Adventures in reefing

Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Dyneema is nice and slippery and should run through the cringles easily. That same feature makes it harder to lock into a stopper, rope clutch, etc.
The 1/8" size is most likely too small. Rope clutches do have limits on the size range they will grip.

I'd go with the first option and upsize the line but I'd stay away from the dyneema due to cost. Harken has a super lite and small block that you can tie to the reef point to reduce friction there. Much cheaper than using a hi tech line. That block comes with small dyneema line. You tie it to the reef point with a SS ring on the other side.
 
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Sep 25, 2018
258
Catalina Capri 22 Capri EXPO 14.2 1282 Stony Point
My Capri 22 came with a single line reef system that works well. Just release to main halyard wrapped on a winch and pull the line. Tighten the main halyard and you are off. I haven't reefed lately as I have no jib/genoa so need all the power I can get from the main. In light winds, I set an asymetrical spinnaker for broad reaches. On a River the wind needs to be just right to use the spinnaker. I do not use the spinnaker if the wind is above 8mph as I solo sail and almost broached the first time I tried the spinnaker at 12 mph. No auto pilot and hard to balance the boat with only a main.
 
Jul 25, 2019
54
J 24 1979 Honolulu, HI
Harken has a super lite and small block that you can tie to the reef point to reduce friction there. Much cheaper than using a hi tech line. That block comes with small dyneema line. You tie it to the reef point with a SS ring on the other side.
Is this the block you're talking about?
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Or maybe this one

That's the one I used. Being a smaller boat than mine, you might be able to use the 29mm version.

I used them for the luff reef point and leach reef point. I use a single line and it works well. The trick I was taught was not to pull the luff block down tight to the boom. Leave it up about 12".
I set the main halyard, then pull in the reef line and with the blocks the reef line balances out pretty well at the luff and leach.

Thanks to @Hayden Watson for teaching me this setup.
 
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Jul 25, 2019
54
J 24 1979 Honolulu, HI
Attached the block to the leech crinkle yesterday. Not sure I can attach one at the luff, since I have a bolt rope? Is that true?
 

Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
I don't see why not.
I couldn't find a good photo but I'll try to explain what I did.
Buy a SS ring bigger than the cringle. Put it on one side of the sail at the cringle. Put the block on the other side. Use the dyneema line supplied with the block to tie the block to the ring. You can put both blocks on the same side of the sail using this method.
 
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Jul 25, 2019
54
J 24 1979 Honolulu, HI
So if I wanted to run a single line system aft, I would go through this block, then down to a bullseye on the same side of the mast and then down to a deck pulley, to the organizer and then to the cockpit? In theory?
 

DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
I have a double reef setup with a single line for each reef led back to the cockpit. The original Neil Pryde sail has blocks sewn in at the reef points. The routing of the reef lines is simple enough. the end of the line for each of the reefs is tied around the boom perpendicular to it respective reef point in the sail..the line is then led through the block on the leech, back to the sheave at the ear of the boom. Then the line is led through the boom to the sheave at the forward end. The line then goes up and through the block at the luff and down through a fairlead in the boom end casting to a block at the mast base and back to the cockpit.

Its sounds complicated, but works smoothly, and can be accomplished more safely in my opinion.
 
Jul 25, 2019
54
J 24 1979 Honolulu, HI
Thanks everyone thinking this through with me.
Currently: line tied to starboard side of boom, through block in leech cringle, into sheave/channel on port side of boom, out forward port side of boom, through block at luff cringle (port), down to block at starboard base of mast, organizer, cockpit.

Would it make more sense to just run through the cringle at the luff instead of the block, and then come down through a bullseye on starboard side of mast?
OR
Switch to the starboard sheave/channel through the boom and have both cringle blocks on the starboard side. In this scenario, everything would be on the right.
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,045
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
It doesn't really matter which side you end up on as long as it works conveniently for you. I don't really understand the side switching, but there is no point to it if it doesn't work. Running the line thru the luff cringle means friction ... lot's of it. The bull's eye sounds like friction to me, also. The main point is to reduce friction and increase simplicity. How you do it is up to you.
 
Jul 25, 2019
54
J 24 1979 Honolulu, HI
I'm back at this. My single line setup performed pretty poorly this weekend. Think I might give the dual line system a try and see if I can do better with that. One of the problems was that I was getting a good response at the clew, but having a hard time getting the luff pulled down.

Two things I'm trying to figure out:

1. For the the line to the luff reef point, should I attach it to an SS ring through the cringle? I have a bolt rope, so can't tie it around the cringle, if that's even an alternative.

2. The jam cleats and sheaves at the gooseneck really don't work very well, if at all. The clew line travels through the boom, and exits at the gooseneck. Could I remove the jam cleat and replace it with a cheek block and use that to guide the line to a block at the base of the mast and then back to the cockpit (via deck organizer, etc)? Is there something that would work better than a cheek block?
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I had problems like you have...I did 2 things:

1) I mentioned this before, to clarify, I installed a reefing hook at the gooseneck, and when I wanted to reef, I lowered the sail so I hook the reefing crinkle on the hook. Then I tightened the main halyard to straighten and tighten the sail, the, I used the reef line to tighten the clew. This line only tightened the clew.

