Loose footed main with Stack Pack vs non-loose footed main

[Hayden Watson]

Not at the moment. I've got several ideas including switching to 2 line reefing for the second reef, but haven't done anything yet. Probably the best plan is to take the sail to my local loft and have new lower 2nd reef cringles put in.

I have 1st and second single line reefing on my C30 but it uses the single continuous line system rather than the in-boom shuttle system. I found that in order to get it working well, I needed to add ball bearing blocks at the tack and clew cringles.

 

[DArcy]

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That's a nice setup, thanks for the pictures and the description

 

[Hayden Watson]

That's a nice setup, thanks for the pictures and the description

I sent you a PM with more details.

 

[colemj]

Smokey, Make sure your sailmaker knows if you have single line reefing or not. That will limit the maximum amount of sail you can reef. I ordered a mainsail from Hyde for my 1994 Hunter 37.5 and did my own measurements, and I'm happy with the sail other than the second reef is to high for the capacity of the single line reefing system.

Is your single line system the type that has a shuttle in the boom, and that is limiting the travel? If not, then I'm not understanding how a single line system would differ from a 2-line system wrt the amount of sail one can reef.

For the OP: I didn't know fixed foot mains were even being made anymore. Go with the loose foot. There are no advantages with fixed foot - just disadvantages. Well, I guess if you want it to capture rain water, that might be an advantage.

The stackpack is a non-issue. I don't see how that would be any different for a loose foot than a fixed foot.

While brands of sails might have differences, for a dacron sail there will be larger differences between lofts of the same brand than between brands themselves. So choose a good loft. If you are getting a high tech sail, then the brands start to matter.

Mark

 

[PAC3142]

Is your single line system the type that has a shuttle in the boom, and that is limiting the travel? If not, then I'm not understanding how a single line system would differ from a 2-line system wrt the amount of sail one can reef.
Mark

Good point. Smokey73, the OP, has the same year Hunter as me, so I assumed the reefing system is like mine, the shuttle in boom type. If not, then this isn't an issue.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Good point. Smokey73, the OP, has the same year Hunter as me, so I assumed the reefing system is like mine, the shuttle in boom type. If not, then this isn't an issue.

On the shuttle reefing systems I have seen, you can reef up to maybe 9% of the length of the boom. Is that the way that yours works? As long as the 2nd reef is not higher than that, it should work.

 

[LouisMK]

Loose footed mains work wonderfully, stack packs seem to work well for those who like them but IMO are as ugly as homemade sin. They’re just always there.