Getting shorter

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Bruce

To Reef or Not To Reef -

Racing is one set of considerations. Cruising is quite another. Basically, boat & crew comfort dictate - for me - when to reef. BUT...one serious condition has occured twice - both on Long Island Sound on rather balmy days with light breeze winds. FAILURE TO KEEP WATCH BEHIND THE BOAT TRACK. Once, off Oyster Bay Harbor, 45 knot winds slammed into my 22 Catalina 200 degrees (just off the port stern). It hit, knocked us over and sent us on a 30 minute shore scraping surfing rocket sled ride into Northport harbor, boom tip dragging in the water the whole way. Could not REACH the sails, let alone reef/lower them. Bloody lucky to stay off the beach. Again, cruising into Port Washington, a two foot wall of water pushed by 40 knot winds snuck past City Island. Saw it coming about 100 yards before it hit us, lowered the main (could NOT get it secured to the boom in time); got the 9.9 Merc started & turned the bow into the cascading wall; it lifted the entire boat out of the water and flung it abeam into the boiling water. A 30-footer adjacent to us did not see it coming and was slapped flat - mast, sails, etc - with a great splash....I remember saying to my 2 crew members..."Now there's something you don't see every day." I believe 19 boats sank around us that day. Moral to this dissertation: I keep a close watch from ALL points, ready instantly to reef. Sorry...I just get wordy when I get excited.
 
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Norm Fontaine, sv cruising too

im a heel

We generally reef when the boat consistently is heeling in excess of 20 degrees and there is no reduction in sight.
 
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Captain Kimo

If you think it time to reef, you are already late

>You're out for a great sail and the wind starts to freshen. Maybe the gusts start to heel the >boat a bit much and create some strong weather helm. Probably the boat is becoming uncontrollable with one rudder out of the water and the other approaching horizontal. Err on the side of conservatisium and keep your passengers from seeing you struggle with the helm. Shorten sail. >Perhaps there's an ugly cloud formation upwind. One mile or so infront of the squall line is a wind shear that is invisible. Those not prepared for this invisible wind gust will have the sails fill suddenly and then backwind, leaving your boat out of control if you have too much wind up. It has happen to me twice. Once on Galveston Bay and the other on the West Coast of Florida. >But when do you reef? Before the winds of >25 MPH arrive. If they are predicted late in the day, I will still reef the main incase the weatherman's prediction is off by the time of arrival. >Do you have a set apparent wind velocity that causes you to shorten sail? Freshening winds with white caps in the distance will cause me to shorten sail and head for safe haven on Lake Mead, Nevada. >Is there a degree of heel that keys you that it's time to reef down? Greater than 15 degrees consistantly, means I waited too long to reef down (1/2 main, storm jib/ small working jib.) >How about too much weatherhelm? Or is it just when you or your crew gets uncomfortable with conditions? When the crew sees me struggling with weatherhelm, they are liable to panic and become useless. I would reef well before this point.
 
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Wally

Hard on the sails

I've had my 7.4 Challenger out in 30+knots off the starboard bow and while she handled it, albeit with a lot of heeling to 30 degrees and more, I spent several evenings sewing torn seams on the jib and two ripped batten pockets. Not fun. Another time, took one reef and sailed 6.4 knots comfortably with the wind on the port quarter. Now, if I think I need to reef, I do. You can always shake it out if the wind slackens. Fair winds to all, Wally
 
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John H. Williams

Watch the Sky.

Our lake is fairly small, keeping a weather eye out and checking the weather before we leave the dock is my first line of defense. I also have a furling headsail, I can easily roll into to a strom mode as I head in. My main has one set of reefing points and is fully rigged. In three years the main has only be reefed in practice sessions.
 
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Mike

At the dock

I check the NOAA forecast before going out, and if winds in excess of 15 knots are blowing or predicted, I reef at the dock before I go out. I've never regretted it. My Oday 23 is a tender sailer, and I find that the motion and angle of heel are much improved by taking in a reef if the wind speed is near 15 knots. I am especially conservative if I have my wife and kids on the boat, as my wife and son do not enjoy a rough ride. If the winds are that strong, a reef doesn't slow down the boat much at all. I'm not in a race, just out for a pleasant sail.
 
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Doug T.

NOAA forecasts

Three weeks ago the NOAA weather radio said 15-20 kts. The winds blew 30-40 kts (as recorded at Thomas Pt.) Yesterday they said 5-10 kts and they actually blew 15-20. I don't put much stock in the local weather forecasts any more. I have the rig tuned so the leeward shrouds are still taut when heeling at 15-20 degrees (as per the Sabre owners manual). I figure it's time to reef when I see them slackening.
 
