I am considering some modifications to the way the second clew reefing line is rigged on my boat. At first my plan was to use only one clew reefing line. I would run the line through the first reef clew cringle and run that line back to the cockpit. I figured when I needed the second reef I would untie the first clew reefing line and re-run it through the second reef cringle. Well it only took one time when I needed the second reef to realize that once conditions got bad enough to need a second reef that you don't want to be trying to re-run the reefing line through the clew cringles. So I have come up with another plan. I will run both the first and second clew reefing lines to the cockpit but I will only run the first clew reefing line through the line clutch. As of the way things are rigged now without adding further rigging, I only have a cleat for one clew reef line or the other. So when I need to put in the first reef, it will be a simple matter of tightening the first clew reef and cleating it in the clutch. When I need the second reef, the first clew reefing line will have to be fed out of the line clutch and then the second clew reef line will have to fed in and then snugged down to put in the reef. This system gives me the benefit of both clew reefing lines run to the cockpit but only taking up the space of one line in the clutch. The only draw back is the hassle of feeding one line out and then feeding the other line in, but this surely beats trying to re-run the first clew reefing line through the second clew reef cringle! Any advice? Is this a good/bad idea? Comments? Thanks for all your help.
- Status
Anthony, You didn't say what you do with the
tack. Are you using a system that pulls down the clew and tack with the same line? If so why not just cleat one line and clutch the other? If not, then do you leave the cockpit to hook the tack on the rams horn? I pull the first reef clew line down through the boom assembly and simply jam it tight in the pinch jaw at the gooseneck. I then hook the tack over the rams horn and tie the excess sail material. For the second reef I have mounted a cleat on the bottom of the boom below the clew. I loop the line from here through the clew and back down where I tie it off. Then hook the tack on the other ram horn. A lot of time on deck to do this but without the 1 line system I don,t know how to get away from doing the tack. If your system is not the 1 line then how do you do this? Thanks for the discussion on reefing. Anything learned about this skill helps. Ray S/V Speedy
tack. Are you using a system that pulls down the clew and tack with the same line? If so why not just cleat one line and clutch the other? If not, then do you leave the cockpit to hook the tack on the rams horn? I pull the first reef clew line down through the boom assembly and simply jam it tight in the pinch jaw at the gooseneck. I then hook the tack over the rams horn and tie the excess sail material. For the second reef I have mounted a cleat on the bottom of the boom below the clew. I loop the line from here through the clew and back down where I tie it off. Then hook the tack on the other ram horn. A lot of time on deck to do this but without the 1 line system I don,t know how to get away from doing the tack. If your system is not the 1 line then how do you do this? Thanks for the discussion on reefing. Anything learned about this skill helps. Ray S/V Speedy
To answer Ray's questions
Well previously I had to release the halyard and vang from the cockpit and then go up to the base of the mast to attach the tack to the goose neck hook and then go back to the cockpit to tighten up on the clew reef line and then tighten back up on the halyard. But after doing this a few times, I realized the loonyness of having the reefing lines run to the cockpit if the whole procedure can not be done from the cockpit. I guess my new policy is that either you can put in a reef from the base of the mast or you can put it in from the cockpit, but this having to go to the base of the mast and then back to the cockpit like I do now is nuts. I am considering several different setups. The first and easiest that I can do without any extra gear is a single line reef for both the first and second reefs. I am going to experiment with that a little but I think that I will not be satisfied. The second option is the two line reefing setup with the clew reefing line rigged as I described in my previous post i.e. there will be a line going through the tack cringles for both the first and second reefs ending in a cam cleat in the cockpit, and with one clew reefing line run through the clutch (with the winch read for use if needed). The last option which would require me to put one more cam cleat would allow all 4 reefing lines to be used without any added hassle. In my last post I was trying to get everyone's opinion if the second options was even worth pursuing.
Well previously I had to release the halyard and vang from the cockpit and then go up to the base of the mast to attach the tack to the goose neck hook and then go back to the cockpit to tighten up on the clew reef line and then tighten back up on the halyard. But after doing this a few times, I realized the loonyness of having the reefing lines run to the cockpit if the whole procedure can not be done from the cockpit. I guess my new policy is that either you can put in a reef from the base of the mast or you can put it in from the cockpit, but this having to go to the base of the mast and then back to the cockpit like I do now is nuts. I am considering several different setups. The first and easiest that I can do without any extra gear is a single line reef for both the first and second reefs. I am going to experiment with that a little but I think that I will not be satisfied. The second option is the two line reefing setup with the clew reefing line rigged as I described in my previous post i.e. there will be a line going through the tack cringles for both the first and second reefs ending in a cam cleat in the cockpit, and with one clew reefing line run through the clutch (with the winch read for use if needed). The last option which would require me to put one more cam cleat would allow all 4 reefing lines to be used without any added hassle. In my last post I was trying to get everyone's opinion if the second options was even worth pursuing.
