IS THE PROBLEM THE SAILS OR THE SAILOR?

[beene]

Single line reefing (clew and tack on one line) don't work all that well in my opinion, but if that's all you got.

Ya, I still do it the old fashioned way, go up on deck and get it done.

G

[bastonjock]

ive seen a reefing kit by harken,has anyone used that?

as for the 15ft swell eric i was not surfing,it was pitch black and i was more interested in sinking quickly to avoid being smashed against the leg of the rig ,the worst bit was getting back out

[ronacarme]

If wind is 10 but forecast is for 25, I might go out (if at all) with reefed main and storm jib, on the theory that it is easier to shake out a reef and put up a bigger headsail if the forecast hi winds don't arrive, than to reef and change down headsail if it starts to blow hard. The risk of going out reefed with a small headsail is merely being underpowered for a while....but its good practice trying to sail an X, with its narrow, easily stalled CB and rudders, at low boat speed.

Also, I find going forward in rough weather best done using the 5 points in contact with the deck system....2 hands, 2 feet and 1 butt....not standing up. Even safer with a harness and short tether clipped to a strongly anchored jackline.

Also, know your limits, plan for the worst from Mother Nature, and stay alive. Being a senior by itself hopefully will not stop you. At 70, the 5 point system still works for me if I don't go out in conditions beyond my abilities. Good luck.....Ron

[delevi]

The Harken system looks nice but is a bit over-priced IMHO. Also, it is single line reefing. I made my own single line reef system and wasn't happy with it. The tack and clew just wouldn’t line up. The real problem was getting the clew all the way down. Just didn't happen. I then changed to two line reefing. Actually it's four lines since I have two reefs. This system works great. I can have the mainsail reefed from the cockpit in about a minute flat. I don't even stop. Just keep sailing under headsail with luffing main until the reefing is complete. The best headsail reef is the furler. The furler is your friend. I know many disagree but from a reefing standpoint, you just can't compare the quickness and ease of furling in some of the headsail versus going up on deck in hairy conditions to do a sail change. Having two reefs which can be quickly deployed is fantastic. I often take up the first reef when going upwind, even if it's blowing about 15 kts. The boat performs better and goes faster due to less heel. I can go back to full canvas in about 30 seconds when needed. I just can't say enough about the ability to control the amount of sail for the weather; quickly, safely, and without having to heave to. The caveat here is using the system requires some elbow grease and you must winch the halyard a bit at the end to get a good flat sail shape. Once that's done, you may need to give one more tug on the clew line, and off you go.

Fair Winds,
Leon

[bastonjock]

Hi Leon

did you post your two line reefing mod?

i want to be able to singlehand and your post makes a lot of sense,i was attracted to the harken system as i am a complete novice and it looked simple enough to fit

[Frank C]

Harken diagrams both single-line and two-line reefing models on their website.
I haven't seen Leon's latest config, but it's surely some approximation of this:

[bastonjock]

Hi Frank

you do have your uses thanks again for the link

[delevi]

Mine looks similar to what Frank just posted from Harken. I don't have pics yet, because I plan on one more modification. I currently use the horn cleats, one on port, one on starboard to secure the ends of the reef lines, but I don't like this setup. I have four PX clutches on order from PYacht.com, coming next week. After I install, I'll take some pics and post. Basically, I have my two clew lines on the starboard side. The two tack lines are on port side. The tack lines start on an eyestrap mounted to the side of the mast below the boom attachment (starboard side.) The line runs through the reef tack of the sail, ending up on the port side where it runs through a swivel block secured with shackle at the mast step (drilled holes in the steel plate adjacent to where the mast raising system attaches) The line then runs through another block attached to the front tip of the jib track, yet another block attached to the stanchion and aft to the cockpit where it will run through a PX clutch (currently to a horn cleat.) Same deal for the second tack line. I have quad swivel blocks at each point referenced for all my multiple lines. For the clews, the trick is proper block placement on the boom. You need to have both backwards pull and downward pull. Position a block (or two if you have two reefs) on the side of the boom exactly where the reef clew will come down. My line starts at a large horn cleat at the end of the boom, port side. The line runs through the reef clew, then through the block on the boom (starboard side) some distance forward, exactly where the clew will meet the boom. This pulls the clew both down and back to get a nice flat sail shape. The line then runs forward to a swivel block shackled to the mast, just below the boom, then down again to another block at the mast base and so on.. (just like on the other side with the tack) back to the cockpit. Viola! Two / Four line reefing system. I have the same arrangement with my outhaul control, led to the cockpit. This is a great mod, allowing for quick outhaul adjustments without having to reach for the boom. The line runs along the same path as the clew reefing. The one difference is that once on deck, it runs through a block & tackle system, creating a 4:1 purchase. This is doubled through the 2:1 purchase already created from the line going through the clew ring, thus an 8:1 outhaul which is fantastic for the loose-footed sail, and no need to change point of sail to bring the boom in, reach for it, risk going over, etc. Hope this wasn't too confusing. I'll have pics of the whole setup in a week or two.

