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reefing main when sailing downwind

5445 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by johnshasteen, Jun 27, 2009

ArgleBargle

Discussion Starter · Jun 23, 2009

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.

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Faster

· #2 · Jun 23, 2009

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.

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billyruffn

· #3 · Jun 23, 2009

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

Me too!

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Valiente

· #4 · Jun 23, 2009

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.

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legarots

· #5 · Jun 23, 2009

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

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Hesper

· #6 · Jun 23, 2009

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

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johnshasteen

· #7 · Jun 24, 2009

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.

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sailingdog

· #8 · Jun 24, 2009

johnshasteen said:
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????

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chrondi

· #9 · Jun 26, 2009

He (johnshasteen) surely meant mainsail, not headsail!

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sailingdog

· #10 · Jun 26, 2009

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

chrondi said:
He (johnshasteen) surely meant mainsail, not headsail!

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Vasco

· #11 · Jun 27, 2009

I just ease the sheet, ease the halyard, take up the reef line, tighten the halyard a bit and keep on sailing. Unless it's really blowing hard I maintain my course and don't head up. Single line reefing, everything led aft.

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johnshasteen

· #12 · Jun 27, 2009

sailingdog said:
Yeah, I know...just busting his chops a little.

Hey, I've killed a lot of brain cells since last I had to reef going downwind

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