That sounds great Craig! I found a Jiffy Reefing Kit that is made by Harken for boats up to 27' (the magic number I guess)! It does exactly what you have described here and with the single line. It seemed to me that it would add a bit more friction to the system, but it sure beats crawling up forward in a blow! Here is the kit:
Two questions (maybe three actually ):
1.) How did you drill the holes through the splash guard, and have you noticed the cockpit getting wet because of it?
2.) Did you have to drill more holes through the guard to accommodate the main halyard, topping lift, deck organizer, etc...?
3.) How do you then reef in the second or third reef points after the first one has been tucked? Do you have to do those by hand? I have two reef points and was confused about how I would reef in the second with a system like this?
Any pictures of your set-up Craig?
Thanks so much for the great description. I will more than likely do this. This was exactly what I was looking for.
Cheers!
Chris & Kerin
V#1865
vegatern vegatern@... wrote: I know there are a lot of ways to do this but here's one. On the
Tern the reefing line starts at the outhaul with a bowline around the
boom, up to the first reef cringle in the leech, down to the boom to a
cheek block, (set a bit astern of the leech cringle, so the foot
tightens) down the boom through a couple of eye straps ( to control
slack) to another cheek block on the boom at the goose neck, up and
through the first reef cringle in the luff, down to a swivel block at
the mast step bail, through a deck organizer on the coach roof, back
through a hole drilled in the splash guard at the dodger and finishes
in a rope clutch. Three reefs on alternate sides of the boom.
When I bought the boat the line went to a block suspended from the
luff cringle but I had problems keeping the cringle parallel with the
mast. By passing through the cringle the pull seems more natural for
the sail, but there is more friction when pulling in the reef and the
line needs to be "helped" along a bit.
The halyard, which also comes back to the cockpit through the deck
organizer, passes through a rope clutch, to a winch on the coach roof
at the companionway. A few inches behind the winch I installed a cam
cleat. After I was satisfied with the set up I marked the halyard
where the taut halyard fit in the cam cleat when reefed.
To pull in a reef just set up the topping lift (also to the cockpit),
put the halyard's mark in the cam cleat, luff up and let go the
halyard rope clutch. The sail drops to the predetermined mark. Pull in
the slack in the reef line through it's clutch and cinch it down.
Adjust the main halyard a bit and fall off. The slack in the other
reef lines needs to be collected now. I don't tie in the points
(though I might if I had all three reefs in, never have) but I
sometimes put a sail tie through the cringle in the leech for backup.
The sail was made with reinforced slits at the foot (just above the
bolt rope) where the other two reef lines pass around the boom below
their respective leech cringles but some other way to attach the line
could be worked out. This beats crawling out to the mast, is quick,
and since I prefer to sail generally upright, I don't hesitate to reef.
Craig Tern #1519
