reefing problem

[lloyd]

when I reef my main,I have a stop at the end of the slide track so they canot slid out when droping the sail,as all boats do but on my 34 and i guess all of them (mine is 89).because of the opening and stop the sail slides dont go all the way down to the boom.Iwas going to make two pieces of alluminuumto fill this opening and remove them when I take the sail off.any sugjestions?

[tommyt]

Although my boat is a 2004, I also did not like the arrangement of the stops for reefing purposes. On my boat the stop is basically a bolt into the mast that you are supposed to take out, drop two slugs, and return to the mast. Not very user friendly when you get caught with too much sail up and water over the bow.

I removed the bolt and replaced it with a push pin similar to one that I use on my bimini. Pin has balls at end which keep it in unless pulled directly out. I also attached it to a lanyard attached to the mast so that when pulled out it hangs off its lanyard instead of going overboard. Big improvement over the original, and takes seconds rather than minutes to remove slugs from the track.

[Analgesic]

I mentioned this to my local sail maker and he immediately said I needed a jack line (another meaning for this term).  He removed the slugs up to the upper reef cringle and put in a spiraling line that alternately went through  new small cringles in the luff and through the eye of the slug. With the main fully raised the luff is snug on the mast as always.   I have jiffy reefing so when I drop the main part way from the cockpit and pull on the reefing line, the jack line slackens, the luff of the sail falls back from the mast and the sail is pulled snugly down to the boom.  All slugs stay above the track stop and when the halyard is tightened there is no downward tension.  I can reef in about a minute from the cockpit.  It's probably the best improvement we've made to our boat. 
Brian McPhillips

[Tony Benoit]

Ahoy Cap'n of the Analgesic,

Is your reefing set-up single line or double line?  Would you be willing to post a drawing or photo of how the lines run?

Thank you,

Tony
Helen C./#903
Std/Wing

[Analgesic]

I currently have a single line set up that pulls down the first reef cringles at the luff and leech simultaneously.  I'll try to get some pictures later this week but I'll describe it in < 1000 words if I can: the bitter end starts in the reef block on the starboard side of back end of the boom, goes under the boom, up through the leech cringle port to starboard, back down to the starting block where it is routed forward along starboard side of boom to block at front, routed up to the luff cringle starboard to port, down to a block at base of the mast and back to the port coach roof winch.  A second block a little forward of the starting one above could be used for double reefing.  The block at the front of the boom is actually a double block to route the 2nd line up to the luff double reef cringle although I have never used this.   Hope this helps.
Brian

[dbpaul]

tommyt

So that's what that bolt hole is for.


paulj

[Tony Benoit]

Brian,

Thank you for the description.  It certainly helps.  Let me ask a couple of questions to be sure I understand:  On the starboard side of the forward end of the boom, there is a double-sheaved cheek block, only one sheave of which you are using?  The line goes through this block, up to the luff reefing cringle and then directly down to a block at the base of the mast?  (I'm surprised this line doesn't get pinched in the gooseneck from time to time.)  Does the line then go through the port deck organizer before heading back to the winch?  Are the cleats that would normally hold the aft reefing lines still installed on the starboard side of the boom?

About what size is the line? 

Thank you,

Tony
Helen C/#903
Std/Wing

[Terry Forshier]

At the bottom of the mast is the slot where you insert the sail slides for the mainsail and on my boat you then put in a sail stop to prevent the slides from falling on down and out. When I lower the sail then , the sail slides stop here above the boom  leaving about 6 inches of space between the bottom of the slot and the sail stop. This prevents the sail from falling all the way down to the boom height and then the top of the sail won't lower far enough to go into the Doyle stack pack. It also screws up reefing.I remember years ago on a boat I had a metal insert that went into the slot that allowed the sailslides to slide on down and did not need a sail stop. It went into the slot and the new slot was narrowed  to the size of the regular sail slot. Like from 1/2 inch slot to 1/4 inch slot. Anyone use this or have one?

[Stu Jackson]

They're called MAST GATES and the C22 and C25 guys are most ardent supporters of the equipment (plus C27 and C30 guys).  I haven't heard it mentioned much on the C36 'site.  Jacklines are one way, mast gates are the other (without breaking the piggy bank for tracks).  Check out the C22 and C25 websites (www.catalina22.org and http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/default.asp) and search around for mast gates - a very useful addition which can also be homemade.

[Terry Forshier]

After looking at the mast gates on the other sites i decided to make some and try it. I cut and formed  2 blanks similar to the C25 posting from some old sheetmetal I had from old Real Estate signs. I sort of bent them to fit the mast curvature and then rounded the top and bottom so the slides would not catch. Then I took a couple self tapping sheetmetal (SS) screws and drilled 4 small starter ho0les and put them on each side of the slot over the opening leaving the same diameter slot as original. It looked great but the sail slides would bind as they fit togeher tightly. I then removed the 2 pieces and used a couple medium size electrical ties to bind them back together . this allowed the slide to move freely through the slot. Works pretty darn good and now the sail slides all the way down and the Doyle Cover contains the top of the sail. Not what I had originally thought I was looking for but it does work. Thanks Stu for the heads up.

[Stu Jackson]

You're welcome, and great job, Terry.  Any pictures available?

[Analgesic]

Reply to Tony Benoit: 
You have it exactly right.  I have never had any tangles around the gooseneck.   I don't know the  length of the line-I bought it several years ago-but easy to determine with a tape measure anytime the main is fully raised.  The boom cleat is still in place, unused at present but I have a plan to try this for the double reef line aft-I have a hook at the goose neck for the luff cringle.  I don't like the idea of having two paralel lines covering the whole distance for single and double jiffy reefing, too much line (the first one is already very long, the second would be even longer).   I hope to get to the boat tomorrow, I'll take some pic's and  post them if I can figure it out. 
Brian

[Stu Jackson]

POSTING PHOTOS - made easy

Brian, see: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,3701.0.html