Adding reef points to main

[WindChill]

Working on my project Catalina 22 and hoping to get in the water this summer. The main that came with the boat does not have any reef points. Is it difficult to add the cringles and reinforcement as a DIY? Any info already out there on the internet? How would I determine the correct placement of the reef points?

What type of reefing system is recommended for the C22?

Thanks

 

[Michael Davis]

I think slab reefing is the least expensive way to go and is what most of us have. My sewing skills being what they are, I’d take it to a local loft to have it done. Not saying it can’t be done diy but if you don’t have a good sewing machine etc. it’ll work out cheaper to have it done.

 

[ShawnL]

I'll second taking it to loft to be done. With all the right (or close to right) gear, it's a totally do-able process. Sailrite probably has everything you need, and might even have the measurements of where to put the reef points.

Or, I noticed when I sent my main into Sailcare this fall to be cleaned, they'll add them for around $100. My main already had 2 sets of reef points, so I didn't bother, but if it didn't, I'd probably have just had them do it.

 

[JeffD]

What kind of shape is your Mainsail in? If they are really old, you have to decide whether it is worth spending money on old sails, or just save and buy new sails. The C22 is a popular boat - it should not be too hard to find lightly used sails for reasonable prices, if your sails are blown out, like my original sails were.

I think you are wise in wanting at least one reef!

I sewed all of my San Juan 21 sails from Sailrite kits. You don’t save much money sewing your own versus a good sailmaker, but you sure learn a lot! I sewed the mail last, so I learned on the other sails: spinnaker first, then jib, Genoa.

The Sailrite technique for adding reef points (I put in two sets of reefs) is to use sewed in brass rings for the cringles.

Sewing in rings is a LOT OF WORK! Lots of stitching, through 5+ layers of dacron. Professional sailmakers have a hydraulic press, and it probably takes them 10 minutes to press in the cringles. I recall it took me about an hour each, and I still had to purchase the die set to install the brass eyelet to protect the stitching. Here is a link to the Sailrite video showing the technique to sew-in a brass ring:

Installing a Sewn Ring & Eyelet in a Sail Corner

Installing a Sewn Ring & Eyelet in a Sail Corner Video provides instruction on using a brass ring with an eyelet on a sail corner.

www.sailrite.com

Below is a photo of the first reef (apologize for the dim, grainy photo)

As you can see, to reinforce the sail at the cringle, you sew 4 or 5 “sectors”, of decreasing size, before sewing in the ring. My main uses 6 ounce dacron, and 5 or 6 layers is pretty tough to sew through! I was lucky to have access to a Sailrite Ultrafeed, which has no trouble, but I used my wife’s regular sewing machine on the jib and Genoa, and it had a tough time sewing through 5 layers of 4 oz dacron - you kind of had to start at the thin side, and take a “run” at it, and hope it didn‘t stall out! Sewing the tie points in the middle of the sail is a real pain! You have to stuff a lot of stiff fabric under the sewing machine arm.

Materials are not very expensive, except you might have to buy a whole yard of dacron to make the corner layers. When sewing a kit, there is a lot of “leftover” dacron from the cutting process, so there is a lot of scrap to make the corners, and other stuff like batten pockets.

Anyway, I agree with the others, get a quote from a sailmaker or two. Hopefully it won’t be too expensive! Maybe during the off season, they are looking for work too, and can give you a good deal.

Adding a reef point or two is quite doable, and not very expensive, but a fair amount of work!

 

[Joe]

First get a quote from a local loft. Then start making your comparisons to evaluate DIY vs professional install. Learning a new skill is not a bad thing, but it might make more sense to let a sailmaker take care of it. They could also advise you on how much area you want for each reef, then let them do the geometry for placement.
I'm a big fan of two line jiffy (slab) reefing. That can add some "spaghetti" to the cockpit if all lines are led aft.. so I recommend setting everything up so you can execute the reef while at the mast. Hopefully, you've invested in a tiller pilot (especially if you single hand a lot)..if not... DO IT ! It'll be the best addition to your boat that you can imagine. A tiller pilot will literally change your sailing life. I have mine plugged into my instrument network and it will steer the boat to apparent or true wind angles as well as a compass course.
Single line jiffy reefing is also an option.... google it for some pics.... in fact google the two line system also...

 

[AaronD]

on double-line slab reefing. That's what I've moved to, and I'm happy with it.

A recommendation that's applicable to double-line, but _especially_ if you do decide to go for a single-line setup. The standard complaint about single-line is that the friction of running the line through the aft cringle, turning blocks on the boom, and through the front cringle usually means that it's hard to get the clew (back) tight enough. Dacron line doesn't slide smoothly through a cringle, so the tension is always uneven between tack and clew.

There's no magical solution to that, but using uncovered single-braid dyneema (Amsteel, Endura-12, or similar) will help a lot. It's _way_ more slippery than dacron. But... You'll need cover on the slippery line where you want to cleat it. You can strip the cover from a high-tech line like Warpspeed, or add cover to bare dyneema - either way, you get bare dyneema running through the reefing cringles, and covered line where you're cleating it.

Covering bare dyneema is my preference; the cover on Warpspeed is really tight, and I've never been able to strip it neatly (Your mileage may vary on that). And, it's (oddly) cheaper to buy bare dyneema + Sta-Set, and replace the Sta-Set core with dyneema (leaving the Sta-Set core for cat entertainment).

Hamilton Marine often carries discounted hanks of Sta-Set and Endura 12. Sometimes our SBO hosts do too, but they're not always easy to find. I've found that 5/32" E-12 fits nicely as core for a 1/4" Sta-Set cover. We use that setup for halyards, reefing lines, outhaul, etc.

I don't have the lengths handy right now (total length or the uncovered portion). I can dig those lines out if needed, but the lengths will depend on the depth of your reef(s). FWIW, our old main had a single reef at 4 feet, and our new main has two at 3' and 6'.

 

[WindChill]

Thanks for all the recommendations!

 

[Parsons]

If you do DIY, remember the forces involved - don't just punch a hole and put in a grommet. I'm with @JeffD - unless you want to learn how to sew sails and have the right tools, just take it to a local loft and have it done. As far as a reefing system, I like the single-line jiffy slab system.
To overcome the friction problems, I always add a block to the forward (clew) cringle, which is where the majority of the line runs (twice as much as the leach). That way the clew is made first, and the leach is brought down after, making for a tight reef.

I believe the 'standard' reef points are that first reef give you about 70% sail area and second reef gives you about 50% - naturally, this is all rule of thumb and depends on how the boat feels. It also requires a little math, but the area is just 1/2 Luff x Foot, so not that hard.

 

[JeffD]

I just measured my two reef points:

First Reef is 27” above tack
Second Reef is 59”

Note these are for a San Juan 21 main,
luff = 23’ (rig’s “P” dim). The C22 main is a bit larger. I purposely made my first reef a bit short, because I put in a second reef.

I recall hearing that one calculation for a single reef, the head of the sail is lowered to be even with the spreaders, which seems about right.

I get to sail in some places when 20-30 knots is common, so the second reef is really necessary.

(Lake Havasu, Arizona)