patches soften up)

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker

I have quite a bit of experience with adding sails to my TI. I have had many different spinnakers jibs and wing sails on my TI's (we are on our 3rd TI now).
I have a few take aways in this regard. I don't have the Hobie spinnaker kit so I can't comment on that directly, but have ran similar spinnakers.
My opinion is whatever setup you end up with it needs to work easily and flawless every time, otherwise you won't want to use it.
On a typical sailing day I'm switching out my sails all the time when switching from upwind mode to downwind mode (you need both to work well). All my sails are on furlers (except my wing jib of course, which doesn't need furling), but I can see an advantage to having a snuffer as long as it works easily and smoothly, ( those furled masts do have some wind resistance). I tried several snuffer designs but never got one to work to my own satisfaction so I stuck with rigid furlable masts on everything, (admittedly my own design failings). From my observations and experience the Hobie spinnaker kit looks to be a very good design. I'm sure as the sharp guys on this forum use it more and more they will come up with viable and clever solutions to the snagging issues.
In practice on any sailing day I'm moving around and switching out sails all the time to suit conditions. In my case it takes around 30 seconds to furl the spin and unfurl the jib (switching from downwind mode to upwind mode). If this is easy and smooth you will take advantage of this feature, If it's awkward and a PIA, you won't use it much.
Obviously everyone's situation is different, we are only day sailers and the area we live in is vast (swfl and the keys), and often do 50-60 mile day trips (round trip). Our preference is to only go out on light wind days (preferential for diving and snorkeling, which is our main pastime), we typically only go out in winds 3-7 mph (which is 80% of the time around here).
Actually I was out yesterday, the winds were around 3-5 mph and I saw about a half dozen Islands out in Sarasota bay (must have been some sort of event). Most of the sail boats I saw out stayed within a half mile of the harbor, I ended up going out offshore and circled Lido key (about 12-13 miles for the day). My chief complaint about a stock TI is the boat only goes 2-3 mph in those conditions (mostly peddling) and I get heat exposure in the hot florida sun. Another big factor is current which is around 5mph thru the passes, I went out when the tide was coming in, and came back with the tide going out (I didn't think to check the tides (oops)).
All in all I had a fun day and got my peddling exercise for the day.
Best of luck to all you guys who are just starting out taking advantage of this wonderful design, personally I'm extremely happy with what I have.
FE

One thing I would add is, to wait and see I'd you have issues with your halyard fouling. If so, your "pipe" mast head extention needs to protrude forward to deal with that. What Tony is talking about is the aft extenton to help with the backstay interfering with the main or flipping around the wind indicator. All different issues, resolve with the "pipe". You can extend it fore and aft as I do. I think it looks best this way.

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Greg

2016 AI - Spinn & Jib

“Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him.”
– Charles G. Davis

I attacked my cheek block with a Dremel today, and cannot see any obvious loss of strength by cutting off that vertical bar on the inboard side. The line now runs much freer now, so I probably won't need to replace the block after all.

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker

I just bypassed the verticAL piece and that worked. When setting up a friend's spinnaker kit we cut the vertical piece and this worked fine but you have to limit how tightly you screw down the screw. Too tight and the wheel quits turning.

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Greg

2016 AI - Spinn & Jib

“Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him.”
– Charles G. Davis

I know I mentioned it before, but when threading the retrieval line up through the grommets in the spinnaker, you want the line to exit from the lower grommet facing TOWARDS the opposite side of the boat where you have fitted the snuffer. This has the benefit of reducing (or obviating) the need to reach forward and free up spare line so that the bottom of the spinnaker is not restricted by the snuffer line.

Hobie's instruction video doesn't mention this handy advice...

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker