TAMING THE TACK
Wooling the tack is the term used when we bundle up the forward corner of the spinnaker to stop it from inflating when exposed prehoist. In the past this was done with lengths of wool – hence the name. It’s a great way to ensure hoists go smoothly and will need to be prepared each time the spinnaker is packed.
Estimate the amount of tack that’ll be exposed between the end of your bowsprit and your forestay and pull that volume of sail out of the bag. Starting at the tack, follow down the foot and the luff of the sail, rolling each edge in on itself to make two sausages that meet in the middle. Tie a length of wool or cotton around the sail. This should be single strand so it will break when the sail inflates. Continue till you have the length you need, secured at three of four points then put the sail back on the top of the bag. For the hoist you’ll attach the tack and pull out as normal. The sail will stay constrained until the main body of the sail fills with air.
There has been some debate over this practice as in the past elastic bands or other inorganic materials have been used and end up in the sea. If you’re going to use wool or cotton, it must be organic and in short lengths that will biodegrade in the water. A better alternative is to get a zip put in the tack of your sail and this is what I use. The sail is rolled in the same way, zips along the foot and the luff are joined to secure the sausage. The zipper head is not attached to the sail, but slides onto one end and then off the other before being stowed safely in the bag. The zip will then break open when filled with wind.