[Public-list] Reefing lines

[Dave Terrell]

I use a single line reefing system - two reefs - two lines. Very simple. no excess friction and no one on the cabin house - agile or otherwise. Works like charm.

Here is the route. The line starts at an eyestrap (or similar fitting) on one side of the boom, goes under the boom and up through the leech reef cringle on the sail, down the opposite side of sail  to a cheek block on the opposite side of the boom, along the boom to an angled cheek block(the angle makes for a fair lead and reduced friction) near the mast up to the luff reef cringle where it goes through a block held in place by a dogbone in the cringle, down to a turing block at the base of the mast ( this block has got to allow the luff reef cringle to be pulled down and forward), and from there back to the cockpit to a winch and line stopper. 

This may seem complex on paper, but in reality it is quite simple. This system has immensely simplified my reefing life.

>>> eddiediver at sbcglobal.net 10/09/05 12:09 PM >>>
Thank you Stargazer for that explaination. I understand it. When you mentioned READING a book about it, BINGO, thats why my bookshelves are so filled. I ought to have read one of them on the subject. Duh!

FINNUS505 at aol.com wrote:
In a message dated 10/8/2005 5:59:17 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
eddiediver at sbcglobal.net writes:


What I can't figure out is what to do with the 2 or 3 lower sail slides on 
the mast track. Now, we have two sets of heavy-duty reef rings, one each even 
with the rows of reef nettle lines on the sail. We lower the main to one of 
the reef tack rings, pass the ring over the hook on the gooseneck and then 
tighten the main halyard. To allow the sail slides to lower on the mast, we now 
need to go forward to pull out the sail slide holder pin in the mast track. 
The pin is about 2 feet above the gooseneck to allow the putting on and taking 
off of the sail. If we did not have the holder pin there, the mainsail 
slides would drop out of the track every time we normally lowered the mainsail.

What have others done? Ed. Schroeder




Hi Ed,

One solution to this problem is a jackline. This allows the sail to pull 
away from the mast and slides on the track, but still be attached to them.

A gromet is placed on the sail just above the luff cringle of the highest 
reef, either 2nd, or third, depending on what you have. A line is attached to 
this grommet, and this line will pass through fairleads attached to each sail 
slide below that point.

An additional grommet is put into the sail a few inches below the existing 
grommet for the luff track slides. Fairleads are seized to the now pairs of 
grommets at each sail slide site.

The jackline is reeved through all the fairleads at each sail slide site. 
The jackline goes through the top fairlead on the sail, then through the 
fairlead on the track slide, then through the bottom fairlead at each slide site, 
and so on until the line reaches the tack of the sail. It is made fast there, 
either to the tack shackle, or some other convenient spot there.

Hoist the sail and make the luff up to the tension you want for the current 
wind strength. Then, make the lower end of the jackline fast, pulling the sail 
to the mast at each track slide.

When you lower the sail to reef, the jackline relaxes, and allows the sail 
to pull away from the mast, without having to let the slides off the track.

For the second or third reef, you may have to release the jackline from the 
knot at the tack to give the higher slides more room to pull away from the 
mast. Even though this means a crew has to go forward, it is still a much more 
controled procedure than releasing the slides from the track.

If this description was incomprehensible, as it may well be, look in a 
sailmaking text for a diagram of this very useful device.

Hope this helps,
Lee

Stargazer #255
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