Jiffy Reefing for Tack with Earrings?

[Bill Ebling]

New owner of a 1985 Hunter 31Does any one have any thoughts or experience in modifying the stock Jiffy reefing system for the main so that the tack can also be pulled down from the within the cockpit also? The system I have now only controls the clew. I really want to reef efficiently in a single handed manner. I am now making too many runs up to the mast when I reef. Not a very safe place to be in a blow. I have seen complete jiffy reefing rigging diagrams in catalogues but the illustrations have cringles that go through the main sail at BOTH the reefed clew AND tack. On my main I have cringle at the clew but, the tack is configured with two earrings sewn to the sail with strong webbing. First reef earring is on the port, second reef earring on the starboard side of the sail. Here's how I am currently rigged. 1. The dead-end of each the reefing line ties to a sliding padeye in a track on the BOTTOM side of the isomat boom, it goes through the corresponding reef clew, and is lead back the to the internal boom end sheaves, runs THROUGH the boom and exits over internal sheaves near the the bottom of the boom just aft of the gooseneck. 2. The lines are then lead aft to the cockpit as follows: The line turns through a block at the mast step and goes on to double stacked deck organizer (4 sheaves port and starboard) leads through the cabin tunnel into the cockpit. Each line terminates in its own rope clutch. (BTW, I route the outhaul back to the cockpit this way too. The built in jam cleats/clutches at the gooseneck end of the boom are kept in the open position with big wire ties wrapped around the boom).Here's how I currently reef. I head the boat into the wind and command Otto Helm to keep it there. I drop the Halyard at a predetermined mark to bring the earring in the neighborhood of the hook. I pull in the reef line until the new clew is pulled down to boom. I than run up to the mast and set the tack earring in the hook near the gooseneck, then run back to the cockpit to tighten the halyard against it. If I didn't get it quite right (remember the boat is pitching and rocking and rolling), the earring slips out of the hook before I have had a chance to get the halyard tension on. I then have to repeat the whole operation again, and sometimes again.... and again.....and again. Can look sorta like a Laural and Hardy thing. Once the clew and tack are tamed I can go back up under sail at leisure to set the reef points. What I am contemplating doing in the rigging department:1. Don't use the internal rigging in the boom (except for the outhaul) and install a short length of t-track on the port and starboard side of the boom near the reef clew. 2. Add jiffy reefing cheek block cars with integral bails for the reef line dead-end.  3. Lead the reef line from the dead end bail under the boom, up through the reef clew, back to the t-track mounted boom cheek blocks. 4.Continue running the reef lines OUTSIDE the boom to cheek blocks that are mounted on the mast just below and athwart the gooseneck. 5 The reef lines would then run up the corresponding tack earring, back down to the mast step turning block, to the deck organizer and back to cockpit rope clutch. My hope would be that I could release the halyard to the predetermined reef mark, pull in on the reef line until the tack and clew reach the boom and then retention the halyard. No dancing up to the mast several times to put the tack earring back in place. I would not have to go up on deck accept to place the reef points in. Questions:A). Does this rigging solution sound reasonable?? Here are my two concerns:  1). Is the sharp bend put in the reef line at the earrings going to cause pre-mature failure of my reef lines? 2). MUST the reef line at the tack go through a cringle rather than an earring?? On my main sail the reef line will not go through a tack cringle and therefore tack will not be pulled straight down to the boom at the gooseneck but will rather be pulled to port on the first reef and the starboard on the second reef. Won't this screw up sail performance and more importantly put excess stress on the slugs attaching the main to the mast near the goose neck? This looks to me like a damn good set up for tearing the main B.) Should I figure out a way to install the proposed mast cheek blocks on the boom instead as close to the gooseneck as possible? This could potentially releave alot but not all of the lateral pull on the reefed tack. However, there ain't much room at the gooseneck to do this. C.) Is this all just bad technique on my part?? Any suggestions for improving my seamanship to make sure I get the earring in right the first time so I can stop this foolishness and stick with what I have. (KISS principle). I am thinking that this could be done simply by heading up, going close hauled on a port tack for the 1st reef and close hauled on a starboard tack for the second reef. This way the sail won't flog, the earring is always upwind and under the positive influence of gravity, and if I slip I can fall into the main rather then the sea. Is this how its supposed to be done?wfe

 

[Andy Falls]

Freedom Reefing

Go take a look at a Freedom 21-continuous line reefing system. Basically, between the block on the afte end of the boom and turning down at the gooseneck, the line exits the boom, goes up to a block hooked at the reef tack point, and then returns on its merry way like it is now rigged. Its a pretty slick deal.

 

[Les Andersen]

Single Line Reefing

Bill,Not sure but you might already have a single line system that is rigged incorrectly. I have a 37.5 with the stock single line reefing system and the components sound much like yours. Here is how it is rigged.There are two lines. The aft line starts at the boom end fitting and is tied off with a knot. It runs inside the boom to a special block that fits inside the boom. The block is essentially two blocks rigged shackle to shackle and moves backwards and forward inside the boom as a single unit. The line goes around the aft of the two blocks then back out the aft end of the boom around a sheave and up to the clew reef point. Through the reef point and back down to the sliding padeye under the boom. It is tied off at the eye. At the mast end. The line goes from the stopper cleat on the house roof under the spray shield to the mast. It goes through a block at the base of the mast and up to the boom. The line goes around a sheave at the forward gooseneck end of the boom fitting and inside the boom. It then goes to that same special double block that the aft line went through. The forward line runs around the forward end of that block and goes back to a sheave at the gooseneck end of the boom. It exits the boom and goes down to a standard double block fixed to the base of the mast. The second reefing line goes to the other side of this double block. The line goes around this double block and up through a horizontal ring that is fixed slightly off center on the mast above the boom and guides the line up to the earring on the sail where it is tied off. The way it works: When you pull on the single line in the cockpit it is connected to the tack earring. As you pull the line it has to work its way through the boom and around that special block. The block at this point is at the aft end of the boom. As the single line tightens it also tightens around the special block drawing it forward. This line consequently tightens the aft reefing line and draws down the leach end of the sail. The sliding special block evens out the pull and allows both ends of the sail to move down together. The aft end will stop when the line is completely down with the cringle on the top of the boom. The forward end will stop when the knot on the earring contacts the horizontal ring on the mast slightly above the boom. If you have the special block inside the boom you have the single line system and you just need to rig it. If someone took down the sail and didn't disconnect the lines properly the lines could have been pulled out of the special block which is now stuck inside the boom.Couple of things to check. If there is a knot sticking out of the aft end of the boom fitting you probably have the block inside. But even if you don't you could get the special block and put it inside the boom and rig the system properly. It takes one special block (think they are called boom reefing cars) for each reef. I think this would be easier than alot of outside lines and tracks.If you have to install the car I think the aft boom fitting is held in with pop rivits and can be removed fairly easily. In practice just put her nose into the wind and let out the halyard as you pull in the appropriate reefing line. I can reef in a couple of minutes and never leave the cockpit. I do put a separate tie through the clew cringle and around the boom to keep it from raising up and get better shape. A trick is to pull the padeye back about a foot before you pull down. It gives a more back and down pull instead of mostly down. Also be careful that the earring and padeye knots are small. If too large they will prevent the sail from reefing tightly against the boom. The earring is made the way it is to allow for pressure slightly to one side of center and the horizontal ring keeps the pressure even at the tack.There are complete pictures/drawings available. Send me a fax and I will copy and send them if necessary.Hope it works out for you. Les