Any experience with these?
Peter
Code Zero Spinnakers
Code Zero Spinnakers
Peter
Pip #127
Pip #127
Re: Code Zero Spinnakers
Finally got to use mine this last week in about 5-10 knots. Very, very happy with the result. The sail is relatively easy to manage but still needs someone to feed it around the front of the boat when tacking. It probably tacks at about 60 degrees and it offers lots of drive in comparison to the headsail in light conditions. Its pretty good downwind with a prodder to pole it out.
Peter
Peter
Peter
Pip #127
Pip #127
Re: Code Zero Spinnakers
I thought I'd update the forum on the code zero.
First up I have learnt that the code zero IS NOT classified as a spinnaker so this topic has an incorrect title. Moving on:
This school holidays I set myself a project to make the sail more useable both in setting, dousing, tacking and gybing. After a restless night going through a range of design ideas (I always seem to do this thinking in the early hours of the morning) I considered a dousing sock, collapsing the sail through a letter box (like a chute), and furling it.
Just some background: On Pip the code zero is a big sail attached to the bow of the boat and to the spinnaker halyard. Standard spinnaker sheets and blocks and are attached to the clew like a headsail. The clew is higher than the tack. It is quite a flat sail and when sheeted on hard windward work can be undertaken at about 55-60 degrees (you know when you are the groove because there is a delightful floop sound. It is a fantastic reaching sail and will carry easily to about 120 degrees without poling out. The luff is made of spectra and the sail material is exotic and very light and in this it is different to a genoa. Anyway despite having used it once or twice it was only the lightest of days when Della was happy to take the helm that I would drag it out of it bag, attach everything and haul it up. All was good until it came time to change direction. We would physically drag the sail around the furled up headsail. There was lots of friction and it just wasn't satisfactory at all.
So back to my project. A dousing sock looked like too much hardware for a small and simple boat and so I discarded this idea. I thought about furling but it is a big sail and there isn't enough room on the bow for another furler. So I decided to collapse the sail through a letterbox fitted to the pulpit. I had specified a centrally located reinforced cringle in the sail when I had it made (Eastwind Sails) which, with line attached, would allow me to pull the centre of my sail through my letterbox thereby collapsing the sail onto the deck.
After raising the code zero I mocked up my letterbox with rope and irrigation-pipe and attempted to pull the sail through this. It was a disaster! Too much friction and too much sail going everywhere plus the shape of the pulpit was not conducive to the idea. I was on Plan C furling already.
In my shed I had three old furlers. The first one was a substantial all-metal unit out of a Flying 15. What's more it was quite long and would sit above the headsail furler. Unfortunately it was too long and there was no way I could shorten it to fit in the available space so I turned to my remaining furlers. These were the same brand and in the end I made one good one from the two. They are dingy units and looked far too small for my purpose but they did fit in the space on the bow. Anyway, resigned to spending money rather than recycling bits, I thought let's at least prove the concept. In the end it actually worked a treat. The little furler would furl up the entire code zero and from there it was a simple process to pull the sail around the furled headsail and re-set the sail. Once furled lowering was simplicity itself. My only job was to ensure it came down on the starboard side and to fold it along the deck. Then I would detach the spinnaker halyard and lash the sail to the safety rail.
Yesterday I convinced the potential son-in-law who had shown an interest in the project the day before that we ought to go test the sail under real conditions. The day was perfect on Lake Mulwalla. The breeze was very steady at about 8-10 knots. And, after cruising around the lake and then heading upriver using the gib and main whilst the young feller got used to the helm; he had not sailed before. It came time to head back and we decided to try the code zero system out.
After putting the code zero up we sailed back into the lake on a broad reach and then hardened up to beat across to the NSW shore; Excellent! We bore off, letting things out and said OK lets gybe it. Maintaining some tension on the spinnaker sheet we furled it away, gybed the main and then reset the big sail down the other side of the boat; Fabulous! We did this a couple more times as we sailed downwind to the bridge before beating back. Even tacking, using the same procedure, worked very well. So well in fact that even fixing the inevitable tuning issues (see below) was easy because we had that great big sail under a lot of control. In closing - I have to say I was already very happy with this sail the few times I had used it but now I have a management system for it which works very well. so well I anticipate the sail will be set to go as a normal part of rigging the boat.
I will find a larger furler, just to provide that little bit of extra insurance. The little unit I am using only just manages, most of the time, to furl enough furling line onto its spool to totally furl the code zero when you pull on it to wind everything up. An alternative is smaller diameter line but you wonder about its strength.
Addition: I did not pole out the sail this time but I had done so on previous occasions and was reasonably happy with the result; what I would like is a longer pole.
Regards,
First up I have learnt that the code zero IS NOT classified as a spinnaker so this topic has an incorrect title. Moving on:
This school holidays I set myself a project to make the sail more useable both in setting, dousing, tacking and gybing. After a restless night going through a range of design ideas (I always seem to do this thinking in the early hours of the morning) I considered a dousing sock, collapsing the sail through a letter box (like a chute), and furling it.
Just some background: On Pip the code zero is a big sail attached to the bow of the boat and to the spinnaker halyard. Standard spinnaker sheets and blocks and are attached to the clew like a headsail. The clew is higher than the tack. It is quite a flat sail and when sheeted on hard windward work can be undertaken at about 55-60 degrees (you know when you are the groove because there is a delightful floop sound. It is a fantastic reaching sail and will carry easily to about 120 degrees without poling out. The luff is made of spectra and the sail material is exotic and very light and in this it is different to a genoa. Anyway despite having used it once or twice it was only the lightest of days when Della was happy to take the helm that I would drag it out of it bag, attach everything and haul it up. All was good until it came time to change direction. We would physically drag the sail around the furled up headsail. There was lots of friction and it just wasn't satisfactory at all.
