Time to Reef?

[Jim Hopper]

No choice but to reef

My Hunter 26 has to be reefed above 15 knots apparent or it will just head up without any serious weather helm. That or I have to luff the main severely. It's a dream at 10 knots. I've been told that this is a characteristic of the B&R rig. Do others have this experience?Took me 2 years before I accepted this since my previous boat, a Mac 26, would just lay over and not head up till the rudder came out of the water.

 

[BILL SIWIK]

REEFING

Going to windward, we start depowering by easing the traveller. At 17K apparent we put a single reef as the helm is over 6 degrees. ( we have determined this by a rudder template on the hard and by the turbulence off of the rudder)At 17K apparent we put in the first reef and pick up about .5 Kts. At 21-22K we put in the second reef and pick up another .5 knots. Above 22 knots apparent we start reducing head sail to the point where we can keep shape and easy motion and play the main traveller.

 

[Mike]

for Bawgy - how to reef

Read this link. Go to secion 4.1.11This is the Catalina 22 owner's manual, but it's the same for almost all sail boats. You can look at other boats in your area and talk to their owner's. I made some minor changes in the illustrated reefing method so that I can reef from the cockpit with only a single line.http://www.catalina22.org/manuals/mnl87/handbook.htm#4.1

 

[Night Sailor]

reef is a four letter word... flat.

I reef when it seems to be the most prudent thing to do for the conditions of weather, sea and crew. before I do however, I tighten the vang, tighten the leach line, and pull the traveler all to flatten the main. Move the foresail blocks back to spill wind in the top. IF that doesn't let me sail on the flat (15% heel orless) it's time to reef. When I do reef, I take the deepest reef on the main, douse the foresail and enjoy the ride up to 40 knots. More than that and it's time to go down wind for comfort or head for protected water.

 

[J Hunter]

all true, but not in real life

Reefing the main is necessary on my boat above about 22 knots when the heel and weather helm become unbearable for the amount of distance left in the trip. Just going straight to the diesel is what my wife usually votes for.Sailing on Long Island sound and all around the coast and islands of RI and Cape Cod in my youth I'd reef on a day or a passage that I'd rather have stayed at anchor but had to do. That's the only time I saw fellow sailors reefed as well, back then.It seems where I sail now, anytime it blows up over 18 knots the lake is empty of sailors. What few folks I see almost all have their mains deeply reefed and headsails furled down to storm jib size. If it goes up to 22+ from lighter weather, I usually just drop the main altogether and sail in on the jib (it's coming down anyway, why do it twice?).I am always rather surprised to see how many perfectly good mainsails are reefed down in winds between 10 and 18 knots where I sail. It just seems to me there are a lot of sailors on this usaually light and variable weather lake who may be reefing in weather that I think is ideal sailing weather, while I always have thought of reefing weather as the times I wish I was already tied up.

 

[bawgy]

Thanks Mike

I appreciate the responses to my sideline thread . They were helpful ! I will get the chance to try reefing this weekend as we are forecast for 82 and breezy here in NC .

 

[Larry]

I love to reef

My wife and I sail together and our main is quite large we have found that in winds 14K we set the first reef because in Colorado the gusts increese I have found that with my first reef I can out sail most boats on our lake. while other boats are healing and hanging on I am drinking (coffee) and quite relaxed, and my crew is happy and available. Our 29.5 (BOB) is doing the same speed and bobin along

 

[Michael Doran]

Happier for having discovered reefing!

O sail an O'Day 25 (CB model) on an inland lake that sometimes has variable and gusty wind conditions. My first year in the boat, when the boat was overpowered with a tendancy towards weather helm, I experimented with main flattening techniques (Cunningham, traveller, outhaul, downhaul) and also easing the mainsheet. This generally works for me up to a point. In stronger winds, when angle of heel is 20 deg or greater and having made the above adjustments, I will reef mainsail and headsail. If I know that these conditions exist, I now reef prior to leaving the dock. Since I almost always am single handling it is easier to reef in advance.I know that there is some kind of macho thing for some against reefing, but the boat only goes 6 knots. I would rather go that fast in comfort and safety rather than "on the edge." Reefed, I have outsailed other similar boats that were overheeling on many occasions.

