So the topic about lines got me thinking. I still don't understand my reefing system (I haven't been able to sail in a while). It's a jiffy-reefing system and I have two free lines coming out the back of my boom. Last time I reefed, I just bowlined a free line to the reef point and pulled it taught that way. Diagrams show the line running through the reef point and tying to the boom. I guess my big question is, Do you keep these lines always running through the sail and tied to the boom or is this done before reefing? I feel this would make hoisting the main more difficult but it's not all that "Jiffy" if you have to run a line while trying to reef.
I don't understand my reefing system : (
- Thread starter KandD
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While you can do it either way, the "jiffy" part means it's ready to use at a moments notice. If you leave the lines tied to the boom and through the reef point and leave them as-is when lowering the sail, there is hardly any difference when hoisting sail. You will, however, have those slack lines hanging into the cockpit.... You are correct about not having the reef lines already set up to use. If you keep a watchfull eye for weather that can cause you to reef, you should have time to run them properly and use them.... Another use of the reef lines is to help bring down the main all the way in nasty conditions.... You can do it either way, but the first time you are unprepared and get hammered, you will probably start having them in place all the time.
You really should run the line through the reefing cringle (the big grommet) and then tie it to the boom. The reason for doing this is so that the line pulls down and aft on the sail and holds it to the boom securely in stronger winds. With the line tied to the reefing cringle, the forces on the sail are much higher than if the line goes through the cringle and down to the boom, and to generate any significant downward force, you really have to overtension the reefing line and stress the sail cloth more than necessary.
Ideally, you should keep these line rigged through the sail all the time, since when you're reefing is generally a bad time to be trying to reeve the lines through the cringle and fight the sail to get the line tied around the boom. By keeping the lines rigged, you can generally get a reef in the sail in under 90 seconds with practice. If you tie a stopper knot in the line at the point where it enters the boom so that it is a bit slack when the main sail is fully hoisted, you can pull the line through the aft end of the boom prior to raising the main sail, and the amount of resistance they create will be minimal.
Ideally, you should keep these line rigged through the sail all the time, since when you're reefing is generally a bad time to be trying to reeve the lines through the cringle and fight the sail to get the line tied around the boom. By keeping the lines rigged, you can generally get a reef in the sail in under 90 seconds with practice. If you tie a stopper knot in the line at the point where it enters the boom so that it is a bit slack when the main sail is fully hoisted, you can pull the line through the aft end of the boom prior to raising the main sail, and the amount of resistance they create will be minimal.
Do you have a digital camera or cell phone that takes good pictures? If so, take and post pictures of the gear at each end of the boom and you'll get much better (and conflicting
advice here. Many production boats have less than optimum setups and you may be able to easily improve it. A scan of the manual would also help.
advice here. Many production boats have less than optimum setups and you may be able to easily improve it. A scan of the manual would also help.This is a diagram of jiffy reefing typical of Catalinas, it'll give you a starting point, just on a daysail last Sunday I had to reef and unreef so you want it as easy as possible because we don't want to do it unless forced anyway. You want the line at the end of the boom to pull the cringle down and act as the "reefed outhaul" and pull back towards the end of the boom to flatten the sail. Photo shows the end result.
You want the line at the end of the boom to pull the cringle down and act as the "reefed outhaul" and pull back towards the end of the boom to flatten the sail. Photo shows the end result.Attachments
Reef setup
Hunters reefing setup is basically the same as the one for Catalina. The 'fly' in the ointment of this setup is the 'floating' block inside the boom. That block needs to be a roller bearing block with as little friction as possible otherwise the whole thing becomes a nightmare to get in tight enough (due to high friction) to be effective. After making this setup as friction free as possible it works like a dream.
Hunters reefing setup is basically the same as the one for Catalina. The 'fly' in the ointment of this setup is the 'floating' block inside the boom. That block needs to be a roller bearing block with as little friction as possible otherwise the whole thing becomes a nightmare to get in tight enough (due to high friction) to be effective. After making this setup as friction free as possible it works like a dream.
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If you've got the h40
then there's no block inside the boom and yeah, the reef lines will go up through the main clew cringle and terminate at the boom as the others have said. I would recommend passing the line below the boom through the eye that should be on the track on the under side of the boom The eye should be directly below or slightly aft of the clew cringle the line passed through. Tie a loop with a bowline (or similar) around the line's standing part above the boom. This will allow the line to self-tighten as well as articulate itself without twisting the gooseneck.
The angle of load from the reefing line to the main clew is important just as it is on the genoa.
After dousing the main I don't bother pulling my reefing lines through the clew and boom so that the slack is at the mast. I just coil the excess and toss it on top of the main before putting the cover on. That way it presents zero friction when hoisting. It also saves me having to pull it back through again so it doesn't create friction.
then there's no block inside the boom and yeah, the reef lines will go up through the main clew cringle and terminate at the boom as the others have said. I would recommend passing the line below the boom through the eye that should be on the track on the under side of the boom The eye should be directly below or slightly aft of the clew cringle the line passed through. Tie a loop with a bowline (or similar) around the line's standing part above the boom. This will allow the line to self-tighten as well as articulate itself without twisting the gooseneck.
The angle of load from the reefing line to the main clew is important just as it is on the genoa.
After dousing the main I don't bother pulling my reefing lines through the clew and boom so that the slack is at the mast. I just coil the excess and toss it on top of the main before putting the cover on. That way it presents zero friction when hoisting. It also saves me having to pull it back through again so it doesn't create friction.
Thanks for the feed back! I took some photos this morning, but it's a H40 (1985) so I think it's all worked out.
The first photo is the end of my boom second is where it joins the mast as is the third, but it includes to hook for the tack.
the forth photo is something I'm not sure of. It was hooked to the boom but is not the downhaul, which attaches further out....
Thanks for all the help.
The first photo is the end of my boom second is where it joins the mast as is the third, but it includes to hook for the tack.
the forth photo is something I'm not sure of. It was hooked to the boom but is not the downhaul, which attaches further out....
Thanks for all the help.
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Rick is correct. You have a 'Jiffy" reefing system not a 'single line' reefing system. The line running through the boom forward to the stopper under the gooseneck is the leach reefing line. The luff reefing line attaches the luff reef cringle and is lead back to the cockpit.
I'm not familiar with the system on this boat, but it looks very similar to that on a h260 we had.
I believe the reef cringle on the forward edge of the sail, the luff, attaches to the ram's head shown in KandD's third photo.
The block and tackle in the fourth photo might be a vang?
Paul
I believe the reef cringle on the forward edge of the sail, the luff, attaches to the ram's head shown in KandD's third photo.
The block and tackle in the fourth photo might be a vang?
Paul
Second the fourth photo being a cunningham, rather than a vang. A 3:1 tackle is pretty light for a vang, especially given the size of the boat in question.
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