Slab reefing a 19ft boat

[Fallguy]

Hi all,

I know this is probably a question asked frequently on these forums so I apologise in advance.

I currently own a 19ft trailor sailor that has roller boom reefing system. I would like to change this to slab reefing system as I feel it better suit my particular set up. Looking into this via the internet I see that barton make a reefing system that I could fit, however I also note that in some wayfer dinghies (also 19ft) employ a slab reefing system using lanyard attached blocks from a fixed point on the boom to a foward led cleat. The former system is more expensive than the latter.

Does anyone have any advice or experience in this matter. Thanks in advance.

 

[Evadne]

I fitted a Barton system to my own boat and am very pleased with it. It is most useful in being able to rig three reefs ready to use at sea from the mast, single handed. You still need jammers or cleats to complete the system, and I can use the mast mounted main halyard winch to haul it in if I need to. I'd have thought it overkill on a 19 footer, I'd suggest you try the lanyard mounted blocks first, and move up to the Barton block if that proves insufficient.

 

[lw395]

I have used slab reefing on 20ft racing keelboats.
You do not need the pulley to move along the boom on a track.
If you put all the pulleys on the outboard and of the boom, and lead the reefing lines from there, up the leach and vertically down to the boom (where it is tied off) it will work really well.
The end which is tied off can either be on a slider in the track under the boom, which needs to be strong, or simply tied around the boom in a bowline. This latter option requires either a loose footed or slide footed main, or some eyelets in the foot of the main.

You could fix the fixed end as it were, but you would have to know that the reef points were not going to change.
You could also put them on a track on one side of the boom, no need to go mad about symmetry,

The reef lines need to pull both back and down on the sail, that's the key.

 

[VicS]

I did just this many years ago to my Sea Wych

Got two row of reef points fitted in the sail.

Fitted a Barton reefing kit to the boom together with some cleats for the reefing lines

made some hooks for the luff out of a couple of large shackles.

The conversion also enabled me to fit a decent kicking strap.

I have kept the roller reefing operational so that it can be used if necessary



But be sure to fit it to the same side as the halyard

 

[ianat182]

My cheapskate method on a 25ft Westerly is detailed at :

www.ybw.com/forumsshowthread...=316799&page=2

2 or 4 'barred' Clamcleats;2 or 4 Seasure 'square' pulleyblocks; 2 Delrin or nylon dinghy fairleads.

Additions to the sail itself will be 2 reefing cringles at the leech 3/4"dia for first and 2nd reef, and the same on the luff of the sail; there should also be a row of smaller 1/2" dia cringles across the sail from each reefing cringle.These will have to be put in by a sailmaker who will reinforce the cringle areas as well.
You'll need to get, or fabricate some ram's horns for the luff cringles, but again this can also be modified by a small block and additional clamcleat each side of the boom, passing a line through the cringle, down to a small block and secure in the clamcleat,one end of the line being secured to the boom for each reefing cringle.

Fitting as described on the thread above is simple but a correction needed - tension the luff cringle first, then the clew cringles.

Hope this is of some help.

ianat182

 

[William_H]

Reefing

First thing is to get the sail modified with reefing eyelets etc. You can decide if you want one deeper reef or 2 reefs. I would suggest one may be enough.
When the sail is modified try it out with lanyards tieing the clew down and out to the end of the boom and the tack down to the boom and around the mast. This is all easy to do if you set it up before departure.
You will then also get an idea of where you need a pulley for the clew. Although as said it can be at the aft end of the boom. Certainly no need for pulleys on tracks.
I advocate another reefing line for the tack rather than a horn or hook to hook the tack onto. This can be difficult when the wind comes up. I like to be able to reef from the cockpit where reefing lines and halyard come to winches. I can pull a reef in in about 30 seconds when sailing on the wind. I find really I only use one reef but the second can be useful if you thread the first reef lines up to the second reef and tie in the first with lanyards before departure. If weather is really rough. olewill

 

[VicS]

A little more info about the Barton slab reefing kits here

http://www.bartonmarine.com/tech-in...g_Instructions_For_Slab_Reefing_Kit_41484.asp

 

[lw395]

Another detail, from my keelboat racing,
We rigged the reefing line with a 2:1 purchase, to a clamcleat, followed by a block.
The block enables you to pull from any direction.
You need to get good tension on the reefing line to get the sail flat, other wise you may be worse off than with full rig and a decent outhaul tension.
We concentrated on getting the first reef easy and fast to use, we wanted to try using reefed main upwind, but full main for the downwind legs.
The 2:1 needs a lot of travel, it ran outside the boom, most of its length.


The second reef was just there as a serious 'get you home' measure, we would not consider racing when it was needed.

 

[Fallguy]

Thanks

Thanks so far guys, all good answers . I'll get the reefing points put in and then I can experiement with the hardware solution later. Here is a link to help you understand what I mean

http://www.wayfarer.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=200&Itemid=140

Cheers all

 

[Fallguy]

My cheapskate method on a 25ft Westerly is detailed at :

www.ybw.com/forumsshowthread...=316799&page=2

2 or 4 'barred' Clamcleats;2 or 4 Seasure 'square' pulleyblocks; 2 Delrin or nylon dinghy fairleads.