 

[Dave]

Early

The first year I had the boat, I didn't reef at all. Dealt with the weather helm and heel and upset crew (wimps!) and felt like a man!! However, in my second year, I succumbed to the cries of my crew and, low and behold, I discoverd my boat performed much better upright and heeled way over. I have a center cockpit with a genoa bigger than the mail. At about 15 knots, we're putting one reef in the gennie, at a constant 18-20, we've got one in each sail, and after that we keep reefing. This briskest I've had the boat out was in 30 knot winds with three reef points in both gennie and main.So, reefing like this allows the boat to perform better, heel less, make my crew happy and I've dealt with the impact to my manhood ;DDaves/v Benediction

 

[John Vrolyk]

Change headsails first

I race a Moore 24 and by far the best way to reduce heel is through changing headsails. Going from the 130 to the 95 (1 to the 3) makes far more difference. Beyond the flattener, we never reef in races. Even when its blowing upwards of 35 and we're doing 20+ down waves the boat is still better without a reef.

 

[Slrman]

When to reef?

I have taught sailing for many years and wrote a book for beginning sailors. In it, I asked this very question, "When do we reef?" The answer? "The first time someone mentions it."BTW, free copies of the book, "So You Wanna Be A Sailor" are available as a Word file by emailing slrman@att.net

 

[Jim Oursler]

Reefing factors-weather helm and heel

Wind sufficient to induce around 15-25 degrees of heeling is the end result of waiting too long. When you find that the helm is not balanced, that is the time to take action. remember that when you have to fight the helm to keep from rounding up, you are actually using the rudder as a break... speed drops, and along comes a gust and you still round up.First... Flatten the main and drop it as far to leeward as practical. If this doesn't cure rounding up to weather... when you still find yourself fighting the helm to keep on a steady course, it is time to reef. I made the mistake several years ago of getting a new sail made with only one reef point, figuring that was all that was needed for inland lake sailing. Boy was I wrong. Took many a beating with that single reef. Later had the second reef point added, and sails like a charm. My present boat is a Hunter 34, but have had a long list of boats which in hind sight needed a second reef point.

 

[Jim Oursler]

Final thought on reefing

The feel of the helm is the true indicator. A slight bit of weather helm is desirable, where you are lightly pulling on the tiller as you sit on the high side to keep the boat from rounding up.I once broke a tiller due to too much weather helm.... really dumb. So take steps in this order... flatten the main, drop the traveler, tighten the boom vang, let out the main sheet, and if you are still fighting the helm, it is time to reef... regardless of angle of heel.

 

[jim Oursler]

Reefing tip for the novice

So you have reefed. You have established your new tack and clew on the main. What now to do with all the extra sail?Take those nice long mid-sail reef lines and loosely tie the bundle. Never tie them taught. That is not their purpose. It is not uncommon after reefing for the line holding the clew to stretch a few inches. If the mid sail lines are pulled taught, they will put pressure on the main, and rip it to shreds. This is just one of many lessons learned before I went to sailing school. Classes are definitely cheaper than repairing a ripped main.

 

[henkmeuzelaar]

Reefing and weather helm

Jim Oursler's 3-post monologue prompts a few observations (with apologies for the rude interruption )Although I agree with Jim that quite a few sailing vessels exhibit serious weather helm without timely reefing it is potentially confusing to assume that weather helm inevitably increases when the wind pipes up or even when the angle of heel increases. To start with the relationship between heeling and weather helm: this is largely a function of (wetted) hull shape and thus varies significantly between various hull designs. Nonetheless, at increasing angles of heel the center of effort moves laterally away from the center of lateral resistance. This tends to create a powerful tendency to round up into the wind, thereby indeed increasing weather helm. However, the use of water ballast or "rail meat", not to mention canting keels, can significantly reduce heel -- and thus heel-induced weather helm -- without the need for reefing.Higher wind speeds alone, without accompanying heel, only tend to cause serious weather helm if the sail plan is not well balanced (i.e. through poorly matched sails or unequal sail trim) or the rig is improperly designed or tuned (e.g. mast placed too far aft or raked excessively). Interestingly, a small amount of lee helm (despised by most helmsmen) can help make a sailing vessel more "gust proof" since the increasing lee helm tendency caused by the higher wind speed may be compensated by the increasing weather helm tendency caused by the accompanying heeling. This can be especially helpful for sailing vessels without strong autopilots or windvanes.Have fun!Flying Dutchman