How do you reef a Mirror?

[schilde]

Is there a good way to reef a Mirror? The one the kids have has no reef points on the sail. I can't remember seeing them on other mirrors either.

Many thanks for your ideas

Steve

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I seem to remember from my days playing in mirrors we would drop the jib and sail back to shore under a depowered main if the gusts started to make the boat get tippy.

The boat my friend and I sailed had no reefing on the main at all.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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[Strathglass]

The original mirrors had a second mast position which was about 10" forward from the original step.

This could be used with the main only and gave a very balanced rig.

I have also seen mirrors being reefed for training purposes by rolling the foot of the sail round the boom and doing away with the kicking strap. It gives a rotten sail shape but makes the boat managable by five year olds more safely.

Iain

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[floatything]

Roll the sail around the jib. You will first need to put a fold/tuck in the sail at the outer end of the boom - about 20cm (8") should be enough so that the sail shape is roughly maintained. A trick is to roll your sail bag in with the sail at the point where the kicking strap would normally be attatched and then tie the kicker to this. Alternatively, do what I did and make up a webbing strap with a ring at one end, roll the other end in with the sail at the right position and then you will have a strong attachment point for your kicking strap.

HTH

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[floatything]

Roll the sail around the jib **I of course meant BOOM - not jib( too early in the morning for me to think in words). You will first need to put a fold/tuck in the sail at the clew / outer end of the boom - about 20cm (8") should be enough so that the sail shape is roughly maintained. A trick is to roll your sail bag in with the sail at the point where the kicking strap would normally be attatched and then tie the kicker to this. Alternatively, do what I did and make up a webbing strap (about 75 cm long) with a ring at one end, roll the other end in with the sail at the right position and then you will have a strong attachment point for your kicking strap.


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[Nickel]

Agree with Floatything - detach the kicker, then roll the mainsail tightly around the boom, having folded in a strong piece of webbing with a hook on the end. Go to a car-breakers, and cut off an old back seat lap-belt, the webbing is very strong and the seatbelt catch serves as a great hook. Provided you've rolled enough of the main away, and rolled it tightly, you can get quite good purchase with the kicker attached to your webbing hook and thus preserve your sail shape. The last thing you want is to be in a situation where you want to reef, but you can't maintain your sail shape or can't attach the kicker.

<hr width=100% size=1>Nickel

Being paranoid simply means - having all the facts.

 

[VicS]

I think the very earliest of the Mirrors had slab reefing points in the mains'l. Mine doesn't but then its no. 49074.

Rolling the sail round the boom will give a rotten shape partly because of the loose foot and partly because the gaff will no longer be held tight up against the mast once the halyard is slackened unless you fit a second gaff band higher up. Maybe that was done on the early ones. You really don't want to loose the kicking strap so one of the suggested improvisations will be needed there. The lacing between the luff and the mast will all need redoing as well.

I don't reckon it's an operation that can be carried out while afloat so my feeling is that inexperienced children should not be out in conditions which would make reefing necessary. Having said that it won't take enthusiastic children long to master what is a pretty stable old tub any way.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple>Ne te confundant illegitimi.</font color=purple>

 

[pft]

Short answer - I wouldnt recommend reefing a mirror.
Long answer follows.
A mirror will still sail under main alone, even with the mast in the aft position, so you can just remove the jib.
You can reef the main by rolling the foot round the boom, but then you have to unlash the head of the sail from the end of the gaff, and retie it further down the gaff. ie if you roll down 9 inches of luff then the head has to be tied 9 inches from the end of the gaff, this is so the gaff still lies parallel to the mast with the gaff band adjacent to the mast sheave.
Otherwise the gaff sags away from the mast.
Dont forget that the luff must still be tight when the main is hoisted, so the correct position to retie the head is trial and error and can only be done ashore really.
However you now wont be able to attach the kicker, which is potentially dangerous when running.
Also this wont improve your main!
As mirrors are relatively stable and undercanvassed, they are seen racing happily? in up to about Force 6 by experienced crew.
If crew arent experienced, I would question allowing them out in conditions requiring a reef.
For best responses to Mirror questions log on to Mirror website at www.ukmirrorsailing.com and click on message boards to post questions

Tim



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[floatything]

Rather than re-lashing the sail head to the gaff, I fitted a second attachment point for the halyard. As you say you need to work out the position of this when on land. When you want to reef, lower the gaff (although strictly isn't it a gunter? - someone put me right on this) undo the halyard from the normal position, retie it to this new point, haul up, (so that the gaff /gunter is now lower but firmly against the mast) then carry on with the sail-rolling around the boom ('rolling in' the webbing kicking strap attachment as described before.

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[schilde]

Thanks

Many thanks to all. I think I will get them to carry on as at present, ie manage with the full rig and stay in if in doubt. If caught out we can drop the jib - although it is so small I don't know what difference it makes anyway! They can always drop everything and get a tow with the safety boat. I am very pleased to have had your views about the drooping of the gaff, which I hadn't thought of, and the lacing/unlacing, which I had.

Cheers

Steve

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