Reefing with Sail Slugs

[Herb Geller]

When I try to reef my factory mail sail, Doyle, the build up of the height of the sail from the sail stop is too high to allow me to connect the reefing hook to the reefing gromet in the sail. Any suggestions or mods?

[Scott]

I drop all of the slugs below the Reef grommit out of the channel before I reef.



I dont think you can see the detail here but the bunched up stuff at the front is the loose luff and slides.



Gotta love that "bowstring tight set" NOT.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

This is why many who have had slugs installed also have the lower ones put on a jackline. When you reef, the jack line goes slack and allows the sail grommet to be pulled down to the hook while the slugs stay in the track above the sailstop.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/cgi-bin ... record=317

[Frank C]

Welcome Herb!

This comment is hopefully helpful ... the Search button (top of page) is particularly useful for your question. Feel free to post more questions here too, but you should read a few of the earlier threads first - focusing your discussion to your open issues.

Search on this string of words: sail slugs reefing
You must click "all terms" button, then click "Search"

P.S. You should find 33 other threads that are directly on your topic, with most recent at top. Can't promise that those eariler threads are correctly filed ... actually, it's notable that a first-timer correctly opens his question in the Perf & Tuning targeted forum! Most folks don't bother .... Welcome.

[Herb Geller]

I want to thank everyone for their comments and ideas. At least now I don't feel that I was crazy or incompetent about reefing. As an after thought I'm going to try out the following:

I have put a line through the reefing grommet and tied a knot in it so it will not pull through. Next I made a truckers hitch knot ("through the hole around the tree and back through the hole") that can hook on the reefing hook located on the mast.

Now, before I try this out has anyone attempted to do this or am I looking for trouble.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

If the slugs are spaced correctly you don't need a jack line; you don't have to remove any slugs before reefing.
Herb - Do a search on "slugs" by Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL

[Scott]

Bill I did that search and come up Bupkiss. If you can find it please post the link

I would be curious what the spacing from the boom up is as I also have to drop slugs to reef.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Bill I did that search and come up Bupkiss. If you can find it please post the link

Click on: "Search"
Keywords: "slugs"
Author: Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL
"Search"
"Search found 10 matches"

I would be curious what the spacing from the boom up is as I also have to drop slugs to reef.

18"

[Hamin' X]

Scott,

I had the same problem. Use "SAIL", not "SALE".

Rich

[Herb Geller]

Everyone,

I did a search on Google and found the following; it is from www.svwhale.com/reefing

The article is specific to MacGregors and there is a picture that accompanies the article that probably explains it better than the author's description. Basically, my idea of using lines through the reefing grommet appears, according to the author, to be acceptable.

"There are two basic ways of reefing.

The first way is roller reefing. This was used on Macgregors until he started making the 26. With roller reefing the sail is wrapped around the boom. With this setup the sail can be wrapped as many times as the captain wants to reduce the sail area to the desired area.

The second way is slab reefing. The sail must have reef points installed in it in order to reef. The reef that Macgregor installs in his sail is where most sailmakers install the second reef (50% reduction). It is nice to have the first reef point (25%reduction) because there are many times that all that is called for is a 25% reduction.

In my sail I have installed the first reef point.After using these two reef points for several years I think I have finally set them up correctly. I will try to explain how I set them up.At the clew I have set up permanent lines through the two reef points. Each of these lines attach to the boom on one side and the line goes up through the cringle and down the other side to a cheek block and then forward a couple of feet to a captive clam cleat. At the tack I have a line permanently tied to the tack ring in the sail. From there it goes up the starboard side of the sail and then between the mast and sail, through the first reef cringle and then down through an eye on the boom and to a cleat on the mast. There is a slug about half way to the first reef. There is a sail stop about 10 inches up from the boom. When this first reef is tied in the slug is not removed from the groove. This slug holds the sail by the mast up above the boom and forward. After the clew is tightened up the sail will stay above the boom and ties through the other grommets in the sail are unnecessary. If I want a second reef I first put in the first one and then put in the second one. The first reef line (that is cleated on the mast) on the mast is fed up the starboard side and between the mast and sail just under the second reef point. Then through the cringle and down to the cleat again. There are then two slugs sitting on the slug stop and again the luff of the sail is held up and forward. Again the sail will not drop below the boom. At the clew the second line is tightened and fastened in its clam cleat.

The dimensions on my sail are

Tack to slug stop 12
Tack to first slug 18
Tack to first reef 41
Tack to second slug 60
Tack to second reef 84

The purpose of running the reefing lines this way is to provide reef that is neat, looks organized and doesn'r require the removal of the lower slugs from the track. It also makes it unnecessary to tie lines through the small gromets in the sail. After you route the reefing line a few times it is as easy as any other way.

For a sail that only has the second reef point I think three slugs could be spaced below the reef point to accomplish the same thing."

[argonaut]

Good post Herb.
I used this webpage when I was working out a reefing system. There are many great mods here, and his pencil sketch of the reefing system parts helped me a lot. Mine only has the big reef though.
BTW, the URL didn't work for me, think it needs to be http://www.svwhale.com/reefing.shtml

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Just a note that the factory sail only comes with one large reef point. If you have a second intermediate one it was added by your dealer.

Those with just the big factory one and slugs will find it hard to reef without dropping out some slugs. I have this problem as my slugs are not on a jack line and they are spaced too close together to reef without dropping a few out. I know that it certainly is possible to set it up where it works as Bill says, but I question if this spaces the slugs so far apart that they aren't as effective at holding the sail to the mast. With a jack line you can have more slugs and not worry about the gap between the sail and the mast.

[DLT]

Duane, that occured to me too, as there is a rather significant gap. But, as long as the halyard is tight, the sail doesn't really bow out much more more than it does between the regularly spaced slugs...

For an explaination of the installation/spacing procedure see here.

[Zoran]

I can take a measurements of my slugs distance on the weekend but I know for a fact (since I did it last weekend) that I do not have to remove any slugs from the mast to reef. I actually used this ability to reef before going out if in doubt and than if the wind is OK I will un-reef before even rising the main.

Zoran

[delevi]

I always have to drop two to four slugs to reef, depending on which reef point I use. I don't have jack lines and they are all spaced correctly, but probably different from Bill's setup.

Leon