Jiffy Reef System
I don't have a pic handy, and I couldn't find the web site that gave me the instructions, so I'll try to explain it as best I can. If you still don't understand, let me know, and I'll take pictures this weekend while I'm out on the lake. My 1976 O'Day came with a jiffy reefing system as standard equipment. I suspect yours did too. Look on the boom, if there are some "unexplained" cheek blocks, that's what they're there for. Working from the end of the boom, the single line jiffy reef system is connected like this, using a single long line: From the back of the boom, it's tied off. The line then goes up to the first grommet, the "hole" that's there to reef. Through the hole, then around the cheek block on the back of the boom that lines up so it's about even with the reef hole. Around that cheek block, the line then leads to a small snap shackle (mine was missing, so I added one) near the gooseneck where the boom connects to the mast. From there, the line goes up to the reef hole, and then back down the mast where the line ties off (if you want, you can use another snap shackle, and lead the line back to the cockpit). On a nice calm day, with little or no wind, loosen your main halyard so the main drops low enough to easily pull the line to reef the sail. Pull the line, and tie it off, the raise the main so the the sail is taught. Mark the halyard (I used electrical tape) against a fixed point (I used the main halyard cleat), then unreef and go sailing. Next time the wind picks up, go forward and untie the halyard, drop the main to the point where the halyard lines up your mark with your fixed point. Go aft, and you'll probably want to head windward. Pull the jiffy reef line tight, and it'll reef the main. And, as they said on the old TV commercials, it really really works. Hope this helps.
