Reefing tips

[ontherocks83]

When I was out sailing a week ago we were beating into 20-25 knots of wind. Even with the traveler to leeward and slacking the main sheet we kept rounding up and we're healing over past 35 degrees. I had the helmsman bring her into irons so we could slack the main halyard and tighten the fore and aft reefing points. The only problem we ran into both when putting the reef in and shaking it out is the Genoa backfilled and we ended up doing a 360 to bring her back around. The first time wasn't an issue but the second time was uncomfortably close to a small fishing boat.

At first I was suspicious of the helmsman's attention (it was my dad and he is in his early 70's) but the more I think about it, I keep wondering if we should have furled in the genoa before reefing the main. It's an extra step but it would have prevented us from doing donuts.

What are some of your processes to prevent backfilling the head sail or I am missing something all together on the reefing procedure?

 

[kappykaplan]

I'm a purist when it comes to taking a reef - want to do it under sail. Get close-hauled, do my thing. If you are too close to the wind, with jib or genoa, the sail will backfill. If it's blowing snot, turn downwind and furl the head sail in the blanket of the main. Start the iron jenny and bring the boat head to wind. Take the reef with the boat on her feet. Fall off, unfurl the head sail.

 

[D Swanson]

When I find the need to reef, I usually heave to. It also helps to take up the topping lift to take pressure off the sail.

 

[ontherocks83]

I didn't consider heaving to. I'm going to have to give that a try.

 

[Hunter216]

I had the helmsman bring her into irons

That might be contributing to the 360 problem. Pretty hard to control any sailboat in irons especially if it starts sailing backwards

Have you tried heaving to and then reefing?

 

[ontherocks83]

That might be contributing to the 360 problem. Pretty hard to control any sailboat in irons especially if it starts sailing backwards

Have you tried heaving to and then reefing?

I'm going to give heaving to a try next, I was bringing her into irons because for whatever reason even a small amount of tension on the main makes her very hard / impossible to raise or lower the main. However I have not tried heaving to and seeing if a relaxed main sheet while hove to will allow me to lower and raise the main halyard.

 

[shemandr]

Heaving to on a fin keel boat is an acquired taste. I never did master it for my Ranger. If you want to reef the main ease the traveler until the main is luffing. Then do the reef by whatever means the boat system requires. Basically it's an up wind maneuver. You don't need to and should not to come directly into the wind. Reefing downwind is problematic. With the sail full of wind, it doesn't want to drop. It's much more difficult. As always you want to reef before it becomes necessary. Doing 360's isn't safe. I know because I've done that. BTW - if you need to be at the mast while doing 360's or other untoward maneuvers, be on the forward side of the mast and walk around as necessary. It's reasonable safe compared with the aft side of the mast, which is in my opinion dangerous.

 

[capta]

I would usually, depending on my point of sail, just ease the main sheet, let the main luff, attach the reef tack, pull out the reef clew, tighten the halyard, then sheet in the main and continue on. Obviously, if on a run one would need to come up to at least a beam reach, but why more unless you have swept back spreaders and they're getting in the way?
There's no need to do up the reef points if you aren't going to be reefed for long (like day sailing) as that's pretty much an esthetic thing. Of course, if one is lucky enough to have a bow to wind slip or is on a mooring or anchor, it's always easiest to tuck a reef before you are out on the water. Most of us down here in the eastern Caribbean rarely see our mains un-reefed during the season.

 

[Hunter216]

I'm going to give heaving to a try next, I was bringing her into irons because for whatever reason even a small amount of tension on the main makes her very hard / impossible to raise or lower the main. However I have not tried heaving to and seeing if a relaxed main sheet while hove to will allow me to lower and raise the main halyard.

First rule of sailing. If something your doing isn’t working try something else

At the risk of sounding condescending I would suggest you do multiple heave to practice runs in light air to get accustomed to how your boat handles it. Some boats I’ve been on settle very quickly while others take some getting used to.

Nothing wrong with motoring while reefing either!

 

[Hayden Watson]

I have converted the reefing to single line and can pull one in less than 60 seconds. Before that I would do the following

• come to close hauled course
• ease the traveler and mainsheet completely.
• ease the vang and use the jiffy reef to raise the boom to the reef cringle. (this is done so that the weight of the boom is always putting tension on the leach of the main which keeps it from flogging.)
• ease the main halyard to a premarked point and use the 4:1 Cunningham to tension the main luff.
• trim main sheet and traveler.

Most sailors ease the mainsheet before pulling in the clew but as soon as the tension goes off the leach it begins to flog wildly. By raising the boom up to the reef cringle before easing the main sheet, the weight of the boom and outward tension keeps it tame. It also provides weight to pull the sail down when you ease the halyard.

