Reefing Main 30 TR

Sep 25, 2015
60
Catalina 30 Middle River
Anything approaching 20 Knots or if you think you might have your hands full when you get out to open water. When here is lots of white caps .
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
The latter Hunters sail much faster when upright. Will reef as soon as the heel angle becomes detrimental to boat speed in sustained (not just gusts) wind. There is something to be said about looking ahead and will surely reef at dusk if I think the wind will pick up at night.
 

mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
the best rule i ever heard is 'if you're thinking about it, it's time to reef.' plus, it's so much easier to unreef if not needed than to reef if things get worse. twenty knots is way above my reefing standard.
 
May 12, 2004
1,502
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
In hot humid air I can go to about 20 knots before reefing. In colder heavier air about 15 knots is the limit. With experienced crew I can push it a bit more. With non sailors, a bit less. On a close or beam reach when I get to about 25-30 degrees of heel it's time.
 
Jan 6, 2010
1,520
John,

First off, it would depend on your sail size.

If having a 130-135 headsail as opposed to a 150-155 high or low cut, yes there is a difference.

A good rule of thumb I use is, if you look at the wind & a thought pops into mind & you a question, "Should I shorten sail", YEA that's the time to do it pal, before the shizz hits the fan. It's alot easier to let your sails back out that trying to reef when overpowered.

CR
 
May 12, 2004
1,502
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
Good point, CR. I have a 135 genny deck sweeper and full roach main. Fraulein II is also have a very stiff boat With the original 100% Yankee cut jib and lesser roach main, I hardly ever reefed except for very high winds. One needs to know their boat and skill level. When in doubt, shorten sail.
 
Jul 14, 2015
840
Catalina 30 Stillhouse Hollow Marina
John,

First off, it would depend on your sail size.

If having a 130-135 headsail as opposed to a 150-155 high or low cut, yes there is a difference.

A good rule of thumb I use is, if you look at the wind & a thought pops into mind & you a question, "Should I shorten sail", YEA that's the time to do it pal, before the shizz hits the fan. It's alot easier to let your sails back out that trying to reef when overpowered.

CR
I have a 135 on roller furling and a full batten main on a tall rig
 

mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
until you know how your boat sails under different wind conditions and reefing settings this is all hot air. at fifteen knots of wind and a first reef MY catalina 30 sails much nicer than with no reef. period.
I have a 135 on roller furling and a full batten main on a tall rig
nti
 
Jul 14, 2015
840
Catalina 30 Stillhouse Hollow Marina
until you know how your boat sails under different wind conditions and reefing settings this is all hot air. at fifteen knots of wind and a first reef MY catalina 30 sails much nicer than with no reef. period.

nti
I have sailed it full main in 15 to 20 mph quite nicely with the traveler leeward. same winds with 50% Genoa actually sails better. I am on a lake, so not dealing with big waves. My question is mostly curiosity on what others do. I have never reefed my main, although I have it set up to do so if needed.
 

mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
the first sail to reef is the main which is what causes most of the useless heeling in high wind. try it. that's why your boat was set up with a main reefing system by catalina.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
When you reef any boat will vary greatly on the condition and shape of your particular mainsail. It if is older and blown out and you cannot flatten it, it will get overpowered MUCH sooner, and have to reef sooner.
 
Nov 15, 2014
135
Catalina 30T 5830 Green Bay
First - I echo those who've stated "if you think about reefing, do it." As I sort of mention below, when the wind picks up enough that we reef, we aren't noticeably compromising boat speed.

My wife and I have had our C30 TR WK for two years. First big boat for us. I haven't logged wind speed when we've reefed (sounds like a good idea). I'd say we typically reef at around 20 knots +\-. But I am finding this: When we sail reefed and minimize heel, we sail just as fast, if not faster, more comfortably, with less heel, helm balanced and less boat abuse.

And (duh) the more we learn about the boat, and try different things, it just keeps getting more fun!!
 
