I am a new owner of a 2000 Catalina 380. I have tried to reef, using the factory "Jiffy Reefing", which I understand came standard on this boat, and find it very difficult to accomplish the desired end result. Once the foreward part of the sail has been pulled down to the boom, the reefing line gets all bound up while trying to continue to pull the reef line tight, in order to tighten the aft reef point. I have heard that this is a common problem. If this has been a problem for you, I would like to hear your suggested solution. Andrew Mattingly
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Single reefing line
I am not familar with the reefing system on the Catalina 380, but from your description, it sounds like a single line reefing system, the same as is installed on my hunter 37.5. A single line system is actaully a two line system. The aft line is tied around the boom (or some similar arrangement) runs thru the reef cringle on the leach, back to a sheave at the end of the boom, inside the boom to what is commomly called a shuttle car and back out the aft end of the boom where it is generally tied in a knot so it cannot be pulled back into the boom. The forward line is fixed at the mast, and then runs up thru the cringle on the luff, down to a sheave at the forward end of the boom, into the boom to the shuttle car (the same one that the aft reef line runs to), then back out the forward end of the boom, around a sheave and generally back to. he cockpit. As you pull the reef line in the cockpit, the cringle in the luff is pulled down to the boom. At the same time, the shuttle car is pulled toward the front of the boom. As the shuttle car is pulled forward, the aft reef cringle is pulled down to the boom. If the leach of the sail is fully reefed before the shuttle car has no more room travel forward in the boom, you will be able to reef the luff. However, if the shuttle car reaches the end of its travel inside of the boom and the leach is not fully reefed, you will not be able to reef the leach. This seems to be your problem. The solution is to shorten the aft reefing line, so the leach is fully reefed before the shuttle car runs out of travel. You can shorten either end of the aft reefing line. If you have a sketch of your reefing lines, this complicated description might make more sense. All of this being said, I am removing my single line system and installing a garden varietly two line system. While it is great to have a single line to control each reef, it never seems to work right. There is just too much friction inherent in that system.
I am not familar with the reefing system on the Catalina 380, but from your description, it sounds like a single line reefing system, the same as is installed on my hunter 37.5. A single line system is actaully a two line system. The aft line is tied around the boom (or some similar arrangement) runs thru the reef cringle on the leach, back to a sheave at the end of the boom, inside the boom to what is commomly called a shuttle car and back out the aft end of the boom where it is generally tied in a knot so it cannot be pulled back into the boom. The forward line is fixed at the mast, and then runs up thru the cringle on the luff, down to a sheave at the forward end of the boom, into the boom to the shuttle car (the same one that the aft reef line runs to), then back out the forward end of the boom, around a sheave and generally back to. he cockpit. As you pull the reef line in the cockpit, the cringle in the luff is pulled down to the boom. At the same time, the shuttle car is pulled toward the front of the boom. As the shuttle car is pulled forward, the aft reef cringle is pulled down to the boom. If the leach of the sail is fully reefed before the shuttle car has no more room travel forward in the boom, you will be able to reef the luff. However, if the shuttle car reaches the end of its travel inside of the boom and the leach is not fully reefed, you will not be able to reef the leach. This seems to be your problem. The solution is to shorten the aft reefing line, so the leach is fully reefed before the shuttle car runs out of travel. You can shorten either end of the aft reefing line. If you have a sketch of your reefing lines, this complicated description might make more sense. All of this being said, I am removing my single line system and installing a garden varietly two line system. While it is great to have a single line to control each reef, it never seems to work right. There is just too much friction inherent in that system.
Single Line Reefing vs two line reefing
You could do us all a favor by posting a diagram of the two line reefing system.
You could do us all a favor by posting a diagram of the two line reefing system.
Double Line Reefing
I wrote a long article in the November 2003 Mainsheet magazine on double line reefing. It's in the C34 Tech section. Stu
I wrote a long article in the November 2003 Mainsheet magazine on double line reefing. It's in the C34 Tech section. Stu
Generally there is supposed to ...
