Does anyone have their Widgeon mainsail modified for reefing? If so, how did you do it? Alternatively, I'm considering trying a custom "storm mainsail" that is smaller, enabling sailing in higher wind conditions.
Reefing Widgeon Sails
- Thread starter Duchifat91
- Start date
A smaller sail certainly allows one to go out in higher winds. But it won't do much to get one IN, when the higher winds have come up.
I had a 15' Boston Whaler Harpoon 4.6, that had no reefing in the stock mainsail. When I had new sails made, I specified 1 reef point. (Windier than that, I wasn't going out, either actual winds or forecast winds.) On the Harpoon, it used a single line at the mast for the Cunningham, down to a clam cleat with fairlead on the mast. I re-used the Cunningham as my forward reef line. For the leech reef line, I installed an eye strap on the port side of the boom, and a cheek block on the starboard side. Then, I ran the line forward along the boom about 2/3rds of the way using 2 small plastic fairleads, to an alloy clam cleat with fairlead. The eye strap and cheek block were just aft of the leech reef cringle when the "foot" of the reefed main was tight. This ensures that Cunningham line pulls down and forward, and the leech line pulls down and aft. This was simple and minimal hardware to add.
My sequence was, hove-to on starboard tack. Go to mast. Un-thread Cunningham. Lower main halyard to pre-marked point. Re-thread Cunningham through reef cringle. Turn aft, and leech reef line and cleat were right to hand. Pull reef line, and set the amount of draft you prefer. Often, if the wind is up enough to reef, there are also waves, so having draft in your reefed main is good to power up through the waves. And since you have lowered your overall center of effort by reefing, you don't really need to pull the foot tight to depower, as the lowered CoE reduces heeling.
I have pictures of the setup if you need, but they are not handy and I probably won't be able to post them for several days.
I had a 15' Boston Whaler Harpoon 4.6, that had no reefing in the stock mainsail. When I had new sails made, I specified 1 reef point. (Windier than that, I wasn't going out, either actual winds or forecast winds.) On the Harpoon, it used a single line at the mast for the Cunningham, down to a clam cleat with fairlead on the mast. I re-used the Cunningham as my forward reef line. For the leech reef line, I installed an eye strap on the port side of the boom, and a cheek block on the starboard side. Then, I ran the line forward along the boom about 2/3rds of the way using 2 small plastic fairleads, to an alloy clam cleat with fairlead. The eye strap and cheek block were just aft of the leech reef cringle when the "foot" of the reefed main was tight. This ensures that Cunningham line pulls down and forward, and the leech line pulls down and aft. This was simple and minimal hardware to add.
My sequence was, hove-to on starboard tack. Go to mast. Un-thread Cunningham. Lower main halyard to pre-marked point. Re-thread Cunningham through reef cringle. Turn aft, and leech reef line and cleat were right to hand. Pull reef line, and set the amount of draft you prefer. Often, if the wind is up enough to reef, there are also waves, so having draft in your reefed main is good to power up through the waves. And since you have lowered your overall center of effort by reefing, you don't really need to pull the foot tight to depower, as the lowered CoE reduces heeling.
I have pictures of the setup if you need, but they are not handy and I probably won't be able to post them for several days.
I never had reef points on my Widgeon mainsail, I do on my DS II. I had a local sailmaker add them. I usually found that tightening the outhaul as much as possible flattened the sail enough to carefully sail In higher winds, that and adding a boom-vang to reduce the lifting of the boom and to also help flatten the sail worked for me. My first "reef was always to drop the jib, the Widgeon sails great without the jib if the wind is stronger, just raise the CB a bit to move the center of resistance to leeway aft a bit to balance the sail area having moved aft.
Having said that, it is not crazy to have reefpoints on a small sailboat like the Widgeon, I have seen a lot of DYER 9' dhows with reefed sails, especially when used for youth sail-training. I would figure that adding a set of reefponts to the sail would cost under $100 (I paid $60 back in 2000 to have them added to me DS II). Cost may be less if added to a new sail, but then you have the cost of the new sail as well.
Having said that, it is not crazy to have reefpoints on a small sailboat like the Widgeon, I have seen a lot of DYER 9' dhows with reefed sails, especially when used for youth sail-training. I would figure that adding a set of reefponts to the sail would cost under $100 (I paid $60 back in 2000 to have them added to me DS II). Cost may be less if added to a new sail, but then you have the cost of the new sail as well.