Jun 2, 2014
589
Catalina 30 mkII - 1987 Alamitos Bay Marina, LB, CA
I'll chime in too...
This is just me, but I'm usually 'alone' on the boat. Whoever I'm with isn't really helping me do anything, and I'm usually either just taking someone out for the day or going to Catalina Island.
I have a 135 roller furling like you. I have no idea with the 'cut' is, and my main is not full battens.
I keep it reefed ALL THE TIME. Why you ask? Well, I am never racing or ever trying to push it. So, if there's a good wind, the reefed main and full jib gives me plenty of speed. Once I'm out for awhile and if it doesn't look like the wind is going to pick up, and it's staying below 15 knots, I MIGHT let it out if I don't feel too lazy. That's pretty much what I do.

Don't get me wrong, I've had it all up in 25 knots of wind and had a blast, but I just don't do it very often. And especially if I have guests on the boat, it's just too much to handle sometimes and the wine and crackers tend to spill more frequently.
 
Apr 11, 2012
324
Cataina 400 MK II Santa Cruz
Catalina 30, standard rig, 135 genny … somewhere between 15 and 20. I'm reefed for sure at 25. (I owned one for about 10 years).
 

dj2210

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Feb 4, 2012
337
Catalina 30 Watts Bar
I also have a TRBS with old full batten main. If the wInd is much above 15knotts the boat tends to round up or I'm fighting the wheel so if I know the wind gonna be above that I'll reef or just fly the jib. (Unless we're racing and I have crew)
 
Oct 3, 2011
825
Anam Cara Catalina 310 Hull #155 155 Lake Erie/Catawba Island
I reef when the Admiral starts screaming!
Only kidding, we sail much faster when NOT overpowered and struggling or the rigging is strained.
Lots less expensive to reef than blow out sails or rigging!
 
Nov 28, 2009
495
Catalina 30 St. Croix
Just finished racing in both the St. Thomas and BVI international regattas. The races in St. Thomas had sustained winds of 26-28 gusting to 35. Same in the BVI except fot last day.
We did the first race without a reef fir the downind start and reefed the main one reef while going up wind and also furled the jib as needed. We were the smallest boat in tge Jib and main class. A J-36 broke her mast and there quite a few casualties. My crew were worn out after two races and two of them couldn't go out the last day so we called it off.
Two different crew members joined us in Tortola and again gusting over 30. We do well upwind and could not correct against the larger boats. We beat boat for boat in every race a J-24, Hunter 30-2, a C & C 36 and one more. They all owed us time. The last day the winds were between 9 and 12 and I raced with 115%. We beat the same boats but corrected ahead of all 110 boats in the class. I guess the Catalina 30 likes light air.
 
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Mar 10, 2015
62
Catalina 30 Moss Landing, CA
Consider the progression of wind force on sails above the whitecap threshold of about 12 knots true: the force doubles at 17 knots, quadruples at 24 knots, and is over 6X at 30 knots. So I've got to question some of the wind speeds thrown about in this discussion, if they are apparent rather than true, particularly in close-hauled sailing in open waters.

We sail out of central Monterey Bay's Moss Landing, and summer sailing can be a rough experience with the 15-20 knot afternoon sea breeze from the WNW with 2-3' wind waves on top of the NW prevailing 5-9' swell from the Pacific high. We have a lapper jib and full-battened main with generous roach, and have close-hauled conditions for several miles to clear the confused near-shore waters. With me and my wife only, we'll reef the main with a single line system at about 15 knots.

We de-power the main by tensioning the foot and pulling draft fwd with the cockpit-led Cunningham and traveler about 1/3 down to leeward, while flattening the jib with hard halyard and backstay tension. And keep an open slot with heads of both sails twisted off a bit - top jib tell-tails breaking before the lowers, and upper battens of the main not hooking to windward. We were pleasantly surprised with the 30's performance in these conditions when set up properly.
Pete
 
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