Reefing Fully Battened Main

[DKnight]

My (new to me) yacht is fitted with a fully battened main, lazy jackets & stak-pack, with single line reefing on reefs 1 and 2, and twin line reefing on reef 3.

The main sail can only be hoisted when exactly head to wind, otherwise the cars jam, the battens get caught in the lazy jacks etc. When reefing there seems to be significant amount of friction in the system (which needs further investigation) and it is hard to winch the reef in.

Is there any way that the reef can be pulled in whilst the boat is only under sail, I've tried to point her into the breeze, and then crank it in, but the bow blows of before I can get it all in. I've also tried to hove to, but the main is still partially filled, and gets caught up.

As I do a bit of club racing starting the engine is not an option.
Any bright ideas!!!!

DK

 

[claymore]

Your problems in hoisting are common - I normally hoist the main so that the top batten is just short of the rear lazyjack then we make sure we are head to wind and as soon as I see the leach is sat firmly in the slot between the lazyjacks I hoist like mad until we are beyond the 'snagging zone'

Your friction needs to be looked at - I have the main halliard marked at reef points 1 & 2 so its a simple matter of dropping the luff until we are we are at the appropriate point then I hook the shackle in reef cringle over the hook at the gooseneck. From then on I seem to have no real problems with time and can take in the reefing line and tighten the halliard whilst the boat is being sailed on its course. I haven't said so but obviously we go head to wind to drop the main when reefing

regards
Claymore

 

[andrewhopkins]

Reefing under sail

I have a fully battened main as of 4 weeks ago (half before) and have found it much easier to reef as the battens DONT catch. They should run the full length of the sail and so prevent this!

To reef when under sail is easy. Just go on a beat with the head sail in tight and then lower the main to leeward either on the mainsheet or on the track (or both if breezy) until the main starts to flap/flog.

Then you can put the topping lift back on, lower the main, put in the reef, lift the main back up and remove the topping lift. Bring the main back up the track and hey presto.

If the slides are sticking, try some of the spray lubricant you can get from chandlers or if you have some money, change some of them to the Sailman 4000 et al cars you can get which make it a lot easier.

 

[Chris_Stannard]

Re: Reefing under sail

Agreed, to reef sheet the headsail in and allow it to backwind the main whilst reefing. If you are having trouble hoisting, one answer is to lat the lazy jacks off and bring them forward under the ramshorn. Reset them once the main is hoisted.

I have had a fully battened main for 8 years and I still think its magic to reef and lower

Chris Stannard

 

[Guest]

Some hints from my experience for a smooth reefing of fully battened Main with single line reefing:

Before start, make sure the mast (luff track) is straight when hoist or reef - you can't make it smooth with a banded mast, release the back stay a bit if required.

To hoist, it is simple, just keep dead head to wind and hoist fast when the main is bewteen the lazy jack lines.

To reef,
1. tighten the top lift if fitted, or made the boom vent to support the boom if it is a ridge one.

2. release (unjam and let it go) the main sheet and let the sail flog, don't sheet in the sails hard as they'll fill and increase pressure. It also left the boom swing outward to prevent hitting crews during the process. The normally trimmed jib/geona should keep you going during the reefing process.

3. Mark you main halyard for the reef points and drop the halyard to that point (mind your head as the boom may drop).

4. Then you should be able to pull the reef line by hand with 1 or 2 turns in the winch drum until (depend on how strong you are) you need to use the winch. (main sheet shoul keep loose to allow boom to raise when reef line is being tightened)

5. Mark your reef lines for the reef points too and stop there. (so far the sail is reefed)

6. tighten the main halyard, sheet in the main sheet, release the top lift ot tighten the vent.

7. there you resume to your old course with much controllable sail setting.

With practise, it takes me about 2-3 minutes to complete all the tasks, regardless of the point of sailing (I often do it down wind). Do ask the helm to keep course during the processes

Try that see if it helps you.

BTW, my boat is a Dehler 34 with a 30 sq meter main. and yours ?

Regards

Arthur

 

[dickh]

Another tip to avoid getting the ends of the battens fouling the lazyjacks is to have the lazyjacks go to halfway along the spreader instead of to the mast, thus giving a larger slot for the sail & battens.
On mine, I have to be head to wind to hoist, and to reef I let the genoa drive the boat with the main being backwinded(on starboard of course), let go the kicking strap, letting the spring loaded vang lift the boom, release the main halliard to a marked position, go forward and pull the cringle to the hook(with a bungy cord looped over to prevent it coming off), return to cockpit, hoist up main again, pull in 1st reef, usually without the winch, pull in the kicking strap and puul in the main sheet. Usually takes under 2 minutes.

 

[Oldhand]

I think your statement that your cars jam could be the crux of your particular problem. Single line reefing is inheritently relatively high friction, but if everything is in order it can be done with a good grind on the reefing pennant with an eased mainsheet (and don't forget to ease the vang) while still hard on the wind under the headsail. Your batten cars shouldn't jam in the mast or on a mast track, whichever you have, have a look at them and if you can't see a cure, change them for a better design.

The suggestion to take the lazyjacks forward is a good one, I used to do this, but now I also have a boat with a stack-pack, such a process unfortunately impracticable.