Single-handed reefing

[trapezeartist]

To avoid hijacking Boo2's thread, can I ask a related question?

My reefing is done with a reefing pennant and rams horn, but the problem I have is the cringle falling off the rams horn before I get back to the cockpit to tighten the halyard. What solutions do people have for this? Someone mentioned spectacles on the rams horn (conjures up a pretty wacky image) and someone else mentioned a "fender cleat", whatever that is. I have wondered about a short piece of light line (6mm) with a bowline in one end. Put the bowline on the rams horn after the cringle then lead the line the long way round the mast and tie off on the spinny pole ring.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I had a short length of bungee whipped to the stem, with an eyelet in it that I pulled over the end of the hook after fitting the ring. Worked brilliantly... needs adjusting so that it is tight enough to not slip either upwards or off.

Spectacles simply refers to eyes on both side of the sail.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Drop the main until the eyelet is just above the horn, stretch they eyelet down over the horn. The shock cord solution sound better.

 

[PlankWalker]

Reef at the mast. All this back to the cockpit business is for wimps.

Plank

 

[trapezeartist]

I had a short length of bungee whipped to the stem, with an eyelet in it that I pulled over the end of the hook after fitting the ring. Worked brilliantly... needs adjusting so that it is tight enough to not slip either upwards or off.

I think I can picture what you mean. Or maybe not! What do you mean by "the stem"?

Spectacles simply refers to eyes on both side of the sail.

Of course!

 

[webcraft]

.
Spectacles are less likely to fall off than a single cringle, but if it is a problem then a wee loop of bungee on each spectacle or on/near the horn should solve it.

- W

 

[awol]

My mate on his Bendytoy had this problem so he just uses the halyard at the mast on its winch and cleat despite it being led aft. As long as he flakes and doesn't coil it doesn't get fouled up with turns.
I really can't see any advantage in the main halyard and reefing lines going aft when single-handed and not much more with a crew.

 

[rob2]

I remember in the PBO sketchbook the suggestion of putting a tie-wrap across the ram's horn opening to act as a gate. Just requires a little experimenting with the exact podsition (sets the angle) length and strength and it should work well.

There is no point taking halyards aft if you are using ram's horns! It really only works with single line reefing or a full crew.

Rob.

 

[greggron]

Reef at the mast. All this back to the cockpit business is for wimps.

Plank

+1

 

[Simondjuk]

Snap shackle on a bit of line off the rams horn pin. Clip that to the spectacle. Can't fall off and can be tripped under tension when shaking the reef out... Why go down just to go back up?

Or just mark the halyard for each reef at a point where it takes a good hard downwards pull to hook the spectacle.

 

[Simondjuk]

I really can't see any advantage in the main halyard and reefing lines going aft when single-handed and not much more with a crew.

Unless they go aft luff and all.

 

[John the kiwi]

Mark your halyard.

My halyard is marked with some twine sewn through at two points for the two reefing positions so that if the twine is 25 mm in front of the clutch it is in the right place for reefing.
I have my halyard back to cockpit and slab reefing lines to cockpit also.

Reefing procedure:
Heave to.
release kicker and cunningham and outhaul.
tension topping lift.
release halyard to marked position as above.
Go to mast and pull sail down to hook over horns.
Return to cockpit and
tension halyard
tension reef line.
release topping lift
tension kicker.
With halyard locked at just about the right spot, i find i have to pull the sail down a bit to hook it over and its tendency to ride up means that i have never had the eye fall off the horn.
My boat is quite tender and once the breeze kicks up she sails faster with a reef down so reefing is a common thing for me.
Total time approx 3 minutes if i am on my game and do everything in the right sequence.
Good luck with whatever solution you choose.

 

[prv]

My reefing is done with a reefing pennant and rams horn, but the problem I have is the cringle falling off the rams horn before I get back to the cockpit to tighten the halyard. What solutions do people have for this?

Either rig luff pendants back to the cockpit, or bring the halyard to the mast. All the necessary bits for reefing should be together in the same place - doesn't matter if that place is mast or cockpit, but they shouldn't be split between the two.

Pete

 

[William_H]

Reefing

I use a luff reefing line and all leads back to the cockpit. No need to leave the cockpit.
Procedure when sailing on the wind....
release main sheet a little. release vang
Release the main halyard and with the aid of the tack reefing line pull the main halyard down about half way distance of reef.
Use the clew reefing line to haul the boom up and sail down again about half way.
Drop the halyard to near the correct mark again pulling the main sail down with the tack reefing line. Winch in the tack reefing line and or halyard
Winch in the clew reefing line until clew eyelet is close to boom which should have the foot nicely stretched.
Pull on the main sheet and continue beating to windward.
At all times sailing a little off close to the wind.
At no time do I bother with topping lift
Mainsail does not have slugs just bolt rope in mast track. Makes reefing easier.
reefing is a lot quicker than 2 mins
Taking reef out is just as easy.
It all is made easier by use of tack reefing line not rams horns. good luck olewill
Ties (gaskets) can be added to the loose bag of mainsail or not depending on wish for tidyness.

