Here is a recent photo of my new top down furling spinnaker designed by Randy Symth. My catamaran is a vintage 1989 Hobie 21SE. And new (last Christmas) jib sail is from Chip @ Whirlwind Sail. My old main sail (1994) is from Don @ Salty Dog.



This 21SE was purchased by me new in 1989 and will always be my favorite sailboat.



A big thanks goes out to all the catamaran friend I made since I started cat sailing back in 1983 @ the Atlantic Coast Championship Regatta on board my friend Greg's' Hobie 16 Orange Crusher. We placed 8th and I was hooked for life.... Thanks again Greg and all the other sailors who followed this passion...




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Bill 404 21SE
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I forgot to show off my new beverage holders, a total of six so they are always within reach...

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Bill 404 21SE
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how to love your beach cat....




above the rocky shoreline @ my sailing club.

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Bill 404 21SE
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Looks nice. What is ballpark pricing for a set up like that?

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John

Nacra 5.0
CT
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Nice rig Bill!

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

How To Create Your Signature

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Very nice! Hobie Alter would be impressed!

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Will Russell
1980 Hobie 14 Turbo
Tampa, FL
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Bill looks great I am in need of spin and need to talk to you.

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Ted
Hobie 21SE Feral Cat
Upstate NY lake sailing
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Ted,
Let me know when you all have some time and I will head your way for a fun filled sailing adventure. Since retiring more than two years ago, I seem to have all kind of free time on my hands and I don't mind traveling. Maybe we can participate in one of your local events or head to some salty waters for a long coastal dash. We are happy campers no matter where we end up as long as we are upright.

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Bill 404 21SE
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Hey Ted looks like maybe another 21 for the Roton regatta.



Edited by pknapp66 on Jan 26, 2018 - 12:50 PM.

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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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I looked up the Roton regatta and it is usually Mid Sept. which is also the 50/50 'round the island regatta @ Fort Walton Yacht Club. We won't miss as that is my big event we love to sail in. So Sept is already booked on this end.

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Bill 404 21SE
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Bill,

Mayor's Cup Regatta, Plattsburgh, NY, July 7th ... great event. The best part is we go up a week early and spend it on the beach with a lot of sailing, eating and drinking in between. Lake Champlain is a great sailing venue.

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dk

Blade F-16
Hobie 14
Corsair F-242
Mirage 25 (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
TomCat 6.2 (Sold)
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Bill, At Roton you might get the chance to go heads up with 4 other H21's. Rare opportunity.

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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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Bill I see you have a access port under your front cross beam, I have a H-21SC with a leaking wing tube up front and thought about cutting a whole there to repair it, but didn't have time to repair it now. Any problems or regrets with a access there? One rear is leaking also and I had planned to put a port behind the rear beam on the deck to get to that one.

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Tomcat 6.2
Supercat 20 / 17
Searunner 16 Tri home built
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foursail,

Call me and I will walk you through the repair or invite me to your neighborhood and we can fix it.

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Bill 404 21SE
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pknapp66 ,
My 21SE homie live in north Florida and we really look forward to the sailing together in Sept. I am interested in sailing with other 21SE and my sister lives in New Hampshire so a road trip to New England is doable just not during Sept. Sorry.
We spent the day looking on line for a Florida home near Fort Walton and we are encouraged on what is available now. So a 2nd home in Florida is in our future. Someday I envision a small group of vintage 21 campaigning together around Florida. Why not a second small fleet of vintage 21 sailing campaigning in your neighborhood?
The future is what we make out of it...............

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Bill 404 21SE
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Hi Bill,

Your Smyth spin system looks great. Actually used Smyth sails in the beginning of the 80´s when Tornado racing.

Newly retired as you I have started fix up an old Nacra. I am planning a spinnaker with top down furler as I you have done it. I have rebuilt a smallboat Harken furler with endless loop and also have a few asymmetrics(F18, 29er and 49er) to play with. Can not use a snuffer as my spin pole will be placed very low.

Do you have some close ups of the arrangement? Also interested in what anti torsion cable you are using.

Brgds
Lars
Nacra 5.5 Frankencat
49er Frankenboat
https://www.facebook.com/…567605832/?ref=bookmarks



Edited by revintage on Jan 27, 2018 - 06:01 AM.

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Brgds
Lars

Frankentri 5.8/5.5/Inter20
Aerow trimaran foiler

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1192604934176635
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Beautiful Hobie 21, Bill I bought a prindle 18.2 currently under restoration. I will be sailing this April near you in the PC area.

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Tom Bainbridge, Ga. Hobie16, prindle 18.2
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revintage ,
Ronstan is what package we are using. This is the smallest Ronstan top down furling available as I understand and I am thinking that Ronstan supplied the anti-torsion cable.

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Bill 404 21SE
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ec ,
We live in Columbus, Indiana but sail often in North Florida. Since having a total knee replacement at the end of December my focus is rather narrow as I am learning how to walk again and my strength is weak at best. This spring season is somewhat delayed.....

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Bill 404 21SE
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Get well soon.

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Tom Bainbridge, Ga. Hobie16, prindle 18.2
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Hi Bill,
Any ideas of diameter of torsion rope? Ronstan seem to use 8mm, is this what you are using? Thinking of 6mm as Liros have it available.



Edited by revintage on Jan 28, 2018 - 03:43 PM.

