# Spinnaker Sail Price



## Brunet33 (Sep 23, 2009)

I need help. i have never owned a spinnaker sail before and not sure on pricing. I have a 1980 Catalina 30. I'm looking at buying a spinnaker for next season. I just contacted my guy who I have bought a couple mail and front sails from him the past about buying a spinnaker. This is a email I got back from him.

Is this a good deal, and should I make a coutner offer?

*Brad, glad to hear you enjoyed the new sail. I just so happen to have a customer selling his slightly used J-32 Gennaker that would fit. This is a G-2 for all purpose running, and broad reaching. No pole required as it is an asymmetrical cruising spinnaker. $1100.00 includes snuffer and is red, yellow and blue .75oz. Nylon.*


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## JohnRPollard (Mar 26, 2007)

Hi,

If it's in good condition, that sounds like a decent price, given that it includes the "snuffer" (which can cost several hundred dollars alone).

Make sure it fits your boat. The J-32 would have a much taller mast than your boat, but it is fractionally rigged. I don't know whether the spinnaker is fractional, however -- it may hoist to the top of the mast, which would make it oversized for your boat, I'd imagine. Your sailmaker can check all that out for you -- he'll know better than me.


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

The gear thats on your boat is a big part of the cost as you will need a plan to control the spin during the time your changing between it and the headsail as well as a spin haylard to hoist it


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## Brunet33 (Sep 23, 2009)

My boat is already set up for a Spin. I will have to do nothing on the boat, just need a sail.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

That is a good price, as a new one would be $2000-2500 or there abouts. Possibly as low as the upper teens, but with a snuffer, more low $2000. Assuming it is in reasonable shape etc, and you use it mostly or cruising, its probably a good deal. I also have a G2 for my boat, its a nice sail. I can sail on light wind days, ie up to 8 knots or so at 60* true wind, so you can point a bit higher than 90. Above 8 or so it will over power the boat unless you have some rail meat! My boat is a slightly smaller than yours by a foot or so, and about 2000 lbs.

Marty


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## Brunet33 (Sep 23, 2009)

What do you mean by rail meat?


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

FX sails shows $1679 for a new asymmetrical Spinnaker for a Cat 30.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Brunet33 said:


> What do you mean by rail meat?


Crew (preferably heavy) sitting on the weather rail!!


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## Brunet33 (Sep 23, 2009)

Thanks... I will have to find some FAT chicks.... LOL....


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## GeorgeB (Dec 30, 2004)

The measurements for the A-kite should be luff = your "I" dimension and the max girth between 180 and 160 percent of your "J" dimension. Kites not fitting your boat's dimensions tend to be a PITA to fly. I recommend a girth closer to 180% for your boat as A-kites do not provide anywhere near the power that symmetric spinnakers do on our cruising boat hull forms.


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## Brunet33 (Sep 23, 2009)

Now that I'm so lost, can you help esplain that in simple terms. I'm still new at all of this!


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## GeorgeB (Dec 30, 2004)

Your "I" measurement is from the top of the mast down to where it intersects the main deck. This should be equal to the sail's luff dimension. If too short, you have to ease the tack line a lot to trim the sail and the clews never seem to line up properly. The problem gets more the deeper you try to sail. If the luff is too long, you have the opposite problem, you will net be able to pull the tack down far enough when reaching which will make the sail fuller and make your boat heel much more than you want it to.

The "J" dimension is from the base of the mast to the base of the head stay. You want your max girth (or foot dimension) to be within that 180-160% range. Too short or too long screws up the geometry of how the sheet goes from the sail's clew to the turning blocks on the boat, What usually happens is there will be a tendency to pull the clew down, causing premature collapsing of the sail. 

<OYou can happily fly you're A-kite using your primary winches. You will need to be able to put turning blocks at the stern of your boat. You will need to run an adjustable tack line from the sail's tack to a cleat. You raise or lower the tack to get your tack and clew to line up. Generally, you raise the tack as you go deeper and shorten it as you go up into a reach. I have two sets of spinnaker sheets. Normal ones and "dental floss" for those light air days when wind is below 10 kts true.

<OAn A-kite works best with apparent wind angles (AWA) between 110 and 150 degrees. It takes practice to fly them deeper and besides, their efficiency and speed potential drops off considerably when you get beyond, say, 155 degrees. Sport boats that can readily surf can take full advantage of a A-Kite's cut. For performance on our Catalina's nothing beats a symmetrical. But on the other hand you can single or double hand an A-kite much more easily.


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## roline (Apr 7, 2000)

I have both sym.75oz and 1.5 oz A-chutes on my Cal 9.2. When single handing I have flown each with different reviews. The A-chute is easier to hoist and drop with the snuffer, but overall the sym can fly at 60 to 180 degrees apparant, the A-chute only 90 to 150 apparant. On a beam reach the A-chute outflies the sym... just a little more sail area due to its cut. The A-chute can be a simple addition, just using the existing halyard and sheets from the jenny, just routed from blocks near the transom. Used A-shutes can be found for a fair price if you want to try them before shelling out for a new one built to your boats specifications. Great addition for cruizing. 
For racing.....There are many "cuts" of A-chutes available depending on the apparant wind angle it is to be used for. They have the disadvantage that their efficiency slot is much smaller than the sym, thus to be at maximum efficiency you would have to have $everal of them..
I cat=41, jboat=39
J cat=11.5 jboat=11
cut=g2, fuller cut not designed for reaching much above 90 deg, ideal for deeper run
cloth 3/4 oz deeper run would reduce apparant wind, allow lighter cloth.
cost ~$1200 fair price, depends on true condition....


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