I've been searching for a diagram that shows how the reefing lines make their way through the eyelets of the sail. It's a airforce sail with two reefing rows of eyelets (about 4 eyelets in each row) right now it's working somewhat with the cockpit reefing line entering the boom and pulling down on the leading and trailing edges of the main, but the center doesn't get pulled down. Anyone know how to rig this? I've written to Air Force sail company, and it's been 2 weeks now without a response.
Reefing line setup on Air Force sails (27' Oday)
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My 89 O'Day 302 has similiar set up. The reefing line controls the fore and aft sail points only. Use 1/4 or 5/16 line - about 3 feet long - inserted thru the center points - knotted on both sides to keep them installed - and when reefed - tie off under the boom with slip square knots.
And I use the first reefing points only. If its blowing hard enough I need the 2nd set - I do not want to be out !! Midwest sailors can always get home before it gets real ugly !!
And I use the first reefing points only. If its blowing hard enough I need the 2nd set - I do not want to be out !! Midwest sailors can always get home before it gets real ugly !!
thanks Jurgy, this is what I was originally thinking too but then i thought that since the reefing could be done from the cockpit, they wouldn't set it up where you could only perform a part from the cockpit and then have to climb on deck to finish it. but it seems that this is exactly what they did. thanks so much for helping answer the mystery. George
That's a pretty typical setup. The smaller grommets in the middle of the sail are only to gather up the excess material. They are not designed to carry any strain at all. I believe that many sailors do not bother to tie them down for fear of tearing the sail if the reef line inadvertently gets loose or when shaking out the reef.
Assuming that you have a single-line reef set-up that leads aft or ties at the goose-neck, the line runs through both the leach and the luff. The intermediate points use 3' reef ties referred to by the other post.
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