Yup, that works too - if you have crew or an autopilot to hold your course.
Reefing tips
- Thread starter ontherocks83
- Start date
You have a Catalina 30, right?
My old Catalina 27 tall rig would heave-to quietly with the #1 genoa clew anywhere from just a little in front of the mast to a foot or two past the mast. Then I'd play with the rudder angle and mainsheet to get her stable. try it and see if it works for you.
For heaving-to to reef or any other time you need to do something else. Single handing my Vega I could heave to, scamper up to the mast and reef or unreef in no time at all. Being able to Reef quickly and smoothly gives you so much more control over the boat and takes the apprehension away. Practice, practice, and practice some more so you can do it easily on an inky black night in the pouring rain.
Earlier in this thread, somebody recommended securing the reef clew to the boom before securing the reef tack at the gooseneck. I disagree, because you can tear your mainsail if you do things in that order.
As a sailmaker, I always teach my customers to secure the reef tack before tensioning the reef clew. If you tension the reef clew prior to the reef tack, you risk ripping the mainsail luff where the lowest slide attaches to the mainsail. Each luff slide is meant to carry only a few percent of the load because the luff is tensioned. When you tighten the reef clew and then reduce the tension on the luff, the horizontal load on the lowest slide above the tack increases tremendously; the mainsail may rip at the first slide.
This is a basic tenet amongst sailmakers and riggers. There’s absolutely no argument about the correct order of tensioning reef tack and clew in the rigging and sailmaking trades Every repair loft has fixed mainsails that were damaged by the owner’s failure to have the reef tack held in place before the reef clew was tensioned towards the aft end of the mast. That’s why all sailmakers agree.
here’s a link to a well written, informative excellent article about how to reef, from a sailmaker’s perspective. By Kami Richards of Pineappel Sails.
www.sailmaker.com
Judy B
Sailmaker
As a sailmaker, I always teach my customers to secure the reef tack before tensioning the reef clew. If you tension the reef clew prior to the reef tack, you risk ripping the mainsail luff where the lowest slide attaches to the mainsail. Each luff slide is meant to carry only a few percent of the load because the luff is tensioned. When you tighten the reef clew and then reduce the tension on the luff, the horizontal load on the lowest slide above the tack increases tremendously; the mainsail may rip at the first slide.
This is a basic tenet amongst sailmakers and riggers. There’s absolutely no argument about the correct order of tensioning reef tack and clew in the rigging and sailmaking trades Every repair loft has fixed mainsails that were damaged by the owner’s failure to have the reef tack held in place before the reef clew was tensioned towards the aft end of the mast. That’s why all sailmakers agree.
here’s a link to a well written, informative excellent article about how to reef, from a sailmaker’s perspective. By Kami Richards of Pineappel Sails.
reefing
manufacturer of custom and one design sails of the highest quality. Dealer for Musto Foul Weather Gear.
Judy B
Sailmaker
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Dr. Judy-
Thanks for posting the article on reefing. The statement about which hole to use in the headboard got my attention since I had never thought about it before. I just routinely use the front hole thinking the pull on the sail would be oriented more along the luff making it easier to alter luff tension and draft position. Can you explain reasons for using the aft hole vs forward hole?
One other thing about reefing- I was taught to thread a backup of webbing through the clew crinkle and around the boom to guard against a catastrophic leach to luff rip should there be a failure at the clew end. I don’t always do this but if it’s big breeze or I expect the reef to be in for awhile I do. Comments?
thanks again!
Thanks for posting the article on reefing. The statement about which hole to use in the headboard got my attention since I had never thought about it before. I just routinely use the front hole thinking the pull on the sail would be oriented more along the luff making it easier to alter luff tension and draft position. Can you explain reasons for using the aft hole vs forward hole?
One other thing about reefing- I was taught to thread a backup of webbing through the clew crinkle and around the boom to guard against a catastrophic leach to luff rip should there be a failure at the clew end. I don’t always do this but if it’s big breeze or I expect the reef to be in for awhile I do. Comments?
thanks again!
Dr Judy, that would be me that suggested that technique. I had never before heard the warning about tearing the sail until yesterday when I heard the same thing in a YouTube video. I can see your point about increased outward tension on the lowest sail slug. Not sure if that was actually happening when I used to reef this way. When I pulled in the clew, it was by hand with no winch so there was very little tension anywhere. The only load on it was the weight of the boom because I had the traveler freewheeling, mainsheet unstopped an running free, and vang all the way off. If I could not pull it up, I knew that something was tight. I wasn't pulling the clew down, I was pulling the boom up to the cringle.
The purpose for this was to eliminate the wild flogging that I experienced with the sail was lowered first and then the clew pulled in. I found that the weight of the boom to tension the leach would keep everything calm.
For me this is all academic because I now have single line reefing so reefing is now a non-event that takes less than a minute to complete.
Definitely heave to. You should be able to drop the main and reef with ease - single handed. I have both reef points marked on my halyard with permanent marker so I can drop the main to the mark and then tighten up on the reefing line(s). Although I have single line reefing and can reef without leaving the cockpit. I also have a full batten main and that sail won't flog.
Also: I almost always head downwind in a blow to roll up the jib. Get the jib in the shadow of the main and roll it up. I never put the jib furling line on a winch.
When the breeze is up. At least for me - always jib out last and in first. Up to 30 knots I'd rather sail with a double reefed main and no jib. After that, well, I don't do that.
Also: I almost always head downwind in a blow to roll up the jib. Get the jib in the shadow of the main and roll it up. I never put the jib furling line on a winch.
When the breeze is up. At least for me - always jib out last and in first. Up to 30 knots I'd rather sail with a double reefed main and no jib. After that, well, I don't do that
.
I previously dissed single line reefing believing it is nearly impossible to coordinate the tensioning of both clew and mast reefing cringle. And I still believe it is very much a challenge. But on a recent sailing delivery in the ocean the owner had a single line system and I have to admit it was nice to not have to leave the cockpit. The owner who is a boat jack of all trades had it tweaked perfectly.
I love mine. I can put in a reef in under 60 seconds from trim to trim. shaking it out again takes a bit longer but that is because I am getting old and weak.
On breezy race days I will pull in a reef for the upwind and then shake it out on the run. By having a crew carefully ease the reef line, while I grind the halyard winch I can rehoist the sail on a deep broad reach after the A-spinn is set. The reef is then put back in just before dousing the spinn for the next beat.
I can and do reef single handed. The main is slabbed reefed to the 2nd (highest ) point. The steps: I set my course as close to the wind as possible and employ Otto..I release the main halyard and pay it out until a pre-registered reference mark is at the mouth of the cam cleat that is then set. The reef line is pulled in until it needs self tailing help. The reefing line is drawn in until it's reference mark makes the mouth of it's cam cleat. The main is then re-tensioned. Takes about a minute. I'll leave the Genoa alone until I figure out if the main alone is enough. If not. The Genoa cars are moved forward and the furling begins.
The trick is to take as much friction out of the single line system as possible. That means lubing the blocks frequently and ditching what the boat manufacturer gave you and installing either low friction rings or small blocks on the sail reef points (preferably have a sail maker add these) and making sure your reefing lines are soft and smooth and not twisted. Otherwise it will drive you crazy.
