Reefing Setups: Lets Hear it !

[Velocir]

So we are getting close to the critical point in our boats refit where I am debating on what kind of reefing system to use. Albin Vega's came stock with a roller furling boom, but it the furled main has a shape like the bag of leaves sitting in my yard. So, slab reefing it is; 2 deep reefs. So I have narrowed it down to three systems:

1.) Single Line: Running back to the cockpit through a clutch to a cabin top winch. Friction isn't a huge issue since its a small boat. Also, forward cheeck block on the boom or mast?

2.) Ramshead: Clew reefing line running to the cockpit and the reef tack set directly into a ramshead/reefing hooks.

3.) Boom Gear: Leach reefing line cleats off on boom, tack cringle on ramshead.

So, other than the obvious things like about being on deck when reefing, anyone have good/bad experience with these things? Feel strongly about one way or another? Lets hear it, Discuss!

[daddle]

I go to the mast to reef with separate luff and leech lines. She's a big boat so it's a reasonable place to work. Plus I'm permanently in the tropics. I'm not sure a single line would work well with the differing tensions and friction. Plus the leech/outhaul lines tend to chafe at the kringle despite precautions so get shortened regularly.

On a smaller boat the single line to the cockpit will be sweet if it works.

I don't tend to use the ramsheads. The present main's luff kringles are tough to hook on and can fall off easily while rehoisting the halyard.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by daddle

On a smaller boat the single line to the cockpit will be sweet if it works.

Agreed. An Albin Vega 27 is the perfect size for single-line reefing.

[aquarian]

I rigged a single reefing line back to the cock pit using 2 blocks on the boom a third at the mast base and turned it back to the cockpit. The halyard runs paralell to the cockpit. The set up allows me to raise and/or reef the main without leaving the cockpit. It is similar to the pict below - not exact.

I have one reef point, and the line runs through the reefing eyes. There is some friction/drag involved, but I find it manageable without a winch - 24 foot boat. What can be a bit of a pain is un-reefing. When I uncleat the reef line and proceed to raise the main, it can drag and bind a bit. I like the system and had planned to add a second line to bind down the mid sail reefing points as well, but first want to work out the binding issue.

[beetle]

Originally Posted by Velocir

So, slab reefing it is; 2 deep reefs. So I have narrowed it down to three systems:

1.) Single Line: Running back to the cockpit through a clutch to a cabin top winch. Friction isn't a huge issue since its a small boat. Also, forward cheeck block on the boom or mast?

2.) Ramshead: Clew reefing line running to the cockpit and the reef tack set directly into a ramshead/reefing hooks.

3.) Boom Gear: Leach reefing line cleats off on boom, tack cringle on ramshead.

I'm sure this has been covered before.

Single line reefing where a single line tensions both the clew and tack will invariably tension one more than the other - this is usually not desireable from a sail shape perspective, with the advantage of only one line to make fast in some way when the reef is in. I don't like this approach due to sail shape issues.

The requirement that the tack reef ring be set onto a hook at the gooseneck requires three things to work - that you lower the halyard sufficiently to get the ring onto the hook, that you go to the gooseneck to put the ring on the hook, and that you tension the halyard back up before the ring falls off the hook. For a full-crew boat this is not an issue; for a shorthanded boat this is usually problematic.

Version no. 3 is a variant of no. 2 - same problem with the reef hook at the gooseneck.

The variant you do not mention is two-line slab reefing, with an independent line for the reef and clew at each reef point. This produces a lot of lines in the cockpit (or wherever you make them off to) and allows you to place the reef tack line adjacent to the main halyard winch, which makes it easy to lower the halyard to the correct height, take up tension on the tack line, and then pull the halyard back up tight. (You are planning to mark halyard and reef line points on the running rigging, no?)

Something to consider.

- rob/beetle

[roverhi]

I've gone with a double line reefing system. I used two cabin top winches each side. Stbd side for halyard along with the tack reefing lines. Port for clew reefing lines. Could have gotten by with one winch if I'd run the Halyard to the Port side as well and used a rope clutch. Works a treat on my Pearson 35. Can reef in under a minute from the safety of the cockpit.

[cal40john]

On option 2 if you're going to the mast anyway, why go to the cockpit to finish the job? If you're at the mast anyway, reduce friction, keep the deck cleaner and finish the job on the boom near the mast.

Worst case is if your topping lift is adusted at or near the mast. Go to deck, tighten lift, loosen halyard, attach luff cringle, tighten halyard, go to cockpit and tighten leech cringle, go to deck, adjust lift, go back to cockpit.

