Two prototype stowage compartment dividers were made many years ago. They came out of the need to stow spinnakers in an easy to reach and easy to stow area. At the same time a possibility for more rapid deployment was desirable. The Privilege 37 has two quite large stowage compartments in the bows. Larger Privilege yachts will have even more space. It is not advisable to store more heavy items than necessary in the bow of boats, but fairly light spinnaker sails should be OK.
I had to change some of the grommets this spring, and since this principle has worked fine for us, I thought I would share it. At the same time I believe a lot of people are already using the same idea.
The fabric used is nylon sailcloth. It is strong and has a smooth and slippery surface, so the sails go in and out without much friction. Some kind of attachment points for the grommets along the edges are needed. And some hooks so the top parts can be taken loose and kind of "open the bag" on top for deployment or stowage.
This way the spinnakers are stowed along the sides of the compartments, leaving space available for entry into the rooms and stowage of other items. The sails are stowed in a dry space, and no sailbags are needed. When stowing, the top of the spinnakers are fastened to the rim of the hatch. Then the spinnaker in the sock is slid into its compartment. The dividers contain two compartments, separated by a string of sailcloth. The one closest to the hatch will of course be easiest to use, but the system works well for both.
The picture shows the compartments in the "closed" position. The hooks can be opened to open up the top. The hooks are then attached to another point to widen the opening. I prefer to take the whole sail in the sock on deck for deployment, but I have also hoisted it directly out with the halyard in light winds. It can also be seen that there are two compartments.
The divider taken out for some repair. I used aluminum grommets at the edges. They are too soft, but have held up so far. The grommets at the opening are often pulled hard to press the sail into position, so I used brass ones. At least I thought so, they bagan to rust after some years. So now they are changed to larger ones and real brass.
If the spinnaker is wet when taken down, I do not put it into the stowage room. It is put directly into a small sailbag that is tied to one of the nets. Then it is dried when that possibility comes.
