Ancient Roller Reefing

[Major_Clanger]

My boat has her original, and mostly awful, boom roller reefing. I'm not in a position to change to slab currently, but want to improve what's to hand instead.

I want to stop the luff cars falling out of the mast track whenever I drop the sail. Obviously I can't put a stop at the base of the track as they need to come out when I reef down. Whatever it is needs to be easily removed.

Any ideas please?

 

[tillergirl]

A large split pin (straight) goes through the bottom of the sail track. So if the sail is dropped, the slides are held at the bottom of the track. If reefing, I slip out the split pin for the required number of slides to be released and the split pin reinstituted. It doesn't take long.

PS I still have the roller reefing but I didn't like how tight the mainsail would wrap round the boom. So I just added slab reefing 'externally'. It also tackles the issue of a boom vang rather than with the roller reefing.

 

[Major_Clanger]

A large split pin (straight) goes through the bottom of the sail track. So if the sail is dropped, the slides are held at the bottom of the track. If reefing, I slip out the split pin for the required number of slides to be released and the split pin reinstituted. It doesn't take long.

PS I still have the roller reefing but I didn't like how tight the mainsail would wrap round the boom. So I just added slab reefing 'externally'. It also tackles the issue of a boom vang rather than with the roller reefing.

Perfect and devilishly simple, thank-you! I have a small drop-nose pin that'll do nicely.

 

[tillergirl]

I can't claim it was my idea; it was already there in 1991 - and still there today.

PS it has a short little small lanyard affixed to the mast so as not to lose.

 

[Kukri]

A bit of hardwood,slightly wider than the track and about three inches long. Put a round head screw, with a washer, through one end. Screw it onto the mast just below the end of the track so that it closes it when upright and stops the slides from coming off. Turn it to one side when you reef.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I used to tie a piece of light string round the mast, held up by a convenient fitting on the fore side.g

 

[Seashoreman]

I used to tie a piece of light string round the mast, held up by a convenient fitting on the fore side.g

This is what I do. The excess from the topping lift, around to a convenient cleat on other side of mast.

 

[Major_Clanger]

A bit of hardwood,slightly wider than the track and about three inches long. Put a round head screw, with a washer, through one end. Screw it onto the mast just below the end of the track so that it closes it when upright and stops the slides from coming off. Turn it to one side when you reef.

That's a nice idea; less likely to have anything snag on it. Thanks

 

[Kukri]

That's a nice idea; less likely to have anything snag on it. Thanks

But not an original one: when I started sailing, wooden masts and round boom roller reefing with Bermuda rig were common, and this was what they all had at the foot of the external luff track, above the boom.

 

[tillergirl]

P1040494 by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

 

[Major_Clanger]

I'm on board next week so will see which solution works best. Thanks chaps....

 

[Daydream believer]

My boat has her original, and mostly awful, boom roller reefing. ?

................ What is it about your roller reefing that you do not like? I agree that slab is better but I had roller on my first boat for 10 years & got quite good with it once I sussed how to get the vang tight & how to get the leech pulled out aft to avoid a baggy sail

 

[Major_Clanger]

................ What is it about your roller reefing that you do not like? I agree that slab is better but I had roller on my first boat for 10 years & got quite good with it once I sussed how to get the vang tight & how to get the leech pulled out aft to avoid a baggy sail

I dislike it mostly for the reasons you quote, especially keeping the leach pulled back which I find hard to do if single-handed. I especially don't like the fact I have to pull the sail right up before it can be reefed, at least if I want to keep the shape half-usable. That said, it is simple with little to go wrong, but I've never been able to keep the sail in shape once reefed. It also tends to roll very tight and bunches up around the gooseneck. Apart from that it's great!