Anyone use a reefing hook?

[Gene Neill]

I currently utilize two lines run from one side of the mast, up through the reef cringles, and down the other side of the mast to where they are cleated off.

But it's a cumbersome system. When you put in the first reef, the second reef line now has a ton of slack in it, which has to be secured, and if you want to shake out that first reef, you now have TWO lines to release. Conversely, if you start out with a double reef, the FIRST reef line has a ton of slack, which has to be secured. Never mind the extra steps involved when getting the boat rigged before a cruise, or breaking down afterward. It's all a big PITA and I wanna streamline it.

So, does anyone just use a reefing hook? If so, where did you buy it and how is it mounted, exactly? I've looked for one at CD, but if they have them, I'm not looking in the right place.

 

[Skipper]

Rig-Rite has many versions.

 

[Jacktar]

try justrigging.com

 

[gjordan]

I am going to look into putting hooks on the gooseneck. When I cruised my Contessa 26 , I reefed from the mast and learned from watching the San Francisco Bay Folkboat Fleet. They could slam in a reef in about 45 seconds. I tried their method and liked it. It works better with 2 people, but could be done single handed, just slower. Man goes to mast and loosens the halyard coils from the mast, calls for easing the main sheet, pulls the reef leach line (pulling the boom up to the first reef cringle) ,loosens the halyard to a mark and puts the luff cringle over a hook, pull and cleat the halyard and you are back to sailing and reefed. Probably another 90 seconds to coil and hang the halyard. It took less than a minute from calling for easing the main to be back to sailing with a little straightening up to do. I always tied in the points if I was going to be reefed for more than an hour or so, and that took a little more time, but that was done underway. People will say that pulling the boom up to the leach cringle will stretch the leach, but with a small boat and an aluminum boom I saw no evidence of this after 8 or 9 thousand miles of tradewind sailing, both with the trades and against them. I am not very interested in racing, but I learned a lot from watching the racers. Hope it helps. ____Grant.

 

[Fred]

I have ram's horn hook at the gooseneck and had a heavy stainless steel hook on the outhaul at the end of the boom. I removed it as it seems lethal. Never understood why the hook is so big and heavy. If it got unhooked and swung around it could pack quite a wallop. I have single line reefing set up on my second reef only. As far as reefing is concerned I follow the adage "go big or go home". I never use the first reefing point.

 

[Gene Neill]

Thanks, guys! I guess my main question (pardon the pun) is where/how people attach the hook(s), particularly on a C22.

From what I can see, I guess I'll replace the 45-degree angled tack pin with a hex bolt, which will secure the hooks on either side, like this pic shows.

Yes? No?

 

[Gene Neill]

Oh - next question - simple hook, or ram's horn? Seems like ram's horn might make more sense, unless it's cumbersome to hook the tack onto the horn?

 

[gjordan]

Rams Horn, or the sail could slip back off before you get tension on your halyard. ____Grant.

 

[Joe]

On the bottom left is the type system I have on my boat. Simple and fast...but you must leave the cockpit for a short time. Have your sailmaker install a webbing strop with rings through the reef cringle... a "flying cringle" if you will.. to make it easier to hook the ramshead, cowhorn, reef hook, clip, carabiner.... whatever... anyway before going forward, ease the vang and mainsheet, lower the halyard to it's pre-determined reef mark, go up and secure the tack ring, then snug the clew line with the jam cleat. When you get back to the cockpit you can re tighten the mainsheet and halyard to clean it up. If you have crew, the whole thing takes about 15 seconds. if you're solo it will take about 45.

 

[Gene Neill]

On the bottom left is the type system I have on my boat. Simple and fast...but you must leave the cockpit for a short time. Have your sailmaker install a webbing strop with rings through the reef cringle... a "flying cringle" if you will.. to make it easier to hook the ramshead, cowhorn, reef hook, clip, carabiner.... whatever... anyway before going forward, ease the vang and mainsheet, lower the halyard to it's pre-determined reef mark, go up and secure the tack ring, then snug the clew line with the jam cleat. When you get back to the cockpit you can re tighten the mainsheet and halyard to clean it up. If you have crew, the whole thing takes about 15 seconds. if you're solo it will take about 45.

Thanks Joe, I REALLY like the looks of that arrangement. Simple, quick, and positive. Earlier today, I saw a picture of a "flying cringle" and was going to ask what it was called. I don't have a local sailmaker, but I can certainly improvise a flying cringle easily enough, with two rings and piece of rope.

The tricky part will be the captive hook, unless I get lucky and find one that can be bolted to my gooseneck:

 

[Joe]

The rams head pictured in my post will fit at the tack fitting on your gooseneck. Use the pin diameter to size the hook.

 

[Zinger88]

Gene,

I know this is an old post...but what did you end up doing regarding a reef hook? Got any pictures of your reefing system?

Thanks in advance...
Zinger88
~~ _/) ~

 

[Gene Neill]

Sadly, I never found a hook that was easily fitted to a C22. I'd still like to try it, I'm pretty sure we could shave a few seconds off the process.

No pics of our setup, sorry. It's just a simple two-line "slab" or "jiffy" system. Like this, basically, only with two reefs:

 

[Gene Neill]

Edit above. Since I started this thread in April '16, we no longer have two forward reefing lines at the mast. Just one, which is run through whichever reef cringle is being used.

A hook would be better though ... I think ...

 

[Zinger88]

Thanks for the response Gene. I think I'm gonna stick with that same "Jiffy" system set up which came with the boat. I only have single reef point on my main so it works. I'll probably continue to research hook options and will post if I find anything worth trying out....

Zinger88

 

[Michael Davis]

like this pic shows.

That's about what we have on our First 38. Slightly different attachment to the boom but the hooks are the same. Works for us.

 

[greg_m]

On my boat I use the "cunningham" as a reefing line for the first reefing point even though we have the hooks at the goose neck. This allows me to operate all lines from the cockpit. Then i have a reefing line through the second reefing point at the luff. This eliminates one rope.

At the leach end of the sail is the outhaul, the first and second reefing lines. There are three sheaves fitted into the end of the boom for this.

So four ropes to pull for two reefs and one halyard to deal with all from the cockpit.