Single Line reefing

[Mike L, "Cat Tales"]

I am the new owner of a 1992 Catalina 34.  I love the boat, and am another "third time around" owner of catalinas after owning a 22 and 27.  My boat has double reef points in the main with single line reefing for each reef point.  Both lines run to the cockpit.  I would like to get some opinions on this system.  I sail SF bay, and so far, I am not too impressed with the system.  The amount of friction on the reefing lines seems to be very high.  It also seems like the clew will never be tight enough with this system.  I am considering changing the system back to separate tack and clew lines.  Has anyone done this?  If so, how did you modify the boom to allow the clew lines to exit the bottom of the boom?

Thanks!

[sail4dale]

Having the same problem.  I'm csonsidering changing the reef line to a smaller diameter Spectra attached to the end of my regular line.  In this way I have low friction through the groumets and still can run it through my normal spinlocks.

Does this sound practical?

[Ted Pounds]

Another idea I've heard about is to attach small ball bearing blocks at the reefs and run the reefing line through them resulting in a major reduction of friction.  Just a thought....

Ted

[Stu Jackson]

Double Line vs Single Line Reefing

The Nov. 2003 Mainsheet Magazine included a long article that I wrote about this very subject, and includes pictures of our double line reefing setup.

If you are members of the IA C34 Assoc., you should have the magazine.  The article will be posted on the website with access fo members in the near future.

Single line reefing just doesn't work, not because of blocks, but because the clew needs much more tension than the tack, and you JUST CAN'T get it with a single line.

Try a search (FIND) on this message board for reefing, single line, etc., be creative, it HAS been discussed before.

And, oh by the way, join the Association, one of many reasons that you can get the information (almost before you ask the question!).

Best,

Stu

Try this:

http://c34.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=srch&s=329609511&findw=reefing

It's becoming increasing interesting to respond to questions that can be answered by the simple use of the remarkable FIND feature on this message board and the SEARCH feature on the main website.  We encourage you to utilize those great features as much as possible.  Keep the cards and letters comin' in, folks, but please also do some research and, dare I say, homework.

[Ted Pounds]

You can get all the tension you need with a single line.  It just depends on how you lead the line.  Single line worked great on my C25.  You set it up so once the tack "bottoms out" continued tensioning of the line all transfers to the clew.   ;)

Ted

[Roc]

The problem I seem to have is when the reefing line is pulled taught, and the tack bottoms out, the flaked sail in the area of the tack gets pinched and crushed between the line and the boom.  I've been afraid of tearing the sail in that area.  Also, the sail gets all dirty due to the line rubbing against it.  During reefing, is the tack point supposed to go all the way down to the boom, or is it supposed to lie about a foot up from the boom??  I have Dutchman lines on my mainsail.

Thanks!
Roc-

[Ted Pounds]

The tack should go all the way to the boom.  That's another advantage of having a block at the reefing tack is that the line is just on one side of the sail and isn't crushing it.  The sail just flakes off to one side.  Which is the way it does on mine when I hook the tack on the SS hook at the goose neck.  And if there are any slides between the regular tack and the reefing tack you don't have to worry about what to do with them.  They can stay in the track.

Ted

[Roc]

Ted,
I don't have a ss hook on the gooseneck.  If you can post a picture of your set up, it would be appreciated.

Roc-

[Mike Lofstrom "Cat Tales"]

Thanks to everyone for the posts on single line reefing.  This seems to be a very active group!  My membership is in the Mail!!!

[Ted Pounds]

Mike,

Good move joining.  Welcome aboard!  As Stu will tell you, and as you've seen, there is a lot of activity on this site.  The search function will yield a lot of info to help you narrow the focus of your questions.

Roc,
The "Molly Rose" is an hour plus away and laid up for the winter, so I'm not sure when I'll get out there.  But the set up is pretty simple to describe.  I don't have single line reefing.  So when I reef I go to the mast (after easing the halyard to a pre-marked spot) and pull the reef cringle down and hook it on the hook bolted to the front of the boom.  It's just a simple "J" hook with the opening pointed down (upside-down "J") so that when the reef cringle is hooked on it the cringle is held in place while the halyard is tensioned.  (To handle the clew I have line that runs from it to a stopper at the front of the boom.) Clear as mud?    

