Reefing Main

[Merit 25]

Wish I had a picture, but the last race we did we needed a reef in. The day before I rigged a reefing line that looked like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkaboutwolf/44218835/

Unfortunately, this did nothing to flatten the sail. So I just tied a lashing tight to the outhaul and all was well. Nice flat sail.

I thought that rigging a line from the boom (approx. under the reef cringle), through the cringle, then back to the end of boom, would provide enough down and aft pull to do both? What am I doing wrong? The sail was lowered, halyard made, then pulled on the clew line. Lowered the sail just fine, but just bubbled the foot.

 

[Rodfavela]

Merit,

Have you tried moving the pad eye on the boom, where the reefing line ties to, a little aft? Give that a shot.

The picture shows the pad eye right below the reefing cringle, so by the time the sail is lowered probably you don't have enough pull back from the line.

Hope this helps.

 

[Merit 25]

Sorry, that pic is not of my boat. I had my reefing line just tied around the boom in the same location. I'll try moving it farther aft and see if I can get a flatter shape.

I do have two sheaves in the boom end. I was thinking of running the line out of one sheave, through the sail and back to the other one, but that gives me very little "down" pull on the clew.

 

[mrgnstrn]

Sorry, that pic is not of my boat. I had my reefing line just tied around the boom in the same location. I'll try moving it farther aft and see if I can get a flatter shape.

I do have two sheaves in the boom end. I was thinking of running the line out of one sheave, through the sail and back to the other one, but that gives me very little "down" pull on the clew.

so...you don't have that bail?

the line is just tied around the boom and is free to move fwd and aft?

sounds like you need a bail, and it should be located a few inches aft of the reef-clew after you pull it bar-tight.

do you have this on a winch? how do you get purchase on yoru out haul? your reefing line will need at least half of the amount of purchace on your outhaul (since it is already 2:1 thru the clew).

-M

.

 

[Merit 25]

Correct, I just have it tied around the boom. No other way to dead end it right now. Lashing at the outhaul works REALLY well, but it's super slow.
I'll experiment with where the "bail" or eye strap needs to be.
I have a 4:1 outhaul. I'd like to use a winch for the reefing line, but am concerned with the load that would produce on the gooseneck. Any thoughts on this?

 

[familysailor]

Loose footed main?

If so, the line around the boom can go around the boom more than once to insure cannot slide forward from the place you want it.

Make sure you're not fighting the mainsheet or vang when you honk on the reef, especially since you aren't using a winch.

Is there room for you to put some purchase on the reef line either inside the boom or on the cabin top between the mast and the cleat near the cockpit? (assuming everything is led aft w/organizers cleats and/or clutches)

 

[Merit 25]

Yes, loose footed.

Purchase would be a little difficult. I'm not a huge fan of putting it inside the boom. Seen some outhauls break due to chafe that went unnoticed b/c it was inside. I would like to route it to the cabin top winch if possible. Just don't know the best way to do it. Seems like no matter what, when the main gets eased, it changes the tension on the reef line. Is this true? Or is it not something I should worry about on a 25 footer?

 

[Kaptainkriz]

Here are some pictures from the race....I don't think any of them are of you reefed. Looks like you need to move the reef line aft on the boom. Even if too far aft, you'll be able to pull the sail foot dead flat. To far fwd and you end up with the fat foot. You were quick that day!

https://plus.google....519527438010466

https://plus.google....519462305565618

Mine is on a winch (stoopid place on mast), I have a clutch at the gooseneck on the boom to keep the reef line tight when moving mainsheet. Our capri had it back to the cockpit....no issues with boom movement.

Reef at 7:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RPAj-XkHPg&feature=plcp

Wish I had a picture, but the last race we did we needed a reef in. The day before I rigged a reefing line that looked like this:

http://www.flickr.co...twolf/44218835/

Unfortunately, this did nothing to flatten the sail. So I just tied a lashing tight to the outhaul and all was well. Nice flat sail.

I thought that rigging a line from the boom (approx. under the reef cringle), through the cringle, then back to the end of boom, would provide enough down and aft pull to do both? What am I doing wrong? The sail was lowered, halyard made, then pulled on the clew line. Lowered the sail just fine, but just bubbled the foot.

 

[deckersr]

Correct, I just have it tied around the boom. No other way to dead end it right now. Lashing at the outhaul works REALLY well, but it's super slow.
I'll experiment with where the "bail" or eye strap needs to be.
I have a 4:1 outhaul. I'd like to use a winch for the reefing line, but am concerned with the load that would produce on the gooseneck. Any thoughts on this?

Not sure how you are tying the reef line around the boom. I recommend tying it like the attached diagram. The line will cinch around the boom and won't move. You can position it wherever it works best, probably slightly aft of the reef cringle. Make sure you remove the pressure from the sail when taking the reef by easing the mainsheet and vang. You will also want to use a winch to get the tension you need, a purchase system able to provide the advantage you need would not be able to take up enough line to get the job done.

