Life is Like Sailing - Spinnaker Pole Setup 

I just bought a C&C 34. While I understand you have sold your C&C, I very much appreciate your videos as a learning resource - especially since there's not any other channels that I know of featuring the C&C 34. Thanks.

Nice tips man. Love the Downhaul set up! I think we will do that for our voyage.

I appreciate your videos that show off your boat, the rigging and how you use them. I now understand how it is supposed to work on my new-to-me Cal 36. Mine is similar but no lines are rigged so I didn't know what the blocks and track were for. It's clear now and I'm looking forward to getting a spinnaker and using it.

Thanks you for posting this! I am going to bookmark it for use on my vessel. My spinnaker setup is very similar to yours, albeit a bit heavier duty. My block and tackle for the spinnaker controls didn't make a lot of sense to me because it already has a snatchblock and reeve for the downhaul tension-er, and I have four halyards are are not being used by my main or head sails. My boat is a Camper and Nicholson 33 and she is rigged as a racer/cruiser. The previous owner claimed that he deployed the spinnaker once with an experienced sailor crewing for him, but he didn't know all the ins-and-outs of the rig to do it himself, so he could not show me how to do it. My previous boat was a Catalina 27 and it had a really easy spinnaker setup so the pole was ready to go all the time. I stored the pole upright on the mast and all I had to hook up were the topping lift and downhaul control line, and the sheets. I guess there are a million ways to get the thing up in the air, but your method seems the most logical and efficient to me given the type of boat and rig I have. I am a solo sailor and seldom bring people on-board for cruising. I have not deployed the spinnaker on my tall rig yet, it's kind of intimidating, but with your method, i should be able to deploy it by myself. SV Triton is the first truly blue-water boat I've ever owned. Nothing on this boat was done small.

That helped me to understand a lot about the operation of a spinnaker, thanks!

Thanks to your friend Tim and to you for this video tip about spinnakers. Everything is so helpful to new people, like me, especially things like the "marked spot" on the mast for "newbies" and the continuous line!!! I also learned about a Parasailor that eliminates the need for a pole and can be sailed downwind at up to 25kts and 200-degrees of the 270-degrees, possible....I also noticed your comments on the S/V Delos site --- those boats are like the Lamborghini or Veyron of sailboats --- incredible cruisers !!!

I'm passing this along to a very good friend who flies his spinnaker as often as possible. I know it will give hm a great perspective of the control you are using on your spinnaker pole. Good info!! C-

Thanks. I almost always sail solo and love to fly my spinnaker. Never thought of rigging the downhaul with a continuous line. Will definitely give it some thought for this season.

I'm very new to sailing (I hope to sail a lot in Lake Michigan this year) and am just this winter learning the terminology and different rigging types (and everything else I can pick up). I really liked this video because it was clear in describing what was happening, using terminology both new to me and previously understood, and showed lots of different and clear camera angles. I just wish I could have seen more how you control the spinnaker while under sail in order to put it all together a bit more. Maybe that will be in a video you have that I just haven't seen yet. One of the best videos I've seen of this kind. I'm a new subscriber via Sail Life's channel and I plan to go thru all of your videos like I am of his. Both are excellent from what I've seen so far. Thanks for taking the time to put these together!

Awesome video, Alfy :) I haven't done much sailing with a spinnaker. Being single handed, it seems like a lot of work :)

Really good video and explanation of rigging. My only issue is the"jaws" of the pole. I've been taught and seen other sailors have the jaws facing up

Was Cool To See It Done On That Beautiful Boat . Thank You :)

Rigging the downhaul like that is a cheat code. Wish my boat had that

Thanks for a great explanation on setting up this type of spinnaker.

Excellent set-up!

Hey Brandon Love, I can't make a direct reply to your comment because of your Google Plus settings so I hope you see this! I'm really glad to hear you liked the video and got a lot out of it. Because setting the pole up properly at the dock prior to leaving is very important I kept this video to just that and demonstrated the basic movements the pole can make. I definitely plan to get the spinnaker up in the near future and do a video all about hoisting, jibing and dousing. :) Thanks for subscribing and the nice comments! :)

Very well explained and informative video on pole setup, I have been trying to work out the set up for some time. I also look forward to your videos. Have a great sailing season for 2015.

Thanks Alfy, I've been following your channel for about a month now and i look forward to every video! Its nice to have people like Drake from Drake Paragon, Mads fro Sail Life, and you creating high quality videos for all of us around the world. (I am from Western Australia) Thank so much and maybe one day if you cruise to the South West of Western Australia i will be able to meet you! Regards Morgan

I enjoyed the video. Thank you. One thing I was hoping to see that the end though was the pole and rigging in action, that is, you out sailing with the spinnaker.

Another great video Alfy, I have not had the chance to use a spinnaker, even thou I have one on Maverick. Maybe when I her back in the water!

Like your boat, Is it a C&C? As a novice spinnaker user I like your set up but am curious as to why I have never seen the downhaul run to the base of the mast, maybe even with a tackle just like the boom vang... Any thoughts?

Well done video, thanks for posting. One question, I noticed you setup the pole jaws down. Is it what you recommend?

Well done video. I learned a lot watching it...

nice set up !!

Very informative! Thanks!

A useful video, but I do have one question. As you were rigging the spinnaker, you rigged it with the jaws down. I've always flown a spinnaker, and been taught to fly it, with the jaws up. Is there a particular reason you did it this way?

bravo finaly a video i can understand

you doing ok alfie? have missed you lately hope all is well.

having raced with a spinnaker, one huge advantage is that rail for the pole, especially when you suddenly have to change the side from witch you have to deploy it. Oh yes I was always the man at the bow fighting against the beast (the spi).

Brilliant set up, s/v Tikiti-boo

How do you unlock the pole ? mine is stuck to the deck

What is difference between whisker pole and spinnaker pole. I am have trouble running down wind with my Pearson 26.

Thank you so much!!!!

Most people have the jaws face upward for spinnaker sailing.

Good on you Tim. I likey.

Need any new green crew, I live in Victoria and would love to learn to sail.

In the Thai language the #5 is pronounced as "ha", so 5-5-5 = ha-ha-ha and the 175 million to one odds are a big obstacle, too. I'd be happy with just a Tanzer 28-29ft or even a Tanzer 10.5m motorsailor, with interior/exterior helm station...One step at a time while having fun is my plan!!!

***** Glad you could understand the video Jason! :)

cool

The Parasailor (www.parasailor.com) is a new design (2009) by ISTEC, in Germany, that is a spinnaker made from 'parachute-like' rip-stop material and it has a vent slot about 2/3 of the way up the sail. The design allows the vent to spill excess air, creates lift at the bow and doesn't need a pole up to 25kts. YT even has videos of it being used on an AMEL...They're expensive ---I requested a quote for a 30-ft Tanzer boat --- I'm guessing $100.00 per foot of LOA...I now love those AMEL boats, too, as soon as I win the lottery I'll buy three of them and park one each in the a) Cayman Islands, b) Hawaiian Islands and c) Hamilton Island in Australian and you're invited to come sail......