Reef rigging

[RAD18362]

I recently acquired a '77 Hunter 30. It has a Schaffer mast & boom with the reef rigging inside the boom and run down to the cockpit winch. The boom is fast to the mast meaning it does not slide in the sail track. Does anyone have an original diagram of how the reefs were to be rigged. Currently I have the reef line run from the winch up to the boom and out to the clue of the reef. I am using the double pig tails on the boom for the reef tack. Was this system originally suppose to slab reef the main by having the reef line travel up to the reef tack and back down to the winch? I tried this but encountered too much resistance to effectively tighten the foot. Anyone got any ideas? Also my main has the lower 6 sail slides rigged on 1/4" line to the grommets instead of small shackles. Is this for ease of reefing?

 

[Mike Collier]

reefing

I don't have a diagram, but your Schaffer boom sounds very similar to the Kenyon on my '79 H30. There are three lines in the Kenyon boom. One is the outhaul. My reefing lines are tied to the sail at the clew for the first and second reefing points just as you mentioned. Then, the tack of the reefing points is hooked onto what I think you are calling pigtails. These are at the gooseneck. One is port side the other is starboard. It is a slab reef and on my main there are two lines in the center of the main to secure the foot to the boom. This takes some of the strain off the tack and clew at the reefing points.The reefing lines on the Kenyon lock into a sheave and jaw similar to a cam cleat located on the boom at the gooseneck. The reefing lines bind a little when you want to shake out the reefs, but overall the system is really sweet.I don't understand why the lines are run to the cockpit winch since you must go up on the coachroof to secure the reefing lines around the boom. It sounds like someone tried to reinvent the wheel on your boat to eliminate going up on the coachroof.One question: is there a track at the tack of your main? On mine, there is a spring knob that locks the boom to the slide. I hoist the main until it takes the weight off the boom and then I pull the knob out. The boom then slides down the track. The tension on the luff of the main is adjusted by a downhaul. It's just a guess, but I imagine yours is the same. Hope this helps.