Thank you both for your responses. These are very helpful and provided points I hadn't considered before. Now to find a boomvang for this old thing (or make one myself).
Boom vangs can be easy. Determine your attachment points on the boom and foot of the mast. Then get at a minimum a double block, and a fiddle block with cleat, either V-jam or cam cleat. I prefer cam cleats because of ease of use and less wear on the line. 3/16" double braid polyester works well enough, though I use Dyneema-cored performance control lines on my racing Force 5. Select appropriate attachments for the blocks to your attachment points (for example, a key on the fiddle if you have a key plate on the boom.) If you hang the fiddle from the boom, you get effectively 5:1 purchase. If you don't have attachments, start a new thread and we'll discuss options.
D&R has the original available, pricey though. Sold by DWYER Masts and on their web site as well. I'll post a drawing of it, I think you can buy similar parts and create one easy enough, I did on one of our old boats. This is the one for the Day Sailer (and Javelin, Mariner, etc up to the 22) but the Widgeon one was the same except the plate that attached to the boom was sized for the tube size of the widgeon boom.
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Roller boom reefing is less than satisfactory. Requires a rod and jaw system to make the vang work. Gives poor sail shape. If I stumbled across a boat with roller boom furling, I'd ignore it and rig slab reefing like I described above. So much easier to use and much better results.
Brian and Sunbird, thanks for the vang recommendations. I'm definitely interested in building my own. I have a key plate already mounted on the boom...the boat apparently had a vang at some point. The challenge to me is not the blocks and line. Rather it's the 1/8" 7x19 wire and the key needed to slide into the key plate slot...and how to attach that wire to the block.
The wire is an anachronism modern line is available that has the stretch limitations and strength and you need.
stop knot, eye bolt with a nut, whatever works or West Marine generally has a wire rigging setup where you can go in and put the thing together right there. Any rigging shop should be able to put one together for you including West Marine they send it of somewhere, Show them a print out of what you are trying to put together.
Here's a search for "vang key" at Annapolis Performance Sailing. There are even double blocks with a vang key attached, used for Lasers. The strop of wire isn't really needed - it just makes for roughly 1/3 less line needed for the purchase. http://www.apsltd.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=vang+key
I use shackles at both blocks to attch. to boom and mast very much like the bottom block in the diag. above. I confess that when I set up the vang I was unaware of the key type attachment for the boom. It is a nice way to do it, but if you have blocks that can be attached w/ shackles they will work well.
For any following this thread, the original poster does have a key plate mounted on the Widgeon boom (which is "age appropriate" to the boat.) I agree that shackles are a good way to attach the vang to a given boom - I have same on my Force 5. But with the Widgeon already having a key plate, shackles would require new hardware. It's just easier to build a vang with components that support the key and key plate.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/henrybruse/albums/72157684905733433
You might find some useful photos in this link to my Flickr account. I put two reefs in my Widgeon sail, something that was not easy for me to do and I would advise anyone approaching such a project, unless familiar with the sewing and grommet formation required, to get a sailmaker to do the work. The work was fun for me, probably not for everyone though.
You might find some useful photos in this link to my Flickr account. I put two reefs in my Widgeon sail, something that was not easy for me to do and I would advise anyone approaching such a project, unless familiar with the sewing and grommet formation required, to get a sailmaker to do the work. The work was fun for me, probably not for everyone though.
Get a copy of Emiliano Marino's book: Sailmaker's Apprentice. This is a very good resource and I used it extensively to add reefs to my Widgeon mail-sail. I love the results. Learning to sail in high winds will never happen if you must overcome intense and well-founded fear. Moreover, sometime the 'mate' won't go out there with you if you are too daring. Emiliano once wrote (in Small Craft Advisor) that sailing without reefs is like driving a car without brakes. Notes on the sail work: to make the patches where the reef clew and tack will go just copy what is in the full-sail position. It is nice to have a sewing machine and for Widgeon size sail clothe a small one will do, but it may be quite possible, with plenty of patience, to hand sew all this. For hand sewing I would first glue the patches down with something tenacious, 3M 4000 or something stronger like 3M 5200. For the grommets you may want to experiment with some of the stuff offered in Emiliano's book, or you can buy (from Sailrite or ???) a grommet setting tool. That is expensive. Alternatively you could sew in some webbing. I spent so much time experimenting with making my own grommets and metal (copper) inserts that I could have taken a part-time, mini-wage job and bought the Sailrite tools with less effort. In any case: have fun!!