I am looking at 29.5 Hunter to purchase. what is the difficulty of reefing the main under sail single handing?
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29.5 reefing
Scott, it depends-does she have lazy jacks, or a dutchman? what about an autopilot? Our 29.5 was equippied with an autopilot and a dutchman and was fairly easy to reef single handed;ease pressure on main, set pilot, go forward, lower main to reef point ( slab reefing), hook luff grommet on rams horn at gooseneck,tighten reef line, tighten halyard, sail! BTW, a great sailing boat!
Scott, it depends-does she have lazy jacks, or a dutchman? what about an autopilot? Our 29.5 was equippied with an autopilot and a dutchman and was fairly easy to reef single handed;ease pressure on main, set pilot, go forward, lower main to reef point ( slab reefing), hook luff grommet on rams horn at gooseneck,tighten reef line, tighten halyard, sail! BTW, a great sailing boat!
love to reef.
Have a 1994 H29.5. We have lazy jacks, no pilot. full batten, roached main. Two reef points, two reefing lines preset. It is a little harder, but I heave two, let the boat settle, about 5 minutes, jib is locked back winded, main is let out, rudder hard starbord, need to wheel lock or secure with bungie short handed. Starbord tack. Run the main halyard around a winch. Lower main to reef point from cockpit, clamp. Go hook on the horn. Raise main only a few inches really, clamp. Reef line tightned on winch. gently secure loose main material. Go back to sailing. Process takes about 10-12 minutes including letting the boat settle. Heave two is a very secure position. The boat does quite well. cam locks come in handy! BTW love the boat!!! good luck!
Have a 1994 H29.5. We have lazy jacks, no pilot. full batten, roached main. Two reef points, two reefing lines preset. It is a little harder, but I heave two, let the boat settle, about 5 minutes, jib is locked back winded, main is let out, rudder hard starbord, need to wheel lock or secure with bungie short handed. Starbord tack. Run the main halyard around a winch. Lower main to reef point from cockpit, clamp. Go hook on the horn. Raise main only a few inches really, clamp. Reef line tightned on winch. gently secure loose main material. Go back to sailing. Process takes about 10-12 minutes including letting the boat settle. Heave two is a very secure position. The boat does quite well. cam locks come in handy! BTW love the boat!!! good luck!
Lowering Halyard Trick for Reefing
It wasn't mentioned, but a trick that makes reefing easier is, with the main reefed, put a mark of some kind on the halyard. The next time you go to reef you know exactly how far to lower the halyard to reef or to hook the new tack on the ram horn.
It wasn't mentioned, but a trick that makes reefing easier is, with the main reefed, put a mark of some kind on the halyard. The next time you go to reef you know exactly how far to lower the halyard to reef or to hook the new tack on the ram horn.
My favorite!
I did this just two days ago, in fact. A clarification though: place this mark where the halyard needs to be when the main is first dropped in order to get the cringle on the ram's hook, not where the halyard is after you harden it up again. Otherwise, you won't get it on the hook. I also marked my dock lines (which stay on the dock when I'm sailing). The marks are at the point where they first wrap my cleats so I get all the lengths right the first time.
I did this just two days ago, in fact. A clarification though: place this mark where the halyard needs to be when the main is first dropped in order to get the cringle on the ram's hook, not where the halyard is after you harden it up again. Otherwise, you won't get it on the hook. I also marked my dock lines (which stay on the dock when I'm sailing). The marks are at the point where they first wrap my cleats so I get all the lengths right the first time.
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