Third reefing pennant

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robertt

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Hi just a quick question, might be common sense but not sure what others do

My mainsail has 3 reef points but boom only accomodates 3 lines so I have a clew outhaul and 1st and 2nd reefing pennants.

I don't go out when it's too rough, but JIC I ever need the 3rd reef...

Assuming I'm down to the 2nd reefing point already I would prob just untie 1st reef pennant and attach it to the 3rd reef point.

Is that the usual solution?
 
If I know I'm in for a blowy trip then before I set off I put the first reef in using the outhaul and rerig the first reef lines into the third reef points.

Doing this on the go can be a bit hairy (as I discovered when trying it) as the time you want a third reef is not the time for standing on the roof reaching up for the third cringle. An alternative is have a loop of light line between the second and third cringles with a tail of line (say ten inches) hanging down. You can then tie the reefing line to the tail and pull it up through the third cringle and back down again.
 
robertt said:
Hi just a quick question, might be common sense but not sure what others do

My mainsail has 3 reef points but boom only accomodates 3 lines so I have a clew outhaul and 1st and 2nd reefing pennants.

I don't go out when it's too rough, but JIC I ever need the 3rd reef...

Assuming I'm down to the 2nd reefing point already I would prob just untie 1st reef pennant and attach it to the 3rd reef point.

Is that the usual solution?
Click to expand...

Yes, but easier to rig to points 1 and 3 or 2 and 3 before departure, instead of 1 and 2.
 
The ever excellent Tom Cunliffe suggests that (for cruising at least) a permanently rigged third reef is more useful than a clew outhaul. Anyway that's what I have done with my boat, but it's still a bit experimental so far, I'll see how I get on. There's a lot of string and a potential for tangles. We shall see.
 
I did away with the outhaul and tie this permanentlyto the end of the boom, plenty of holes to tie to. Then I have all reefs permanently fitted. As I'm not racing I never adjust the outhaul in practice. Works for me. On my previous boat I fitted extra eyes to tie the outhaul to.
 
Like others I would recommend using pulleys for 3 reef lines - and tie the outhaul. It is perhaps the least important sail shape control (behind a Cunningham / down haul control and kicker) - and by definition should be easiest to adjust manually, as will only be relevant when relatively calm and no reefs in place.
Could probably even put a simple block and clam cleat system to make outhaul adjustable at boom end (use a small dinghy kicker pulley system?)
 
PetiteFleur said:
I did away with the outhaul and tie this permanentlyto the end of the boom, plenty of holes to tie to. Then I have all reefs permanently fitted. As I'm not racing I never adjust the outhaul in practice. Works for me. On my previous boat I fitted extra eyes to tie the outhaul to.
Click to expand...

+1 worked for the last 10 years for me
 
An alternative to permanently tying the outhaul is to fix a block at the end of the boom and run the outhaul outside the boom to a cam cleat fixed on the boom near the gooseneck.
 
Or you could try what we do, which is to rig the third reefing pennant as per normal, but run it down to the boom end via feeding a loop through the outhall cringle & secured on the other side of the sail/cringlle with a wooden pin throught the loop eye. Line then functions as a normal outhaul until first reef in, which prevents any further use of the outhaul anyway & if need arises to use 3rd reef, just pull out the pin, pull the loop out of the cringle & the slack line through from the gooseneck end & set the slab reef in the normal way.
 
what some people do is tie a piece of string / bungee between 2nd and 3rd reef cringles so you can pull the first reefing line through the third if situation requires it. This will be easier with puller eyes in the end of reefing lines.
 
robertt said:
Hi just a quick question, might be common sense but not sure what others do

My mainsail has 3 reef points but boom only accomodates 3 lines so I have a clew outhaul and 1st and 2nd reefing pennants.

I don't go out when it's too rough, but JIC I ever need the 3rd reef...

Assuming I'm down to the 2nd reefing point already I would prob just untie 1st reef pennant and attach it to the 3rd reef point.

Is that the usual solution?
Click to expand...

We keep the 3rd reef lines permanently rigged and use the clew out haul and a anapshackle for the first reef - the after all it's not that bad really when putting in the first reef, if it is then we go to the second straight away. In over 60k miles I think we have used the 3rd reef maybe twice, but glad we had it ready.
 
I have a short turnbuckle arrangement for the outhaul and 3 reefs permanently reeved. Though the only time the 3rd reef has been used is to stop the main slatting so much when becalmed offshore.
 
We had the same issue so I added the third reef externally. We added a foot block to the outside of the boom, a new attachment point to the other side of the boom and a jammer at the gooseneck end. It works well
 
Quite happy to go to the mast to put the 3rd reef in at the luff but have a permanent 3rd reefing line at the leech/clew.

The 3rd reef leech line shares the spinnaker halyard clutch since they never get used at the same time.
 
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