just bought a 15 and i don't see how to reef the mainsail. Not very experienced with small boats. Any onehave a 15 - looks like only a few ere made.
o'day 15 needs help
- Thread starter yogi
- Start date
- Status
If your mainsail has reefing points you only need a couple of 3/16" or 1/4" ropes about 3 or 4' long to tie your shortened sail off at the goose neck fitting and the end of the boom. You can always install a horn on the goose neck and eliminate one of the lines. Other than that, you would need to tie off the reefed sail in the conventional way that they did before Jiffy Reefing was used. At the mast, you would use one line to go through the reef cringle on the luff of the sail, around the mast, and around the goose neck to hold it down. At the end of the boom you would use the other line to tie off through the Leech reefing cringle to the end of the boom to stretch the foot of the sail, and back through the cringle and around the boom to hold it against the boom. Then you would use the reef point ties to tie off the rolled up loose sail to the boom. You may want to add a small sheave at the end of the boom for the reef line, if you don't have one.
Thanks Joe. My specific problem is how do I flake the sail because it has no slugs. I don't see how the sewn sail will come down the boom. Am I an idiot?
So you don't have any sail slides on the luff or the foot of the sail? You have a bolt rope on the luff that slides up the mast track or groove. That makes it kind of hard. If that sail is in good condition you can have sail slides installed on the luff and the foot by a sail maker. Reefing points and grommets can also be added to the main if you don't have any. I'd also look into what it would cost to have a new sail made up with these items and don't be afraid to bargain with him on the price. Most of these guys are hurting and they can afford to come down to a reasonable price for you. A friend of mine just bought a new sail for his Seaward 22. The sail guy quoted him a price of $1100.00. When my friend told him that it was too much money, the guy asked him what he thought a new sail would cost for his boat and he told him, "around $800." So the guy said, "OK, I'll make it for you for that."
Of course, we're talking about a sail for a 22' boat. A new sail for your boat should be a heck of a lot cheaper because of the size of the sail and less material used. It's something to think about.
I'm not sure if you can reef your sail with no sail slides on the luff. You can tie up your loose sail with reef point line around the boom if you have no sail slides on the foot of the sail.
Your goose neck fitting may have a provision built into it where you can pull your boom aft and roll your sail around the boom to shorten it, but if you don't have a tang plate at the end of your boom for your mainsheet control, it's not going to work for you. I think your boom has a bale attached to it about 2/3s of the way out for your mainsheet on that boat. This type of reefing isn't that great anyway. The end of the boom winds up hanging down lower than the where it is attached to the mast. A sail all set up for Jiffy Reefing is best for that boat. Install a horn near the goose neck, and a Jiffy Reefing cheek block with a horn cleat on the side of the boom would make the process fast.
Check out this Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uOwJQ_5X7M&feature=related
- Status