 

[lenseman]

Reef at the mast. All this back to the cockpit business is for wimps.

Plank

+2

I have seen so many yachts with lines back to the cockpit that they end up with a load of sheets, halyards and lines on the cockpit sole that they spend forever tripping over.

Such a mess.

Four to the port side of the cockpit, four to the starboard side plus two Genoa sheets an main sheet and a furling line. Twelve lines in total

 

[yoda]

To avoid hijacking Boo2's thread, can I ask a related question?

My reefing is done with a reefing pennant and rams horn, but the problem I have is the cringle falling off the rams horn before I get back to the cockpit to tighten the halyard. What solutions do people have for this? Someone mentioned spectacles on the rams horn (conjures up a pretty wacky image) and someone else mentioned a "fender cleat", whatever that is. I have wondered about a short piece of light line (6mm) with a bowline in one end. Put the bowline on the rams horn after the cringle then lead the line the long way round the mast and tie off on the spinny pole ring.

I have seen a set of horns made by welding a spring clips to either side of the gooseneck rather than a conventional pair of horns. Something like the one on the left of the picture.

Yoda

 

[onesea]

Reef at the mast. All this back to the cockpit business is for wimps.

Plank

+3

I have seen so many yachts with lines back to the cockpit that they end up with a load of sheets, halyards and lines on the cockpit sole that they spend forever tripping over.

Such a mess.

Four to the port side of the cockpit, four to the starboard side plus two Genoa sheets an main sheet and a furling line. Twelve lines in total

I just throw mine down the companionway, its only when my daughter or friends children are onboard we find the odd small child tangled up in them
Its the way the boat was rigged and its to much cost to change...

You mentioned the fender cleat

Or a Clamcleat Fender/Large Loop Cleat this has to be one of the best bits of kit I bought.

I have it tied off securely to the mast at the kicker fitting and held up to keep it off deck and to hand by some string (keep meaning to change to bungy). The boat was set up for racing when I bought her so all the halyards come out of the mast well above deck level so they can be "pumped" up by the mast man...

The problem is when single handed I have no one to "tail" so I am both .
So if I pull anything up I can use the fender cleat to hold it there temporarily.


OK my procedure:

1. Slack main so it is flapping and set tiller so that boat conitues sailing on headsail alone (I find this easier than hove too I think boat might move more but is steadier, maybe I have spent to long racing where you do not get a choice ).
2. Drop main down so its "just" lower than stag horn (I should mark the halyard ),
3. Up to mast hook on, grab hold of halyard pull up by hand till taught use fender cleat to hold halyard till I can get back and tighten up on winch.
4. Tighten reefing line.

I would much rather do steps 2-4 at mast but hey ho its the boat I bought .

I also use fender cleat when I hoist the main at mast and same with head sail, that way I only need to finish off with the winch aft much less friction. Some people fit jammers on the mast (as I was going to), although I am now a convert to this system.

 

[Poignard]

Either rig luff pendants back to the cockpit, or bring the halyard to the mast. All the necessary bits for reefing should be together in the same place - doesn't matter if that place is mast or cockpit, but they shouldn't be split between the two.

Pete

+1

and because having everything at the mast is the simplest arrangement that seems to me to be the best choice.

 

[JayBee]

Reef at the mast. All this back to the cockpit business is for wimps.

Plank

Totally agree.

If an untruth is repeated often enough, eventually people begin to believe it.

Leaving the cockpit to go to the mast is NOT an automatic death sentence.

Going to the foredeck is another matter.

 

[prv]

and because having everything at the mast is the simplest arrangement that seems to me to be the best choice.

There is something to be said for lines aft if you frequently singlehand, as I do. No way I would leave the cockpit to go and hoist the mainsail while still among the pontoons and moorings at the top of the river, but I can do so steering with my bum on the tiller and a halyard in each hand. In my smallish cockpit I can reach every piece of running rigging on board, and the tiller, without moving my feet, and that's definitely a bonus for manoeuvrability.

I'm with Jaybee on the odd attitudes some people have to their own decks, though. The clichéed phrase "the safety of the cockpit" (as in "from the" or "without leaving the") makes me twitch slightly

Pete