Never had a problem with sail shape (but I have a length of pool noodle if it ever becomes a problem) and I'm ok with roller reefing - yes I know it's old fashioned, but I have a main with sail sliders, and slab reefing would just be too difficult with the mast opening/setup I have on the mast (in essence, I can't close out the sail entry slot easily because of the shape, so every time I used slab reefing I'd have to re-feed sliders whenever I took it out..)
I think the answeer to slider problems at least for the first reef is to simply remove the sliders. The clew attach point should be such that the clew is held close to the mast so removing pressure on sliders when luff is tensioned. So ok with out bottom sliders. Or at least worth a try if you have slab reefing and sliders.
To be accurate, it’s not the removal of the slugs or sliders, it’s getting them back in when the wind drops that is a pain. But on smaller sails, bolt ropes rule. It’s only when you get to the size where the friction is too much that sliders are useful. But of course captive roller batten cars are even better
None of them can roller reef on the boom though.
None of them would want to!
I don’t think a casual retrofit would be good either. My one experience of it was of one fitted by the boat builders, from new. That had a bolt rope, and simply worked. I had a new sail made, by someone who knew the class (Mr Batt) and that worked too.
It is almost universal now to lead all mainsail handling lines back to the cockpit, but this is not possible to do with most traditional roller reefing gear. Conversion to slab reefing with lines led aft is usually possible, but requires a bit of thought and quite a lot of hardware to make it work well plus modifications to the mainsail.
Quite right. And not just for solo sailors. Once you’ve been in a storm, with water coming green into the cockpit, you’ll start to see the attractiveness, not to mention safety and reassurance, offered by a boom furling system, all controlled from under the sprayhood.
My boat was a tri, which made sail handing at the mast safer. My new tri has single line slab reefing. I do prefer it, I’m just pointing out that boom roller reefing isn’t automatically terrible.
But he is talking about an old boat with old style roller reefing, not the more modern in boom furling.. While the latter has gained some acceptance on boats over, say 45' it has made limited impact on smaller boats, partly because of cost and complexity and partly because it is difficult to get it to work properly in all conditions.
