Reefing system required

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pcatterall

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last year I abandoned the old 'round the boom' reefing system and bought a new fully battened mainsail with reefing points. I am using the old boom but, of course there is no provision for reefing not even goosenecks.
What is the best way forward? Can I just screw one of the Barton type slab reefing kits to the existing boom plus a pair of goosnecks.??
 
IIRC, the barton system is designed to do exactly what you want, but why not talk directly to barton teq support. I have found them to be very helpfull in the past.
 
Not gone to a fully battened sail but i gave up with the roller reefing years ago.

I fitted the Barton or similar system to the boom, but I forget if it is screwed or riveted. (By buying a proper kit you get blocks with eyes to attach the ends of the reefing lines, if you make something up remember to make provision for that)

You'll need cleats and various fairleads for the reefing lines.

Fit the reefing kit on the same side of the boom as your halyard. (Traditionally starboard) Perversely the kit came set to fit on the port side although it could be altered to fit the starboard side.

BTW the goose neck is the swivelling fitting that attaches the boom to the mast. The hooks you need are called "rams horns". Various types can be bought to fix to the boom or the goose neck but for a small boat I made a pair from two large stainless shackles
 
I revetting on a Barton system last winter. Lines came foreward to cleats on the boom. I also bolted on a couple of hooks to the tack end of the boom for the tack cringles.

System works well with one problem which I have a fix for and will try this season.

The Barton system is a track with a number of blocks. Each block has a becket attached. The idea is that the reefing line starts at a becket, goes under the boom and up to the sail, back down the other side of the sail to the block where it's routed foreward. The block has to be positioned aft of the reefed clew so the line pulls down and back. The problem is that with the block positioned back enough to give a decent foot tension, it doesn't give enough downward pull. With it positioned close enough to the clew to give a decent downward pull, it doesn't give enough foot tension.

The solution is to add another becket foreward of the front block. Counting blocks from the aft end, the first reef starts at the 2nd block. When it comes back to the boom, it runs through the first block. The last reef starts at the new becket. This way the line pulls down & back more like a conventional slab is rigged.
 
You don't need reefing hooks if you fit "spectacles" - rings on tape through the luff reef points. A carbine hook or carabiner on a webbing strop round the old roller gear is clipped to the rings.

That is the method I used when I converted my roller reefing to slab and built my own version of the Barton gear.

NB I may be the proud owner of a new boom tonight, so there may be a converted round boom on the market soon!
 
[ QUOTE ]
rings on tape through the luff reef points.

[/ QUOTE ] Quite a sensible idea to use something similar even with ramshorns.
 
I fitted a Barton system last winter as well, it works well. I through-bolted it rather than rivetting. Now I can go to the mast, hook on the luff, pull on a string and it all works well. I'm aware the foot tension isn't great, but it's adequate: maybe I just got lucky in positioning the blocks just so.

The biggest hassle was fitting a new winch at the mast and clutches on the boom. In an F6 I didn't need the winch, but the clutches are invaluable. I know they advise you not to hold the tension on the clutch permanently, and I've not the experience of such modern technology to say it'll be ok, /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif but it seems to work fine so far, and I can always wind the clew line around the winch if it starts to slip. The winch doubles as a 2nd halyard winch so it wasn't a complete waste of money. I would also add: ignore the advice about only reeving two reefs. Rig all three, if the time comes when you want a 3rd reef, the last thing you want to be doing is fiddling with mice and blocks.
 
I inherited, with the boat, a full batten main. The spars are 1978 Procter, there are add on blocks for the reefing lines, self tapped onto the boom, plus cam cleats at the mast end of the boom to secure the lines.
And "add on" hooks at the goose neck. Bit of a cheap set up I,m afraid, but it works ok,ish. I would have fitted a track for the blocks, plus a much more secure cleating system.

To do a proper job a new boom with in boom lines etc would really be the way to go.
 
What you might like to try is a reefing system that is set up before departure using 4 pieces of light rope.
The reefing eye at the tack (front) is tied down to the boom with several turns of rope through the eye and around the boom. The same eyelet is also lashed forward to the mast ie several turns around the mast and eyelet. This leaves the tack of the sail firmly attached both forward to the mast and down to the boom.
Now do the same with the clew aft eyelet firstly lashing it down to the boom and lastly lash it outwards to the end of the boom. You may be able to use the usual outhaul system. This last pull should stretch the sail foot very tight to make the sail flat.
Fully hoist the main with lots of halyard tension (it is usually easier to fit these ropes when the main is partly hoisted.)
Finally and if you wish runs light ropes around the boom through the midway reefing eyelets to hold up the loose flap of sail.

You will find the sail sets extemely well. Such that any reefing system should emulate this system. The disadvantage of course is that it is tedious to set up and to shake out.

With the sail set in this way you will be able to see where cheek blocks should be fitted to the side of the boom to make a reefing rope at the clew pull the sail at 45 degrees. ie both aft and down.
(no need for a pulley on a track just fix it in the right place) With additional pulleys for additional reefs.
You can use horns at the gooseneck however they tack eyelet must be attached and must not fall off. I prefer a seperate line from the tack eyelet to a cheek block or guiding saddle so pull is 45 degrees again both forward and down. The tack eyelet should sit forward enough that the luff of the sail remains in straight line into the track.

Both tack and clew reefing lines should ideally go back to winches on the cabin top for really easy reefing.

One last thing. Make sure you have a good stout slider on the top of the mainsail. (Not just a bolt rope) There is a huge force pulling the sail aft out of the track when it is a long way down form the mast head. If it partially pulls out it will jamb in the track and you8 will have troubel getting the mainsail down. good luck olewiill
 
http://www.harken.com/rigtips/reefing.php

Try this single line system - its served me well over about 25K miles of single handing.

Only mod I've made to the single line design, to cater for the very much larger sail area, is to mount 2 of the largest Airlite blocks at luff and leech instead of putting the line through the cringle.
Without the two blocks, frictional resistance would have made the rig unusable.
 
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