DRAGONFLY Trimarans User Forum

PLease - any updated advice on installing a prod and code zero for my 800sw racing?
North sails will make the sail happily, but I am interested in the rigging requirements. Is the standard symmetyrical spinnaker halyard/sheave etc OK for such a sail. How long should the prod be and how anchored?
What about barber haulers? Any thoughts welcome Allan McDougall (Kihitara) New Zealand

Allan, I have an 800 in Cairns, Queensland rigged with prodder and Code zero. If it helps I will post a photograph and measurements of the setup on the forum via Bo next week. The prodder is a stainless steel tube which can be folded sideways out of the way when trailering. It has a stainless downhaul which is attached to the bow of the main hull with a saddle, a 10mm line runs from the bow of each pontoon through a block on the front of the prodder then back to the cockpit via the pontoons which allows the prodder to be "centred" from the cockpit. My code zero is on an endless furler and this attaches to a s/s welded plate on the prodder, my rig has a dedicated halyard for hoisting the sail and a block for hauling the tack of the spinnaker out to the end of the prodder-- my assymetric spinnaker flies from the prodder as well. There is a lot of force on the prodder so it must be securely attached to the foredeck, on my boat a s/s plate is through bolted in front of the headsail furler. It may be a few days before I get to the boat but I will take measurements and pics. Hope this helps.
Paul
DF800 254

That would be great, thanks for posting a reply. Did you put a new halyard on because of problems with the spinnaker halyard ? Mine is VERY stiff, certainly, but one person told me it would suffice. I have read that a really tight double purchase is best, certainly on bigger boats.
The swivelling prod sounds remarkably like the one on my other boat- a bULL 7000. The prod there retracts, but also rotates on a pivot near the bow. I just have a conventionally launched pair of gennakers on it, and becaus it is used on a smallish lake, I dont need too much extra gear. One of the boats has to go!
Allan

The extra halyard was on the boat when I bought it, it is a two to one system and works well. Previous owner was a keen racer and had the spinnaker set up ready to launch as well as the code O hoisted, hence the two halyards. Will get down to the boat tomorrow and take some pics and measurements and post them. I am also a reluctant fleet owner with a Crowther 10 metre catamaran which is for sale, too much maintenance with 2 boats!

cheers
paul

I have posted photos of my bowsprit with the forum administrator, it is stainless steel, 1200 mm long, around 2/12" or 65 mm in diameter and the wall thickness is probably 3 mm. Hope this is of some help to you.
paul

THANKYOU FOR THE PHOTOS. Very interesting. I assume there is a downhaul for the prod, though I cant see it , and I also wondered what the yellow rope is for . Do you use the prod rotated (like I do on the Bull 7000) or always in the long axis of the boat?

CHeers, Allan

Yes there is a downhaul, you can't see it in the photo but it's a s/s wire attached to a pad eye on the bow, the yellow rope is the outhaul for the spinnaker tack, the kite can be set up on the tramp then the tack hauled to the end of the prodder from the cockpit and hoisted. Not sure what you mean by "do you use the prod rotated". I can fold the prod back against the hull when the boat is on the trailer if that's what you mean. Hope this has helped.

cheers,

Paul