On the Les Glenans 5.70's which are used for keelboat sail training by Les Glenans in France and Glenua Sailing Centre in Ireland, the mainsails are fitted with three sets of cringles, but there are only two in-boom reefing lines, plus outhaul. What we do, if we are going out in moderate to fresh winds, where the windspeed is likely to increase, is; before leaving the mooring, to remove the outhaul from the clew and rig it as the first reef, and then re-reeve the 1st and 2nd reefing lines through the 2nd and third leech cringles. This way, we are setting off with one reef in, which suits the conditions and can rig the 2nd or 3rd, as required, without any gymnastics or complicated rigging arrangements. It's easy enough, with the accurate weather forecasting we have these days, to get it right, most of the time.
The Third Reef
- Thread starter bluerm166
- Start date
blackfish
Well-Known Member
Call me a fair-weather sailor if you like, but I ever am in need of a third reef, I'm definitely in the wrong place!
arawa
Well-Known Member
Agreed. I tried putting in a third reef when I really needed it just north of Ardnamurchan in a Parker 235 with 34 kts of wind. In the big rolling seas I could barely stand on the coachroof and certainly not sort out the lines so dropped the main (not easy either) and had a very scary run up to Mallaig under a tiny scrap of jib. "You're a hardy wee boat" said the Mallaig HM when we arrived there!
I should not have been there in those conditions but that is a different story!
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
Spirit of Glenans;5800017It's easy enough said:
PetiteFleur
Well-Known Member
My previous boat had all lines leading to the cockpit, including reefing lines(not in-boom, Barton lines outside the boom). My present boat has 3 reefs at the mast and I intended to convert to all lines to the cockpit but after trying the at mast reefing I have not bothered as the boat is larger and steadier and reefing at the mast works well. I fitted 'spectacles' at each reef point at the mast and the 3 clew lines are permanently rove and pass thro' the boom to the mast where there are jammers on the underneath. It is a replacement boom, the original boom was 'Thro' the mast roller reefing', with 3 sheaves at each end. The sail outhaul is permanently rigged to a fixed eye so I have 3 reefs. The procedure is to lower the mainsail until I can hook on the first cringle, secured temporarily with a length of bungy cord tied to the mast, luff tensioned on the halyard winch, the clew is hauled in, tightened by taking the line downwards to a turning block fixed to the mast, up to the winch to tighten, then the kicking strap is hauled up tight(with a cascade system so is quick and powerful), 2nd & 3rd clew lines have the slack taken up, then back to the cockpit. Always try to reef on starboard tack so have 'right of way' over other yachts. 2nd & 3rd reef in similar manner to above.
FullCircle
Well-Known Member
Our reefs are all led back to the cockpit and single line on a 35ft boat.
We have slab reefing, and the key for us is having a ring of thread in the main halyard by the clutch for each reef. 1st reef has one ring of thread, 2nd reef has 2 and obviously the 3rd has 3. Therefore when we wish to use 3rd reef we let the main halyard out until the 3rd ring of threads is showing just in front of the clutch on the coachroof. The sail will then drop to approximately the right place. We then wind the 3rd reef line in until its tight, then take up the main halyard tightness. Job done.
Getting it back out is a lot of effort due to friction, however, if you are shaking out reefs, then weather is probably getting better, not worse.
It should be noted that our 3rd reef is 36m long in total.....
We have slab reefing, and the key for us is having a ring of thread in the main halyard by the clutch for each reef. 1st reef has one ring of thread, 2nd reef has 2 and obviously the 3rd has 3. Therefore when we wish to use 3rd reef we let the main halyard out until the 3rd ring of threads is showing just in front of the clutch on the coachroof. The sail will then drop to approximately the right place. We then wind the 3rd reef line in until its tight, then take up the main halyard tightness. Job done.
Getting it back out is a lot of effort due to friction, however, if you are shaking out reefs, then weather is probably getting better, not worse.
It should be noted that our 3rd reef is 36m long in total.....
dunedin
Well-Known Member
We are another with the only three pulleys on boom issue, and replaced the outhaul with reef 3 line. Use snap clip on dyneema for the front.
Definitely a worthwhile improvement - when you need a third reef you need it!
Definitely a worthwhile improvement - when you need a third reef you need it!
Robert Wilson
Well-Known Member
Forgive my ignorance. Do I take it the "single line" is one for each reef
and
that each single line starts off at the luff spectacle/cringle goes down to a block near the goose-neck, out to a block towards the boom-end, up to the reef spectacle/cringle, back down to another boom-block, along to the mast-block etc etc?
I'm trying to imagine the set-up which sounds like it would reduce a lot of blocks n clutches for me, but still let me reef from the cockpit.
One where they use Met Eireann sea area forecasts, Windguru, and UK Met office synoptic charts, i.e. as advised by all good seamen "more than one source of information", e.g. not just the poseur on the TV who tells us it's going to be "wet and blustery"!
Tintin
Well-Known Member
Personally, if you're hell bent on staying in the cockpit and being able to use all three reefs then I'd stick with your current set-up.
The friction, blocks, twists and turns, and the length of rope needed for the third reef in a single line system inevitably leads to woe when you least need it.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
Start at boom just behind point where leech cringle would touch boom when reefed .
Go up to leech cringle
Back to end of boom
Through boom or along side of boom to gooseneck
From gooseneck up luff to block ( ball race better) on luff
Back down through an eye on mast at goose neck level ( to keep line & luff tight to mast)
Down to turning block at mast foot
Back to clutch on cabin via deck organiser if needed
To winch to provide tension
Note that you do not need blocks in the boom. These just provide friction & if something breaks then you are in trouble
This system works for me on a 31 ft boat with self tacking jib so main is quite big. I tend to keep reef ropes well maintained & not let them go hard over winter etc & change them so that friction is not an issue. I do not use dynema for these although i do have dynema halyards
In big seas when arriving at a port i so etimes just stick 2 reefs in to reduce sail so that when i go on deck to put the last bit in the stack pack i have less to do. It is that easy. It also stops me having to gather the free reefing lines up at the end of the boom to stop them garrotting me when the boom is swinging around as i have to stand on the cockpit seats to do that & could get thrown overboard easily ( i sail single handed)
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Robert Wilson
Well-Known Member
Firstly, thank you, that clears it up for me.
Secondly, DOH !! Of course the line starts at the leach end of the boom.
Goes to corner and hangs head in gross embarrassment
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
Goes to corner and hangs head in gross embarrassment
not at all there are several ways of doing it & that is one ---so embarrassment is not to be admitted
Channel Sailor
Well-Known Member
Re: The Third Re
Now that reminds me that I once sailed for a week on a yacht that had a boom crutch. Really useful, particularly as it was very windy weather. I haven't seen one on a yacht since, except maybe a Lugger I was on for a few hours.
