Reefing systems - advice required

[Slow_boat]

My last boat (26ft) had everything at the mast. No problem to heave to, go to mast and get a reef in. Took about a minute.

When I got my new (well, 25 year old) 29 footer, it had slab reefing at the mast but halyard and topping lift in the cockpit. Fine if two handed but a pain for single handing. It didn't take much to lead it all, including kicking strap, back to clam cleats in the cockpit. Clam cleats are a lot cheapeer than clutches and perfectly good for reefing lines, which don't need adjustment; they're either on or off. Now I can reef in under a minute from the cockpit. I use 6mm line for tack and clew, which is plenty thick enough to handle when you consider there shouldn't be any strain on the sail when you reef. It's such a simple system there's little to go wrong.

I only tried in-mast reefing once, on a chartered cat in Turkey. It deposited all the bearings from the clew traveller overboard and left us with a lot more sail than we wanted.

 

[puddock]

Ah . . . I was meaning a pair of joined rings passed through the reefing cringle. These are hooked over the rams horn instead of having to hook the actual cringle over. Much easier and avoids any need to remove slides or otherwise struggle.

- W

Agreed, these are straightforward ans simple. In my case they would be quicker if I dropped the Main 6" lower each time, rather than having to clamber back to the cockpit EVERY time I reef, just to drop it that little bit more. I'll learn one day

 

[Slow_boat]

Just put marks on the halyard and drop it that far every time. Thick cable ties with long tails save the rings falling off the horns.

Though to be honest, you may as well have everything at the mast if you've got to go up there to do the tack cringle anyway.

 

[Boat44]

Two cents worth? (maybe not)

As others have said, a lot depends on size. Doesn't it all ways!!

We have in-mast on our boat. As long as you take the backstay tension of it doesn't jam (touch wood). But you don't get a nice sail shape.

If I was starting from scratch and sailing shorthanded, I would look at inboom reefing. Whilst i have never used one, I understand the benfits to be 1) keeps the weight of the kit low down; 2) minimum windage as apposed ti an imast system, 3) you can always get the main down 4)you can have a nice fully battened main . Only "problem" I can see is they can look uglly!

But I wouldn't necessarily decicde to buy a particular boat or not based on the main reefing system. Its all a compramise and this bit can always be changed.

 

[March2]

Two cents worth? (maybe not)

As others have said, a lot depends on size. Doesn't it all ways!!

We have in-mast on our boat. As long as you take the backstay tension of it doesn't jam (touch wood). But you don't get a nice sail shape.

If I was starting from scratch and sailing shorthanded, I would look at inboom reefing. Whilst i have never used one, I understand the benfits to be 1) keeps the weight of the kit low down; 2) minimum windage as apposed ti an imast system, 3) you can always get the main down 4)you can have a nice fully battened main . Only "problem" I can see is they can look uglly!

But I wouldn't necessarily decicde to buy a particular boat or not based on the main reefing system. Its all a compramise and this bit can always be changed.

Thanks for another perspective; after all the advice from the various forumites I have reached the same conclusion insofar that I can change/alter the system retrospectively therefore I am feeling more confident in my intended purchase - hopefully I will finalise this weekend!

 

[LadyInBed]

having to hook the actual cringle over (the rams horns).

I use a length of 8mm rope with an eye splice in one end over one rams horn, through the cringle then a clove hitch to the other rams horn.

I sail single handed and haven't bothered leading any lines back to the cockpit, mainly because my side decks are wide enough to make access forward to the mast easy.

 

[Lady Campanula]

Just another small, but quite well-formed, point I picked up on HMSTY Lord Portal in another century...

When the reefs have been pulled down, whether by single- or twin- lines, consider for how long the relevant reef clew-line will have to take the load. If it's likely to be several hours or overnight, consider the effects of chafe on that reef clew-line running through the reef clew cringle.

In such a situation I pass a strop of webbing several times through the relevant clew reef cringle and around the boom, tying it off tight, so it takes the load off the reefing line.

 

[Poignard]

I had ram's horns but I took them off and now I just pass a lashing around the boom and through the luff cringle a couple of times. Seems to work alright.

I also pass a lashing around the boom and through the leach cringle a couple of times, and tie off the reef points. As the sail is loose-footed, this makes a very neat bundle of the unwanted sail.

It wouldn't be quick enough for racers but the extra few minutes doesn't matter when cruising.

 

[Allan]

I have six reefing lines for three reefs, which I like and find easy to use. I recently helped a friend sort out a his jammed single line reefing (Sigma 33). One thing we both learned was that, with his system, you should always put the first reef in before the second reef. I don't know if this is common knowledge but neither of us had heard it before and may help stop someone having the same problem.
Allan

 

[Poignard]

One thing we both learned was that, with his system, you should always put the first reef in before the second reef. I don't know if this is common knowledge but neither of us had heard it before and may help stop someone having the same problem.
Allan

I think that is fairly common knowledge but for a more basic reason, i.e. as conditions improve you can increase sail area in stages, by shaking out one reef at a time.

 

[Allan]

I think that is fairly common knowledge but for a more basic reason, i.e. as conditions improve you can increase sail area in stages, by shaking out one reef at a time.

Yes,
I normally do that for the same reason, I am always an optomist! On the Sigma it seems you have to put the first reef in to get the block inside the boom out of the way before you put the second reef in. If not they can get jammed. I don't know if this is the same on all systems but not a problem as long as you know. I think when the problem happened my mate was trying to make things more suitable for his SWMBO.
Allan

 

[prv]

Just another small, but quite well-formed, point I picked up on HMSTY Lord Portal in another century...

When the reefs have been pulled down, whether by single- or twin- lines, consider for how long the relevant reef clew-line will have to take the load. If it's likely to be several hours or overnight, consider the effects of chafe on that reef clew-line running through the reef clew cringle.

In such a situation I pass a strop of webbing several times through the relevant clew reef cringle and around the boom, tying it off tight, so it takes the load off the reefing line.

One of the gaff-rig books I read recently described this as the traditional approach, but the author was of the opinion that it wasn't necessary with modern rope. Must admit I've not noticed any chafe on reefing lines at that point when I've chartered, and we chartered some ropey old boats as cheap students . KS's reefing lines are new this year anyway since the old ones were missing so no point in examining those.

If I had any doubts about the clew line, though, I might well reeve a gasket or something as you describe. If it brings peace of mind, why not?

Pete