Reefing, Spiral Lacing vs single line and how to tell what you've got?

[labatt]

Just keep in mind that each block introduces friction. With single line reefing, there's a lot of line to pull in and it goes a fair distance. It may be difficult to get good tension on the clew end of the line. On my boat, I have two line reefing. I've replaced the hook on the boom with a padeye on the mast. With a line, I go from the padeye to the reef tack cringle to a block at the base of the mast to the cockpit. To reef, I drop the main to the appropriate spot (pre-marked on the main halyard), tighten on the tack reefing line, tighten the main halyard and then tighten the leech reefing line. By having two lines I reduce friction and the amount of line that has to be pulled in. Either way you're good though... and if you run it back to the cockpit along with your halyard, you don't have to go forward to reef.

[sailingdog]

Lancer-

A two-line setup is actually better for sail shape. You can read about why that is the case here.

[mike dryver]

thank you all for clearing this up for me also, as we have only had our boat 3 yrs. and couldn't figure out how to set up the reef on it as i had never seen a clear illustration of it before. sorry not trying to steel thread, but couldn't help but put in my 2 cents of grat.

[sailingdog]

Glad to help Mike...

[sailingfool]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Labatt's suggestion of tying a bowline around the boom only will work if you have a loose footed main or one with slugs along the foot. If you have a main with a boltrope, you'll have to tie the rope to the padeye instead.

Any main should have slugs/eyes in the foot below the position of the reef cringles, if there is not other arrangement for terminating the reefing line, so that the reefing line can circle the boom and tie to itself. My main has a boltrope with such provision.

If you secure the reefing line to a padeye on the bottom of the boom, then the reefing line will not pull the reef clew to the boom, but to one SIDE of the boom. At the very least the foot of the sail wont set right, given all the force on the line, it could have other undesired results.

The way I lead the reefing line from the end of the boom is:
- through the reef clew, starboard to port
- down the port side of the main
- through the eye in the foot, above the boom, port to starboard
- under the boom and up the port side , where I secure its end in a bowline around the reefing line where it enters the eye.

When winched hard, this arrangement should permit the reef clew to be pulled all the way to the boom, touching the center of the boom.

If you look carefully at the diagram and text in CAPTTB's picture, this is how the reefing line is terminated.

[tenuki]

Here's another picture, my R24 is reefed this way, very common. I would recommend against single line reefing as you show, most sucessful ones I've seen have reduced the points of 'turning/friction' somehow.

You reef both points from the starboard side of mast in this setup and you can do it easily sitting or kneeling down. Takes maybe a minute once you've done it a few times. With hooks it's even faster.