Reefing
IMHO it is easier to do all this stuff at the mast, although I know many will disagree. Going back and forth is clearly crazy, although if two persons are involved, one can be at the mast, and one in the cockpit. Since I usually single-hand, this is not an option, and it seems to me that I usually have to do something up at the mast, anyway, on most boats, since the systems seldom work quite so freely as advertised. This includes the single line systems. I feel the key lies less in trying to do everything from the cockpit, than in getting the boat to settle down peacefully during the process. To do this, I usually heave to, and slack the mainsheet a bit so that the main is almost luffing. Then, it is a quick process, and easy. By the way, the classic sequence in reefing is to hoist the newly reefed sail BEFORE tightening the clew. It sounds counterintuitive to do this, but by tightening the clew first, you can put too much load on the leech of the sail while hoisting and setting up the halyard really HARD, with the result of ripping the leech. I know that not many people use, or even teach the correct sequence, and they seldom experience problems, but halyard FIRST is the way it is supposed to be, and the way it is taught in really thorough schools. Just a thought
IMHO it is easier to do all this stuff at the mast, although I know many will disagree. Going back and forth is clearly crazy, although if two persons are involved, one can be at the mast, and one in the cockpit. Since I usually single-hand, this is not an option, and it seems to me that I usually have to do something up at the mast, anyway, on most boats, since the systems seldom work quite so freely as advertised. This includes the single line systems. I feel the key lies less in trying to do everything from the cockpit, than in getting the boat to settle down peacefully during the process. To do this, I usually heave to, and slack the mainsheet a bit so that the main is almost luffing. Then, it is a quick process, and easy. By the way, the classic sequence in reefing is to hoist the newly reefed sail BEFORE tightening the clew. It sounds counterintuitive to do this, but by tightening the clew first, you can put too much load on the leech of the sail while hoisting and setting up the halyard really HARD, with the result of ripping the leech. I know that not many people use, or even teach the correct sequence, and they seldom experience problems, but halyard FIRST is the way it is supposed to be, and the way it is taught in really thorough schools. Just a thought
Also, once you have everything reefed...
...run a second, short line through the clew cringle and tie it down to the boom if you think you're going to be reefed for a while. Then ease the primary reefing line a bit. That way, the secondary line takes all the abuse, and if it wears or chafes the primary line is still holding the reef in. Replacing the secondary line is easy. However, if the primary line fails (and it can do so anywhere in the reefing system) the reef will blow out. Running a new reef line under those conditions could be very hard. Peter H23 "Raven"
...run a second, short line through the clew cringle and tie it down to the boom if you think you're going to be reefed for a while. Then ease the primary reefing line a bit. That way, the secondary line takes all the abuse, and if it wears or chafes the primary line is still holding the reef in. Replacing the secondary line is easy. However, if the primary line fails (and it can do so anywhere in the reefing system) the reef will blow out. Running a new reef line under those conditions could be very hard. Peter H23 "Raven"
Reefing
Thinking about the reefing sequence, when an unreefed main is raised the clew is already tightened (at least on my boat). How does reefing the main and then tightening the clew before raising the main increase the load on the leech of the sail more than the un-reefed sail?
Thinking about the reefing sequence, when an unreefed main is raised the clew is already tightened (at least on my boat). How does reefing the main and then tightening the clew before raising the main increase the load on the leech of the sail more than the un-reefed sail?
Good question, Tony!
This is embarrasing! Tony, I taught sailing for years at various ASA facilities, and on numerous levels. Whenever we (the instructors) had training seminars with the instructor certifiers, or when we took tests for our instructor certifications, we were always (quite emphatically) reminded of this sequence. And yet, I can't remember any of us asking WHY the leech would be under a greater load when reefed! I am very red-faced about this, since I usually am the one that asks questions about the tiniest details...inquiring minds want to know! Sooooooo, reflecting upon your excellent observation, I can think of two possible reasons: Most importantly, most of the time the reefed clew is relatively higher up the leech than the reefed tack is up the luff. This helps keep the end of a reefed boom out of the water in heavy, rolly, conditions. So, the geometry is a bit different. Secondly, if the tack slips off the reefing hook, which does happen, the leech can really get stressed. Hmmmmm, let me think about this a bit more, or dig up one of the certifiers and ask. Maybe someone else can help. Goooood question!
This is embarrasing! Tony, I taught sailing for years at various ASA facilities, and on numerous levels. Whenever we (the instructors) had training seminars with the instructor certifiers, or when we took tests for our instructor certifications, we were always (quite emphatically) reminded of this sequence. And yet, I can't remember any of us asking WHY the leech would be under a greater load when reefed! I am very red-faced about this, since I usually am the one that asks questions about the tiniest details...inquiring minds want to know! Sooooooo, reflecting upon your excellent observation, I can think of two possible reasons: Most importantly, most of the time the reefed clew is relatively higher up the leech than the reefed tack is up the luff. This helps keep the end of a reefed boom out of the water in heavy, rolly, conditions. So, the geometry is a bit different. Secondly, if the tack slips off the reefing hook, which does happen, the leech can really get stressed. Hmmmmm, let me think about this a bit more, or dig up one of the certifiers and ask. Maybe someone else can help. Goooood question!
- Status