No Reef Hook(s) on CD 27?

[Duncan]

I have been puzzled by the lack of hooks to secure the reef tacks on my 1977 CD 27. I believe the reefing is original, with straps and cheek blocks and cleats on the boom.

So, the clews are fine, but the only way I can see to secure the reef tacks is via a pair of straps and cleats attached to the mast below the level of the gooseneck. I don't know what these are for otherwise, but I've always had reefing hooks, so this setup seems unfamiliar to me.

If any CD 27 owners can "show me the way" (especially if you have photos), I'd appreciate it.

[Neil Gordon]

That's the setup I have ... A downhaul that goes up through the ring and back down to a cleat. Bring the ring down to the level of the gooseneck and secure the downhaul.

[John Vigor]

Duncan, you can buy ready-made reefing hooks from West Marine. I fitted two to my CD27. You slip them over the gooseneck bolt (or get a slightly longer bolt if necessary).

You'll find them in the catalog under mainsail reefing accessories. I used the Suncor tack hooks but they also offer fancier reefing hooks with a greater twist. All in stainless steel, of course.

Cheers,

John V.

[Warren Kaplan]

I brought both reefing lines back to the cockpit. No hooks at all.

[Duncan]

More than one way to skin a cat...

That's the setup I have ... A downhaul that goes up through the ring and back down to a cleat. Bring the ring down to the level of the gooseneck and secure the downhaul.

Ok, that's the way I have been doing it. I just didn't realize that it was the intended way, because I hadn't seen it before. I guess it has its' pros and cons, but it seems to work ok.

Duncan, you can buy ready-made reefing hooks from West Marine. I fitted two to my CD27. You slip them over the gooseneck bolt (or get a slightly longer bolt if necessary)

.

John, I installed one reefing hook that just screws on to the boom the other day, just to try it out. I'd like to see one that integrates with the gooseneck, but I didn't see one like that on the West Marine website. Maybe my gooseneck is different, or (more likely) I have to look at my gooseneck more carefully.

I think RigRite has something that's supposed to fit with the gooseneck, but it's a bit confusing, and their reputation puts me off.

I brought both reefing lines back to the cockpit.

Well, for now, I just want to tack it down, so running things aft would amount to major "project creep".

I also have three reefs (flattening, first, and second), plus I guess you would have brought your main halyard aft, too? That would amount to four new lines in the cockpit, so I think I will keep going to the mast.

Anyway, thanks, all for the feedback. I'd like to have a double hook that integrates with the gooseneck, so if anyone can point me in that direction, it would be appreciated.

[Warren Kaplan]

I have 2 reefs in my sail and it means for each level of reef it requires two lines coming back to the cockpit. Also the main halyard as you observed.

Some years ago Andy Denmark told me that he only rigs one reef at a time. I do the same thing these days. In summer when winds are light I rig the first reef in case I need it. In autumn (now actually) I switch to rigging just the second reef because winds are much stronger around now. Its been well over 20K the past few days here. If I have to reef this time of year its invariably the second reef that's needed! That keeps the spaghetti coming back to the cockpit, and the gear necessary to an absolute minimum.

I keep some extra lines around in case I have to quickly throw in a second "temporay reef" in summer when I only have the first reef rigged. I have to say I've only had to do that once in about 8 years.

So, if you sail in an area where the wind strength is pretty well predictable during certain seasons of the year, you really don't have to rig ALL your reefs all the time.

Something to think about. Anything Andy Denmark recommends I usually try out.

[Sea Hunt]

I brought both reefing lines back to the cockpit. No hooks at all.

Hello Warren:

What do you use to secure what is the new tack of the main if you do not use a reef hook to hold the new tack in place

[Warren Kaplan]

I brought both reefing lines back to the cockpit. No hooks at all.

Hello Warren:

What do you use to secure what is the new tack of the main if you do not use a reef hook to hold the new tack in place

I've brought my lines back to the cockpit. I use a line that is "permanently" hitched to a cleat on the lower port side of the mast. From there the line goes up throught the tack reef cringle (either for reef #1 or#2) then down through a turning block hooked to a halyard organizing plate installed under the mast step and back to the cockpit via a deck organizer. When I loosen the main halyard and pull on the reefing lines in the cockpit the reefing lines shorten sail because those lines are fixed to cleats and the sail must shorten. The shortened reefing lines are cleated off in the cockpit and viola! Reefed in about 30 seconds!

