How to tie a reef line to boom with a track?

[pgandw]

I use a tack reef line attached to the forward end of mast plate through the tack reef cringle and down to a cleat on the mast. Saves a lot of time when trying to reef quickly - the rams horns just never worked that well for me. Especially when heaving to in a seaway to reef.

I do normally reef at the dock or at anchor on any day when I suspect I will need a reef, especially when single handed. We have small craft advisories on average one day a week in my neck of the woods, so I reef often.

Fred W
Stuart Mariner 19 Sweet P

 

[jssailem]

normally reef at the dock or at anchor on any day when I suspect I will need a reef, especially when single handed

Safe solo sailing is all about executing planned actions.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I need to set up some reefing lines and was going to do it like this, but my sail’s foot slides in a track on the boom. How can I set up reefing lines with a tracked boom?

View attachment 234002

I just took the bolt rope out of the boom and used the "footed" sail as a loose footed sail. It performed much better that way with all of the advantages of being able to better shape the sail. I inistally did it as a test to see if I wanted my new sail to be footed or loose-footed. Loose for me, definatly.

 

[Tally Ho]

I just took the bolt rope out of the boom and used the "footed" sail as a loose footed sail. It performed much better that way with all of the advantages of being able to better shape the sail. I inistally did it as a test to see if I wanted my new sail to be footed or loose-footed. Loose for me, definatly.

Are loose-footed main sails reinforced differently than a bolt-rope-footed sail at the corners (at least the clew)? I only ask so folks don’t tear a sail doing this.

i had a Bolt-rope foot on my old main, and had the loft make a loose-footed main when I replaced it…and I agree…I like the loose foot.

Greg

 

[Hayden Watson]

Are loose-footed main sails reinforced differently than a bolt-rope-footed sail at the corners (at least the clew)? I only ask so folks don’t tear a sail doing this.

i had a Bolt-rope foot on my old main, and had the loft make a loose-footed main when I replaced it…and I agree…I like the loose foot.

Greg

The clew and tack reinforcement are the same. The difference is in how baggy the foot is. On a footed main [also known as a shelf footed main, there is a significant amount of extra cloth added to the foot of the main to allow the draft to be resolved to nothing when it reaches the foot rope. When I sailed my footed main with the rope not in the boom, it would still make the shelf because that was built into the cloth. In spite of the shelf, I was still able to trim the sail much flatter with the loose foot because I was not fighting the friction in the bolt-rope. I liked it so well that I took the factory 3:1 outhaul and added a cocuple of cascades to increase the purchase to 12:1.

When the sail was footed, I basically set the outhaul at the beginning of the season and never thought about it again. After it was loose footed and I could see the affect I now trim the foot all the time and it has a great affect on my light air and heavy air performance.

 

[Tally Ho]

The clew and tack reinforcement are the same. The difference is in how baggy the foot is. On a footed main [also known as a shelf footed main, there is a significant amount of extra cloth added to the foot of the main to allow the draft to be resolved to nothing when it reaches the foot rope. When I sailed my footed main with the rope not in the boom, it would still make the shelf because that was built into the cloth. In spite of the shelf, I was still able to trim the sail much flatter with the loose foot because I was not fighting the friction in the bolt-rope. I liked it so well that I took the factory 3:1 outhaul and added a cocuple of cascades to increase the purchase to 12:1.

When the sail was footed, I basically set the outhaul at the beginning of the season and never thought about it again. After it was loose footed and I could see the affect I now trim the foot all the time and it has a great affect on my light air and heavy air performance.

Good to know. I would have thought more reinforcement on a loose-footed main.

Like you, I adjust my loose-footed one much more than I did my old sail.

Greg