Slug gate for mast

[Sumner]

I have a double line reefing system. The rear line goes through a turning block and into a clam cleat. I didn't want to bring it to the mast and then back to the cockpit - way too much line to tangle plus the mid-boom is basically "in the cockpit" anyway.

The front has a 3/8 line fixed to the mast at boom height, goes through the reef cringle then down the other side of the mast, through a pad eye at boom level, down to a turning block at mast bottom and then to a rope clutch.

Reefing is a simple matter of pulling the rear line until the reef cringle is at the boom and then clam cleating it. Then it's easing the main halyard while pulling in the front reefing line. When the front is all in, lock the clutch and then retension the halyard.

Whole operation takes about 60 seconds or less. With the slugs "bottom loaded" like I described there is no need to go to the mast for anything.

Chris

Thanks Chris, we have been thinking of going to a reefing system similar to that, so that helps. I still have one thing I'm not clear on...

..... I closed the slot on our 26S all the way down to the boom mount. There I drilled a hole large enough to "just" insert the slug "shotgun style". The hole is just through the outer "lips" and JUST above the boom mount............Chris

When the front of the sail is reefed by the line there does the sail come down and pile up the couple slugs right above your screw and the sail is pulled down and taut via the reef line through the cringle?

Are you using this on both reef points if you have two. Our new sail only has one reef point, which is about where the second reef was on the stock sails. Bob did that and Martin recommended it to us also and we agreed. In reality we reefed to the first point only a couple times and then usually ended up moving it to the second point anyway and most times just started at the second point. I think if we raced I'd want more options, but we don't.

I can also see this will be easier with a reef line, either single or double line like yours as the line by the mast will be through the one and only reef cringle.

Do you have any pictures of your reefing setup?

Thanks for the info,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

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[timebandit]

Sumner,
You need a reefing hook.

Looks like you are maybe right back to your first post above . Now I have a question......

The above picture is of our mast/boom. When we reef we need to get the cringle down to where it can hook onto hook at the goose-neck (arrow). We often wait too long to reef or the wind comes up very suddenly and I want to get the sail dropped as fast as possible to hook it there at the goose-neck. I can see maybe hammering the flare in a little further down, but I wouldn't want to close it to almost the bottom and make it slower to drop the slugs and get them out.

What am I missing here, why do you guys want to do this?

Do you just want to get the sail a little lower on the mast at night when you drop it for the day?

Chris you might only take the sails off and on a couple times of the year, but what do you do when you reef?

Thanks,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

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[Sumner]

Sumner,
You need a reefing hook.

Isn't that what is there now at the gooseneck? Actually I want to switch to single or double line reefing.

Sum

 

[timebandit]

A reefing hook just hooks the reefing gromet while the the original tack gromet is captured as normal.

You don't release the tack you just pull the reefing gromet down to a fixed hook and then tighten with the main halyard.

 

[timebandit]

I have one that looks like this but is rigged to a line that hooks to the reefing gromet then wraps once around the mast and is cleated the the bottom of the mast.

I lower the sail to a mark on the mast and cleat off the halyard then cleat off the reefing line then raise the main.

 

[Sumner]

A reefing hook just hooks the reefing gromet while the the original tack gromet is captured as normal.

You don't release the tack you just pull the reefing gromet down to a fixed hook and then tighten with the main halyard.

I got it, thanks,

Sum

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

Holtech is right, Sumner. With the flare open all the way, dropping the main to the preset point to reef has several slugs flopping loose even with the two-line system. mine has an eyebolt, I guess it would be called, instead of a hook and a cleat on the opposite side of the boom and I rig the sail with the line for the front reef line in place and enough slack for a full halyard raise. The rear, of course is standard with a small block and cleat aft of the cringle. While I can reach the front reef line while standing in the conpanionway and of course the rear reef line is near the tiller anyway, I must climb on the deck to release the stopper or bungee cord at the top of the flare before reefing. This makes it a full scale chinese fire drill since, despite my admonishons to the rigger, reef lines were led to the port side of the boom and my halyard clutch is on the starboard side. So.......
1) motor at a speed to keep boom amidships or point to keep boom more to port; 2) Climb up and release stopper, stow it, etc 3) climb back down & ease halyard 4) point now to bring boom to starboard
5) actually reef.
A bit too involved even under mild circumstances. I also observed that the last slug above the reef point ALWAYS pulls free of the boom at the flare :naughty:. I'd give up more of my lengthy seasonal setup/breakdown by making it a bit longer to insert slugs shotgun style and have a safer reefing procedure.....

 

[timebandit]

OK, OK!
I never understood the need for this item because of the way my boom is attached but now I see a need for youse guys.

So here is the slimply elegant solution, you can raise your sail hight, close you sail loading slot and open a new one below to insure that your slugs won't slither out of the slot and escape into the land of slitheredee.

You can google it and orded from Paul.

Mac 26D Sliding Gooseneck Conversion

Posted By: Jimmy Harrell, Beneteau 210, Mac26D, Lake Sinclair, GA <Send Email>
Date: 7/26/09 1:54p.m.
Report: outside forum guidelines

I bought a sliding gooseneck from Paul Osborne some time ago but just recently go around to removing the stationary attachment, closing the old slot and opening up a new one below where the boom will rest. Others have said that it is easy but I had my doubts and had trouble landing the first blow. In the pic below the new slot is at the lower right and the old closed up slot is in the upper left. Thought it turned out pretty good.

 

[timebandit]

contact info

> HELLO , if you are looking for a gooseneck I am still making them .
> Since the mailing list have broke up and gone in other directions it
> has been hard to keep up. Anyways, if you are interested in one
> please let me know .
> please use paul .
>
> paul
> --
> Paul Osborne
> University of Rochester
> Engineering & Technical Services
> Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
> 201 Hopeman Bldg River Campus
> Rochester, New York 14627
> 716@275@5226
> paul
>

 

[timebandit]

Email for Paul Osborne

paul@ecedotrochesterdotedu

All this info comes from 2006 so it may be moot but there was also a note in my resurch that mention that Joel of Idasailor might be able to get in touch with him.

So if some one finds out please post your results --good or bad.

 

[Chris & Lenore]

Sumner - just noticed your earlier question. I don't use a reefing hook with my setup. The front reefing line pulls the reef grommet right down to the boom. The slugs pile up above the screw I mentioned but the stack is not high enough to prevent the sail from coming right down to the boom. If I used the original slot or a slug stop it wouldn't work.

Chris

 

[Sumner]

Sumner - just noticed your earlier question. I don't use a reefing hook with my setup. The front reefing line pulls the reef grommet right down to the boom. The slugs pile up above the screw I mentioned but the stack is not high enough to prevent the sail from coming right down to the boom. If I used the original slot or a slug stop it wouldn't work.

Chris

Thanks, we will probably do the same,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links