Ted

[Mike and Theresa Vaccaro]

Another technique for the luff tension is to use a block and tackle with a steel hook for  cunningham adjustment and reefing.  When it's time to reef, just drop the sail to the appropriate reef point and transfer the cunningham hook to reef cringle.  We use a "stock" 2 line system, so the clew is pulled taught via the aft reef line that runs forward on the boom.  This set-up requires a trip to the mast, and with practice and an appropriately marked halyard can be accomplished by two people in about 30 seconds.  Single-handed execution takes some forehandedness and a bit more time.

Cheers,

Mike

[beang]

I’m probably in the minority here, but I like the ease and convenience of single line reefing.  While double handing with my wife in SF Bay, we can take in and shake out a reef several times in an afternoon so I like the convenience.  True, the tack end reefing line binds on the excess sail fabric, making it difficult to pull tension on the clew.  Here is what I do to make single line reefing work for me.  After luffing the main, I raise the boom by taking in the topping lift (this takes tension off of the leach).  The supported boom makes taking in the reefing line a lot easier.  I then let the halyard down to a preset mark.  I then take in the reefing line.  At this point, the new clew is resting on the boom.  I then thread a stropping strap through the new clew and around the boom a couple of times.  Re-tension the halyard, release the topping lift and adjust the main and I’m back in business.  (Takes longer to describe it than to do it.)  The stropping strap is a two/three foot piece of spectra webbing with Velcro sewn on both sides (North Sails in Alameda can sew it up real cheap while you wait).  My topping lift runs to the cockpit.  I’ve seen both the stropping strap and the Cunningham/new tack both used on the “go fast” boats here in the Bay.  I’ve found that small blocks in the cringles do a bit of banging around on the sail and I personally wouldn’t keep them on the sail year round.  You could probably get by putting the block in the tack cringle only as that is where all the friction is anyways.  To get your MKII’s reef clew to lay on the boom better, make sure the loaded portion of the reefing line goes from the clew, through the bowline knot, then around/under the boom, and finally through the sail grommet where the bowline is tied.  This forces the clew down on the boom better than when tied the other way.

[Roc]

Thanks George, I'll try your method this coming season.  What is the purpose of the stropping strap??  To get the clew tighter to the boom?? The Reefing line doesn't work as well by itself??  Sounds like your excess sail fabric at the tack gets pinched by the reefing line too.  It would be nice to figure a way around that....

Roc-

[This message was edited by Roc-#1477 '00 "Sea Life" on January 15, 2004 at 01:35 PM.]

[Mike Lofstrom]

When I bought my boat, one of the things that the broker recommended was puting a block on the tack cringle and having the reefing line come out of the boom, go through the block, and then go down to a bulseye on the mast.  I think the idea is to keep the tack reefing line on one side of the boom instead of having it go through the cringle.  If the bulseye is placed correctly, it will limit the amount of crush that occurs on the sail when the reef is in.  In other words, you put the bullseye only a few inches below the reefed position of the tack cringle.  Harken has some nifty airblocks that are very light weight, and can be laced into the cringles.  I might give this a try.  The boats that came from the factory with single line reefing have a boom that was set up for this system.  The reefing lines run through the boom, and exit out of the top of the boom at each end.  If I decide to convert the system to two line reefing, I will have to modify the boom to allow the clew lines to exit the bottom near the gooseneck so I can bring them back into the cockpit.  Being an engineer, I may do some experimenting with the existing hardware before I commit to cutting metal.  George:  I not sure I understand how you have routed the clew end of the reefing lines.  Mine come out of the boom, go to the clew reef cringle, and then go to a fitting on the boom where they are terminated.   Do you go around the boom and then back up to the clew?  

BTW, thanks to Stu for getting me the magazine article so quickly.

[beang]

Some clarifications:  I think that the OEM reefing line is a little “stretchy” and no matter how hard you tension, it will stretch, allowing the clew to lift up from the boom.  The “stropping strap” keeps the clew resting on the boom making the reefing line act as an outhaul.  Seen this trick on a Farr 40.  For boats that have the end of the reefing line tied around the boom.  (either free-footed or have that second grommet in the foot just above the boom).  You want the loaded portion line to go around the boom first.  This does two things, It makes the boom a belay and also forces the reefed clew to lie on top of, or along side of the boom.  When it’s tied the other way, the clew seems to rest higher.  I’ll see if I can take a couple of pictures to illustrate this.