Adding a 3rd reef

[B4A]

Hi all,

I've crossed the South Atlantic from Cape Town to Rio in Brazil, then from Rio to the Caribbean without a 3rd reef. And even when sailing up the coast of Brazil on the tail of cold fronts, I've never felt the need of a 3rd reef.

However, next year we want to cross the North Atlantic to the Med, and we're thinking about adding a 3rd reef. Weather in the Med is more unpredictable, with mistral and meltemi strong winds.

Just to have some maneuverability and been able to get out of a lee shore. My boat moves so much better under sails then under engine.

For safety reasons only, something that you get hoping to never have to use it.

My dilemma is where should I put this reef.

Here is my main sail and in the picture where we're thinking to put the 3rd reef. Any feedback?

[psk125]

You're getting into territory that makes it hard for the sail to overcome the windage from your hull and rig, no? If you go much further you could start using your stack pack as a reefed sail. With your third reef example it doesn't look like your center of effort will change much, with that sail shape, so that is good. What does your sailmaker say? What has your experience been in heavy-weather conditions?

[B4A]

Ullman says:

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Typically the 3rd reef point on a factory 3 reef sail is; Luff: 6.624m Leech: 6.56m.

Keep in mind that your sail was designed with 2 reefs, this means that your reef #1 and reef #2 are not in the same place as reef #1 and #2 on sail that was designed with 3 reefs. (Although fairly close)
********

This is pretty close to where I marked the reef on the drawing and where the sail is in the picture.

[Marathon1150]

We chose to not have a storm tri-sail and had a fully battened main sail built with 3 reefs - the last very deep. As noted by the previous post, retrofitting a third reef point into an existing 2 reef point sail may require some careful adjustments of distances between reef points.

We sailed at least 50% of the time required for the distance between Neah Bay on the northern coast of Washington State to just north of San Francisco, with just the main (i.e. no headsail) and the third reef. Wind speed ranged between 20 and 50 kts on the aft quarter for the 7 days that we were out. We were usually travelling at more than 5 kts for all of this time. I have never tried to sail upwind with just the main and the 3rd reef (that is, we have had some head sail out too).

The boat is 11.5m and the 2 photos show the reefed main.

[barnakiel]

I believe as you have it pictured is right. I would do it alike. And not smaller.



Mind you may be asked to move it a bit up or down as the sailmaker will have to avoid interference with the full batten.


As others noted - having a reef 3 that is too deep negates its use. So if you err, then make remaining SA a bit bigger rather than a bit too small. I believe this is twice valid given the amt of windage you have.



b.

[B4A]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I believe as you have it pictured is right. I would do it alike. And not smaller.



Mind you may be asked to move it a bit up or down as the sailmaker will have to avoid interference with the full batten.


As others noted - having a reef 3 that is too deep negates its use. So if you err, then make remaining SA a bit bigger rather than a bit too small. I believe this is twice valid given the amt of windage you have.



b.

Thanks B!

I agree that it's important to find a good balance.

[hlev00]

Check with your boat manufacturer too. Reefing a Cat is about reducing load. You want to be sure that the reefed sail area and winds you anticipate are within the design of the boat.

[caffel]

Let the sailmaker size the new reef. Or, better, make a plan for heaving to with storm trys'l or drogue instead.

[Paul Howard]

I had a Manta Catamaran and had a third reef put into the mainsail for doing high latitude sailing. I did use the third reef a few times: crossing from Morocco to the Canary Islands mid-December; crossing from the Beagle Channel, Chile, to the Falkland Islands mid-November (early spring); crossing Falkland Islands to Argentina.
Most of the time a second reef was OK. After that sail was worn out I did not get a third reef put into the next sail because I did not plan to do that heavy weather sailing again.