Converting sail to slab reefs

[bob26]

Has anyone got a mainsail with ss rings on webbing instead of the normal slab reef cringles that pierce the sail?

I am about to go on holiday and find my 40-year-old roller reefing boom has jammed. Its easy enough to convert the boom to slab - which I had intended doing anyway - but the sail has no reef points. I don't have time or opportunity to get a sailmaker to put these in - and they cost £50 a row for a sail I propose to replace anyway this winter.

So I am minded to sew on the necessary strengthening sail cloth patches in the conventional way. I have a machine that is up to that. But as I cannot manage the reinforced cringle holes that are usual for slab reefing I am considering attaching stainless rings to the patches with heavy webbing.

I think these would also be easier to attach to the tack hook at the front end of the boom. Even if not perfect this has got to be better than an unreefable sail.

Has anyone got reef points like this - or got any comments on the feasibility of this plan?

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[halcyon]

There has been a big, well large'sh, thread on this about 2/3 months ago on one of the forums, do a search on slab reefing. From memory cringles v sawn on straps was the point, so I think your idea is ok from the outcome of that thread.

Brian

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[Rick]

Most modern / high performance mains are now delivered with webbing at the luff end, but still have a grommet at the leech end. I think in your case, there should be no problem with using webbing as proposed. I watched my sail maker sew webbing for the head and tack of my number three on friday, and the tack got two layers of 25mm webbing (ie 4 layers in total) extending up perhaps 400mm, while the head got 6 layers of 38mm in total, extending down perhaps 500mm, spread between luff and leach.



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[bob26]

Thanks Rick - what size boat was this?





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[Rick]

Current boat is an old IOR half tonner - 9.1 metres, with I 10.7 and J 3.9 metres

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