Mainsail Reefing Techniques; Reefing by the numbers....

[Captain Smollett]

Ever since CharlieJ mentioned that he could reef in under a minute, I've been looking at my reefing technique for improvements.  Last time I reefed underway, it took about five minutes, but part of that was actually tying the bundle up (the sail was already set).

I have been using a simple technique that had one line going through the reefing clew around the boom, another, separate line to the boom end and back to the cleat on the boom, and a hook on a line for the tack.  I would first pull the clew to the boom and tie it off, then pull it back with the separate line.   This worked well to give a good shape to the reefed main, but took some time.

To improve this technique, I now use a single line: it ties to the reefing clew, loops under the boom, back through the clew, to the boom end and to the cleat.  It seems better; I shall see if it is quicker under way.

What other mainsail reefing techniques are used? How would you rate the technique you use?  Pros and Cons?

[Solace]

Greetings all.
As the weather grows colder and boats up here are returned to land for the season and the hard core among us start thinking of taking the rig down and erecting shrink wrapped domes, I intend on redoubling my attendance here. Our season is short enough - so I won't make excuses for being absent.

Today's question is one of simplest methods of reefing. I've seen a few different tactics when it comes to reefing and am now turning to you to ask - which methods you use. What have you tried and forsaken? Which rigs have you envied and maybe intend to rig on your boat.

Right now I have pretty simple system that involves a hook at the mast end that I hank the cringle to for the tack end. Another hook at the clew end (at the outhaul end) and simple ties to neaten the middle. A bit clumsy when its lumpy out (which is usually when I'm reefing).

I like the simplicity but am not in love with the system. Love to hear your input. Thank you in advance of your sage advices.

John
s/ Solace

[oded kishony]

Along the same question of reefing. I'd like to know if folks heave to when they need to reef, or do you simply go into irons? Seems to me that heaving to, with  the jib backwinded would make reefing easier and the boat less bouncy.

What do you say?

Oded Kishony

[Zen]

s/v Zen came with a dutchman setup. I am able to reef quickly. Lower the main tighten the reef lines in the cleats and raise the main. Done.

I'll have to run a test on reefing in irons or hove-to

[Zen]

The Ductman system on s/v zen is a jiffy reef setup. Two lines, 1 fore and 1 aft on main. Drop the main tighten the lines , raise the main, Badabig, badaboom. Simple and sweet. The draw back I found is the 1 reef point.

[Edit by Captain Smollett 2006/10/16: removed reference to duplicate threads after merge]

[CharlieJ]

We heave to if needed, but since there is almost always two of us on deck it's seldom needed. Should one be below asleep, the other would heave to.

I use a two line system. I've tried a one line setup and don't like it. It puts strain on the sail and fittings the I feel are un necessary. The two line system is just as fast and doesn't stress the sail.

I have a line that I tie around the boom through the luff reefing grommet. That sets the sail right at the gooseneck and still allows my sliding gooseneck to function. The leech reef line is deadended on the port side of the boom, run up through the reef grommet, back down on the starnboard side, through a turning block ( cheek block) and forward to a horn cleat just aft of the gooseneck, on the starboard side of the boom.

The second reef point is done the exact same way, but it's cleat is just aft of the first one.

I do not and will not lead lines aft to the cockpit. I firmly believe that puts you in danger when you DO have to go forward- and you will eventually, no matter what. If you aren't used to going up to handle sail you won't know the hand holds, or be comfortable up there.

If we are offshore and reefed, I tie in the nettles. If inshore ,like in the bay, I don't bother - just let the fold of sail hang.

We also have a reef point in our working jib, which takes it down to storm jib size. It works exactly like reefing the main. Luff reef grommet to tack, sheets up to leech grommet, roll up and tie the bunt. THAT I do tie when we reef the jib.

[Captain Smollett]

Along the same question of reefing. I'd like to know if folks heave to when they need to reef, or do you simply go into irons? Seems to me that heaving to, with  the jib backwinded would make reefing easier and the boat less bouncy.

I've tried reefing while in irons and while hove-to.  There is no way my boat will stay in irons without active helmsmanship so someone has to be on the helm during reefing if attempting to do so head to wind.  I once attempted this while singlehanding on a lee shore and it was not pleasant.

Now I prefer heaving-to.  The boat is much more stable and it does not require 'active' steering.

[Auspicious]

My standard procedure is for two up. On passage that means waking someone up. Singlehanding just spreads the work out and depends more heavily on the autopilot.

One person goes forward to the mast and flakes the main halyard and makes sure the reefing lines are not fouled. We ease the main halyard with sails trimmed to point of sail. I have webbing through the tack eyes with stainless rings on both sides. First and third reefs get hooked on a gooseneck-mounted reefing hook to port and second reef goes to starboard. The helmsperson feathers up once the ring is on the hook to allow the main halyard to be hauled back up. Feathering continues until the clew reefing line is hauled in tight.

Fumbling around with new crew or singlehanded it takes about 3 or 4 minutes. With practice, two people can go through the whole evolution in about a minute and a half.

It works for me on my 40.

[AdriftAtSea]

Currently, the Pretty Gee is setup with a reefing line for the clew, but uses a tack hook for the tack reefing cringle.  This winter I'm leading the main halyard, the topping lift, the spinnaker halyard, the outhaul and the two reefing lines back, and adding two reefing lines  for the tack cringles, to make a two-line reefing setup.  This should allow me to reef a bit faster than I can currently, which takes about five minutes single handed.

[Gus]

After dinner I started messing with a mast raising system. I saw it in a website, a 2x6, a keel winch, some hardware and a ratchet strap.
Worked like a champ! The mast is up in two minute with no effort whatsoever! I was having problems with side movement, I used a line as babystays, and it worked perfect! I'll get some pictures tomorrow after work.

