[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by saltypat

Thanks sailingdog-
I know the line comes out of the track at the aft end of the boom- then I think it would go through the reef cringle and then down again to the aft end of the boom..... but I see no special place to tie it off - our mast has solid hardware loops all along the bottom (fore and aft), such as you use to attach the traveler, etc. I was thinking of tieing the reefing line at the aft end to one of these with a bowline....

It doesn't go back to the aft end of the boom...but straight down to the boom. There is probably a padeye located straight below the reefing cringle, if you were to bring it down to the boom. That is where you should tie it off.

and then when it was time to reef I pull on the reefing line at the mast (after putting the foreward reefing cringle onto a "claw" fittng whihc is on the boat.

The "claw" is actually called a tack hook...and is meant for holding the reefing tack cringle.

The other track with a reefing line appears to come out at the mast but not aft- I think it is jammed up inside (I am going to look a little harder at it tomorrow). In a temporary worse case sceanrion I might cut most of it off and tie a messenger on it for futre consideration of the problem.
I am also going to take my camera over and take some pics of the reefing problems, etc.

Most booms have three or four sets of sheaves/lines going back in them. One is the outhaul for the mainsail. The others are usually for reefing lines. Generally, the center-most or one of the center ones is used for the outhaul, and the outermost ones are used for the reefing lines.

Thanks for keeping me pointed in the right direction! Saltypat

Glad to help.