Date
1 - 10 of 10
Ballooner on a 55?
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Has anyone installed a ballooner on a 55? The double poles which were available on the 54 as an option were never available for the 55. Although I have a Parasailor and a Code Zero on a top down furler already, I’m thinking about getting a 2nd genoa made from spinnaker cloth (1.5 oz or maybe stronger) as a “ballooner” for tradewind passages which I could carry on the 2nd groove of the forestay. I don’t understand how the ballooner is hoisted on the SM and 54s - but if that arrangement doesn’t work on the 55, I could maybe use a separate block on the genoa halyard swivel for a halyard to hoist the ballooner - like in the video of the Oyster which was posted in a separate thread a week or so ago. I would sheet the ballooner over the main boom rather than a separate pole - again, like in that video. The advantage I see from this ballooner arrangement over the Parasailor and Code Zero is that I’d be able to reduce sail easily by furling both the genoa and the ballooner together. I don’t think I can reef my code zero with the top down furler - furling is all or nothing - and I’m concerned that the furler would be problematic in case of a sudden gust. I would also not have to use the spinnaker halyard for the ballooner so this ballooner arrangement would work for example if the spinnaker halyard and/or halyard block were coming off the mast due to chafe.
Any comments would be most welcome! Joerg Esdorn A55 #53 Kincsem Currently in Craobh Haven, Scotland |
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The double pole system on the SN, SM, & 54 requires 3 tracks in the foil.
Has anyone installed a ballooner on a 55? The double poles which were available on the 54 as an option were never available for the 55. Although I have a Parasailor and a Code Zero on a top down furler already, I’m thinking about getting a 2nd genoa made from spinnaker cloth (1.5 oz or maybe stronger) as a “ballooner” for tradewind passages which I could carry on the 2nd groove of the forestay. I don’t understand how the ballooner is hoisted on the SM and 54s - but if that arrangement doesn’t work on the 55, I could maybe use a separate block on the genoa halyard swivel for a halyard to hoist the ballooner - like in the video of the Oyster which was posted in a separate thread a week or so ago. I would sheet the ballooner over the main boom rather than a separate pole - again, like in that video. The advantage I see from this ballooner arrangement over the Parasailor and Code Zero is that I’d be able to reduce sail easily by furling both the genoa and the ballooner together. I don’t think I can reef my code zero with the top down furler - furling is all or nothing - and I’m concerned that the furler would be problematic in case of a sudden gust. I would also not have to use the spinnaker halyard for the ballooner so this ballooner arrangement would work for example if the spinnaker halyard and/or halyard block were coming off the mast due to chafe. |
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Thanks, Bill. So I'd have to go with an extra block at the genoa halyard top swivel like is shown in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8LmSX-vEys. If anyone who uses the ballooner on a 54 could let me know the size and material of the sail, and his or her experience with the setup, that would be great. Many thanks!
Cheers Joerg |
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I think every person who owns a SM, SN, or 54 with Henri Amels downwind system should watch this video. I suspect that you will be smiling. Bill
Thanks, Bill. So I'd have to go with an extra block at the genoa halyard top swivel like is shown in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8LmSX-vEys. If anyone who uses the ballooner on a 54 could let me know the size and material of the sail, and his or her experience with the setup, that would be great. Many thanks! |
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Can someone explain to me how the balooner halyard is run on a SM? How does it not interfere with the top swivel for the genoa? Many thanks!
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Follow this link to download a 32-page document that I believe will answer all your questions. The file you want to download is A54 Setting the Downwind Pole, Ballooner, Mizzen Ballooner That file has information on the Headsail Ballooner for both the SM and 54
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Thanks very much; Bill. I now understand. Cheers Joerg
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Hi Joerg,
I used that original AMEL ballooner this year between Panama and Hawaii. For long trade wind passages, I can't think of anything better than that! The boat goes fast and stable. You will need a forestay with three tracks to accommodate both sails and the "mouse" that is needed to take the ballooner back down. I had it hoisted with both poles out (my early AMEL54 came with two sidepoles), but that is not a necessity. You may want to ask AMEL and the OEM of your forestay to find out whether or not they can produce the part that you would need for your 55. The mouse pair is still available from AMEL, I just ordered a spare last week. Best, Alex sv NO STRESS AMEL54#15 |
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Bruno COTTE
Never forget that globally the winds in Pacific Ocean are lighter that the ones in Atlantic the most complicated being the Indian Ocean …
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Envoyé de mon iPhone Le 14 déc. 2022 à 20:18, Alexander Ramseyer <alexramseyer@...> a écrit :
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Hi Alex, sorry again I missed you when you were in Sausalito! Thanks also for this report. I don't think I can replace the foil on my boat with the 3 grooved one from the A54 since the foil needs to fit the Reckmann furler and the Reckman top swivel. So I am exploring using the arrangement described in this video which gives me the functional equivalent of the ballooner on my boat as close as can be.
I'm awaiting a quote and references from Dolphin sails. They've built quite a number of these sails for Oyster, HR and other boats.
I have two concerns about this arrangement. First, i have only one pole so on a dead downwind course, I would want to run the "leeward" sheet over the main boom like on the Oyster in the video. Query whether there is a risk of damage to the gooseneck which is designed to swivel sideways or up and down only, not for the boom to twist. See pictures. However, the main sheet and clew of the main sail seems to put a twisting force on the boom as well whereas the vang seems to pull straight down. I will need to speak with a rigger about this issue.   But then, you seem to think that there is no need for the leeward pole? Second, in order to hoist the ballooner, I would need to attach a block to the top swivel and I wonder what mischief that block could do if I take down the sail mid-ocean because, let's say, the wind turns 180 degrees and I have to go upwind. (like happened in the ARC this year) With the Amel system, there is no such block but then there's the risk that the "dehooker" doesn't work for some reason. Cheers Joerg Joerg Esdorn A55 #53 Kincsem Currently in Craobh Haven, Scotland |
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