Question on running reef lines to cokcpit

[Wayne Steinhour]

I'm planning to bring the control lines on my 23 back to the cockpit. I have ordered most of the hardware I need, but I have a couple of questions. My main has a couple of reefs. I am planning to leave the aft reef lines as they are, each cleating to a horn cleat near the middle of the boom because I can reach them OK from the cockpit. For the forward reef lines, I am planning to bring them down through blocks at the mast step, through a deck organizer, and back to clamcleats on the starboard side of the cabintop. I figure that I will need a padeye on the port side of the mast to tie the reef lines to.

I am wondering whether I also will need cheek blocks on the starboard side of the mast to angle the reef lines forward a bit or just run them straight down to the blocks at the base of the mast. In other words, do these lines need to agle forward to pull the tack of the sail up close to the mast?

My other question is the best way to attach padeyes (or cheek blocks) to the mast. I read somewhere that SS rivets are a bad idea for an aluminum mast because of corrosion. High strength (5056?) aluminum rivets should be used instead. Is that right? Also, what length rivets should I use?

Thanks for your help.

Wayne

 

[centerline]

I'm planning to bring the control lines on my 23 back to the cockpit. I have ordered most of the hardware I need, but I have a couple of questions. My main has a couple of reefs. I am planning to leave the aft reef lines as they are, each cleating to a horn cleat near the middle of the boom because I can reach them OK from the cockpit. For the forward reef lines, I am planning to bring them down through blocks at the mast step, through a deck organizer, and back to clamcleats on the starboard side of the cabintop. I figure that I will need a padeye on the port side of the mast to tie the reef lines to.

I am wondering whether I also will need cheek blocks on the starboard side of the mast to angle the reef lines forward a bit or just run them straight down to the blocks at the base of the mast. In other words, do these lines need to agle forward to pull the tack of the sail up close to the mast?

My other question is the best way to attach padeyes (or cheek blocks) to the mast. I read somewhere that SS rivets are a bad idea for an aluminum mast because of corrosion. High strength (5056?) aluminum rivets should be used instead. Is that right? Also, what length rivets should I use?

Thanks for your help.

Wayne

Wayne, Im not sure why you would need to add padeyes... if the lines are run thru a cam cleat that has a fairlead cap on it, and then tie a figure eight knot, the line will stay in position until you need it...

you will need a turning block on the mast a bit lower and forward to run the reef line thru before going to the mast base block, as this will keep the tack tensioned properly.

DONT use stainless rivets. they are hard to drill out... the hole in the aluminum usually wears out before you get the rivet removed.
use aluminum rivets.... and it isnt necessary, but if you want to curb any corrosion before it starts, get yourself some lanocote and dip the rivets lightly before setting them... it will help get the rivet a bit tighter before popping and minimize any corrosion. you can also use stainless screws in the aluminum, but if you do then you should definitely use the lanocote. in addition to helping keep the corrosion in check, it lubricates the screws when installing
use lanocote on any fastener anywhere on the boat that you dont need an actual waterproof sealer.

 

[RichBone]

Aluminum or stainless rivets. You're on freshwater, there shouldn't much of a problem with corrosion. My boat has always been on fresh water and I've removed SS rivets (gooseneck fittings) that were there since '83 and found no corrosion. No problem drilling out either. That being said, the application you're looking at might not require the strength of SS. They're a real PITA to install (3/16" that I used) requiring a SS capable pop rivet tool. It was all I could do to squeeze the handles together. Since there shouldn't a lot of tension all the time on the blocks you want to install aluminum might be the way to go. Just keep an eye on them and replace if necessary.

 

[Joe11688]

