Hunter 34 mainsail reefing

[Randy Church]

Members,

I have a Kenyon boom with a double internal reefing line setup on my 1984 Hunter 34. I'm late at getting this setup but can anyone tell me or send pictures on how they secure the end of the reefing lines to the boom? Someone in my club told me they secure by tying to the boom with a clove-hitch knot. Didn't work very well for me.

Thank you,
Randy

 

[kloudie1]

Thought I had a picture of mine (nope, didn't), but what you describe is what I have, essentially. From the aft end of the boom, the reefing line goes up to the reefing clew then back vertically to the boom and is secured there with a bowline or a couple of half hitches or whatever makes ya feel good The line is secured fair between the main foot slides..

 

[kloudie1]

Found it.. You can see the second reef line tied around the boom aft of the mainsheet bails

 

[Dan Johnson]

Found 'em!

here's the Owner's Manual page on reefing the mainsail on the H34.

Whoops! It's not a jpeg...


That should do it...

The drawing doesn't show it very well, but I secure the bitter end of the reefing line through an "eye" on the boom and around the boom. I then use a short line to tie the clew down to the boom and tension the outhaul.

 

[Mike H.]

Here's where to find a diagram

In this thread, use the search feature and search for "single line reefing system", in the thread you will find where someone posted diagrams of the layout.

I'd give you link right here, but I don't know how to do it ):I

 

[chinny]

Be careful with a loose footed main.

The only word of caution I would add relates to those of us with loose footed mainsails. Don't tie your reef points around the boom and through the points as any added sheeting or load may cause the sail to tear at those weak points. What I do is to just simply bundle the excess sail above the boom and secure the ties with square knots. Works well, saves the sail from tearing and looks clean.

Happy reefing!

Christian

 

[Dan Johnson]

Christian...

That's what I do too when putting in a reef. Reef lines on loose footed mains are intended to tie under the sail, not the boom, so a sailmaker told me.

For a mainsail foot attached to the boom I did tie under the boom to maintain shape.

 

[Roy Page]

More help in reefing the main please

I need some help here with reefing the main.

I got caught out on Lake Erie when the wind shifted and a nice 10 knot wind turned quickly into a 25/30 knot blast.

This was the first time I had had to reef the main when out sailing, other times I have reefed down before getting into open water.

Well it was a bit of a mess to say the least but I finally got a full reef in the main and the 110% jib reefed down to about half size. The knot meter was still hitting the 7's at times.

So what is the order you follow to get a main reef in place during a sudden increase in wind strength ?

Thanks

Roy

 

[Ed Schenck]

On Erie I wait out those sudden squalls. I see them coming and tie the main to the boom. I might leave a little jib out to maintain steerage depending upon whether I need to get someplace or proximity to shore. Almost all of my shortening of sail happens when I strike the main based on the forecast. And my main is loose-footed and I always have secured it around the boom. I am not sure why I would want the force of the wind to be all on the clew and tack. I guess if I also tightened the foot with the outhaul so it wasn't flopping around it would be fine. But why not tie it to the boom?

 

[Dan Johnson]

Roy...

on one occasion I didn't have much warning, so I simply dropped the main completely and sail tied it down as fast as possible before the squall hit, then rolled up the headsail to about 1/3rd its area and took off on a reach at speeds still in the 6's. Wind went up into the 20's with gusts into the 30's for almost a half hour.

The other occasion had much more warning. I turned into the wind, rolled up the headsail first, then dropped the main enough to get the first reef cringle over the hook at the goose neck, then pulled in the first reef line to bring the reef clew down to the boom where I could tie it down on the boom and retension the reef line, then tie the reef lines under the sail foot.
Back into the cockpit to tension the halyard, drop the traveller all the way to leeward, take the autopilot off and fall off onto the original course. Wind was in the twenties for a while, then calmed down.

 

[chinny]

To answer Ed's question, you don't want to tie a loose footed mainsail to the boom for the simple fact that the weak spot is right there at the five or six small reef point holes in the sail. When the sail tightens and stretches that's where it's going to let go. As long as you tension the outhaul accordingly, the sail will still maintain it's shape ( for the most part) and the lines can then be used to bundle the sail on top of the boom to clean it up and get the excess out of the way. Again, this applies to loose footed mains.