BoatInformationBookMK1.pdf

 

[neuronz]

We ran into the same problems about a year ago and we solved the problem by putting a large soft shackle with a wichard hook around the boom and another hook on the reef line.The soft shackle provides the downforce and the reef line is working like an outhaul. We had to add a small dyneema loop to the reef point to connect the hooks to. We found this system to be beneficial especially if you have multiple reefs but only one reef line. As long as the main is eased we neither need a winch nor a lot of power to pull everything tight.

 

[mrgnstrn]

Correct, I just have it tied around the boom. No other way to dead end it right now. Lashing at the outhaul works REALLY well, but it's super slow.
I'll experiment with where the "bail" or eye strap needs to be.
I have a 4:1 outhaul. I'd like to use a winch for the reefing line, but am concerned with the load that would produce on the gooseneck. Any thoughts on this?

Well....how about instead of lashing, you have a pre-installed "outhaul extender strop"? a piece of spectra the right length attached permanently to the outhaul, and at the end, a snap shackle (or soft shackle).

then you reef with your normal reef-line, then hook your "outhaul extender strop" to the clew, and bingo, you are in business.

-m

 

[Mogle]

Correct, I just have it tied around the boom. No other way to dead end it right now. Lashing at the outhaul works REALLY well, but it's super slow.
I'll experiment with where the "bail" or eye strap needs to be.
I have a 4:1 outhaul. I'd like to use a winch for the reefing line, but am concerned with the load that would produce on the gooseneck. Any thoughts on this?

Well....how about instead of lashing, you have a pre-installed "outhaul extender strop"? a piece of spectra the right length attached permanently to the outhaul, and at the end, a snap shackle (or soft shackle).

then you reef with your normal reef-line, then hook your "outhaul extender strop" to the clew, and bingo, you are in business.

-m

I have had the same problem but not found a way arround it. With a reef or two (three) set I have been unable to get the main flat. There have been times where I had to go for reef no 2 since I have been unable to get a flat main. Sailing short handed I have not had time to rig something up. Your soluton sounds simple - I will give it a try. Thanks,

 

[allene222]

I too struggled with this. I solved it by terminating the reef line at the boom end and having the cheek block aft of where the reef clew is. The way I think of it is this. The boom is really there to pull the foot aft. You really don't care much if the boom is right against the sail or a few inches below it. A little down force will be all it takes to hold the boom up out of the way but you want a setup that puts most of the force aft. What I found when I had a padeye a bit too far forward was that the clue would get pulled down hard to the padeye and at that point there was no amount of back force that would help. I think that you might be running into the same issue with a loop around the boom. The clue goes down to where the loop is around the boom and at that point there is no amount of back force that can move it back unless it is able to pull the loop back. If the loop is tight around the boom, it may not move back. What I did when I had that setup was to tie the reef line to the padeye with a big lazy loop with a bowline. That way the bowline would get hung up in the clew and act as a lever so that the reef line could pull the sail back as the clew could not go down to the pad eye.

I think you can accomplish the same thing by making the loop around the boom lose and tied with a bowline that will not allow the loop to tighten up around the boom. Then either the loop will slip on the boom allowing the sail to go back, or the bowline will keep the clew from going down to the boom and the after force from the reef line can pull the sail back.

The main point is that you don't want the clew going down to the boom so that the reef line cannot pull it back and you want the reef line cheek block or sheave way aft. You want the set up so that the reef line will pull aft. Think of the down force not as pulling the sail down but as pulling the boom up. An inch or two lower for the boom is not a big deal. An inch or two back is.

Just a note on my setup. My boom is wood and thus I have limits to what I can do that most people do not. But the same principles apply.

Allen

L-36.com

 

[Ocean View]

We use the timber hitch

That way you can undo the f*&^ing thing when it needs to come out.

This method will automatically lock itself around the boom and also enables you to place it 10 to 20 cm aft of the reefing clew to provide the required downward and outward pressure.

Details and pictures here. http://www.discoverboating.com/resources/article.aspx?id=389

And make sure you let off lots of mainsheet while you are throwing the reef in so it snugs down nice and tight

 

[left hook]

That reefing video needed more yelling....

 

[bowman81]

lots of info in this thread

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=130306#entry3537177

 

[roverhi]

You don't really want the reefing line locked onto a point on the boom A loose bowline around the boom will allow the reefing to pull the clew of the sail and bowline loop aft flattening the sail. May have to help move the bowline aft as you crank in on the clew reefing line. If you are going to fix the reefing line to a point on the boom, make sure it is far enough aft of the clew reef cringle so the reefing line ail be still be pulling the sail aft when it's snugged dowm. If the fixed point on the boom is forward of where the clew needs to be to have a flat sail when reefed, you'll only be putting tension on the clew reef line not flattening the sail.