Anyone have experience in freeing reefing lines that are 'stuck' inside the boom? Both of mine will pull tight only to a certain point and then stop - without having pulled the line at the leech of the sail tight. Suggestions?
on my 37 with an isomat, the boom end caps are riveted on. I drilled the rivets out, removed the end cap and had access to the boom interior. After fixing whatever, Then I riveted the cap back on. The trick may be for you to find a 1/4'' rivet gun which is a bit larger than you usually see. An alternative may be self tapping stainless, but you'd have to waatch out for corrosion.
John, You said that neither line will draw down the leech end. That probably means that the sheave cars located inside the boom are not moving to the front end of the boom when you tighten the reefing lines. As these cars move forward they pull down the aft end of the sail. The only lines I can think of that run through the boom are the two reefing lines and the outhaul. Check that none of these lines have caught on the cars and prevented them from moving forward. Could also be some internal obstruction like a bolt or screw that extends too far into the boom and prevents the cars from moving. The easiest way to check for movement is to go to the mast and select one of the reefing lines. The line should go up from the deck and into the front of the boom across a sheave. It then comes out of the front of the boom on the next sheave over. You can pull on the line and make sure you have both ends of the same line. Pull that pair of lines forward and the car in side the boom should move forward. Pull it until it won't move further. When it moves forward it will tighten up the aft reefing line. Make sure the correct line is being tightened. The two aft lines are different lengths to correspond with the different aft reefpoints. If the car stops moving before the aft line is tight thats a good sign. If the car stops moving and the aft line is not tight check that the car has moved as far forward as possible. Generally it gets to about 2-3 feet from the forward end of the boom. You can look inside the boom fitting with a flashlight and watch the car move. Do the same thing with the second reefing line. If both cars are forward and the aft lines are tight the system is working as advertised and the leech end should be tight. If not, as in your case, either the cars didn't make it forward leaving the aft lines loose or the aft lines are too long. Thats why you want to check both lines and cars. If the lines are too long or are tied through the wrong reefing points on the leech correct and re-tie. You need to pull the cars back about two feet or so before you re-tie. I know it sounds confusing. e-mail me and we can converse. When they work properly they are really slick and can put in or take out a reef in less than a minute. Worth fixing properly. Les s/v Mutual Fun
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