# length of spinnaker sheets?



## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

Hi All, how long would sheets be for a traditional spinnaker on a 30 foot LOA boat?


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## Hudsonian (Apr 3, 2008)

60'


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

I agree with Hudsonian. Rule of thumb is twice the boat length.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

I would swag 2 35-40' sheets. As the tack and the clew will be near the bow, then lead dang near to the back of the boat, then you need some length for getting too, then around a winch, along with tailing. My AS spin sheet is 85' for a 30' boat, and I have maybe 3-4' too much on the ends if that!

Marty


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## SEMIJim (Jun 9, 2007)

blt2ski said:


> I would swag 2 35-40' sheets.


35' would _definitely_ be way too short for a symmetrical (I assume that's what he meant by "traditional") kite on a 30' boat. 40' would be marginal, IMO. On a close reach the guy will come from forward of the bow, back to a turning block at the stern, then forward to winch and cleat. 45' would be the minimum, I would think.

But I'm just a n00b at flying a kite, so what do I know? 

I'd buy 60' each. If they're too long you can cut off the excess and use the spare line for something.

Jim


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

SEMIJim said:


> 35' would _definitely_ be way too short for a symmetrical (I assume that's what he meant by "traditional") kite on a 30' boat.


Yes, I meant symmetrical. Probably should have said that, but it was late and my mind was apparently not in full gear. Thanks everyone, I'll get some 60 foot sheets.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

I should probably have said 35-40' minimum! per sheet. 

Also, being as you are going to race, many folks will have 1/4-5/16" for windy days, and a higher strength 1/8" for light wind days! Then there will be clips on the sail ends for quick change outs if the wind pipes up or down!

Marty


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

blt2ski said:


> I should probably have said 35-40' minimum! per sheet.
> 
> Also, being as you are going to race, many folks will have 1/4-5/16" for windy days, and a higher strength 1/8" for light wind days! Then there will be clips on the sail ends for quick change outs if the wind pipes up or down!
> 
> Marty


A good light air spinnaker sheet is NE Ropes flight line, because its light, strong and if it goes in the water it won't soak it up. But, if you use it on a heavy air day, it will melt on the winch.

Since spinnaker sheets are pretty much constantly being adjusted, I would think any good 8mm (5/16) line would do. That's good, because 120 feet of high tech line would not be cheap. I'll probably use Stay Set.


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## mgmhead (Jan 14, 2007)

My Sabre is a 34 footer and the spin sheets are 85' of 3/8" Sta-Set. Don't short yourself.

MGM


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## Hudsonian (Apr 3, 2008)

Use of high performance line as spin sheets and guys really pays off. It will not be uncommon for the distance between the clew and the winch to 45'. If a gust of wind were to cause the sheet to stretch 4% that means 22" of stretch. Wouldn't you rather have the force of the wind pushing your boat forward rather than just stretching a sheet? 

Using stretchy lines for guys is even worse. High tech lines will help you avoid having the pole hitting the forestay everytime you have a puff while on a close reach.

On your size boat 5/16" Samson Ultralite should do the trick. Don't go any smaller; your crew won't be able to handle thinner sheets.


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

Hudsonian said:


> Use of high performance line as spin sheets and guys really pays off. It will not be uncommon for the distance between the clew and the winch to 45'. If a gust of wind were to cause the sheet to stretch 4% that means 22" of stretch. Wouldn't you rather have the force of the wind pushing your boat forward rather than just stretching a sheet?
> 
> Using stretchy lines for guys is even worse. High tech lines will help you avoid having the pole hitting the forestay everytime you have a puff while on a close reach.
> 
> On your size boat 5/16" Samson Ultralite should do the trick. Don't go any smaller; your crew won't be able to handle thinner sheets.


At $0.92 per foot, its going to add up pretty quick. Can the Samson line be used in heavy air as well, or does it have the same issue that the flight line would have?


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

"IF" you are really going to get into racing, you will want the flightline sheets, "ALONG" with a 5/16 or 3/8 quality line like the ultralite, or I use XLS Extra for sheets and halyards. The is NO sta set used on my boat for anything that is a halyard or sheet equal. I have some upgraded staset for the reef lines and a spin top lift, but other than that, it is XLS extra. Yes it gets pricey! BUT< you can get away with a thinner line than staset for an equal job, which keeps the cost down somewhat.

On light days, you will and can tell the difference between a 1/4 and 3/8 line! The clew will sag a lot, and you will lose some speed, not that .25-.5 knots is a lot, but if you're going 1.5 and the rest of the fleet is doing 1.75-2 knots in 4 knots of wind..........you just lost the race!

Marty


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

If you get serious, and haven't bought the sheets yet, get 2 different sizes. Then cut them in 1/2 and splice the 2 sizes together. So you have a 5/16 going to a 1/4, then strip the cover of the 1/4" half way to the clew or more. 

Many ways to do it, but one set of sheets should handle heavy and light winds for at least 3-4 years. Amsteel is easy to work with and even their 7/64" line has a min. strength of 1400lbs. 100' of that stuff only weighs 3 tenths of a pound. Keep them light. Only use a larger diameter where the trimmers hold it, Like the last 10-15' of it.


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

Well I'm racing non-spinnaker races now, but I want to move to the spinnaker classes. I would prefer for now to get one set of sheets and add others later as needed. The Samson ultra light looks good for several reasons, including that its easy to get. Can they be used in heavy air or is something more beefy needed?

In light air, I am less concerned about the size of the line, because its just not hard to hold it. In heavy air, that's a different story, with 10mm being my preference. 

For now I would like to find a good all around sheet, and I understand that it will be an issue in light air. I can always get the flight line later.


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

zz4gta said:


> If you get serious, and haven't bought the sheets yet, get 2 different sizes. Then cut them in 1/2 and splice the 2 sizes together. So you have a 5/16 going to a 1/4, then strip the cover of the 1/4" half way to the clew or more.
> 
> Many ways to do it, but one set of sheets should handle heavy and light winds for at least 3-4 years. Amsteel is easy to work with and even their 7/64" line has a min. strength of 1400lbs. 100' of that stuff only weighs 3 tenths of a pound. Keep them light. Only use a larger diameter where the trimmers hold it, Like the last 10-15' of it.


That's a cool idea, thanks.


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

3/8" is probably the biggest size I'd want on a boat. Maybe, just maybe, 7/16". Anything else is pretty overkill. Wear gloves, and put an extra wrap on the winch. 

I have samson ultra light for halyards, I like the line, although the core is a little fuzzy and the cover is stiff and I wouldn't recommend them for med. to heavy air sheets. Just going up the mast on my 25 footer, my main halyard leaves some residue of the line cover on my winch after I come down. I'd use something with a better cover. 

The samson Ultra lite's cover is also pretty stiff and needs some break-in, furthermore, the 3/16" I'm using for a spin halyard is a parrallel core. So you won't be able to splice it.


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## philsboat (Oct 16, 2006)

Take a longer than required line,cleat it where your spin sheet is normally cleated with 4-5 feet to spare run it to the bow through the spin pole then back the other side and into the companionway so it almost reaches the floor.This will be really close to what you need.Try it with some cheap line when the wind is light to be sure.Nothing worse than being a foot too short!
I did that once!

Phil


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Double the length of the boat is a good rule of thumb, and it allows you to keep a stopper knot in the spinnaker sheets and still blow the spinnaker fairly effectively.  Anything shorter would require you to leave out the stopper knots.


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