PBO 'shindig' Reefing

[AlexL]

PBO \'shindig\' Reefing

In this months PBO - in the series of articles about boat design - the author talks about various reefing options for the mainsail, and points out a system on his own boat (shindig I think). The system is basically a slab reefing system with some sort of luff pull down line - he describes a system of 2 free lines, one of which acts as the cunningham and one is attached to the first reef point. When you want to reef you pull the luff down with the line (after letting out the halyard etc.) at some point after this you can go to the mast, remove the line which was acting as the cunningham and put it in the second reef point and so on. This way you have only 2 lines and always have a cunningham and a reefing line avaialble. It sounds a lot simpler and cheaper than the single line system I was going to covert my slab reefing to.

The question is what is on the end of these lines, i.e how do they 'attach' to the sail. is it some sort of hook, or does it need to be tied in (kind of defeats the object i think) or does it use some sort of shackle onto the current reefing rings? does anybody know of such a system?

Alex

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[Jacket]

Re: PBO \'shindig\' Reefing

A snap hook onto a ring attached to the sail would be easiest, I'd have thought.

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[davehu]

Re: PBO \'shindig\' Reefing

I too read the article and did not quite understand the procedure. One other point is that the article said the reefing procedure is
1. slacken the luff to a predetermined mark,
2.pull/winch in the reefing clew lines and secure
3 pull down/winch the tack line to tension the luff

I have always been told by sailmakers etc NEVER to pull on the clew lines before the luff is made up taut otherwise you will pull the luff slides away from the mast track which will in the end damage the sail, also they claim that the sail sets better if you tension the luff first.

Whart do others thinks

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[Seal_surfer]

Re: PBO \'shindig\' Reefing

At last there is somebody else who does it my way!

It always seemed daft to me to lower the tack to a hook then fight to haul the luff up again, winching against gravity. Using a simple line permanently attached somewhere below the gooseneck and a SS hook on a small block, you can quickly hook on an any cringle and use body wight to haul down and cleat off, after previously letting off halyard to a b place just above desired reef point.

Simple and quick, but you have to visit mast.

Damage from reefing clew first is minimised by exact positioning off cheek block on boom under clew when adquately tensioning foot.

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[Gunfleet]

Re: PBO \'shindig\' Reefing

I do it your way too!

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[qsiv]

Re: PBO \'shindig\' Reefing

but my single line reefing is just that - I ease the halyard on one winch, and takle up on the SINGLE line (which pulls down on both tack and clew), until the sail is snug on the boom. Then I take up an inch or two on halyard, and the job is finished. If the reef is going to stay in for more than 12 hours than I might slip the tack cringle over the horn at the gooseneck, otherwise I dont, as it means I have to go fwd when I want to shake the reef out, which kinf of defeats the benefit of staying in the cockpit when reefing. The best bit is being able to do all this without spilling wind, as the main is fully battened on roller bearing cars.

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[davehu]

Re: PBO \'shindig\' Reefing

You are correct with single line reefing , the way its designed to work is that it pulls down on the tack first, when that is tight it pulls down the clew. Sailmakers say this is fine until the system gets too much friction, then it pulls down both together or the clew first and thats when the problems occur

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