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Brgds
Lars

Frankentri 5.8/5.5/Inter20
Aerow trimaran foiler

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1192604934176635
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revintage ,
I am pretty sure I have the Ronstan Series 85 Furler Set - Drum & Top Swivel and it uses a 7mm anti-torsion cable.
Also I an pretty sure I have this particular one....
English Braids ATR has been specifically designed to resist twisting to operating in top down furling
systems. Anti-torsion rope has a unique torsional stability that transmits the furling gear rotation
direct to the head of the sail.( copied from their website)

Since Randy Symth provided a "package deal" I am not 100% sure. I only provider the boat, spinnaker pole and the spinnaker halyard. The halyard I first tried was not a non stretch but a low stretch line which won't hold the per-bend of my 2 1/4" diameter by 13' 3" long aluminum spinnaker pole. Lucky the local West Marine had a non-stock line that work fine.Thank you Linda Wright for your insight.

Now my only issue to address, is find a better halyard cleat as over the course of the day, this non-stretch line slowly "slips" through my 29 year old original spinnaker cleat. Maybe I could replace the aluminum jaws of that cleat. They show zero wear. So, I may need a more current design mast mounted "knuckle cleat" or clutch style (Spinlock XAS Clutch, 1/4 - 1/2: Single)......Any suggestions?

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Bill 404 21SE
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Quote

Maybe I could replace the aluminum jaws of that cleat. They show zero wear.

I love my spin locks (one for spin halyard, one for tack, one in mast track for reefing main) - never an issue - others here will say "it WILL fail" - (they are prob right)

i also have ronstan knuckle bangers and standard harken cleat on my beam for the tack on my 5.5.
it's easy to burn up pastic jaws/parts when hoisting or snuffing at warp speed - 10x worse if your still in the cleates while yankin

PLUS standing vs your kneeling changes the sheeting angle drastically and can cause/prevent burnt out gear -

I like to upgrade to better grade equip when possible and practical. even if that isn't the issue, you now have better gear on your ride, weighs nothing, and spares for other cleats .. pretty cheap fix (or fail)

btw ronstan cleats can often be taken apart and reversed (to fresh grooves - harken's ... not so much)
replacement parts (jaws) are avail for both (all) brands

Clutches are more typical on a mono (or tri) to hold a halyard, but could work. the issue is it requires more movement that typical "cleating" and ... during an ugly pitch .... "you'll poke your eye out kid" (bulky hardware on your mast/beam could be painful in a pitch or peter-pan)



Edited by MN3 on Jan 28, 2018 - 07:49 PM.

Sweet deal.... I've been playing with the top down furlers on the Pulse 600. Makes it great singlehanding in 20+ knots of wind. Maybe I need one on FrankenKitty...

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Scott

Prindle Fleet 2
TCDYC

Prindle 18-2 Mod "FrankenKitty"
Tornado Classic "Fast Furniture"
Prindle 19 "Mr. Wiggly"
Nacra 5.8 "De ja vu"
Nacra 5.0
Nacra 5.8
Tornadoes (Reg White)
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Hey Scott,

We just met in my beam thread. I am opting for a top down furler for the 15sqm asymmetric i have bougth for my SH 5.5 Frankencat. All I miss is the antitorsion cable but have found a 6mm Liros that I will order. Do you have any close up images of the system on your Pulse?

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Brgds
Lars

Frankentri 5.8/5.5/Inter20
Aerow trimaran foiler

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1192604934176635
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Spinlocks are good for many things. They aren't so great for adjustments that don't need to be made frequently (halyards). For whatever reason, when they fail it seems its the springs that go, not the jaws themselves.

For Spinnaker Halyards, harken headbangers work pretty well: https://www.murrays.com/product/28-2156/



Edited by samc99us on Feb 08, 2018 - 06:41 PM.

My problem with my 28 year old headbanger is my new non stretch spinnaker halyard slow slides through the aluminium cleat while the underway just a little but enough to effect the top down furling rig I use now.

So, maybe I should replace the aluminium jaws or install a extreme style clutch style setup. Like this one Spinlock XAS Clutch, 1/4 - 1/2: Single. For about the same price of a new headbanger.

I will first replace the jaws with a new pair and see how it goes....and possibly also install the Spinlock too as my backup so I can quickly made a change if the problem persist. I like to be prepared.....and I like having a back up too.

On a separate note....I may replace my original mast that has a comtip with a custom made mast from Super Cat that will be a all aluminium stick. This new project project may require a order of some 600lbs. minimum extrusion or about 7 mast total. And some custom made mast rotation balls to fit the mast post as Super cat uses a larger ball. I do not need a mast yet but who knows what the future brings and some of my 21SE buddies need a comtip or mast to get back on the water this season. Looking forward.......

So if you own a 21SE and want to get a new mast, let me know.Again, I am looking forward....

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Bill 404 21SE
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Quote

My problem with my 28 year old headbanger is my new non stretch spinnaker halyard slow slides through the aluminium cleat while the underway just a little but enough to effect the top down furling rig I use now.

HM line? (high modulus) like dynema, vectran, etc

many of these lines are coated and are very slick until the coating wears off and the line breaks in a little

unless your cleat teeth are worn down ... it's probably the line and not the cleat and should be fine after a few sails.. just re-tighten as needed until then (or use a jacketed line that has more bite)

MN3

... just re-tighten as needed until then (or use a jacketed line that has more bite)

Or splice in a chunk of over-jacket at the critical point in the halyard. Bury both ends up and down for smooth transition and a better bite. Heck, you might even be able to cross-braid some whipping twine in a foot of line if grip/slip is the only issue.

Randii