How to reef the H170?

[Russell Papenberg]

Hi,
I have a 2005 H170 and I would like to know how to reef the mainsail. I am not using it often, but it would be quite handy on a few occasion. Thanks for your help!
Russell

 

[jssailem]

Reefing a sail is a function of the sail design not the boat. In looking at Hunter sails online the standard North sails do not show reefing points. You would have to have your mainsail modified to permit you to partially lower the sail and secure it in the lowered position.

Reefing points are 1, 2 or 3 horizontal rows of cringles (reinforced grommets) and reefing lines (attached ties) on the mainsail. From the foot of the sail up, each row of reefing points shortens the sail a little more.


If you have a roller furler on the jib you can use that to partially roll in the sail reducing its size. "Reefing" it.

 

[Russell Papenberg]

My mainsail does have reefing points, two if I remember well, on a single row, and it does have reefing lines. The system a bit too complicated to figure it out on my own . I am not sure if my main is from North sail, perhaps it's from Ullman sails. I looked everywhere on the web and I couldn't find anything, even on Hunter's owner's manual. Reefing the main with the jib roller? I didn't know that was possible. How to do you do that?

 

[justsomeguy]

Reefing the main with the jib roller? I didn't know that was possible. How to do you do that?

No, there's been some miscommunication.

Drop the mainsail to just beyond the point where your fore and aft grommets can be affixed or tightened down to their respective keepers. There could be a hook on the boom's forward end for the tack, and a cheek block/pad-eye system on the aft end to allow the clew to be drawn down.

Then tighten up your halyard.

We could really use some photos of your existing set-up.

 

[Russell Papenberg]

Oh! Ok now I get it. Yeah, I'll try to upload some pictures if I still get this wrong. I'll try that out next time I drop by my boat.
Thanks for your help!

 

[justsomeguy]

Yer welcome, Mr. Papenberg.

 

[jssailem]

Russel, Sorry for the confusion. JSG cleared it up ( as usual).
Some boats are designed to use a hook at the mast/boom connection (gooseneck - tack of sail). You lower the sail until the grommet on the sail along the luff line - first reef point - can be hooked. Then you attach the grommet on the same reef line on the leach in the sail to the end of the boom (clew of sail - this pulls the sail out from the mast along the boom - called an outhaul). SO now you have the sail stretched along the boom at the two reefing points. Pull the sail halyard up so the sail is taut along the mast. This should give you a sail suspende by 3 points but 60 present of its original size. You will find a couple of grommets in the middle of the sail along the boom. These are used to gather up the loose folds of the sail. You can use 1/2" webbing or 1/4" line to loosely gather the bottom of the sail up. Do not tie these points to the boom. You could damage (rip) your sail in the middle. The grommets are not stitched strong enough in the middle of the sail. Just run your ties through the grommet and under the foot of the sail to gather the sail cloth in folds above the boom keeping it neat. When you go to remove the reef, you will untie these ties, relaease the halyard to remove the grommet from the hook, release the outhaul on the clew gommet. Now with the reef ties removed you can raise the sail to full height. Then tension the foot using the outhaul on the boom.

If you do not have a reef hook on your gooseneck (thats the fitting that connects the boom to the mast) then you can use a line to tie the grommet (first reef point) to the gooseneck.

Hope that helps.

 

[BobbyFunn]

Here's my setup.

Theres a pad eye on the port side of boom opposite the cleat used for topping lift. Tie 20ish feet of 1/4 inch line to padeye with bowline. Pull line through grommet on leach and back down to pully opposite of pad eye.

Run line through pully and through the pad eye located halfway on boom on starboard. Cleat for line is located on starboard boom close to mast. Adjust as needed for reefed/unreefed.

The luff:
There is an unused padeye on port side of mast. Tie bowline with about 5ish feet of 1/4 inch line and run through grommet on luff then down to cleat on starboard side of mast. I usualky pull the 2 sail slugs out and roll the excess away. Dont forget to put them back when the wind dies or you get yor confidence back.

Two grommets in middle of sail are loosely rolled with ball bungies. Like others say. Dont go around boom.

When i got boatit was missing reefing lines so used the old topping lift. You can use one line for all this but its a pain. I cut it into two separate lines untill i replaced it with halyard quality lines.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Russell; I need to refresh my memory but can you post a couple of photos of the gooseneck where the boom attaches to the mast, and rear of the boom. Is your mainsail foot loose or does it slide down thru the boom? I can help you as I sold 20% or more of the 170 as a dealer but now retired.