Sadler 26 reefing

[mick]

My Sadler 26 has three reefing points, the bottom two of which are in use. As I only ever use the second point (I find reef 1 makes very little difference to the way the boat sails), I am thinking of bringing the third point into use for sailing in higher winds. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Con_Brio]

I have a Sadler 29 and came to the same conclusion. In 2001 I sailed her back from Turkey via Gib and knew that by the time the wind was strong enough to require the third reef, I did not want to be teetering around on the coach roof trying to tie in that reef - besides, you have to set the third reef really flat for it to help, and while you can do that in harbour, it's nearly impossible in a seaway. I long ago arranged two-line cockpit reefing for two reefs (can give more detail if required) which can be set up good and tight and the logic was to re-reeve that before the long voyage for the second and third reefs, which I duly did. I did not regret it. There are only two drawbacks: there's an awful lot of string flapping around between leech cringle and boom, which you have to watch carefully when taking in the No 2 reef to avoid a jam, and, once the reef is in, there is an awful lot of sail hanging below the boom. The 29 has only a single hole in the middle of the sail for a reef point at the level of Reef 3, which isn't nearly enough so, if you want it to look tidy, you have to add some more line (on which, of course, the tension must not be too great - it must be for tidying up only, not for holding the reef in, or you could tear the sail, especially as you have to put the line round the boom not round the foot of the sail as for an orthodox reef-point). I've left my lines set up for Reefs 2 & 3 ever since. Hope that helps.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[mick]

Many thanks for advice. I would appreciate some detail on your method of cockpit reefing as I am getting a bit past leaping about outside the cockpit.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Con_Brio]

The 29 has a hardened area (metal under the GRP) around the base of the mast and at the after end of the coachroof where a couple of rope clutches were fitted each side from new. The hardened areas serve as the necessary backing plates. I drilled into these just abaft the mast on either side (using first a drill and then a suitably-sized thread tapper)and screwed down a small U-bolt each side, about in line with the kicking strap attachment. To each I shackled a double block. There were already three turning blocks in a flat row further outboard on each side of the coachroof to lead halliards back to the rope clutches further aft still (I'm assuming that the 26 has a broadly similar layout). I bought two more sets of three turning blocks, made little wooden infills for each end and bolted them on top of the Sadler factory-fitted turning blocks, so I now had 6 turning blocks port and starboard. Then, back next to the existing pairs of rope clutches, I added three more each side (Barlow clutches in my case - which have performed poorly in a PBO or YM review, but have always served me satisfactorily). As I said, the coachroof appeared to have the necessary backplate built in, as at the mast. I felt that these had to be bolted down, unlike the eyes at the mast. The only difficult bit of the entire operation was cutting through the inner layer of fibreglass inside the cabin on the deckhead to get at the bottom of the bolts to add the washers and nuts, two each side. The double hull on Sadlers is great for strength and cutting out condensation but a real pain for getting at jobs like this! I used a rotary cutter in a cordless drill. After fitting the washers and nuts (a fiddly job) I stuck the pieces of fibreglass I had cut out back in position and put some cream gelcoat over the edges (though I fear you can still see where I cut the deckhead). That was all done in about a couple of hours. Then it only remained to reeve the lines. I tied the luff lines on to their respective cringles with bowlines, brought them down to the port pair of new blocks, through the turningblocks and through the clutches. I used the factory reefing lines at the leeches as messengers for their longer successors (you only need one new one because the longer of the existing pair will do for the shorter under the new arrangement). Where they leave the forward end of the boom they run down through the starboard pair of new blocks, through the turning blocks and new clutches. When taking in your reef, all the lines you need for the luff are to port, all those for the leech are to starboard. Pay out mainsheet; topping lift on; ease main halliard round winch (having raised clutch handle); pull luff line till cringle is level with boom (you don't use the hook on the gooseneck); tighten up halliard; move over to starboard and haul the leech cringle down to the boom (ensuring that the line for the next reef up isn't getting caught at the boom end as it gets slack and flaps); let off the topping lift; take up the mainsheet and you are back in business faster than it takes to write, without leaving the cockpit and with far better purchase on the lines than you ever had hauling away under the boom and using those wretched jamming handles. The extra turning blocks and clutches came in handy for kicking strap and spinnyboom topping lift. With all that extra string in the cockpit, you need a pair of halliard tailbags to tidy up. Reef points in sail desirable but not essential for tidying up.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[mick]

Many thanks for such a detailed reply. Perhaps my leaping (and falling) days will soon be over.

<hr width=100% size=1>