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Stan Galper

If anything makes you consider reefing

If anything makes you consider reefing, it's time to do it. You can always shake the reef out again when and if the threat goes away. Safety first! Besides, it's good practice for the day you don't reef, and then need to in a hurry.
 
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LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners.com

Steven, it's time to learn

On a calm day, raise your sail and figure out how to reef it down. A book might help or ask a dock neighbor. This is a pretty important thing to know! LaDonna
 
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mark stevens

25 knotts today with gusts 30+ Oday 30

Had my mast stepped this am.(I know I'm Late)Forcast called for nw winds 15- 25 with higher gusts. I put in one reef at the dock before heading out and unfurled my genni about 2/3. Had to beat most of the way (14 miles ) to my mooring. Boat handeled fine except for a little too much helm in the gusts. Falling off evened things out and brought the helm back to where it should be. I was alone, so I thought it a good idea to put the reef in at the dock. Worst part of the trip was picking up the mooring alone with 30 knotts gusts. Other than that averaged 5.8 -6.1 knotts.
 
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John S. Spooner

Roller Reefing---Don't rely totally on it !

I own a Catalina 22 (which I now keep on a smaller lake) but I have sailed for about 50 years on Lake Erie in various kinds of boats. I have have had a number of experiences with Erie's passions, and I have learned that it is prudent to get off the lake as soon as there is good evidence of foul weather on the way. If circumstances are such that I can't get into a harbor fast enough, I would douse the main and roll the jib in some before the wind hits and rely on the outboard motor for main power. The partial jib would then act as a steadying sail. I have found that using roller reefing is only effective on the main if I have a topping lift to keep the boom level. Over the years I have learned to have a great respect for any body of water, especially Lake Erie, and I don't take a lot of chances. .
 
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Bert

Weather Helm

I usually reef at dock side when the forecasts calls for more than 15 knots. Once underway, I start reefing once my wheel hits 90 degrees, without any speed loss. I find that weather helm is risky in heavy traffic areas. Fair winds!
 
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Jesse

Time to reef when you think about it. The signs are weather heln, wind conditions, boat heel and pending storm. It works for me!
 
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Larry

reefing lines

Funny this question should come up this week. I have only had this O'Day 222 for a month now, and sailed only about four times so far. I know the reefing system is there and presumably intact. Point is I don't know how to rig it. Had quite a scare this Sunday. The wind was real shifty and velocity variable one the river. As I entered the bay it became more shifty... and then a gust took me over. The boat did not respond to helm corrections and did not head up on it's own. Took water over what combing there is on a 222 and released the main sheet to finnaly resume control. I know it is now time to learn my reefing system and employ it much earlier. I know this question has been posted many times but I did not find what I am looking for in the archives. Someone had diagrams on the jiffy reefing system for the 222 and was going to e-mail it out. I would appreciate any information and diagrams or photos. I do not want to put myself or crew in this situation needlessly again. thank you.
 
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hobie18

How Much Crew

I can't reef - so I balance conditions with available crew weight.... Fifteen knots is a stretch solo; 22k the limit for 2, etc.
 
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Joe Lucido

Boat healing, how much is too much????

Well! What are you trying to accomplish anyway??? want to go fast? Too much heal and you give up speed...check your boat action. I have done hull speed on a cat 25 and a morg 27 WITH ONLY A FULING JIB 150 OUT 75% !!! ...NO MAIN. So unless you like a rough ride and most of us do.. reef early and let it out later... Also if you get into any trouble early ..man overboard and something out then you will need to do a more contolled come about...with too much main you are screwed ...for the hot dogs well you are knot reading this anyway.
 
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Larry Snyder

When the thought occurrs

Reefing is like donning life jackets, you do it the moment you say to yourself, "I wonder if I should Reef (don life jackets)?" Notice how often the two go together?
 
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Geoffrey Jackson

How do you keep the mainsail slides in the slot?

One of my big hassles with reefing is having the sail slides fall out of the slot in the mast. I'd like to install a nice gate, cover, or whatever to keep the slides in and dispense with the slide lock as I keep dropping the darn thing and nearly falling in the drink trying to catch it. Do you know of something foolproof that doesn't require 10 hours of custom grinding to close up the mast slot? Thanks much.
 
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