Always shake out reefs before putting away
Lay excess reef line under your sail ties after you flake. You should never have a problem resetting. My 1985 H31 (before modification) had pivot cam cleats below the gooseneck that lock the reef in place. If I didn't lay out the lines to the fully raised main position before putting to bed, these cleats could be drawn closed and activate next time I tried to raise the main. I believe that these pivot cam cleats are also stock on the 34's from 1984. To answer the question are both reef lines used. Yes. My 1985 Hunter 31 is pretty tender. The first reef, what I call my placebo reef, is really only effective between about 15 and 19 KNTS. I spend little time here. If things pick up or get gusty I proceed immediately to second reef. Is this the experiance with 34's?? BTW to facilitate single handed reefing the following modifications were done to Yesterdays Dream: 1. I have the 1st and 2nd reefs rigged through the "clew" grommets and back through the boom as normal. 2. Removed the pivot cam cleats at base of boom that would normally hold the clew reef lines, they just get in the way. (I did leave the center pivot cam cleat for the outhaul in place). 3. Have added "tack" reef lines to the 1st and 2nd tack earings near the sails luff. 4. New hardware was installed to secure the new reefed tack. I removed the "Rams Horn" at the gooseneck and added two heavy duty special ISOMAT "padeyes" to the mast just under, and lateral to, the gooseneck; on starboard, one port. The eyes are oriented so they are parallel to the deck. With the tack lines going through the padeyes the sails tack earings can be drawn down to the same position where they would be if the rams horns were used. 5. Lead all four lines (2 tack & 2 clew) to the cockpit (via new double stack deck organizers) to new rope clutches with tails accessable to cabin top winches. With the halyard and reef lines lead aft I can set or shake out a reef in the main without leaving the cockpit out of harm from a potentially out-of-control main and boom. To put in a reef: 1. Drop halyard to pre-defined mark for reef. 2. Tighten clew reef line 3. Tighten tack reef line 4. Retension halyard. 5. Go forward and set reef points on sail. To shake out: 1. Go forward and release any sail reef points. Return to cockpit. 2. Release rope clutch for tack and clew reef lines. 3. Raise sail with halyard, secure. 4. If needed go forward and gently shake out the last bit of the released reef lines if they are placing any tension on sail. Then return to cockpit close tack and clew reef lines. I really only have to go forward to tie in/release the reef points in the body of sail before/after the reefing is done. This is all done with the sails new tack and clew secured. 85 H 31, Yesterday's Dream