John

[Wand]

I've tried most permutations over time and have come back to the simplest. That means, no single line reefing - I guarantee it will foul at the worst moment and the extra friction, while minor at the dock, will be amplified at sea. It also means, no lines back to the cockpit - the extra gear, friction and miles of line are all sources of problems.

Go to the mast, ease the halyard and pull down the luff, drop the hook in the reef eye and retighten. No lines, no fuss. Then haul on the leech reef line and cleat it at the mast. Then back to the cockpit. It's the quickest, cleanest way. And it's safe at the mast - you've plenty to hold onto and you get a better view of the process than from the cockpit.

[Sandero]

I am back to two line reefing after one line internal boom reefing. I found that among other things when trying to tighten BOTH the tack and the clew, if one tightened first - as usually happened - it made it impossible for the reefing line to run so that the other would tighten. I think this is because the length of line running between the boom sheaves etc was different for the tack and the clew with the clew being longer. the tack would come down onto the boom while the clew end did not.

Two separate lines avoids this problem.

The reefing is done from the cockpit so this is not an issue.

I have three reef points and rig 1 and 2 for coastal and would switch to 2 and 3 for offshore.

[sailorboy1]

I have single line reefing on my Cal-39 (2 lines really with a block inside the boom). I find it easy to reef in and out and like being able to do it from the cockpit, both from not having to go forward but also because with my wife we can easily communicate during it.

Far as getting the tack and crew tightened perfectly; if the wind is blowing that hard that I reefed I'm not too concerned about losing some efficiency.

[nautical62]

I installed single line reefing on a 26-foot boat I had. I found there was too much friction and it was difficult to really get the clew down well. I ended up converting it to a two-line slab reefing system which worked much better for me.

(The boat originally had boom roller furling which really didn't work well at all.)

[beetle]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Far as getting the tack and crew tightened perfectly; if the wind is blowing that hard that I reefed I'm not too concerned about losing some efficiency.

I'd argue that the mainsail slab reef is about creating a flat mainsail shape, which is all about reducing power in the sail - I'm not sure I'd call that going for efficiency as much as reducing effeciency of the sail in order to shed power. A full, round mainsail shape is created if the clew is not sufficiently tensioned, and the full round shape generates a lot of power as compared to a flat shape.

Going upwind in heavier air you depower the main by pulling on the outhaul to flatten out the foot of the sail, among other things. The same is true as you reef, and the reef clew line has become the outhaul control. You want to pull the clew aft and down hard to flatten out the foot of the reefed mainsail - reducing power, reducing heel angle, and while still giving you point (if you want it).

What I see with most reefed mains is that while the sail area has been reduced, the sail is no longer flat, resulting in a small main with a lot of chord depth which in turn produces a lot of power and therefore heel angle - boats continue to sail on their ear and make more leeway than they need to.

And that's ultimately the problem with single line reefing - you tension the tack more than the clew, producing a baggy main. It's also the problem if the clew reef line is set at the incorrect position on the boom - the clew is not pulled aft far enough, producing a baggy main.

[cfarrar]

John and Phyliss of Morgans Cloud show their reefing technique (at the mast, with reefing pendants on boom-mounted winches) in this cool slide show called How to Reef While Sailing Downwind.

My current setup is a modification of your version #2: two deep reefs, halyard and leech lines to the cockpit, and ramshorns for the tacks; however, I also run reefing lines from the cockpit, through the tack points, to the ramshorns. This way I can reef without leaving the cockpit, if desired. I can go forward and slip the tack ring over the ramshorn if and when I feel like it.

[FrankZ]

On our previous boat a Coronado 25 I did a single line reef. It was nice not having to make that big step up onto the cabin top while the boat was moving excitedly. Friction was an issue until I put a Harken airblock block onto the reefing clew.

On our Bristol 35 I went with 2 line slab reefing, even though she has a roller boom.

Both seem to work well.

[aquarian]

Originally Posted by FrankZ

On our previous boat a Coronado 25 I did a single line reef. It was nice not having to make that big step up onto the cabin top while the boat was moving excitedly. Friction was an issue until I put a Harken airblock block onto the reefing clew.

On our Bristol 35 I went with 2 line slab reefing, even though she has a roller boom.

Both seem to work well.

Thanks. I have been looking to do the same to mine for the same reason. It's nice to know behoand that it will work.