Is a block required at leech reef point

[Ben4195]

Hi folks,

I'm in the process of getting a new main sail with one reef point. My existing main sail has a large-ish block stitched into the webbing at the grommet for the leech reef point. While not very heavy, if I'm not careful when lowering the main, the block being assisted by gravity will pull the aft portion of the sail off the boom (no lazy jacks that far back) and smack the clear plastic of the dodger, giving it scratches.

My sail maker is planning on simply taking the block from the existing main and either shackling it onto the new main's reef point or stitching it on.

However, I recently watched a Youtube video of a similar sized boat in a Beer Can race with what appeared to me to be much more expensive "racing" sails, and their reefing line simply went through the grommet. No block was attached to the leech reef point. Is this acceptable? Is there any reason why a block would be better? Chafing perhaps?

Thanks for any input!

 

[Jackdaw]

Blocks used to be more common, in particular on bigger sails, and boats with single-line reefing, where any reduction in friction is a good thing. For most boats and setups, the block are not needed. On a C25 I would lose them.

 

[David in Sandusky]

What Jackdaw said.

 

[Terry Cox]

Our P42 single line reefing system uses grommets at both leech reef points.

 

[Parsons]

Fully agree with JackDaw (as usual). On our C36, we just pass the reef lines through the grommet. There's not enough repeated motion to damage the line.

On a larger boat, blocks to reduce friction on the LUFF of the sail are useful. I've asked our local sailmaker about adding one to the leech as well, and was warned against it. His thought was that you get a tighter, more easily made reef by bringing the tack down first, then tension the leech. By reducing friction only on the leech, the front of the sail is brought down tight firsts, then the clew.

 

[Ben4195]

Thanks All!! That's what I was hoping to hear. I assumed chafing might be the issue to worry about, so I'll just monitor that closely as I use the boat. This is for a Beneteau 361, rather than a Catalina 25. sold that a few years ago, need to update my profile!

 

[weinie]

lash a frictionless block to the cringle.

 

[Hayden Watson]

The exception to passing the line through the cringle is if you are using a single line reef system. I added this to my C30 a couple of years ago with the line through the cringle but the friction did not let the reef pull down tight. I added a block to both the tack and the clew and now it works great. It works well enough that I can pull in a reef for the windward leg and let it out for the leeward leg.

 

[Ben4195]

Weinie and Hayden, thanks for the recommendations. I was fortunate enough to get ahold of my sail maker after reading the other recommendations above to stop him from stitching the old block onto the new mainsail. I DO indeed have a single line reefing system, and he said that without the block I might have issues with friction, but then he recommended a soft shackle for a block if necessary, rather than stitching a block on. That sounds like a workable, easy solution.

 

[Ron20324]

IIRC, there is a block that can be sewn into the sail. It allows the line to go from one side to the other, but there is an athwart sheave in it to reduce friction.

 

[JRacer]

On mine, I have a single line reefing system. On one side of the sail is a stainless ring large enough to not pull through the grommet. Attached to that from the other side of the sail is a medium sized Selden Block. The reef line runs up from the aft end of the boom (off of the sheave) through the Selden block and back down to the boom where it is dead ended through an eye strap with a knot. Sorry, I don't have any good pics of the block side but attached is the ring side. If you blow up the pic of the boat going away, you can probably see the block and reef line on the port side of the sail. The reef line is rigged similarly at the forward end. This works well.

 

[Hayden Watson]

View attachment 143423 View attachment 143423 View attachment 143422 ... If you blow up the pic of the boat going away, you can probably see the block and reef line on the port side of the sail. The reef line is rigged similarly at the forward end. This works well.

Thanks JRacer for the photo. I did mine the exact same way. It works great.