To Sock or Not To Sock?

[tiger beetle]

This guy makes it look pretty easy without all these extra lines and bother. Not sure what all the big deal is about this singlehanding anyway!

I want to see him drag the no. 4 on deck and do sail change - that was the limiting factor for me on boat size: what's the biggest sail I can drag on deck, and decided the SC 50 spinnaker was the limit. Conveniently, Beetle has sails just slightly smaller than the SC 50.

I'm a fan of ATN socks, I had them on the Newport 33 and they worked great for me. I tried various configurations, including lengthening the sock line to lead it through blocks on the foredeck all the way back to the cockpit - decided that was more trouble than it was worth as I always had to go to the foredeck anyway to lower and retrieve the sail once it was socked.

I also ran double-poles for the gybe for a while, and decided that was more trouble than it was worth. Simpler to do a flying jibe in less than 15 knots of breeze, and easier to pull the sock part-way down and then jibe the single pole and then pull the sock back up. So I simply kept the second pole as a backup for use after breaking the first one (which I did with regularity).

- rob/beetle

[tiger beetle]

Well, he forgot to switch the runners over for a starter. If the wind picks up we'll see how he likes hauling the busted rig back aboard, single-handed.(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

that's not a runner block, that's the jib clew sheeting arrangement for the self-tacking jib.

-rob/beetle

[pogen]

Bruce and I went out on Razzberries to check out his sock, an older ATN one. We were sailing bare headed in about 12 - 16 kts, and also with the main not up, and it kept wanting to jam about half way up, and the top tended to spin and wrap quite a bit. I think having the main up and the sheet slacked off more would have helped. I was kind of worried about it jamming up there, so we bailed. Bruce was kind enough to loan it to me, as he said he hadn't used it in many years, as it adds complexity and workload when jibing. He also douses and goes to jibs or twins above 15kts. I haven't decided about giving it another try for the 3BF.

[Phil MacFarlane]

Yep. If it jams half way up pull down on the center of the foot of the sail. (with your third hand) The body of the sail tends to go up with the sock causing a jam up.
Sock are better for dowsing than setting. Even then, there have been times, very windy times when I could barley get the sock down.
Enjoy.

[dhusselman]

Every time I use a sock I feel it makes setting and dousing the chute more difficult. On the other hand every time I don't use a sock and I have a hard time dousing the chute, I feel that the sock would make life easier...

I prefer not using a sock but at the same time I get nervous when it blows and I don't use the sock...

It's a love/hate relationship, like so many other things..

Dirk
Xpression - C&C 110

[JimQuanci]

If you haven't found one yet, and want to test before you invest, I have an unused sock for my Cal 40 you can take for a test drive (46 foot hoist which is likely pretty close to what you have).

I am also debating whether to sock or not. Its clear for short races like the SH and DH Farallones - and you have significant competition - socking is too slow (I typically have one or two other Cal 40's I am racing against). You give up lots and lots of boat lengths dealing with the sock. For SH or DH Transpac socking is probably just fine - what's a minute or two or three per jibe - and socking with two people is a whole lot easier/quicker then with one person - with a little practice can likely do in under a minute.

Had a brisk debate with Stan the other day on socking versus double pole jibes. :-)

One thing is clear, both socking and double pole jibes work great if you are well practiced and know the proper technique for your boat - especially when the wind and waves are up. If you are not well practiced and aren't sure what the proper technique is both socking and double pole jibes can make for a mess (gordian knot around the headstay, broken pole, etc).

Do work through how you do a sock jibe without taking the spinnaker net down (you sure want the net up when using a sock to avoid the gordian knot on the headstay - especially as you go to unsock the spinnaker after the jibe). Tip is having a spinnaker net that only has net starting maybe 40% of the way up the rig - so you can jibe the pole without ever taking the net down.

[Eyrie]

Another issue that must be addressed re. jibing the pole with a net is insuring that the topping lift can also clear the net. You'll need to be able to jibe the pole behind the "leech" or else the topping lift will be fouled. Think of the net as if it were a #4 strapped to the center line. If the "leech" is secured to the base of the mast, then you'll need to move the leech forward before jibing. If you can build the net such that you always secure the "leech" forward of the mast with enough room to jibe the pole end for end then you're golden. Of course, a dip pole jibe is completely different and you'll most likely need to take the "leech" all the way to the bow to clear the jibe (essentially taking the net down, temporarily), unless it's possible to build the net such that the lower horizontal "net" is high enough to clear the topper at the mast, or at least high enough the it doesn't inhibit the topper at the mast when you square the pole back after the jibe.

Synthia/Eyrie

[BobJ]

What's this "pole" and "topping lift" you speak of? I've gybed the spinnaker many times and can't recall dealing with such things . . .

[cafemontaigne]

Another issue that must be addressed re. jibing the pole with a net is insuring that the topping lift can also clear the net. You'll need to be able to jibe the pole behind the "leech" or else the topping lift will be fouled. Think of the net as if it were a #4 strapped to the center line.

My topping lift block is about 3/4 of the way up the rig, but my lowest horizontal strap on the net is only half way up. I thought this would cause interference, but during the last SHTP I stumbled onto a happy way to jibe (out of sheer laziness, at 3 in the morning, in a squall). The "leech" was made out of the core of some cheap nylon line, and it's stretchy enough that it'll give way if I leave it in place for the jibe and it won't interfere with the pole. I can jibe first and let the topping lift ride against the net a bit, then reach up to where I know I won't get a wrap, ease the pole forward and throw the leech of the net over the pole and move it to the other side. This way I have the net in place during the jibe, which is when I really want it. Alternatively, I can "jibe" the net first, then the chute, and I'll have less trouble getting the pole over on the new guy. So you might want to experiment with using a line with enough stretch that you can jibe with it in place.

[Culebra]

...during the last SHTP I stumbled onto a happy way to jibe (out of sheer laziness, at 3 in the morning, in a squall).

And this, boys and girls, is just one of the reasons why he won the race, jibing in the squalls at 3 a.m.! I'm still in awe Adrian.

Paul