Now, my boat has no jiffy reef, the sailbooklet that came with the boat suggest to use single line reef. I went ahead and got the hardware (two cleats and a cheek block) Should I do it or there's a better system to use?

Another thing, I got a couple of winches, old Catalina 22, Gibbs england, and I looked around but I could not find any information on the winches. Any input is appreciatted.

Gus

[AdriftAtSea]

I'd recommend going with double line reefing if you want to be able to reef from the cockpit, or using a tack hook and a line to reef and you're doing it from the mast.

This is based on my personal experience... I find that a double-line system is faster and you have more control over reefing the sail. 

You also might want to read this article on reefing, which has a good description of single-line vs. double-line. 

[Cmdr Pete]

What do you recommend for the reefing tie lines (nettles?)--the lines that gather up the bunt of the sail when the sail is reefed.

I don't have a loose footed sail, so the lines have to go under the boom. The sail could get torn if something goes wrong.

I've been using short pieces of line. Usually only need them when the sail is double reefed. The line has to pass through the small grommetts--maybe 1/4" wide

I've been thinking of using bungee cord, but its hard to get a knot to hold in bungee cord.

Please ignore the lack of wind in this photo

   

[CharlieJ]

we just use short pieces of 1/4 line as you do. Of course we have slides on the foot of the sail so ours go between sail and boom, but I used to reef a sail that had a bolt roped foot- just have to go round the boom and be careful

Like you, I seldom bother tying in the reef points when single reefed, unless we know we'll be reefed for quite some time, such as offshore. Or if we think it likely we'll be taking a second reef.

And we always hope we'll never have to use the third set ;D

[AdriftAtSea]

Solace-

One thing about your setup is that it doesn't really allow much in the way of tensioning the reefed sail, at least from what I read in your description. 

The Pretty Gee is rigged with two reef points and a line going up to the clew cringle for each reefing point.  To reef, I drop the mainsail and put the reef tack cringle on a tack hook at the gooseneck, and then tension the line.  At some point, I want to install a block at each of the cringles to get rid of some of the friction in the system. 

I am also considering setting up the mast and re-doing the running rigging to allow me to raise, lower and reef the mainsail from the cockpit.  I have most of the hardware I'd need to do it, but just haven't decided if I am going to do it yet or not. 

[Oldrig]

Solace,

As for the reefing nettles: I also use lengths of 1/4-inch line (3-stranded Dacron line). I leave them dangling, threaded through the grommets and secured with overhand knots on either side.

My catboat had a boltrope sail, and I just had to make sure that the nettles were long enough to tie around the boom. As long as I made sure that the lines holding the bunt weren't too tight, I was able to get a nice smooth sail. My current mainsail has sliders, so I run the nettles between the sliders. That way, I can make them tight around the bunt and still get a smooth surface.

As Dan says, it's the reefing tack and clew that have to be kept taut.

Since I singlehand in an area where the wind usually comes up like gangbusters in the late afternoon (you do, too, Dan), I keep my two reefing lines permanently rigged through the clew points. For the tacks, I use reefing hooks at the gooseneck. I've got two adjustable cheek blocks on the boom for that, and I keep them outboard of the point where the reefing clew would actually touch the boom. This creates an outhaul effect and helps tighten the sail.

The weak point of my current system is the topping lift: I have to remember to tighten it before starting to reef, and sometimes I forget to let it out after I've shaken out a reef. And the topping lift is cleated to the mast, where it can interfere with other lines.

I'm thinking of adopting a topping-lift setup that adjusts via a small vang-like setup at the end of the boom. SailCare sells such a system.

Back to your original point: If you're tying up the bunt around your boom, be sure to make the lines loose enough to slide forward and aft a bit, and you'll get a nice smooth sail surface.

Good luck.

--Joe

[CharlieJ]

The only problem I've ever had with topping lifts adusting at the boom end is- how do you reach them if the boom is other than close hauled and you need to reef? or adjust the lift someway?

Which is why mine has been kept at the mast. In fact ALL of my reefing is done at the mast, other than reefing the jib of course. When I'm sitting at the base of the mast, with my legs wrapped around it. every line I need is within reach. Tack lines, clew lines, halyard and topping lift. I can even carry the tail end of the main sheet with me and control that from there.

[Auspicious]

Before you spend too much money on fiddling with your topping lift, look at a solid vang. In honesty I don't know what they cost, since my boat came with one. The vang means I don't have to think about a topping lift ever. It makes reefing so much faster and easier and less prone to error.

[CapnK]

If you leave the jiffy reefing lines attached to the sail, how do you stow them when the sail is dropped?

There's a Hunter 34 that I recommissioned a couple weeks ago, and it has 2 sets of jiffy reefing lines that are led aft. They make a *big* tangle on deck when the sail is down, and I'm trying to find an efficient and easy way for the owner to stow them when not in use, where they won't be in the way or require any extra effort when hoisting the sail (if this is possible, which I am having a hard time imagining :D)...

[Ol' Coot]

Capt. K,

Leave the reefing lines alone when dropping the sail, ie; let them remain at the setting for a full hoisted main. 

After the sail is down and flaked on the boom, just pull all the slack from the reefing lines back on one side at the end of the boom.  Then make a quick coil of them and push it into one of the folds of the sail.  Once the sail cover is on, they won't go anywhere. 

Also no problem when re-hoisting the sail, as they are "pre-set" for the main to go up to its normal position.

Kevin

[AdriftAtSea]

And that avoids the problem you can have if you've coiled the reefing lines and forget to shake out the coils...