Reefing lines and cockpit controls for a '25

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pprusak

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Oct 12, 2008
11
Oday 25 Yankeetown
Hello everyone,

I have a 1977 O'day 25 and currently all my lines are hanging at the mast. There is currently no reefing system for the main, and I am wanting to upgrade with some sort of reefing system and try to run more lines aft to the cockpit for singlehanding easier.

I had a new main sail made with full battens and 3 reef points.

What reefing systems have you found to work best?

What have you done with lines to improve ease of use from the cockpit?

I am about to replace what are probably all original sheets and halyards- so I want to make sure I am thinking ahead here.

Thanks for your suggestions and experiences!

Paul
'Dot Calm'
Yankeetown, FL
 
Joe11688

Joe11688

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Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
Paul,
Take it from me. It's a lot easier and faster to do all your reefing right at the mast. Even if you can do it from the cockpit, you still need to gather up your loose sail and tie it with the reef points. All you need is a Jiffy reefing track with for the side of your boom and a ram's horn at the goose neck. In most cases I reef my main while I'm at anchor, but I have also reefed it while sailing under autopilot. Even without the autopilot, all it takes is to step up to the mast, take up on the topping lift and lower the main down just enough to get the reef cringle into the horn and then tension the main back up again. The next step is to pull on the reefing line and let off on the topping lift. It seems like a lot of things to do, but once you've done it a number of times it becomes automatic to a point where you don't even need to think about it. The last step is to gather the loose sail and tie it with the reef points and you can do that anytime.
 
Joe11688

Joe11688

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Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
Great pics Rich! Anyone who is thinking of doing this to their boat should check these out.
 
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pprusak

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Oct 12, 2008
11
Oday 25 Yankeetown
Rich,

That looks awesome! Nice and clean, and exactly what I was hoping to find.

Can you tell me what color lines go to what?

Did you mount the winch near the locks or is that a standard location on the 1984 model of the 25?

Paul
 
RichBone

RichBone

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Sep 25, 2008
992
Oday 25 Gibraltar
No, that's not the standard location for the winches. Oday didn't make any provision for cockpit controls (that's why there's so little room at the forward end of the companionway slide) on these boats which was a holdover from the 70s when they were designed. Cockpit controls really came on big in the eighties.

I didn't have any winch halyards which were an option and were mounted on the mast.

Blue- main halyard
Green- jib halyard
Red- spinnaker halyard

I want to run the cunningham along side of the main halyard and maybe the spinnaker tack pendant.

Rich
 
kdssail

kdssail

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Jun 3, 2004
89
Oday 26 Lake Keowee,SC
I have an Oday 26 with jiffy reffing, cockpit controlled. It is easy from the cockpit when you have the jif line on one side and the main halyard on the other, Mark the main with a colored thread or black marker to show the DOWN position, lock it there then tighten the jif line. You can lower main and pull jif at the same time if you like, be sure to mark the jif line also for max down position lock it down then re tighten the main a little. In cockpit gives YOU security and also closeness to the helm in case of an emergency. AFTER this you have a more stable boat and you can secure the reaf tie down lines at your best opportunity. Sometimes you will need to reaf RIGHT NOW and be in a not too good position so I like the cockpit method for safety. Look at other boats in your area, study their layout and you will come up with the best way for YOU. I do like the clored lines shown above for clarity. P/S all my lines are to the cockpit and I like not having to get up on top for anything but securing the main after lowering it all the way down for storage.
 
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