Second reef in maisail

Piotr

.
Dec 6, 2010
848
MacGregor 25 Rock Hall, MD
So during last sail of the season we've got hit with a 25 kts gust followed by a small craft advisory warning. That was the moment when I realized why I needed the second reef point on my main. The sailmaker who (incidentally) made my main sail (it wasn't mine at that time) quoted $250. I think it's a bit steep, plus I think I can do it myself. However, I'm looking for some advice regarding :

  1. the grommets (size and make + material;
  2. how to strenghten the points
  3. what threade to use
  4. how to lay out the reef line
  5. what tools to use
Any help will be appreciated
 
Last edited:
Nov 23, 2011
2,023
MacGregor 26D London Ontario Canada
I bet sailright.com has a kit.
I made my own reef on the sail I made for my Siren. I went all out and got grommets and grommet kit form WalMart and used pieces of the old sail I cut up to make the sail. I used polyester thread and a 35 year old Singer Stylist machine.
It will take you about 2 hours if you don't know how to use the sewing machine. 40 min if you do.
Watch the sailright videos on how to do it first.
 

Piotr

.
Dec 6, 2010
848
MacGregor 25 Rock Hall, MD
I bet sailright.com has a kit.
I made my own reef on the sail I made for my Siren. I went all out and got grommets and grommet kit form WalMart and used pieces of the old sail I cut up to make the sail. I used polyester thread and a 35 year old Singer Stylist machine.
It will take you about 2 hours if you don't know how to use the sewing machine. 40 min if you do.
Watch the sailright videos on how to do it first.
Thanks. which needle did you use? I bought a sewing machine just for that purpose (i.e. to work on sails), but the needles I was getting would snap any time I ytried working on canvass.
 

chp

.
Sep 13, 2010
418
Hunter 280 hamilton
You will need either 16 or preferably 18 needles. I've used these to do canvass work and they work fine. You have to make a lot of adjustments to the machine's tension to work with the thicker tread. I use a 1946 Singer that is all metal and punches through 4 layers of sunbrella. I will be finding out soon how well it works with sail cloth as I have some repairs to do this winter.
 
Nov 23, 2011
2,023
MacGregor 26D London Ontario Canada
Guys you have to wear safety glasses when sewing...
I do! I took a broken needle tip in the forehead and it stuck there! I'm glad it wasn't into my eye.
I use #18 for sewing my sails. #16 in a pinch but I find with the #16 the thread I use gets balled up. It's like the hole of the needle is sharper inside or the needle isn't big enough around to accommodate the thread going through the hole in the sail cloth.
I use a Singer Stylest sewing machine. It's pretty tough.
Tip: I use the double sided sticky tape stuff that Sail Right shows in there videos. I use stuff from the sewing shop near my house (Lens Mills). If you use it and sew through it you will want to have a little rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball to clean the sticky stuff of the needle occasionally.
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
.....Tip: I use the double sided sticky tape stuff that Sail Right shows in there videos. I use stuff from the sewing shop near my house (Lens Mills). If you use it and sew through it you will want to have a little rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball to clean the sticky stuff of the needle occasionally.
I used that for a while but really don't like it for the reason you mentioned and a few others that I have forgotten right now :redface:. I use the 'T' shaped pins and no tape anymore.

One of my best friends, the guy who owns the Studebaker we run at Bonneville, put an eye out last summer with a wire brush wheel in a grinder. I didn't think about the needle thing. Something to consider for sure,

Sumner

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Sep 3, 2012
195
Hunter 285 Grand Rivers Ky
Oh come on. You have two of them! ;)
Yes, most of us do. Kind of an "on line spare"... However, while my Mary has both one is not usable because of the radiation from cancer treatment. My point in saying this is not for sympathy. (because of this she is still with us and has no "sell by date") anyway over the last few years I have noticed how she struggles sometimes with just one eye. So I could appreciate just a little more I sometimes (in secret) have worn an eye patch. Whoa! It is seriously more difficult to do just about everything. So, thanks for the advice. I did not know sewing machines could do that. And, I'll admit I have used the wire wheel in the shop without safety glasses. But I won't any longer. Thanks for the post.
 

walt

.
Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
One time I was just visiting a sail loft where someone was sewing and the needle busted - shot accross the room.. Im starting to leave the safety glasses all over the place (along with reading glasses and tape measures both of which I cant seem to keep track of) but good to get reminded about using them.

(a little off topic, hope you got the info needed already in the thread)

I only have a single reef and in all the time I have been sailing this boat, have felt it was adequate. I have nice harken windward sheeting traveler on the boat (thanks to the PO) and vange/backstay that I think gives the main extra range which may be part of the reason I havent thought I needed a second reef. My sequence:

Main plus jib
Reefed main plus jib
reefed main only (with a good traveler) or sometime jib only

Part of the reason I also have only the single reefing is that its just a faster setup
 

Piotr

.
Dec 6, 2010
848
MacGregor 25 Rock Hall, MD
One time I was just visiting a sail loft where someone was sewing and the needle busted - shot accross the room.. Im starting to leave the safety glasses all over the place (along with reading glasses and tape measures both of which I cant seem to keep track of) but good to get reminded about using them.

(a little off topic, hope you got the info needed already in the thread)

I only have a single reef and in all the time I have been sailing this boat, have felt it was adequate. I have nice harken windward sheeting traveler on the boat (thanks to the PO) and vange/backstay that I think gives the main extra range which may be part of the reason I havent thought I needed a second reef. My sequence:

Main plus jib
Reefed main plus jib
reefed main only (with a good traveler) or sometime jib only

Part of the reason I also have only the single reefing is that its just a faster setup
That's what I did until I found myself under reefed main on a broad reach with 2.5 ft waves and winds gusting to 30 kts. I dropped the main, and then realized what a 2.5 ft chop does to Macgregor even equipped with a long shaft outboard. Needless to say I swore I will put a second set of reef points asap...