Additions to the sail itself will be 2 reefing cringles at the leech 3/4"dia for first and 2nd reef, and the same on the luff of the sail; there should also be a row of smaller 1/2" dia cringles across the sail from each reefing cringle.These will have to be put in by a sailmaker who will reinforce the cringle areas as well.
You'll need to get, or fabricate some ram's horns for the luff cringles, but again this can also be modified by a small block and additional clamcleat each side of the boom, passing a line through the cringle, down to a small block and secure in the clamcleat,one end of the line being secured to the boom for each reefing cringle.

Fitting as described on the thread above is simple but a correction needed - tension the luff cringle first, then the clew cringles.

Hope this is of some help.

ianat182

Hi Ianat182 I couldn't get your link to work, sorry, but I would be very interested in seeing your solution

 

[Fallguy]

Update

Also should have said my boom is oblong section and not rounded...not sure if this make any difference at all?

 

[VicS]

Also should have said my boom is oblong section and not rounded...not sure if this make any difference at all?

Makes it easier to attach fittings maybe although IIRC the Barton track is hollowed on the back so that it will fit equally snuggly on a curved surface

Ianat182's link should read http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=316799&page=2


Sorry all my pictures are in that thread too !

 

[ferrymaniom]

I fitted the barton rig on my 20' boat last year. Works a treat - reefing or shaking out takes a minute or so.

I had the sailmaker put two sets of cringles and reef points in the sail. The second is quite deep.

I did have to improvise a bit with the staghorns as there wasn't anywhere suitable on the boom to secure them to. A shackle round the slide assembly did the job.

 

[ianat182]

My apologies Fallguy, the correct link is:


www.ybw.com/forums/showthreads.php?t...=316799&page=2

Should work this time!

ianat182

 

[VicS]

My apologies Fallguy, the correct link is:


www.ybw.com/forums/showthreads.php?t...=316799&page=2

Should work this time!

ianat182

No still does not work but the link I posted above in post #12 does.

www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=316799&page=2

You have managed to get an extra letter in there somehow

 

[Fallguy]

Fixings

Hi guys, thanks for all the advice so far its greatly appreciated. My next question is once I have acquired the relevant bits should I fix them with screws or pop rivets?

Is there an advantage to using open (horn) cleats over Clam cleats?

On last question about the reefing fixing, do you think its better to attach the bitter end (via a fairlead) to one side of the boom and the block to the other side or could I use the block on one side and fasten the bitter end to this then lead it though the reefing cringle and back?

Thanks once again

 

[VicS]

Hi guys, thanks for all the advice so far its greatly appreciated. My next question is once I have acquired the relevant bits should I fix them with screws or pop rivets?

Is there an advantage to using open (horn) cleats over Clam cleats?

On last question about the reefing fixing, do you think its better to attach the bitter end (via a fairlead) to one side of the boom and the block to the other side or could I use the block on one side and fasten the bitter end to this then lead it though the reefing cringle and back?

Thanks once again

Starting with the last question

The blocks on the Barton track have beckets for attaching the reefing lines. ( shown in one of the diagrams in the link I posted to the Barton kit

The lines then go round under the boom, up the other side of the sail, through the cringle and back down to the block round the block and forward to the cleats
Most of the "load" is therefore taken by the half turn around the boom rather than by the fixings.

Id guess you should be able to get blocks with similar beckets even though not mounted on a car to slide along the track. If not I would fit eyes on the boom on the opposite side to the blocks I think.

IIRC My Barton track is fitted with self tappers, The eyes that act as fairleads on the boom may be pop rivetted, I forget.

I used clam cleats. ( with built in fairleads ???) I think I might used horned cleats if doing it again.

The cleats are screwed on with self tappers.

If you use single fixed blocks you will need to determine their positions before you start. An advantage of the track is that they are adjustable after fitting.


Look at the link I posted. It will answer many of your questions even if you opt for individual blocks fixed directly to the boom rather that the track.

 

[wot]

I followed the example detailed here http://silhouette-misty.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/slab-reefing-system.html, there is also a load of other tips on that blog.

It works well on my Caprice and was relatively cheap to do. I fixed the blocks using Stainless Steel Rivnuts bedded in with Duraluc, if you're in the Gosport area you're welcome to come and have a look.


wot

 

[ianat182]

Ref the bitter ends of the reefing lines; these are secured to the fairleads mentioned in my thread directly opposite the cheek block on the other side of the boom.
I secured all my gear with selftapping screws and they are still ok ; the clamcleats with the fairlead ,or bridge' as I called it I prefer so that I don't pull lines out accidentally, but both types are OK.
When reefed there will be extra sail material along the boom which if not secured may make forward viewing harder. I use long sailties through the cringles to keep the extra sail close to the boom, looks nice and tidy too.
Some yacht may have permanent short lengths of cordage for this already fixed to the cringles, about 12" long each side of the cringle, knotted to stop them pulling through,then securing the sail using a reef knot beneath the boom. You'll most like see this arrangement on old gaffers. The advantage of the slab reefing is that the kicking strap ,or vang, is able to remain attached directly to the boom as normal, without a 'claw'.

ianat182

 

[Fallguy]

Luff cringle

Sorry to ask yet another question of you all . I have now had my main reefing points inserted and I'm starting the boom work now.

My question is reference the luff section of the reefing system. My plan having read all of your valuable advice was too use a fixed block system (mainly due to cost) using barton cheek blocks, the leach cringle fixing I understand how to measure and fix it but the luff cringle poses a problem. Instead of using a hook I decided to use a cheek block and cleat arrangement BUT i cannot fix it to the boom so the cringle is pulled directly down, it will only fix whilst being pulled at a slight angle, do you think this will matter, should I re-think?

Thanks