I don't have a picture of the entire set up but in the photo included here its the blue line that you see coming down from the reef tack cringle to the turning block etc. The white line just in front is from the reef leech cringle and the heavier white line in front of that is the main halyard. Hope this helps.

[Sea Hunt]

Warren:

Yes, it helps a lot The picture and description are great.

I now remember seeing this picture some time ago in one of your posts showing where you had installed a "halyard organizing plate" and "deck organizer" at the bottom of the mast/tabernacle. I remembered thinking that is something I want to install on my Cape Dory 25D (when I get one ). It is a really neat set up.

Thanks very much.

Unfortunately, knowing me as well as I do, by the time I get my CD 25D I will have completely forgotten about this halyard organizing plate and deck organizer and I will be posting on the board asking for information. Please be kind and forgiving to the dummy in this group. My heart is in the right place. My brain -eh, not so much.

[Warren Kaplan]

You mean to tell me I've posted this photo before???? Gee! I'm sure you're right about that but its beats me as to when I did that! I hardly remember that I posted it last night!!!!!

[Dean Abramson]

Call me dumb (go ahead), but I have never really gotten how to use (just) the hooks.

With a reef in, there is not enough room below the hooks for the bunched-up part of the sail which is no going to be raised. (This is even more the case if it's the second reef.) So that means grabbing a bight of the luff and pulling it down to the hook. But a bight has two sides, and the cringle is in only one of those sides. So my sense has always been that if the hook goes thru the cringle, then the hook will poke the other half of the bight. What am I missing?

So I have always used a line with rings (or just bowlines) on the ends, which just lives in the cringle; and I put the ring/bowline over the hooks. I use a line long enough to go over the horns on both sides, but if I were a little less symmetry-minded, I could have a shorter line and just hook one side, with the other ring/bowline acting as a stopper-knot in the sail. (My both-hooks method can be clumsy at times, admittedly.)

Could someone post a photo of a sail reefed just using a hook? Can this really be done without poking, chafing, or twisting the sail's luff?

Dean

[Sea Hunt]

You mean to tell me I've posted this photo before???? Gee! I'm sure you're right about that but its beats me as to when I did that! I hardly remember that I posted it last night!!!!!

Warren:

Welcome to the club. The bad news is it does not get any better over time. The good news is you are among friends.

[Steve Laume]

Loss of memory makes a lot more great books available. I can go to the library, pick up a book and read half way through before I realize I have already read it. The best part is that even though I know I have read it, I still can't remember how it ends, Steve.

[Joe Myerson]

Dean,

My mainsail has two reef points, and I had the sailmaker install permanently mounted stainless-steel rings on short lengths of webbing, so there are rings on both sides of my sail.

Attached at the gooseneck is what RigRight calls a "Reef Hook/Tack" assembly ( http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/SparParts/ ... Assemblies ), which gives me hooks on both sides of the boom, right at the gooseneck.

Like you, the bunt, even if rolled tightly, makes it difficult -- if not impossible -- for me to put more than one cringle ring on a hook. This means, for example, if I've already got reef no. 1 secured to the starboard reefing hook, I'll have to secure the cringle for reef no. 2 to the port hook, even though the cleats for both reefing lines are on the starboard side of my boom.

Since I reef frequently on Buzzards Bay -- often putting in the first reef at the mooring -- I've become used to using both reefing hooks, and I don't think it slows me down very much.

When reefing on the fly, I like to heave-to, which makes it pretty easy, even when the bay's infamous "square waves" are at their bumpiest.

--Joe

[Troy Scott]

I'm not following the description very well, but I wonder if you guys are talking about what I've always called "single line reefing". The idea is to rig a line so that it is stopped on one side of the boom just aft of and below the reef clew. From there it runs up through the reef clew, then back down to the boom on the opposite side where it passes through a cheek block, turns forward to another cheek block at the forward end of the boom, then up through the tack clew, then down to a cleat on the mast, or led aft to the cockpit. If necessary, the block at the forward end can be attached where a reefing hook would go.When this line is tensioned, it pulls the reef clew and tack clew down at the same time. I've installed this system on several boats. It's neat, it works well, and it's simple.