be a block on the forward reef cringle ... you drop the main only so far so that you still have enough room between that reefing point block and the sheave at the front end of the boom ... so that it does not get fouled up. So the reefing line comes up from the base of the mast, up through the reefing block, down into the sheave at the front end of the boom, out the back sheave in the boom, into another block at the aft reef point and then down to the boom. That's the setup on the Beneteau Lagoon 380. On the Oday 272 they eliminate the block at the aft reef cringle. And of course you have to remember to take the vang off and the mainsheet needs to be loose as well. The jiffy theory is to tighten the back of the sail well and then you can drop the main halyard the few inches to get the luff of the sail right. With normal two line reefing you would lock the front of the sail first then the back ... and you can really lock the cringles close to the boom. But the jiffy problem is what you have to do to make the blocks run clean at mast end of the boom and you may end up a couple of inches off the boom. Off course if you are only going to do it once a year ... you'll never get all the moves down so that it will look perfect ... but even sloppy the sail is "reefed" . If you reef prior to sailing, you can make it look really good and shake it out with no problems from the cockpit. Vic "Seven"
be a block on the forward reef cringle ... you drop the main only so far so that you still have enough room between that reefing point block and the sheave at the front end of the boom ... so that it does not get fouled up. So the reefing line comes up from the base of the mast, up through the reefing block, down into the sheave at the front end of the boom, out the back sheave in the boom, into another block at the aft reef point and then down to the boom. That's the setup on the Beneteau Lagoon 380. On the Oday 272 they eliminate the block at the aft reef cringle. And of course you have to remember to take the vang off and the mainsheet needs to be loose as well. The jiffy theory is to tighten the back of the sail well and then you can drop the main halyard the few inches to get the luff of the sail right. With normal two line reefing you would lock the front of the sail first then the back ... and you can really lock the cringles close to the boom. But the jiffy problem is what you have to do to make the blocks run clean at mast end of the boom and you may end up a couple of inches off the boom. Off course if you are only going to do it once a year ... you'll never get all the moves down so that it will look perfect ... but even sloppy the sail is "reefed" . If you reef prior to sailing, you can make it look really good and shake it out with no problems from the cockpit. Vic "Seven"
No solution...
There's no good solution to the problems of single-line reefing... it's an inferior system with a single redeeming quality: it's cheap. I have re-rigged my boat for true double-line reefing, where there are two separate control lines for each reef point, one for the tack and one for the clew. The disadvantage of this method is that you wind up leading back a lot of lines. The system that Steve described for the h37.5 is actually single-line reefing that uses two lines connected by a purchase system inside the boom. You will continue to have problems getting the clew snug, it just goes with the territory. I see pictures of Volvo Open 60s with the reefed clew sloppily riding up away from the boom, so it's probably nothing to get too excited about. You can shape the reefed sail a bit better by over-easing the halyard prior to tightening the control line, which lets you tension the clew before the tack. Others suggest easing the vang prior to reefing, sounds like a good idea to me, especially if you have a rigid vang. Stu, can you provide a link to your article? Paul
There's no good solution to the problems of single-line reefing... it's an inferior system with a single redeeming quality: it's cheap. I have re-rigged my boat for true double-line reefing, where there are two separate control lines for each reef point, one for the tack and one for the clew. The disadvantage of this method is that you wind up leading back a lot of lines. The system that Steve described for the h37.5 is actually single-line reefing that uses two lines connected by a purchase system inside the boom. You will continue to have problems getting the clew snug, it just goes with the territory. I see pictures of Volvo Open 60s with the reefed clew sloppily riding up away from the boom, so it's probably nothing to get too excited about. You can shape the reefed sail a bit better by over-easing the halyard prior to tightening the control line, which lets you tension the clew before the tack. Others suggest easing the vang prior to reefing, sounds like a good idea to me, especially if you have a rigid vang. Stu, can you provide a link to your article? Paul
Reefing lines led to cockpit
The best setup I had was on one of my former boats when I did a lot of single handed sailing. I had the halyards and all the reefing lines led back to the cockpit. A separate line for each reef clew and tack cringle. It was a simple job to take in a well set reef. Release the mainsheet and vang,pull on the clew line till tight,drop the halyard to a marked spot.pull on the tack line and trim the mainsheet. It was easy to tie the reefed sail. A lot of string on the boom but it worked very well for me.
The best setup I had was on one of my former boats when I did a lot of single handed sailing. I had the halyards and all the reefing lines led back to the cockpit. A separate line for each reef clew and tack cringle. It was a simple job to take in a well set reef. Release the mainsheet and vang,pull on the clew line till tight,drop the halyard to a marked spot.pull on the tack line and trim the mainsheet. It was easy to tie the reefed sail. A lot of string on the boom but it worked very well for me.
Mainsheet Double Line Reefing Article
Paul The article is in the Catalina Mainsheet magazine published quarterly and sent to Catalina Association members. There's no link because it's GOLLY really a hardcopy magazine. Either you are a member, know one or can go to a Catalina dealer to find one. Sorry. Most of the replies have hit the nail on the head: single line reefing s*cks simply because a single line can't make up for the difference in tension needed between the force required for the clew (at an angle, too) and the tack. Forget single line reefing, go to double line reefing, or you'll have to do it from the mast the OLD way (which is, when you think about it), really IS double line reefing, just not led back to the cockpit. Duh..even I just figured that one out! Stu
Paul The article is in the Catalina Mainsheet magazine published quarterly and sent to Catalina Association members. There's no link because it's GOLLY really a hardcopy magazine. Either you are a member, know one or can go to a Catalina dealer to find one. Sorry. Most of the replies have hit the nail on the head: single line reefing s*cks simply because a single line can't make up for the difference in tension needed between the force required for the clew (at an angle, too) and the tack. Forget single line reefing, go to double line reefing, or you'll have to do it from the mast the OLD way (which is, when you think about it), really IS double line reefing, just not led back to the cockpit. Duh..even I just figured that one out! Stu
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