1990 Hunter 30, Isomat boom with internal reefing lines led to the mast, deck, and back to cockpit line clutches via a deck organizer located under the sprayhood. This is a single line reefing system, but one still has to go forward and hook a tack eye to a reefing horn at the gooseneck before tighting the halyard. Anybody figured out how to reconfigure this system, common in a lot of 80s and 90s mid-size Hunters, so that the reef can be dropped in without having to leave the cockpit?
Single Line Reefing From Cockpit
- Thread starter Dean Strong
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We don't.
We had the same situation with our 1984 H27 plus the fact that the sail stop would not let the sail fully go down. We installed a gate plate to prevent the slugs from getting out and we tried just holding the tack eye of the sail with the reefing line. We run our line under the horn, which will still take the downward strain, to a block on deck ; we tighten it from the cockpit and secure it to a dedicated cleat. It will hold the tack eye down just as the reefing horn does. Just tighten the luff with the halyard and continue on. I learned long time ago not to unnecesarilly abuse equipment so I will not tighten the luff as tight as if it were in the horn, but we get an adequate sail shape and has worked well for us in winds of 30+. I really never minded heaving to and going forward to reef the main but when it came time to shake the reef it became a bore to have to go forward again. Now we shake the reef on the fly.
We had the same situation with our 1984 H27 plus the fact that the sail stop would not let the sail fully go down. We installed a gate plate to prevent the slugs from getting out and we tried just holding the tack eye of the sail with the reefing line. We run our line under the horn, which will still take the downward strain, to a block on deck ; we tighten it from the cockpit and secure it to a dedicated cleat. It will hold the tack eye down just as the reefing horn does. Just tighten the luff with the halyard and continue on. I learned long time ago not to unnecesarilly abuse equipment so I will not tighten the luff as tight as if it were in the horn, but we get an adequate sail shape and has worked well for us in winds of 30+. I really never minded heaving to and going forward to reef the main but when it came time to shake the reef it became a bore to have to go forward again. Now we shake the reef on the fly.
Dean, I converted our H34 to a system like Bennys'
Pictures are on my web site with an explanation. Mine's a Kenyon rig. Go to pictures starting at #122.
Pictures are on my web site with an explanation. Mine's a Kenyon rig. Go to pictures starting at #122.
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