We needed a 4 or 5 day window to make it from Malta to Pylos (Greece), given that the forecast was light winds and that we’d have to go an extra distance to sail as much as possible around a high pressure system (no wind). Little did we know the spinnaker was going to get a workout!

First the forward berth needed to be re-arranged (pillows, sheets, and mattress removed) to access the spinnaker from underneath our sleeping space.

Before we can hoist the sail, a few attachments need to be made to the fore stay. Trip discovered a frozen snap shackle and we needed to pause for a WD40 break.

Now the tack (lower leading corner of the sail) can be attached to the forestay.

Once everything is attached we hoist the sail which is inside a sock (no video here, as I was hoisting and Trip was maneuvering). Once the sail is in place the sock is pulled up and the sail fills as it comes out.

And poof, we’re sailing under spinnaker!

The sail is larger and made of super light material (think parachutes), and it’s only used when the wind is light and behind the beam of the boat. Conditions were so perfect we were able to sail the spinnaker for 27+ hours. We normally always strike it at night (protective measures), but the conditions were so perfect and it was early enough in the season for stable weather that we kept on going.

We did have to motor through the dead spot (no wind) as predicted, but were able to hoist the spinnaker again on the other side of the high pressure system, only to douse it as the winds really picked up. Back to the main and jib and we had a gorgeous sail into Greece.

27+ hours of this. Bliss