Single line reefing

[GeorgeTina]

I am considering changing from slab reefing (at the mast) to single line reefing from the cockpit. On my Beneteau First 305 the Mainsail is attached to the mast by slides which are fed though a "gate" which is closed when all the slides are in place. The gate is some 10inches above the rams hook. On reefing it is neccessary to open the gate to allow the bottom slides out to allow the sail to be lowered enough to hook over the rams hook. I can, of course, remove the gate but I then have a mast track with a hole large enough for a slide to come out when lowering the sail or when shaking out a reef. Anybody sorted out a similar problem ?
Thank You and Merry Christmas to all

 

[William_H]

This problem is peculiar to all kinds of reefing.
The answer seems to be to use your gate to release the slides when you reef. This is not such a problem if you are using rams horn for tack attachment. If you go for single line reefing (or 2 line reefing with a rope at the tack to tension the tack (in lieu of rams horns) then you will find you still have to go to the mast to release the slides.
You might try removing the slides at least for the first reef. Hopefully the luff will stay straight without the slides and not be too recalcitrant when flaking the sail. Leaving all the rest in track.
good luck olewill

 

[EdWingfield]

Don't go to single line reefing. My B331 had it back to cockpit. Due to friction losses I could never get sufficient tension on the clew to flatten the reefed sail.

 

[SimonJ]

I have used single line reefing on my Sadler 34 for 10 years (30000 miles and 3 transats) & it is fantastic - one of the best improvements I have made. To get around the problem initially of the bottom track slide needing to come out of the gate, I attached it to the the luff slider by a lanyard, in other words a short length of 3mm (say) flag halyard type line. This instead of the plastic shackle. The redundant slider then just drops down the track below the gate. In practice I later found it unnecessary to use it at all.
The only (small) drawback I find is that you end up with a lot of rope in the cockpit after reefing, so you need large halyard bags to stow them.
Good luck, go for it!

 

[Swagman]

If you are fitting single line reefing to keep all controls back in the cockpit - why worry about the gate at all? Surely to think of hooking the tack on the horns means you'll have to go forward to the mast - which is what you presumably don't wish to do?
With our single line system all the slides remain at the base of the mast track - and with sufficient grunt on the winch and side blocks to handle the reefing lines on the sail which help reduce friction - we manage to flatten the sail just fine and never leave the safety of the cockpit.
Cheers
JON

 

[Chris_Robb]

Make sure that ...

you use a very non stretch line for the reefing line. If you use a braid on braid you will never get a snug fit - probably why a lot of people do not like it. So use something like Dynema. Also - friction is a real problem, so you may need to change some of the blocks.

 

[trouville]

Re: Make sure that ...

I looked at the Harken site where they have a drawing of the single and double line reefing.

Given the the friction i thought they would have sold an "optamised kit" as for lazyjacks but they dont!

Which blocks and pullys are the best for single line reefing.three cheak blocks and one top quality pully cant cost a fortune?Can they??

Who dose supply the best running pullys? I always buy the least expensive or secondhand, for reefing i want to buy new.I think?

 

[samuel]

Re: Make sure that ...

I assume that you have 2 rings sewn each side of the sail with a bit of webbing joining them passing through the cringle in the sail. All you need to do is to replace the webbing with a longer piece so that one of the rings reaches the horn without removing the slides from the track. You could experiment with a piece of rope joining the rings until you get the length correct. If you do not have rings but just a cringle then purchase 2 rings or use a pair of large shackles to experiment with. You then need to haul in the clew to its reefed point & you may be lucky & the sail sets OK without removing the sliders from the mast groove.
I have a Hanse 315 & the sail reefs easily for the first 2 reefs with the single line reefing. However, when I want to do the third reef it means I would need a long rope up to the luff cringle where there would then be a block for the reef line attached to one of the cringle rings.
I have avoided this by having a strop 21 inches long which goes under the gooseneck & has a snap shackle each end. The problem of too many sliders bunching up at the gooseneck is the same as yours. In my case I just hook the snap shackles to the luff rings such that it puts no downward pressure on the sliders bunched below it. If it did it would force the mast gate down & the sail would come out of the groove. For the 3rd reef ( used in force 8 Plus) I disconnect the clew out haul & use it to tension the reefed leech. Another strop goes under the boom around the bunched sail & through the 3rd cringle & then I hook the outhaul to this such that it tensions the strop as well as pulling the sail outwards & downwards
It all means I have to go on deck & fit the forward strop but I usually know of bad weather so hang it onto the boom before I leave port if the forcast is bad.
I sail single handed & it is fairly easy to use . I have worked it several times in F 8+