Reefing Lines

[townquay]

I've had boats of various kinds for many years. However I now have the occasional use of a much newer boat than the Moody which I own and there is one aspect of handling the mainsail which I don't seem to have right.
This is the first boat I've handled where virtually all of the lines are led aft to the cockpit. (Except for one boat with in-mast furling for a short time.)
What puzzles me is the handling of the 3 reefing lines, especially when lowering the main.
When RAISING the main I worked out for myself that it's best to loosen the reefing lines and allow them to feed through the jamming cleats as the sail is hauled up.
BUT when lowering, I found it necessary to keep stopping the halliard in order to take up the slack on the reefing lines. Otherwise a big scruffy looking loop is left at the end of the boom when the main is settled down into the lazy-jack. (This loop cannot be taken out by hauling on the reefing lines with the sail (now ) down)
It does seem a very clumsy system and that's what makes me think I've missed the point somewhere.
ALSO, the topping lift is up forr'ard on the mast. It seems silly to have all the lines safely aft to the cockpit except just that one. Is there something about not loosening the topping lift once the main is hoisted on this type of rig ?

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[Jacket]

Why can't the loop of reefing line be hauled out when the sails down? Thats what I've always done. It does occasionally need helping through by hand a bit, if it gets caught up on something.

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[jimi]

I do'nt haul my reefing lines in, I just leave them slack in the lazy jacks bag. That way its a lot less hassle when raising the main again. Do you have a boom strut as well as a topping lift?

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[Aja]

Why pull the reefing lines through? I just collect the 'loops' and once the mainsail sail ties are on just stuff the reefing lines in a fold of the mainsail.

Means that the reefing lines are always the correct length and I wonder how much damage is done to the mainsail attempting to pull the lines through against all that friction.

Hope this helps.

Donald

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[Robin]

Leave the loose loops alone and just tuck them in the folded sail when down, under a sail tie helps. Dont pull them through the jammers, that just adds to the friction in hoisting the main.

No point in my opinion of having reefing lines led back to the cockpit unless ALL the lines come back including tack reef lines, main halyard, kicking strap and topping lift if fitted. If you need still to go to the mast to hook on reef cringles or adjust topping lift, kicker etc then you might as well do the whole job there and save hundreds of pounds worth of winches, turning blocks and deck organisers.

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[Twister_Ken]

Whatever happened to reefing eyes.

Once upon a time sails had eyes along the line of the reef and we would dutifully thread one or more lines through them to tie up the bunt of the sail. Haven't seen a main with eyes for a long time. Why did they disappear? And if we don't have them, why do we still have a reef knot?

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[Jacket]

Re: Whatever happened to reefing eyes.

Mine does. Only brought it two years ago, as well.

Still, they got everything else wrong.

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[Aja]

Re: Whatever happened to reefing eyes.

Funny isn't it. Last mainsail had them. This mainsail just has the holes.

Got something to do with having slides along the foot rather than bolt rope?

Was great fun on my Dads boat with a 16' boom trying to tie in a reef - specially when you got to the aft end and it was blowing a bit, you just had to hang on.

Have seen some boats that use the eyes with a bit of bungy and a plastic toggle.

I just hang loose now....and flap


Donald

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Donald_Beaton on 08/07/2003 13:13 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Sybarite]

Totally agree. Helps keep the mess out of the cockpit too.

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[snowleopard]

a) your topping lift must also come back to the cockpit. crazy to have to go forward for that if the rest are led aft.

b) 2 good reasons to take the slack out of reefing lines: if you leave a loop it can wind itself round the end of the boom, any loose object around or the crew's necks. also, if you have a wind generator it can foul the blases with expensive consequences. on the other hand it makes for a lot of friction when shaking out a reef.

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[Robin]

Hi John

Yes but we DO have ALL the lines back! When we bought ours the reefs were taken back, as was the genoa halyard and kicker but the tack rings needed hooking onto horns at the mast and the main halyard was there too. We revised the layout and now the genoa halyard is on a mast winch, the main and tack reefs (separate) and clew reefs come back, with the main halyard and kicker also. All the reefing can now be done quickly and safely from the cockpit and in the dry too. There are a few lines about but they coil up on the coachroof under the sprayhood out of the way, but we have a 41' boat with a large area here which helps. All up we have 14 clutches feeding onto 2 big 2 speed self tailing winches.

My point is that you either do ALL back or ALL at the mast, half and half is not an option since it means you really need two people to put a reef in, one at the mast and one back in the cockpit. If everything is in one place, whichever it is, then only one person is needed and since we sail as a couple only that is important. We have a tall rig and a big sail area with a fully battened main, with just two on board the control gear makes it all very manageable, the alternative of in-mast or behind mast reefing would mean admitting my senior status as well as giving up too much light air/windward performance! As it is sailing our latest Heartbeat is in the wall to wall grin category with occasional yee hars as well.

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[Robin]

PS if you are around Quiberon from around 5th August to 15th August look out for us, probably anchored off the beach by Er Y'och rock on Houat, with a Tinker sailing nearby.

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[Sybarite]

One of my favourite places especially with kids.

My plans are a little in the air but I am still harboring the idea of sailing to Co Down - Strangford. Maybe we will pass en route Feeling 9m20, Sybaris (beige) usually with orange dinghy on the foredeck with either French flag or Red Ensign depending on my mood.

John

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[Robin]

'Heartbeat', white Sun Legende 41 with goalpost gantry carrying radar, windgen, solar panel and bimini. Mustardy coloured dodgers (no name), Sail No GBR9817R on sail and painted on foredeck and usually defaced blue ensign. We will call in at Camaret (anchor or buoys) and Benodet (anchor outside) en route, then straight to Houat.



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