Jiffy Reef Help Please

[michaelratinter]

My other boat is a Catalina 270 which I sail on Lake Tahoe, NV, USA. The boat is occasionally rented to qualified visitors. One of the renters tried to raise the mainsail without shaking out the jiffy reef. The reef line untied at the hook and disappeared inside the boom. There is a double block inside to connect the reefing line/reefing hook loop to the the reef outhaul/ downhaul at the clew end of the boom.

Has anyone disassembled a boom on a Catalina 270 to get to the internal tackle? Suggestions?

[savoir]

Remove the boom from the boat and take it to a place with stairs or use a ladder to gain height. Take the aft end of the boom up the stairs/ladder and shake everything out of the forward ( lower ) end. Re thread the blocks as appropriate. Once the blocks are right, pull the outer end of the reefing line along the outside of the boom to be sure it is clear and longer than the boom. Reverse the boom ends by taking the forward end up. Tie something small and heavy to the outer end of the reefing line and let it slide down the inside of the boom. Once it hits the ground pull the rest of the system through the inside of the boom and you are done.

This method does rely on the ends of the boom being open. Tell me if either end is closed and I will give you a plan B.

[michaelratinter]

Thanks. There are end caps that can be removed but are riveted. I just wondered if anyone knew of a better way. I'd rather not drill out rivets if I can find another way to pass the line through that internal block. I will take a closer look on Monday morning.

[savoir]

Pics of both boom ends would help. Plan B is still alive.

[CAELESTIS]

Hire a rigger and he will have it done in 15 min.

[michaelratinter]

Originally Posted by CAELESTIS

Hire a rigger and he will have it done in 15 min.

The rigger is coming Monday. Thanks!

[tinkrman69]

Ive had that problem on an other boat. the out haul was run inside the boom. I used a fish tape and ran it through the boom at the aft sheave and pulled the line back through. It takes a little flopping around at the other end and a small hook wire to grab the fish tape to pull it out through the foreword sheave. took about two hours to do the whole job....rolling out, splicing ends and rolling up the tools and materials.

hope this helps and saves you money.
Lance

[michaelratinter]

I was thinking fishtape also until I saw the rigging diagram that shows a double block inside the boom. Thanks!

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by michaelratinter

I was thinking fishtape also until I saw the rigging diagram that shows a double block inside the boom. Thanks!

On most Catalinas that double block is used for the outhaul, and not the reefing line(s). Good luck.

[twig]

I have a similar setup on my Capri 26 and just drill out the rivets and take the end caps off and it's a piece of cake. A rivet gun and rivets might cost you $15. Rigger to come out $100 minimum.

[michaelratinter]

Twig, thanks. I thought as much but it never hurts to ask. There might be a hidden access plate.

Stu, the 270 has two single-sheave blocks connected back to back. The block facing fwd threads the reef hook / reef line. The aft facing block threads the reef through a sheave to the leech reef grommet. There is a diagram in the manual. (Available on the Catalina 270 official site.):

[padken]

Did the rigger come, and if yes how did he solve the prob?
Padken

[michaelratinter]

Padken, rigger comeson Monday.