I've heard you guys talk about running halyards back to the cockpit for years and although I favor doing all my work at the mast on my boat, I can understand why you would want to be able to reef from the cockpit on the waters you sail which can get a heck of a lot more turbulent than the bays I sail in.
So with that said I just wanted to bring to your attention that you may need to install a jack line system on your mainsail to relieve the tension between the sail slug and the luff of the sail near the goose neck. The O'Day 272 has a jack line and I know that if I were to run halyards and a reef line back to my cockpit, I would need the jack line on my Main sail for sure.
When I reef my sail at the mast, I need to first remove the slug close to the gooseneck before inserting the Luff grommet into the horn and pulling on the reefing line. My friend has to do the same thing on his Seaward 22. What this does is ensure that there is tension on the horn and not on that sail slug just above that luff grommet.
There is a way of finding out if you need a jack line. With the Mainsail down, just reef in the normal way and then pull on the Main halyard. Does the sail slug bind above the luff grommet? If not, you're good to go. If they it does bind, then you need the jack line or you should have one to prevent your sail slug from getting broke and it will break in time.
As I mentioned. The out haul reefing tension needs to be on the Ram's horn and the sail grommet. The sail should go up just as freely as it does with no reefs.
This is just something that you may want to take into consideration.
http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=feature.display&feature_ID=34

 

[py26129]

Wayne

When I had my PY26 I set it up with single line reefing. It was very simple and it worked great. Essentially I ran the reefing line through the reefing cringle on the leech of the sail and continued it forward to a cheek block,on the boom, at the gooseneck. From there it went up, through the reefing cringle at the luff down the other side of the sail to a block tied to the ring at the front of the mast (used for halyards or a whisker pole) then down to a block at the base of the mast, the organizer and back to the cockpit.

I think you need the block on the mast to get some forward tension on the sail and to keep it flat while reefed.

The single line reefing worked great. We could reef and shake out reefs in no time, from the safety of the cockpit.

I could try to draw the system, if me description is not clear enough (likely).

Cheers

Matt

 

[Brian S]

I have used 3/16" SS rivets into my mast. I always coat any SS to aluminum, rivet, screw, cheek block, whatever, with TefGel: http://www.tefgel.com/# and I pull all rivets with this: http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-...and-riveter-with-collection-bottle-66422.html Indeed, my friend used that same rivet gun to re-rivet his jib sheet tracks on his Hobie 16. The key to riveting SS rivets is to pull 'em nice and slow, so that the mandrel doesn't pop prematurely before the rivet is pulled up tight. Also, use the correct length rivet for the thickness you are riveting, because you can only pull the rivet so short before it pops.

I have heard of people using anhydrous lanolin, but one day I drove around to 4 or 5 pharmacies and one natural health stuff store, and was unable to find anhydrous lanolin. (On a side note, I had to tell 3 or 4 pharmacy employees what anhydrous meant. Scary.) I finally bought "pure" lanolin from the hippy store, and used it for that project, then ordered the TefGel online from Jamestown Distributors. I don't know how the "pure" lanolin did versus Lanocote, or versus TefGel, because I sold that boat after I completed the sheave and hardware replacement project

Brian

 

[Wayne Steinhour]

Thanks for all of the help.

Somebody asked why I am planning to use a padeye. I was just figuring on using that to tie the reef lines to before bringing them up through the cringle and down to a turning block on the other side.

It sounds like I do need to use a double cheek block on the mast to provide some forward pull on the tack. That makes sense. I was just wondering whether I could save the money.

I'm going to try aluminum rivets. It sounds like people have had good luck with them. I hadn't heard of the coating stuff. I'll look into that.

My main does have a jack line. I just got a new main over the winter, so I am looking forward to giving that a try.

Finally, I appreciate the description of the single line system. I'm planning to use a two line system because it sounds simpler to rig.

I guess I need to go order that cheek block.

Wayne

 

[geehaw]

Wayne, I have a 25 and I have cleats on the mast just left and right of center. I use the port one to hold the line hard. Here you can put a pad-eye if you don't have a cleat. But from there I just run through the reef point down to a block at side of mast base then to organizer and back to cockpit. It pulls more then enough forward with out any cheek blocks. Greg

 

[Wayne Steinhour]

Greg,

Maybe I will just try it without the cheek block and see how it looks. I just want to make sure that I don't put too much stress on the slugs along the luff of the sail. You made a good point about using cleats that are already on the mast instead of adding a padeye to tie the reef lines to. That will save some time.

I just got all of my hardware ordered this week, so I should be able to see how it will all go together. I expect that the hardest part will be making the blocks I will need to raise up my deck organizers and cleats high enough for the lines to clear the companionway hatch. I got some white oak to use that I think should be pretty resistant to rot.

One big question mark remaining is whether I will need a winch for the halyards. I hope I can get by without that expense.

Wayne