 

[capta]

Heaving-to is usually done with a combination of jib and main. How would you reef if the main is in use?

 

[Hayden Watson]

I Heave to my C30 most times that I am out sailing, in all wind strengths. It is useful for eating, cooking and (most importantly) using the head!
It is most handy anytime that you want to stop sailing to do something else without screwing with the sails and getting rolled about under bare poles.
Having taught several club classes on the manuver, I find that most sailors over think and over work what is really a simple procedure.

• The sail plan should be correct for the conditions. ie, under 15-knts full sails, over that reefed to the correct combination
• come to a close hauled course and sheet tight
• tack the boat through the wind but do not touch any line.
• as the boat slows down turn the helm to try getting back on the previous tack and lock it.
• enjoy.

I have done this hundreds of times in wind from 5 knots to 50+.

 

[thinwater]

I'm a purist when it comes to taking a reef - want to do it under sail. Get close-hauled, do my thing. If you are too close to the wind, with jib or genoa, the sail will backfill. If it's blowing snot, turn downwind and furl the head sail in the blanket of the main. Start the iron jenny and bring the boat head to wind. Take the reef with the boat on her feet. Fall off, unfurl the head sail.

^^ This. Sheet the jib extra tight, point reasonably high (not luffing), and the genoa will back wind the main, blowing it slack (ease everything on the main).

 

[kappykaplan]

^^ This. Sheet the jib extra tight, point reasonably high (not luffing), and the genoa will back wind the main, blowing it slack (ease everything on the main).

Correct!

 

[DrJudyB]

I currently sail a 24' trimaran on windy San Francisco Bay. For 45+ years prior to that, I sailed monohulls in the 20-40 foot range on the east and west coast.

Recently, I had to reef single handed. On June 18th, in rough water and 20+ knots of wind and stronger gusts, I tacked, back-winded the genoa, released the mainsheet and used the tiller clutch to push and hold the bow upwind. I adjusted the tiller until the boat the least bouncy in the rough water. Then I reefed at my leisure.

That's called heaving-to in my book. I have a bum knee and I was single handing the boat. Being hove-to quieted the boat and allowed me to move safely around the boat to put in a reef.

With the luff system on my boat, I can reef on any point of sail as long as the mainsail isn't hitting the spreaders and shrouds, from about a broad reach to close hauled. If I have crew, I typically steer at what ever angle to the wind is the reasonable relative to waves, ease the main out, and put the reef in. My boat is rigged with double line reefing. I never tie the intermediate reef points (aka nettles) in.

Judy B
Sailmaker

 

[capta]

A tri hasn't got much similarity to a mono in that sort of situation. I sailed a Searunner 37 from Samoa, across the Indian Ocean, up the Red Sea, thru the Med and across the Atlantic and I've also done numerous TransAts on monos, so I'm talking from experience, not just dumping on multihulls.

 

[garymalmgren]

The only problem we ran into both when putting the reef in and shaking it out is the Genoa backfilled

If you have a roller furler, I would suggest reducing headsail size first.
This should make heaving to a little easier.
Have a fun day practicing the moves suggested here so in a critical situation you will know what works for your boat and what doesn't.

gary

 

[Hunter216]

Heaving-to is usually done with a combination of jib and main. How would you reef if the main is in use?

Well the few times I did it it worked out, didn’t really analyze how but here goes.

It wasn’t very windy as I tend to reef early so that might be a factor. I was already in a heave to position and I don’t sail very big boats so from start to finish it didn’t take very long to put the reef in so maybe that’s another reason. After I had the reef in the boat settled again but likely in a slightly different orientation to the wind.

I understand your point that not having the main powered would eventually cause the boat to “fall out” of the heave to (or is it hove to ?)state, maybe I just lucked out when I did it and assumed it always worked.

 

[ontherocks83]

The only problem we ran into both when putting the reef in and shaking it out is the Genoa backfilled

If you have a roller furler, I would suggest reducing headsail size first.
This should make heaving to a little easier.
Have a fun day practicing the moves suggested here so in a critical situation you will know what works for your boat and what doesn't.

gary

We already had the head sail reduced to about 50%, but I'm going to try heaving to next time and then if that doesn't work, I'll try furling the head sail in all the way, all though I am hoping heaving to works the best.

 

[Davidasailor26]

I’ll add another vote for just coming up enough that the jib is still filled, and dumping the mainsheet so the main luffs. It should be possible to luff the main enough to reef it without being in irons, or luffing or backing the jib.