Leon

[bastonjock]

Hi Leon

it sort of makes sense to a novice,once you have perfected it can you list the parts as well?

[delevi]

OK, I'll try.

[tlperrine]

I have used the BWY reefing kit. I installed it last year. It is certainly an improvement. But takes us about 5 minutes to reef. Not good enough for me. It seems to have too much friction and takes two to make it work. My next mod to fix that is to try to rig up a two line system. Should be easy to do and will get rid of excessive line. Friction removed as well. So will test it out next season....
Terry

[bscott]

The best way to secure the clew is to first make sure the tack is secure and then release the main sheet to take pressure off the boom so that the boom can raise up to meet the new reef clew. Once the clew is secure, harden up the main sheet and go for it.

[Bill Earnhardt]

What size & type line is used for this single line reefing?
I have an M26, thanks

[JonBill]

Rick,
I'm close to being a Senior Citizen myself. While surfing some of these old posts this morning I noticed a couple of good comments to you involved a "Hove-To" to be able to more easily reef the main but no one explained what that meant or how to do it. Here is a pretty good description for you. Hope it helps. It's very important to practice these sailing manuvers in calm conditions on a regular day so that you can then do them when required in heavier conditions or in an emergency. Please don't be afraid to ask if you don't understand something. I was fortunate to be taught (a few generations ago) how to sail by a guy who was a professor at a medical school at that time. There was no better instructor. He didn't have a boat at the time and wanted to go sailing frequently and I had a boat and needed more sailing instruction on the finer points. So it was a win-win situation. His wife looked pretty good in a bikini too.

Heaving to while sailing close hauled:
Heaving to while sailing close hauled is often employed by recreational sailors on small boats, as well as cruisers on larger boats. The skipper keeps the jib cleated but starts to tack. As the bow of the boat turns into the wind, the jib will be on the "wrong side" of the boat and be "back winded". As the boat stalls, the skipper pushes the tiller to leeward (or turns the wheel windward), and lashes it down. Some sailors prefer to ease the main sheet until the main sail stops luffing, while others prefer to bring the mainsail to mid-point on the traveler and cleat it there. You will want the main to luff in order to reef. The boat will tend to move forward a bit, while slipping leeward a bit. In many boats, the amount of slippage leeway is twice that of forward motion, so care must be taken to allow enough seaway.

Heaving to sailing off the wind:
When sailing on a beam reach, broad reach or run it is advantageous to heave-to without coming up to a close hauled point of sail and tacking over. Heaving to downwind can be accomplished by bearing away from the wind until the headsail is blanketed by the mainsail. When the headsail collapses onto the foredeck it can be hauled tight to the opposite side of the boat. Once the headsail is secure, the boat is slowly rounded up into the wind. As it rounds up the boat will stall and come to a stop in the heave to position. The advantages of this maneuver are twofold. First, it relieves the crew of the effort in getting to the close hauled point of sail before heaving to. Secondly, the boat remains on the same tack and does not have to tack back to continue on its course after being hove to.

Kind Regards,
JonBill

[delevi]

What size & type line is used for this single line reefing?
I have an M26, thanks

I use 1/4" line for the first reef and really high quality 3/16" line for the second reef. The 3/16" line has virtually no stretch and breaking strength of around 2500 lbs. I chose the thinner line because it rides high on the sail (when not reefed) and I didn't want a real thick line. If you install the system, this may be a good time to run your outhaul line to the cockpit, since it essentially follows the same path.

Leon