jib effected by furled screacher?

[jedkins]

I have a 20' light weight trimaran which has a prodder/bow sprite about 3' out from the bow. The prodder was designed for a spinnaker but I am considering a furled screacher which would be semi permananty located on the end of the prodder. I would like to ask what effect an in place furled screacher would have on the effeciency of the jib when sailing close to the wind? (jib is about 50 sq ft and main about 180 sq ft)

So far, most advice is to take the screacher down when sailing up wind and hoist when when going down wind If that turns out to be best then I cant see the point as I might as well just use a spinnaker?

[melong]

It won't affect the efficiency of the jib, in my opinion. Reason being that even close hauled the apparent wind will be around 25 degrees off the bow, so the wake from the furled screacher won't hit the jib. On the other hand you'll still have the extra windage right out in front, which is obviously not going to help windward performance. If you're racing you'd do better to drop it upwind, but if you're just cruising around it probably won't matter a lot of the time.