You ask about how to tie the reef line to the boom, with a bolt rope main...On my O’Day 322, my old sail had a bolt rope. I had a few attachment points under the boom, for attaching a preventer or such. I tied the reefing line end to that attachment point.

2) I later went through the rigging for the reef system and added some very small blocks to the tack reefing crinkles, and ran the single line reefing line through those blocks, then through the boom and to the clew crinkle and then tied to the boom. This removed a lot of friction out of the system, and I can now get good tension on the sail, both the tack and the clew with the single line, and I can do it from the cockpit.

here are a few photos of the mast-end...
You can see the reef hook in this photo(not in use) and hanging upside down at the gooseneck
99DE4BDE-F223-42F8-BA22-0E19013BCAE2.jpeg

in the boom, there are 4 sheaves...2 for the reefing, an out haul and something else.
I don’t really know what those jammers are supposed to do (nothing on my setup).
E004E7F6-EE64-45F2-869E-C66C6F3AF6E3.jpeg

Lastly, here is the block on the crinkle at the tack...
3413FB0B-BD43-4EA5-80EE-2E4EA425A6A6.jpeg


Page 66 of this manual has a pretty good diagram of the way my reefing lines are set up. It doesn’t show the blocks at the tack crinkles, and I now have a loose-foot main, so I can tie the tack clew line around the boom.



Keep working on it...once you get rid of the friction and get the system working well, it is worth the effort. I was surprised that I could reef and shakeout the reef without rounding up into the wind With my newly improved system. I also added a Tides Marine Strong track when I replaced the main sail...this also reduced a lot of friction in the sail...

Good luck,

Greg
 
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cstats

.
May 11, 2020
22
Catalina 30 Charlotte, VT
I have a slab reefing question: when you slab reef the main, do you have to open the luff slug gate and let the slugs come out up to the reefing cringle? If not, don‘t they all bunch up at the bottom? This is for a 1987 Catalina 30.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Yes they all bunch - or fold - at the bottom of the track.

You loosely gather the foot of the sail and soft tie the loose foot up to the reef tie lines. It is not a taut rig it is loose. You are reducing sail area because the wind is up. The loose sail is gathered to keep it out of the way not to make it help power the boat.

Tie the sail to the sail not to the boom. That way when you decide to shake the sail out and raise it you have a better chance of not ripping the sail because you left the foot tied.
 

cstats

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May 11, 2020
22
Catalina 30 Charlotte, VT
Yes they all bunch - or fold - at the bottom of the track.

You loosely gather the foot of the sail and soft tie the loose foot up to the reef tie lines. It is not a taut rig it is loose. You are reducing sail area because the wind is up. The loose sail is gathered to keep it out of the way not to make it help power the boat.
Yes; but this puts the reefing cringle above the level of the boom. Doesn’t it need to be at the level of the boom to create a correct sail shape for the reefed mainsail?
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Are you racing or cruising?
Correct sail shape is what you say it is if your are cruising.

Note the bottom foot or two of the sail is not the power of the sail. You are reducing power because the wind is up and over powering the boat. The upper 3/4 of the sail is where you are getting the power and that will be in proper shape. The lower 20% of the sail is in turbulence. I think of it as drag. By reefing you are reducing the elements of the sail and boat structure that are causing you to heel.

This means the power you have is more efficiently driving the boat.

I'll take efficient power on the boat any day over causing the boat to heel 30 degrees and slip more sideward than driving forward at 15 degrees.

When you go to reef what procedure are you following? What steps do you go through in what order to do the reef?
 
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Sep 22, 2018
1,869
Hunter 216 Kingston
I have a slab reefing question: when you slab reef the main, do you have to open the luff slug gate and let the slugs come out up to the reefing cringle? If not, don‘t they all bunch up at the bottom? This is for a 1987 Catalina 30.
You could investigate mast gates as an alternative to moving the slugs in/out of the track.
 

cstats

.
May 11, 2020
22
Catalina 30 Charlotte, VT
Are you racing or cruising?
Correct sail shape is what you say it is if your are cruising.

Note the bottom foot or two of the sail is not the power of the sail. You are reducing power because the wind is up and over powering the boat. The upper 3/4 of the sail is where you are getting the power and that will be in proper shape. The lower 20% of the sail is in turbulence. I think of it as drag. By reefing you are reducing the elements of the sail and boat structure that are causing you to heel.

This means the power you have is more efficiently driving the boat.

I'll take efficient power on the boat any day over causing the boat to heel 30 degrees and slip more sideward than driving forward at 15 degrees.

When you go to reef what procedure are you following? What steps do you go through in what order to do the reef?
Thanks for this; that makes sense! Not racing; just cruising. Here’s my procedure:
1. Head up to de-power the main.
2. Ease the boom vang
3. Ease the main halyard until reefing cringle reaches the reefing hook (need to attach a new one on my boat)
4. Attach reefing cringle to reefing hook.
5. Re-tension the main halyard.
6. Tension the reefing line.
7. Install reefing ties through reef points and loosely around bottom of the sail (but not around the boom)
8. Re-tension boom vang
9. Resume course.