[Public-List] Reefing line question

[David Terrell]

Gordon et al

I have no known problem with foot tension. The luff cringle ends up 
right on the boom. This is what I think makes the system work. The 
reefing line is all on the same side of the boom except when the reefing 
line goes under the boom on its way to the leech cringle. When the 
reefing line goes forward it comes to a cheek block placed on an angle. 
>From there the lines goes up to a block suspened from a dogbone on the 
luff cringle. Passing through that block the line leads down and forward 
to (in my case) a foot block and thence back to the cockpit via 
fairleads and a deck organizer.  A stand up block or a cheek block would 
do just as well.

Credit for this approach goes to Tom Bixby of Riggingonly.com. He 
suggested that the reefing line stay on one side of the boom and that it 
needs to lead both down and back to produce the tight foot we want. This 
is the opposite of Harken's approach which produces a  lot of friction 
when it runs the line through the cringle and then down to the deck.

Pictures are available on our site at Maintenance - Sails, Spars, and 
Rigging - Single line rigging.

Works like a charm - any wind speed. there is no friction problem. It 
does not matter if I heave to when reefing or run the boom out - 
releasing the tension on the reefling line is essential.

I hope this helps.

David, 432


On Sat, Jun 2, 2012 at 7:18 AM, Gordon Laco wrote:

> Good morning friends
>
> It was getting tension across the foot that I thought was difficult.
> I'd be interested in reading how your single line reefing works.
> Cheers. Gord #426
>
> On 2012-06-02, at 2:08 AM, Glennb <brooks.glenn at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> Thanks Michael,  Be interesting to hear Dave's comments.  Iam real 
>> interested to know if the one line method is harder to pull down the 
>> tack than two lines, or if one end of the sail is not as well 
>> controlled as the other, etc.  Gordon reported a different 
>> experience, in not being able to tighten the tack sufficiently inhis 
>> folkboat, so went back to separate clew and tack lones.  it is 
>> intriguing to consider doing away with the extra downhauls.
>>
>> I like your comments about going with oversize line etc, and will 
>> probably go with 1/2" line for ease of grasping during a blow.  I 
>> hate line to small to hold on to, particularly when one really needs 
>> to make something happen in the middle of the night.
>>
>> Iam getting ready to head down to San Francisco in 10 days to check 
>> in for the single handed transpac end of June so hope to figure it 
>> out before I leave Puget Sound.  Time is short and too many projects 
>> to finish!! Might be one of those things I experiment with enroute.
>>
>> cheers, and thanks again!
>>
>> Glenn
>> Dolce 318
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> On Jun 1, 2012, at 11:30 AM, crufone at comcast.net wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Glenn,
>>> David Terrell, #432 has single line mainsail reefing on his boat. 
>>> Perhaps he might chime in and comment. When I have sailed with him 
>>> the system seems to work well. David has his entire boat set up for 
>>> single-handing. I believe that David thought the single line system 
>>> would work more efficiently than a double line system, especially 
>>> sailing short handed.
>>> One aspect which I have observed is that the more one uses the 
>>> reefing system, whichever type is installed, the better one becomes 
>>> at deploying it whether it be single or double line. In other words 
>>> if you have learned very well which part of the line to trim when 
>>> and when and where to provide slack the entire process goes much 
>>> better.
>>> Some other things I noticed about David's set-up. He didn't install 
>>> the reefing system as an afterthought and use some old used blocks 
>>> and line that were laying around in his box of spare parts.
>>> Select low friction free-wheeling blocks and use a line size and 
>>> blocks at least one size larger that you think you might need. This 
>>> makes reefing and line handling much, much easier.
>>> Others have mentioned this before .......................but the 
>>> time to reef is when you first get that itty-bitty nagging notion 
>>> way back in the crevices of your brain that hummmmm perhaps it is 
>>> time to start thinking about reefing the main. After the Gale 
>>> strikes you any type of system is a nightmare and dangerous to 
>>> deploy.
>>> Michael #133
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> From: "Glennb" <brooks.glenn at comcast.net> To: "Alberg 30 Public List 
>>> -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> Sent: Friday, June 
>>> 1, 2012 12:12:39 PM Subject: [Public-List] Reefing line question
>>>
>>> has anyone tried running a single jiffy  reefing line that takes in 
>>> the clew then runs forward through turning blocks to the tack 
>>> cringle of the mainsail at the gooseneck, then down to the deck and 
>>> aft to the cockpit?
>>> I saw this set up on a smallish mast display at a local marine store 
>>> the other day. perhaps it was for dingy sailing.    it looks like it 
>>> would eliminate three sets of tack lines and cleats, which is cool, 
>>> as I have three reef points in the main.  BUt, I wonder if the 
>>> universal line idea will work with our longish 14' booms and large 
>>> sail area.
>>> don't want
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