Reefing lines free around the boom?

[LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating]

My reefing lines are tied like in the first image, the only difference being that I run them through a pad eye on the bottom part of the boom. The second photo shows the pad eyes for reef 1&2, with the reef 1 line **not** going through the pad eye. I'm considering keeping it like that because I'm under the impression running the line through the pad eye may not make sense if my reef cringle is not perfectly aligned with it - - and that may be the case as I've just got a new sail.

Since pulling on my reef lines will pull the reef cringle down/aft I should be able to flatten the reefed sail just fine with the line free around the boom, right? Maybe those pad eyes were installed by a PO that didn't run the reefing lines along the boom? Or am I missing something?

Thanks in advance!

[Brioche]

You would be losing some mechanical advantage. Using the padeye gives a 2 to 1 purchase pulling the clew down and back. If you have a loose loop around the boom, then you are essentially just getting a 1 to 1 effort. Of course, with the older bolt rope style sails, it was not possible to loop around the boom and the padeyes would have been indispensable.

[LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating]

Originally Posted by Brioche

You would be losing some mechanical advantage. Using the padeye gives a 2 to 1 purchase pulling the clew down and back. If you have a loose loop around the boom, then you are essentially just getting a 1 to 1 effort. Of course, with the older bolt rope style sails, it was not possible to loop around the boom and the padeyes would have been indispensable.

I don't understand why the pad eye gives me a mechanical advantage. Isn't it just stopping the loop around the boom from sliding fwd/aft?

[Brioche]

If I understand the setup correctly, the loop around the boom would be able to slide fore and aft a bit, thus holding the clew down but not aft. Thus you would have a mechanical advantage pulling down, but it would act like a dog bone pulling the clew back. That is to say, when you pull on the reefing line, each inch you pull would slide the loop around the boom and the clew back one inch. If you tie the reefing line to the padeye aft of the clew, an inch of pull on the reefing line pulls the clew back half an inch, giving you an advantage. Of course, getting a good reef in also benefits from other things, such as raising the boom with the topping lift to take off pressure.

[RaymondR]

It's not a reduction of 2:1 to 1:1 as vectors are involved.

[glenn.225]

If the pad eye is aft of the reefing cringle, then I would use it as it will help flatten the sail.

[Brioche]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

It's not a reduction of 2:1 to 1:1 as vectors are involved.

That is true. The point is that you do get some advantage using a fixed point for the end of the reefing line.

[JPA Cate]

The pad eye may have been installed with the reef points of a different mainsail in mind, and may not be located correctly for his more recent sail. Our boom has a number of historical pad eyes, that were originally used for long bungees, to clamp over the main before putting the cover on, in place of sail ties. The fixed end of the reef line should be straight down from the clew to the boom, and fixing it to the boom. Ours are tied with a guitar string knot and they don't slide on the boom. The sheaves for all three reefs are way at the aft end of the boom, so that when you're reefing, the aft pull is quite noticeable.

At any rate, in our case, the boom gets pulled up by the mainsail itself, as the halyard is re-tensioned. Then we trim the sail for the conditions.

Ann

[psk125]

We haven't ever had padeyes for the reef lines, and have never needed them. Tying the line the proper way around the boom (as you have)provides the needed tension both down and outwards. Though it may look neater, running the line through a padeye would likely increase friction and chafing, making reefing harder, not easier. Having the lines tied loosely around the boom may even provide a self-adjusting outhaul factor. If the wind is blowing "really hard", it will push the loosely hanging reef line further out on the boom than if it is just blowing "hard". This will tend to pull the sail flatter in the stronger breeze.

[psk125]

Originally Posted by Brioche

That is true. The point is that you do get some advantage using a fixed point for the end of the reefing line.

Based on his description, it would appear that the OP is using the padeye as a fairlead, not as tack point for a line to be tied to with additional passes of the line through the reefing clew. The end of his reefing line is still a fixed point - it is tied around the bight of the reefing line at the top of the boom. If the end moved, the sail would not be drawn down to the boom.

[Don C L]

I have no padeyes and I have no problem with the reef line staying located beneath the clew cringle. A padeye might be a nice assurance the line will be located directly below the clew, but in my case id imagine one more thing to hit my head on. If the loop on the boom is forward, the sail won’t flatten as you probably already know.

[El Pinguino]

I secure my reefing lines to the boom using buntline hitches. These can be snugged up nice and tight to reduce 'creep' towards the mast.
Doesn't totally eliminate it so I run a length of small stuff (4mm?) from the end of the boom frd - clove hitching it around each reefing line in turn in such a way that they are an inch or so aft of where the cringle reaches the boom when reefed.

https://captnmike.files.wordpress.co...er-2.jpg?w=300

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I secure my reefing lines to the boom using buntline hitches.

This is what I do. Simple. I haven't noticed any movement once the reef lines are secured.

[Bowdrie]

I'm probably on the fringe with my old-fashioned set-up.
Where the padeye and a cheek block oppose each other on each side of the boom.
The reefing line(s) dead end thru the padeye with a figure 8 knot, thence up thru the sail grommet and down thru the cheek block to run along the boom to clutches and winch at the forward end of the boom.

[Jim Cate]

I secure my reefing lines to the boom using buntline hitches.

Ping, I did this once and it certainly secured the lines in place. But, when I needed to take them off for some reason later the hitches had seized to the point where I had to cut them. Is there a secret "untying" method that I'm missing?

Jim