Double line reefing to the cockpit - arranging lines at the mast

[justanothersailboat]

ok, I'm stretching my head to understand that but there is some lateral thinking there. Thanks for sharing it. I assume this is with a rigid/piston type kicker that always holds the boom up? I have a rope kicker and traditional topping lift which I do use all the time...

(ahem. it was the first thing I yanked last time I ran aground!)

...not sure I can see how that extra block/single rope joining reef points, knows how to tension the right one.

Ingenious though.

 

[Cptsideways]

Here's a screen grab of an image with full sail up, (topping line is sagging behind the sail) as the sail drops the angle changes and the outhaul effect works better. It's dead simple but took a little configuring to work just right. I have a Barton boom spring thing to hold the boom weight. There is a double pulley in the upwards link.

 

[Stemar]

Good quality blocks will not notice the difference

This is the trick to effective single line reefing. Use cheap blocks and run the lines through the cringles, and you have a recipe for a nightmare, Use decent blocks with proper bearings, including at the luff cringles, and it just works.

My top tip for having all lines aft is to add a downhaul for the main. It doesn't have to be more than parachute cord but, in my experience, without, the main won't come down more than about 2/3 under gravity, so you're left with a bit that flaps around. With the downhaul, you get it all the way down into the lazyjacks and held there safe until it's convenient to tidy everything away.