Old fashioned roller reefing

[Snorri Eriksen]

my old boat (1963 sailmaster 22) has a roller reefing set up on the boom. I think this is called “appledore reefing.” I know from perusing forums that 95% of the advice I will receive is to update the system to slab reefing. That is not my question.

The question is: how to use this system most efficiently? I will outline my current methodology to put in a deep reef.

1. Luff the mainsail and head forward with the crank.

2. Release the downhaul and crank the handle to wind sail around boom. The gooseneck rides on an 18” tall slide on the mast so the boom slides freely upward during this step.

3. When the gooseneck reaches the top of the slide release the halyard and lower the boom till gooseneck is at bottom of slide. During this step it is critical to open the track gate and let the lower slugs out of the track.

4. Make fast the halyard and repeat steps 2 and 3 until desired reef is achieved. Retension the downhaul. Tidy lines and head back to the cockpit.

Trouble is that I often single hand and my autopilot is a bungee cord. Any better way to manage this system?

 

[agprice22]

Do you stop the boat or keep sailing on the jib? Could you arrange for the lines to be controlled from the cockpit? This would allow you to be closer to the tiller. Perhaps you could run a continuous line to the boom furler.

 

[capta]

I always had the 'reef points' marked on the halyard (sewn threads) and just slacked it off to the desired one. I kept a tiny bit of wind in the sail so that it wouldn't drop down until the crank/roller pulled it down. This also helped the clew stay out on the boom.
In your case, single handing, you might want to learn to 'heave to', if you don't acquire some form of self-steering.

 

[capta]

Do you stop the boat or keep sailing on the jib? Could you arrange for the lines to be controlled from the cockpit? This would allow you to be closer to the tiller. Perhaps you could run a continuous line to the boom furler.

This form of reefing has a crank/wormgear at the gooseneck, so there's no way to remote it.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Could you vang the boom so it doesn't ride up and just crank with one hand while controlling the halyard with the other; get it all done in one shot? I would love to see a picture or two of your system.

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[capta]

Could you vang the boom so it doesn't ride up and just crank with one hand while controlling the halyard with the other; get it all done in one shot? I would love to see a picture or two of your system.

- Will (Dragonfly)

Kinda hard to incorporate a vang into a boom that rolls the sail onto it. There is a hoop with a couple of rollers designed for this system, but they don't work very well. However, these systems do have a good topping lift.
There is an old adage; 'One hand for the boat and one for the sailor'. I offer that using two hands for sail handling when on deck reefing (often done in less than ideal conditions) might not meet the point of that adage.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Kinda hard to incorporate a vang into a boom that rolls the sail onto it.

Ah yes, of course. Silly me.
Thanks for the explanation.

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Snorri Eriksen]

Here is a pic of my gear. Thanks for thoughtful input. Capta, I’m going to try your suggestion of lowering halyard to a set point first. Question: if that is intended procedure why have the slide on the mast at all? Couldn’t the gooseneck just be set at a fixed height?

 

[TomY]

View attachment 152240 Here is a pic of my gear. Thanks for thoughtful input. Capta, I’m going to try your suggestion of lowering halyard to a set point first. Question: if that is intended procedure why have the slide on the mast at all? Couldn’t the gooseneck just be set at a fixed height?

I have a similar set up. While I have a new main with jiffy reefing today, I used the roller boom reefing for years. I actually rolled most of my reefs in at anchor or on the mooring, without hoisting the main. Because the system is slow it can be a little tedious in any wind (which is why you're reefing). I knew how to direct the sail as I rolled to keep a good shape.

As far as rolling in a reef with a hoisted main, I did it your way and dropped the halyard until the boom hit the bottom of the track and rolled the sail up until it hit the top of the gooseneck track, repeat. The idea that the booms weight would keep the cloth taut, works. As I recall, there was about 4 turns of the crank to rotate the boom, once.

But the slide I still use, as a downhaul. It's a handier device to tension the mains luff, after hoisting, especially after tying in a reef.

The old system actually worked pretty well, except it was slower. I would get an amazingly flat reefed main shape with it. This photo was snapped in 2014. My main needs reefing just before 15 knots to keep the boat flat.