Reefing issues....

[B27]

I think the simplest thing to do would be to de-rig the 3rd reefing line until it's windy enough to at least be sure of needing the first.

If you have issues with a manoeuvre like hoisting or dropping sails, it might be useful to treat it like a racing manoeuvre like say gybing.
Go out and practice. Bribe a mate to come out with you, then you can step back and see what's actually going wrong and how that can be cured.
Why is your stack pack not catching the reef lines? Can it be made to do so by changing things a little?

Dooes the OP even have a stack pack? If not, would it help?

What is different on boats which don't make an issue of this?
Could the 'cure' of taking the slack out of the reef line be made easier, with say a thinner dyneema rope? Is there chafe or friction you could work on?

Personally I would say the most significant thing in 'tidying up' the process of dropping the main is having a line ready to secure the boom over to the port side (throttle is on starboard side along with main halyard, and therefore the helmsperson).
The other day we had to drop the main in a strong swell.
Engine on, motor high on starboad tack.
Dump halyard, secure boom, then go forwards and pull the main down.

Obvious need the main to drop far enough such that the boom can be lashed without the sail filling.
If needs be, I could pull it down a few feet using the tack line of the first reef, which is led back.

My boat is a small bilge keeler, which rolls some in a swell, so I am cautious going forward of the pram hood.
It's good to secure the boom before doing so.

Boom not moving, reef lines not flailing about.

 

[Daydream believer]

I think the simplest thing to do would be to de-rig the 3rd reefing line until it's windy enough to at least be sure of needing the first

Why is your stack pack not catching the reef lines? Can it be made to do so by changing things a little?

I agree with your suggestion. I would have expected- certainly for me- the third reef is only used on rare occasions.
Therefore, there is no point rigging that line. It would just be a pain every time I hoisted/dropped the sail. I have a separate luff /clew system for the third reef & this has the advantage that it can double up for the first & second reef in the event of any failure- ie reef line breaking.
Re the stack pack. One has to remember that the amount of sail to be gathered at the clew is relatively small. Therefore, the stackpack- which extends past the outermost lazyjacks- is smaller & really will not catch any flailing ropes

 

[B27]

I agree with your suggestion. I would have expected- certainly for me- the third reef is only used on rare occasions.
Therefore, there is no point rigging that line. It would just be a pain every time I hoisted/dropped the sail. I have a separate luff /clew system for the third reef & this has the advantage that it can double up for the first & second reef in the event of any failure- ie reef line breaking.
Re the stack pack. One has to remember that the amount of sail to be gathered at the clew is relatively small. Therefore, the stackpack- which extends past the outermost lazyjacks- is smaller & really will not catch any flailing ropes

My stackpack is cut parallel. Although there is only one 'flake' os sail at the clew end, the clew is heavily reinforced and isn't keen to fold into a small cover.
Or maybe it never occurred to the cover-maker to taper the cover?
It's a pretty snug fit further forwards to be fair.

 

[johnalison]

I agree with your suggestion. I would have expected- certainly for me- the third reef is only used on rare occasions.
Therefore, there is no point rigging that line. It would just be a pain every time I hoisted/dropped the sail. I have a separate luff /clew system for the third reef & this has the advantage that it can double up for the first & second reef in the event of any failure- ie reef line breaking.
Re the stack pack. One has to remember that the amount of sail to be gathered at the clew is relatively small. Therefore, the stackpack- which extends past the outermost lazyjacks- is smaller & really will not catch any flailing ropes

Simpler still is to have the sail made with only two, but deep, reefs. This may not be the answer for all boats but it has worked well for us for twenty years. It is only rarely that we need to go to the second reef even, as the first isn’t needed until the wind is close to 20 knots true when close-hauled. I just have no need for a sail plan to cope with survival conditions, and even if ‘caught out’ should be able to manage the worst the the Met Office has failed to see in passages of less than 24 hrs from our shore.

 

[wingcommander]

When somebody decided that starter boats should be at least 35-36 ft

That would be the advent of utube sailing then .

 

[Trenail]

It is nothing to with reefing. When reefing the lines are automatically pulled in so do not flap down. The issue is when the sail is dropped & the reef lines, which are up the leech, now become slack & drop below the boom thus causing loops. The OPs good lady is right to complain, as it can be dangerous. It can be awkward for the person at the mast who has to pull these lines in at the gooseneck whilst reaching in amongst the bunched up sailcloth. The dropped sail will sit over the exit point on the boom & one has to lift the heavy cloth up to get access & pull the lines in whilst holding on with one hand as the boat rolls- which it may welll do as there are no sails to steady it whilst now under engine power.
The alternative is to go to the outboard end & deal with it from there- Not so easy in practice, as I have found over the last 20 years.

Another approach to reefing

I have slab reefing on a 34 foot boat.. halliard etc led aft..
to avoid going to the mast when single handed I have the the conventional setup for the leach, led to the cockpit.to port through the usual deck leads
Instead of using the horns, a line from each reef cringle on the luff is led aft to starboard..via a fair lead on the mast at the gooseneck and deck fair leads to cleats alongside the halliard winch
To reef, set up the topping lift, Ease the halliard, hauling down and securing the line from the desired reef cringle and setting up the halliard again
Set up the leech reef lines and ease the topping lift.. Almost quicker to do than to type.this and can be done sitting down If necessary!

those blocks on the sail look fine to me for a single line system but for me are too costly to retro fit
I have no experience of lazy jacks and am wary of in mast / yard systems having motored half way to Calais whilst the owner tried to unfurl his In mast main. and have also seen a square topgallant sail jam inside ts yard.