reefing main when sailing downwind

[ArgleBargle]

Hi

Just curious what procedure people use to reef their main (assuming slab, jiffy or single line reefing) when heading downwind.

do you heave-to, motor, come to a reach under the trimmed headsail and release the mainsheet? i find with strong track/Battcar systems and single line reefing one can easily just ease off the halyard and tension the reefing line simultaneously and it works great, but i'm not sure how safe it is and in some ways i prefer the other methods.

interested in your experiences.

[Faster]

Without the BattCar system there's simply too much friction to have much luck reefing the main without heading up to at least a beam reach. Today's prevalence of swept spreaders adds to the difficulty.

We typically round up to a close reach and put in a tuck before bearing off again.

[billyruffn]

Originally Posted by Faster

We typically round up to a close reach and put in a tuck before bearing off again.

Me too!

[Valiente]

Same here. If the sea is flat (i.e. you are close into shore with the wind coming off the land), you may be able to reef with the main centered, but it's really not worth it.

[legarots]

I do it from a close reach or else heave to.

[Hesper]

Since I'm usually on my own, I go head-to-wind.

[johnshasteen]

Paloma has slab reefing, so we turn into the wind and the headsail drops nicely into place and stays put while we put the grommet into the kringle and tie it to the boom.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by johnshasteen

Paloma has slab reefing, so we turn into the wind and the headsail drops nicely into place and stays put while we put the grommet into the kringle and tie it to the boom.

you have a slab-reefing headsail with a boom????

[chrondi]

He (johnshasteen) surely meant mainsail, not headsail!

[sailingdog]

Yeah, I know...just busting his chops a little.

Originally Posted by chrondi

He (johnshasteen) surely meant mainsail, not headsail!