what is slab reefing

[jbarros]

as opposed to ____ reefing?

my sail has 4 ties on it in a row, for a single reef point that works ok in no wind, but I''m not too sure how effectivley I could use it with the sail tugging and puffing and being generaly not fun, so I''m interested in finding out about other types of reefing systems. Thanks.

-- James

[tsenator]

jbarros,

Those "reef points" lines on your sail are not what you hank your mainsail in when reefing. They are only to neaten up the mainsail on the boom.

The only real stress''s when reefing should be on the clew (at the end of boom) and at the tack (near the goosneck - typically and simply tacked down with a reefing hook attached at the gooseneck)

Go through the archives -- many times its been explained on how to reef. Basically the easiest reefing system just has a reef hook and only a reef line for the clew:
1)Drop Main halyard to set level of first reef (People mark main halyard with indelible ink)
2)Attach Reef Tack to reef hook.
3)Pull in clew reef point (at end of boom) and make tight.
4)Then tighten up on the Main halyard and away you go.

You can neaten up the look of the sail with those 4 reefing lines in your sail. Loosely tie around boom. Tie with a reef knot (square knot).

The reef stress should not be on those 4 reefing lines in your sail, they are not meant for that type of stress and you could rip your sail.

[Jeff_H]

Slab reefing is a variant of the traditional reefing that has been used for centuries. The innovation with slab reefing is that all of the loads are taken a tack reef cringle and at a clew reef cringle with a clew reef line run through the clew reef cringle. There will also be a tack reef line as well in which case it is referred to as a two line reefing system. Slab reefing can have nettles which are smaller lines in between the tack and the clew that are soley used to gather the sail for neatness but which should never be tied tight enough to be under load.

Jeff

[maxcontax]

If your boom has a topping lift, you slab reef: you set the tack reef point at the mast first, the clew reef point at the aft end of the boom second, and then tidyup with the reef ties along the foot of the reefed sail.
My C-22 does not have a topping lift so I do something that I call Jiffy-reefing. (I may be using the term incorrectly--but here is my procedure): When hove to, I release the boomvang. Then I set the clew reefpoint FIRST which raises the aft end of the boom. I set the tack reefpoint Second--note this is reverse order to Slab reefing--which brings the boom parallel to the decks again. And tidy up. If you don''t do it in this order, the boom falls into the cockpit when you release the halyard. Then you have to raise it back on the strength of the clew reefing line blocks which causes all sorts of problems,gets hung up in the hatchway etc. etc...not sure this is correct terminology, but the technique works. Harden up the boomvang after the reef is in.
This is "little boat reefing"--I did it on my Wayfarer 16 often. The C-22 is no different.