User guide

How to use your Parasailor

The Parasailor has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible.

Launching and dowsing are made simple thanks to the EasySnuffer, included, and the sail itself requires only standard sheets and guys to control it. The fully-automatic wing helps to keep the sail in an optimum position, meaning that trimming of the sail is only required infrequently.

There is also no need for a spinnaker pole, furler or any additional deck fittings. All you require is a spinnaker halyard, some standard sheets and guys, and cockpit winches.

The following guide shows you how to use the Parasailor in its most conventional and flexible setup on both monohulls and catamarans, i.e. using 4 lines: 2 sheets and 2 guys, one of each on port and starboard.

Your requirements may vary, but remember that training and setup is included with every Parasailor so individual setups can be discussed at that opportunity.

If you have any questions or would like any point clarified then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Preparing your lines

  1. Place the cruising bag (containting the Parasailor and EasySnuffer) on the foredeck. You can secure the bag to the deck using the strap if necessary.
  2. Set your sheets and guys as described below. You can also refer to the illustrations below as a reference.
  3. The sheets (shown as solid red and green lines);
    1. Secured on the guardrail at the bow, ready to be attached to the clews of the sail.
    2. Run lines back to the cockpit, outside of all guardrails, shrouds and stays.
    3. Take the sheets through the spinnaker block and into the cockpit.
    4. Secure the sheets in the cockpit on the winches / cleats which will handle them during operation.
  4. The guys (shown as dashed red and green lines);
    1. Secure on the guardrail at the bow, at the same points as the sheets.
    2. Run each guy around the pulpit and through separate blocks on the bow.
    3. Take the guys back to the cockpit, this time passing inside of all guardrails, stays and shrouds.
    4. Secure the guys in the cockpit on the winches / cleats which will handle them during operation.

Preparing the EasySnuffer

  1. Release the 6 compression straps from the Cruising Bag and open it up.

    Note - the head of the EasySnuffer, as well as its built-in control line (for raising and dowsing the snuffer) should be viewable and easily accessible in the top of the bag.
  2. Attach your spinnaker halyard to the eye at the head of the EasySnuffer.

    Note - it is essential to attach the halyard on the lee side to prevent lines from becoming entangled on the forestay. In this example, the apparant wind angle is 120°, so the lee side is to port (with the weather side therefore being to starboard).
  3. Withdraw as much of the EasySnuffer control line as you can from the bag and secure the webbing end of the line to a foredeck cleat.

    Note - The EasySnuffer (as well as the bag and sail) are colour-coded red (port) and green (starboard) in order to help prevent the Parasailor being launched back-to-front. There is also a white panel running the full length of the snuffer to make any twists easy to spot.
  4. Before raising the snuffer ensure that you are sailing on a broad reach. This is so the EasySnuffer and sail will blow away from your rigging and prevent any damage from occuring.
  5. Hoist the EasySnuffer on the halyard. Try and guide the sleeve as it rises out of the cruising bag by keeping hold of the weather edge.
  6. The clews of the Parasailor can be found attached to snaphooks inside pockets in the snuffer mouth.

    Unhook the lee-side clew (in this case port) and attach the lee-side sheet and guy.
  7. Repeat the process for the weather side. Ensure that the contol line is forward of the forestay and outboard of any webbings on the EasySnuffer.
  8. Make an estimate of how high you want the weather-side clew (tack) to be, securing the weather guy on a winch or cleat to attach this. Whilst helpful, this is not essential as it can be easily adjusted once the sail is set.

Launching

  1. Detach the EasySnuffer control line from the cleat and raise the sleeve by 2-3 meters.
  2. Sheet in the lee-side clew a little, so the Parasailor will fill with breeze and be starting to take shape when the EasySnuffer is fully raised.
  3. Raise the snuffer slowly and smoothly.
  4. The Parasailor should now be set.
  5. Adjust the lines accordingly for optimum set up, as conditions dictate.

    Note - when sailing on a starboard tack, the port sheet and starboard guy are your active lines, with the starboard sheet and port guy being lazy lines.

Gybing

  1. Whilst sailing, you will of course need to alter course or react to a shift in the wind direction. This is extremely easy to do with the Parasailor.

    Note - the Parasailor can often reach to a small course change or wind shift without trimming any lines at all. For the purpose of this guide, the course will change twice by 60°.
  2. As the wind angle changes, the sail will want to move around in front of the boat, so as to maintain the optimum wind angle.
  3. To gybe, let out on the port sheet (solid red line) and the starboard guy (dashed green line).
  4. If desirable, take in on the other sheet and guy to give the sail a better shape.
  5. You are now sailing directly downwind.

    Note - if visibility becomes an issue, let out on both guys (dashed lines) to raise the sail and allow a clear view ahead.

Gybing continued

  1. If you change course again (here shown as 60°), the sail will once again want to move around towards your starboard side. The lee and weather sides have swapped over.
  2. To achieve this, you need to take in on the starboard sheet (solid green line) and the port guy (dashed red line). Let out on the other sheet and guy if necessary.

    Note - the working lines have effectively swapped over, so the working lines when the sail was launched are now lazy and vice versa.
  3. In the real world, most gybes will happen slower and with a smaller adjustment in heading. However it is incredibly easy to move your boat through 120° whilst only adjusting one line at a time.