Reducing friction when reefing

[Canonshooternb]

We are new owners of a Hunter 35.5 legend which has a fair bit larger sail that our previous boat.
I am looking for all possible ways of reducing friction when reefing. We have the internal reefing system and all parts seem to work well but looking to ensure we are doing everything possible. What I am looking for are solutions to reduce the friction where the reefing line passes through the reefing cringle on the sail. I have heard that you can add a blocks to the cringle but looking to hear from people with different experience.

Thanks

 

[splax]

lubricate mast track?

 

[Canonshooternb]

Yes the main travels up and down well. I am looking to reduce the friction from when the line pull back and down from the rear cringle

 

[SG]

On a boat with a 1,000 SF main, a specially designed block is incidental. (Antal makes, or used to make, some of these) On a boat with a main that is a fraction of that, the weight and cost of an elegant block has consequences. For two reefs you'd be spending hundreds of dollars.

We don't use blocks on our relatively large main.

The issue isn't really the friction, because you really shouldn't be "dragging" the clew down -- you should only be cinching it at the end. The issue is abrasion. If you UNLOAD the sail while reefing, the friction shouldn't be an issue. If you have friction, I suggest that your technique is likely more of an issue.

Under stress, alone on a dark and stormy in rough, cold seas, sometimes technique gets compromised. You just need to practice it, so it becomes something you can do with very little light, quickly and without a lot of stress.

Having a sheathed line which is slightly larger in diameter makes a big difference. If you have a deep reef tied-in for a couple of days pounding into rough seas, you'll begin to think about the damage that the reefing cringle can do. Otherwise, I'd not fixate on it too much, I'd just check it periodically.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I added single line reefing to my C30 and the friction was quit unmanageable. I added a single block with a welded SS ring on the opposite side of the sail. It made a huge difference. On my reefing it does not have the butterfly block in the mast so the line runs from the boom, up through the clew cringle, down to the boom-end block going forward. It then goes back out through the boom, up through the cringle, down to the deck turning block, back to the organizer. Eliminating the sliding friction at the cringles was very helpful.
After adding blocks to both cringles I can now pull in a reef in less than 60 seconds from when I drop the traveler to when I pull the traveler back up to trim the main.

 

[John T1594]

We had a 2000 H340 and modified our main sail to reduce the friction at the reef point cringles. This was done to help with raising the very large and heavy main sail rather than to assist with reefing. I usually reef the sail at the dock before I go out on the bay depending on the wind forcast for the day.
Anyway, to answer your question, I added blocks to all reef points on the main. The luff reefing rings/cringles each got a Ronstan RF50500 50mm block on a universal swivel head and small shackle. The 1st reef (lower) got the high load version (HL) with a MWL of 1760lbs and BL of 3310lbs. The two reef points on the clew each got a Ronstan RF51101 block with a MWL of 1650lbs and a BL of 3310lbs. Each block had a single loop top and was secured to the sail with 1" nylon webbing, run twice through the block and reef cringle and secured with a web lock or a knot with reinforced stitiching. see the photos

 

[Gunni]

This is how it get’s done on a Beneteau with classic mainsail.
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/h260-single-line-reefing.195743/#post-1522720

 

[Canonshooternb]

We had a 2000 H340 and modified our main sail to reduce the friction at the reef point cringles. This was done to help with raising the very large and heavy main sail rather than to assist with reefing. I usually reef the sail at the dock before I go out on the bay depending on the wind forcast for the day.
Anyway, to answer your question, I added blocks to all reef points on the main. The luff reefing rings/cringles each got a Ronstan RF50500 50mm block on a universal swivel head and small shackle. The 1st reef (lower) got the high load version (HL) with a MWL of 1760lbs and BL of 3310lbs. The two reef points on the clew each got a Ronstan RF51101 block with a MWL of 1650lbs and a BL of 3310lbs. Each block had a single loop top and was secured to the sail with 1" nylon webbing, run twice through the block and reef cringle and secured with a web lock or a knot with reinforced stitiching. see the photosView attachment 162810 View attachment 162811 View attachment 162812 View attachment 162813 View attachment 162810 View attachment 162811 View attachment 162812 View attachment 162813

I like this idea and may try this on mine

 

[Hayden Watson]

I like this idea and may try this on mine

You can try my approach that ends up with the same result without the need to modify the main sail

 

[MetricMountie]

Canonshooter, this is the system I made for the 35.5 when we had it and it worked well, I put the same thing together for the 40.5 and had the same results. Much easier to reef and shake out. Also modified the inside of the boom to keep the reef lines away from the outhaul shuttle and that added even better results. No way for entanglement between the two separate reef lines and the outhaul. Hopefully in the water sooner than later.

 

[Paul356]

On my 356 full size main, I added blocks as shown in the photos above. One each at luff and leech for the first and second reefs, four blocks in all. I used the hardware that was already on the sail. At the luff, I just put the block shackles through the stainless steels rings. At the leech, I tied the blocks on with spectra, pulled tight with pliers. No issues, and works great. I can reef single handed. Head up so the jib is just on the verge of fluttering, let the boom out so it is fully luffing, or about 45 degree angle. Lock the wheel to steer the bow slightly into the wind. On the 356 at least, the boat will self-tend. That is, it will come up, jib luff, fall off, fill, come up again. Drop the halyard until the forward reef point is just above the boom. Make sure that sheet and vang are eased so the rear end of the boom can rise up to the rear reef point. Pull in the reefing line. You may not even need a winch, or just a winch for snubbing. Get the reef line snug. Re-snug the halyard, and you're set to go.

 

[Parsons]

I added a Harken Airblock to the forward (luff) cringle for both reefs to reduce friction, and it was a good addition. The block is light enough not to chafe the sail when not engaged. I was told by my sailmaker, and fully support now, to avoid putting one on the aft (leech) cringle as you want to set the luff first for a crisp reef. By allowing some friction on the leech, it flies an additional foot higher off the boom when the luff is down when cranking down the reef. I've got a new main, so I'm pretty careful about making sure the sail is fully luffing prior to setting my reef. Additionally, the luff cringle has twice as much line pass through it as the leech cringle. The full height of both reefs goes through the forward cringle in single-line reefing, but only one height goes through the leech cringle.

 

[jssailem]

Looking at the shackle on one side of the reef cringle made me wonder if a soft shackle might be a better choice for this type of setup.

 

[Parsons]

Looking at the shackle on one side of the reef cringle made me wonder if a soft shackle might be a better choice for this type of setup.

Or save the money and just lash it on with HMPE (Dyneema) cord. I reserve those soft shackles for something that I may remove, and this block isn't going anywhere for a while. I don't even take it off when I send the sail into the loft for check & patch work in the winter.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I thought about lashing my block to the cringle but given that the reefing line for the 1st reef is on the port side of the boom and the 2nd is on the starboard side I like having the block off to the side of the boom. It stacks better and the leach is less prone to getting sucked into the block.