Flattening the sail when reefing...

[sailingdog]

Sounds like a good rule, however, I still think that some accommodation for the stretch in the sail cloth should be made. Larger the sail, further back the block should be, within reason.

Originally Posted by Tartan34C

When I laid out the hardware for reefing on the boom I always set it up so that the aft face of the turning block for the reef outhaul was on a 45 degree angle to the cringle when it was at the boom. If possible I would mount the block on a track so it could be adjusted but if it was to be fixed I used the 45 degree rule.
All the best,
Robert Gainer

[tenuki]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Sounds like a good rule, however, I still think that some accommodation for the stretch in the sail cloth should be made. Larger the sail, further back the block should be, within reason.

that is why i suggested that the reefing line point to the middle of the main luff, this rule works for all occasions sizes, etc.

[Yugi]

Hey don't forget to adjust the boom topping lift if need be. If your main sheet is in all the way but your leachline still bellys out you need to lower it.
Boom and top batten should be parrallel.

[sailingfool]

The rule is - you can't have the sheave too far aft, but you can have it too far forward. The justification for this statement is apparent in looking at the sheave set up on new booms, the sheaves are located in the endcap of the boom. On my boom, the sheaves for reef 1, reef 2 and reef 3 and all at the end of the boom.

It would be worth reading this tread Reefing, Spiral Lacing vs single line and how to tell what you've got? and in particular looking at the picture CAPTTB posted. Note the reefing sheaves are all in the end of the boom. If the sheave is aft enough and the end of the reefing line is correctly tied around the boom and back to itself, then tensioning the line will both stretch the foot aft and pull the leech down, until the cringle is on the boom and the foot is flat, or until you run out of power. There should be no need for additional lines. That thread has a post from me regarding how to tie the end of the reefing line, as the picture is a little hard to see.

[tenuki]

interesting, thanks!

[Jeff_H]

Frankly, if the reef clewline is tied properly it does not matter how far aft of the clew the turning block is placed as long as the line leaving the block is 45 degrees or flatter. The key here is that the line leaves the turning block and pass through the reef clew cringle and then return to the boom where it is tied off reasonably tightly to the boom. The idea is that the portion of the line that heads to the line around the boom holds the sail down close to the boom and the line coming from the block acts as an outhail pulling the sail aft. In combination they stretch out the foot and allow the vang and mainsheet to tighten the leech of the sail.

Jeff

[Giulietta]

T,,here ya go


Here is a stupid simple system that allows triming....with 2 lines



And another stupid simple system with one line...only requires you put a foot block at the mast!!

[Hartley18]

Alex, you forgot about the stupid simple one-line system that has a hook ("reefing horn") at the gooseneck, meaning no reefing lines at the luff at all...

[Giulietta]

Hartley, I did not forget.

These were drawngs I used once HERE, with the purpose of ilustrating Jeffe's post before mine.

[tenuki]

note to idiot literalists regarding Giulietta's drawing:

Please substitute a padeye on the boom in place of the blowline if your boat doesn't have a footless main.

Thank-you for listening, now back to your regular programming.