So back to my project. A dousing sock looked like too much hardware for a small and simple boat and so I discarded this idea. I thought about furling but it is a big sail and there isn't enough room on the bow for another furler. So I decided to collapse the sail through a letterbox fitted to the pulpit. I had specified a centrally located reinforced cringle in the sail when I had it made (Eastwind Sails) which, with line attached, would allow me to pull the centre of my sail through my letterbox thereby collapsing the sail onto the deck.
After raising the code zero I mocked up my letterbox with rope and irrigation-pipe and attempted to pull the sail through this. It was a disaster! Too much friction and too much sail going everywhere plus the shape of the pulpit was not conducive to the idea. I was on Plan C furling already.
In my shed I had three old furlers. The first one was a substantial all-metal unit out of a Flying 15. What's more it was quite long and would sit above the headsail furler. Unfortunately it was too long and there was no way I could shorten it to fit in the available space so I turned to my remaining furlers. These were the same brand and in the end I made one good one from the two. They are dingy units and looked far too small for my purpose but they did fit in the space on the bow. Anyway, resigned to spending money rather than recycling bits, I thought let's at least prove the concept. In the end it actually worked a treat. The little furler would furl up the entire code zero and from there it was a simple process to pull the sail around the furled headsail and re-set the sail. Once furled lowering was simplicity itself. My only job was to ensure it came down on the starboard side and to fold it along the deck. Then I would detach the spinnaker halyard and lash the sail to the safety rail.
Yesterday I convinced the potential son-in-law who had shown an interest in the project the day before that we ought to go test the sail under real conditions. The day was perfect on Lake Mulwalla. The breeze was very steady at about 8-10 knots. And, after cruising around the lake and then heading upriver using the gib and main whilst the young feller got used to the helm; he had not sailed before. It came time to head back and we decided to try the code zero system out.
After putting the code zero up we sailed back into the lake on a broad reach and then hardened up to beat across to the NSW shore; Excellent! We bore off, letting things out and said OK lets gybe it. Maintaining some tension on the spinnaker sheet we furled it away, gybed the main and then reset the big sail down the other side of the boat; Fabulous! We did this a couple more times as we sailed downwind to the bridge before beating back. Even tacking, using the same procedure, worked very well. So well in fact that even fixing the inevitable tuning issues (see below) was easy because we had that great big sail under a lot of control. In closing - I have to say I was already very happy with this sail the few times I had used it but now I have a management system for it which works very well. so well I anticipate the sail will be set to go as a normal part of rigging the boat.
I will find a larger furler, just to provide that little bit of extra insurance. The little unit I am using only just manages, most of the time, to furl enough furling line onto its spool to totally furl the code zero when you pull on it to wind everything up. An alternative is smaller diameter line but you wonder about its strength.
Addition: I did not pole out the sail this time but I had done so on previous occasions and was reasonably happy with the result; what I would like is a longer pole.
Regards,
Peter
Pip #127
Pip #127
Re: Code Zero Spinnakers
A 2.4m piece of dowel with jaw fittings at either end worked absolutely perfectly.
Heading downwind we sorted out the main, furled up the gib, and fitted the prodder between the mast and the code zero and pulled the sheet. It unfurled easily with the pole set. It set great and just WORKED as a wing and wing option. To furl it up I retrieved the pole first and pulled the furler line. No problems. To gybe we detached the pole from the sail, furled the sail, re-attached the pole to the sail (going round the other side of the forestay), gybed the main and re-set the code zero. All good.
Heading downwind we sorted out the main, furled up the gib, and fitted the prodder between the mast and the code zero and pulled the sheet. It unfurled easily with the pole set. It set great and just WORKED as a wing and wing option. To furl it up I retrieved the pole first and pulled the furler line. No problems. To gybe we detached the pole from the sail, furled the sail, re-attached the pole to the sail (going round the other side of the forestay), gybed the main and re-set the code zero. All good.
Peter
Pip #127
Pip #127
Re: Code Zero Spinnakers
Very interesting Peter and a viable alternative to a spinnaker which has limited use on a smaller boat like ours.
Can you post a photo of your code zero and furler please.
I also came across this excellent book "The Complete Trailer Sailor" by Brian Gilbert while researching code zero spinnakers.
Many Thanks
Can you post a photo of your code zero and furler please.
I also came across this excellent book "The Complete Trailer Sailor" by Brian Gilbert while researching code zero spinnakers.
Many Thanks
Last edited by snoopebj on Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
Fair winds and following seas
Emrys
Investigator #166 'Current Affair'
Emrys
Investigator #166 'Current Affair'
Re: Code Zero Spinnakers
Ref that link to the book by Brian Gilbert. I think it might be a pirate copy. Download at your own risk.
Ian B
Ex Investigator 563 #50 Yara
Ex Investigator 563 #50 Yara
Re: Code Zero Spinnakers
I'm not due to sail the boat again until January when we are off to Gippsland Lakes. I will attempt collect some images then.
Peter
Peter
Peter
Pip #127
Pip #127
Re: Code Zero Spinnakers
file link deleted possible copyright risk
Thanks Peter
Thanks Peter
Fair winds and following seas
Emrys
Investigator #166 'Current Affair'
Emrys
Investigator #166 'Current Affair'
Re: Code Zero Spinnakers
I only got video which I can send via email.Dr. Peter wrote:I'm not due to sail the boat again until January when we are off to Gippsland Lakes. I will attempt collect some images then.
Peter
One sent to Emrys
Peter
Pip #127
Pip #127