Reef line storeage

[PabloPicasso]

We have reefing lines in the boom. They exit underneath at the forward end of the boom below the gooseneck.

Sometimes they end up in a mess on the deck at the foot of the mast, which is a nuisance.

How do folks keep their reefing tails neat by the mast. Do you use a bag, cleat them off, or another method??

 

[Boathook]

I have sometimes put mine in the stack pack when I have put a reef in; failing that I try to coil them up neatly .... When not reefed the lines just hang down bit as they are 'cut' to fit.

 

[johnalison]

I coil the lines and tidy them by self-tying or whatever it's called, so there is only a relatively small mass of line to stow under the sprayhood. Similarly with the tail of the jib halyard.

 

[Poignard]

Three Easy Coils - Pacific Yachting

See: Gasket coil.

 

[Nina Lucia]

I have sometimes put mine in the stack pack when I have put a reef in; failing that I try to coil them up neatly .... When not reefed the lines just hang down bit as they are 'cut' to fit.

We do the same, inside of stuck pack....

 

[BabaYaga]

I also coil the lines and secure them each to the mast by a dedicated tail of webbing that can be made to a loop by snap button fasteners.

 

[dansaskip]

I have a piece of bunji elastic tied around the mast under the gooseneck and the reefing lines get tucked up under this. Done right (tucked up from underneath) and a simple tug frees them

 

[morgandlm]

I have a piece of bunji elastic tied around the mast under the gooseneck and the reefing lines get tucked up under this. Done right (tucked up from underneath) and a simple tug frees them

I do exactly the same with the two reefing ones and the outhaul.
David Morgan

 

[geem]

We have reefing lines in the boom. They exit underneath at the forward end of the boom below the gooseneck.

Sometimes they end up in a mess on the deck at the foot of the mast, which is a nuisance.

How do folks keep their reefing tails neat by the mast. Do you use a bag, cleat them off, or another method??

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I just coil mine, put my hand through the coils, grab the standing part coming from the boom end, pull it through the coil, make a loop in the standing part pulled through the coil by twisting it on itself, then place this loop over the reefing winch at the back of the mast, below the boom.

It is secure enough for day to day sailing in brisk winds, but it doesn’t survive a pounding with big seas. A more secure coil is required. However, as a fast easy to do, easy to drop out, day to day coil, it is works well. All my halyards are stored like this but on cleats below jammers and are very secure.

 

[roaringgirl]

When I did RYA comp crew, the first thing I was taught was how to coil a rope. However, a traditional coil introduces a twist to the rope, which can stop it running freely when required. If those twists make their way into the boom, it increases the friction in the reefing system.

I *flake* spare rope at the mast, hols it together with a gasket-hitch and secure it to a mast-cleat by the free tail.

 

[penfold]

We have reefing lines in the boom. They exit underneath at the forward end of the boom below the gooseneck.

Sometimes they end up in a mess on the deck at the foot of the mast, which is a nuisance.

How do folks keep their reefing tails neat by the mast. Do you use a bag, cleat them off, or another method??

If the reefs are not taken in the ropes can be(should be? I would) trimmed so there are only 12-18" tails. On the relatively rare occasions a reef is needed just coil it up, although that dangly bag on the boom would be tidy also.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

When I did RYA comp crew, the first thing I was taught was how to coil a rope. However, a traditional coil introduces a twist to the rope, which can stop it running freely when required. If those twists make their way into the boom, it increases the friction in the reefing system.

I disagree. A simple rope coil correctly performed removes the twist and kink risk. it doesn’t do what you say.

 

[Daydream believer]

My lines are taken to the cockpit. I see no point in endangering myself to go on deck to make a reef. The lines are coiled & hung on Barton tidies. Halyards , being longer are couled using the gasket coil method shown in the link above. I see no point in stuffing lines together in bags as one pulled out means several pulled out together, creating a mess to be re packed.Furthermore, that mess can become tangled.
Line tamer

 

[RunAgroundHard]

... I see no point in endangering myself to go on deck to make a reef. ...

Why would you be in danger working at the mast?

 

[Poignard]

Why would you be in danger working at the mast?

If the day comes when I feel unable, either through fear or infirmity, to leave the cockpit then that signals the end of my sailing days (at least as skipper of my own boat).

It's all very well, and extremely convenient, to have all lines brought back to the cockpit but if something goes wrong that necessitates you leaving the cockpit and going forward to sort it out, and you can't or daren't go, because you're not used to doing it, and there's no-one to go in your place, you are in one hell of a mess.

 

[geem]

My lines are taken to the cockpit. I see no point in endangering myself to go on deck to make a reef. The lines are coiled & hung on Barton tidies. Halyards , being longer are couled using the gasket coil method shown in the link above. I see no point in stuffing lines together in bags as one pulled out means several pulled out together, creating a mess to be re packed.Furthermore, that mess can become tangled.
Line tamer

You criticise something you don't have any experience of. Par for the course I guess. I bet you are the tidiest boat in the marina

 

[fredrussell]

I disagree. A simple rope coil correctly performed removes the twist and kink risk. it doesn’t do what you say.

I don’t know about three strand rope, but, with normal braid-on-braid, by coiling a rope you are introducing twist. If you ‘figure of eight’ a rope you don’t introduce twist.

 

[Daydream believer]

You criticise something you don't have any experience of. Par for the course I guess. I bet you are the tidiest boat in the marina

What makes you the "expert" - got a MAB is that it?

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I don’t know about three strand rope, but, with normal braid-on-braid, by coiling a rope you are introducing twist. If you ‘figure of eight’ a rope you don’t introduce twist.

I have been coiling braid on braid for decades. No twists if done correctly.