Reefing Tip

[Don Guillette]

Mates: I don't know how many of you do this but I think it is a good idea to mark your main halyard in the following manner. I have a black piece of tape on the mast as a reference point. The main halyard has pieces of tape to mark full hoist, first reef and second reef. The reef marks are the most important. In a reefing situation I'm trying to get the job done as fast as I can. I don't even have to look at the sail. All I do is loosen the halyard to the pre determined marks and I'm done.On full hoist - I do not put the halyard at full hoist. First I haul a little past full hoist. Then I drop back to just a little below full hoist. The reason for that is I use the Cunningham instead of the halyard for adjustment. Formally, I used the halyard but what happened every time I lossened the halyard at the mast I lost about 12" of sail and I had the halyard all over the deck. Using the cunnigham in place of the halyard is just so much more easy and sanitary.

 

[Rick Macdonald]

One of my favories

Don - I don't know where I first learned this tip but it's one of may favorites! Yes, just loosen the main halyard to the mark and I know it's at the right position for the reef (ram's horn hook in cringle at the mast in my case).I do the same with my dock lines (2 spring lines and the stern line). I have these marked at the point where the lines from the dock first touch the cleats on the boat. I can keep my head down and tie it all up right the first time without having to adjust again to get the right spacing. Handy if I have to come in during a dump of rain or snow.OK, I'm just kidding about the snow.In my case, there is no other marina or dock on the lake so the dock lines stay at my slip. I don't need to take them with me. Ha! You should have seen the commotion I caused in the BVI last may. As we headed out from the SunSail charter base slip I flung the docklines back on the dock! :-(...RickM...

 

[Don Guillette]

Dock lines on the dock

Rick: I'll be 95% of the boats in Long Beach (over 3500 boats) leave their dock lines at the dock. We all carry a separate set for elsewhere. When I come into the home dock, I land with my traveling set of lines. I then detach them and slip the loop of the regular dock lines over the bow and stern cleats and that is it.

 

[Frank Ladd]

I use a sharpie

I use a sharpie instead of tape and I make it right at the camcleat instead of at the mast so I don't even have to look up. Good Idea to post it here because it took me a long time to figure out how to do it opn my own.

 

[Don Guillette]

I use a sharpie

Frank: My halyard is not led back to the cockpit. If it was I would make the mark at the camcleat. I would have to make any adjustment at the mast, but as I said I don't mess with the main (or jib) halyards anyway - I use a cunnigham for both.

 

[Wright Ellis s/v WhiskyII]

Don, about dock lines ...

Do you put the loop over the deck cleat? My cleats have no open center between and under the horns, so I've been fearful of dropping a loop over the cleat, afraid it might be forced off in a bad blow or storm surge. Opinion?

 

[Don Guillette]

Dock lines

Wright Ellis: Never had a problem with dock lines where I have just dropped the loop over the cleat and I've been docking boats that way since I was 6 years old - which was a long time ago but slipping the loop through the center is much safer way to go. Another way is to double loop the loop on the cleat if the loop is big enough. Out here, where I have been for the last 35 years, the marinas are pretty safe from surge and wind. During the winter months or when I suspect a blow I double up the lines. You would be amazed at how half heartly sailors secure their boat. I'm retired so I am on the docks a lot on week days and as I would walk down the dock I would see these poor boats banging around and I felt sorry for the boat so I would retie them. Another thing is I'd like to have a buck for every unsecured jib I've furled up for my dock neighbors. All it takes is an extra piece of line around the sail to secure it and prevent it from unfurling itself in high winds. I was just thinking that if storm surge is a problem in your area then maybe for your peace of mind just forget about the loop and cleat the line. Buy dock lines without the loop. If you cleat the line you won't ever have to worry about it every time it blows and you start to think how secure your boat is.

 

[Alan]

Don, about dock lines ...

I have the same 'horns' on my boat. I also don't like to leave my trust that the loop won't come off the horn so I added a small length of 1/4" line that is spliced into the eye of the dock line. Keeping the small line at the top of the eye when you drop it on the cleat, then use the small line to figure 8 on the cleat(...just luv those figure 8's). This will secure the dock line for sure.

 

[mortyd]

don, i'm a little confused. if you can haul the halyard past full hoist, how then do you know what full hoist actually is? also, did you see my post about tacking with the traveler down? i don't see anything in your book or charts - both of which i'm very glad i have - on the subject.

 

[Roger1250]

full hoist

Full hoist is up to the black band at the top of the mast. This is the measured regulation height if you have a class boat. Past full hoist is past the black band if that is possible on your mast.

 

[Don Guillette]

Mortyd: I know where full hoist is because I cheated. My sail maker marked it for me when I first bought the sail. I did not like the spot he noted. I kept his mark as a point of reference but went a little higher - I'm talking inches here - and marked another spot where I thought the sail looked better. I could have gone even higher if I had wanted to but the spot I picked was the best for me. It is the max point of halyard tension that I use. Once I set the halyard, I don't mess with it anymore. I use the cunningham and that is why I back off the halyard a bit so I can use the cunningham. It all probably sounds weird but it works for me. Full hoist is actually a misnomer. For example, on America cup boats there is a predetermined point where they can not go any higher. Actually, the sail does have the capability to be raised higher but the rules prevent it. I'll look for your piece on tacking with the traveler down.