Reefing while underway

[casampson]

Steve -- Your setup sounds good to me. Do you have a picture of it?

[JD-MDR]

My Boat came like that. It was nice and simple. I just didn't like that line hanging around . Here is an example why, though a different situation. I was out a couple weeks ago on a cape dory 28 . He had a line or strap attached to the head grommet. I think that was to tie the sail down when it was lowered. Anyway while we were sailing under single reef that line at the head started to unravel and got tangled with the halyard on the forward side of the mast. When we were to lower the sail that strap was caught and prevented the sail from dropping. We got to a dock. we tried for about an hour to unravel or break that strap. He had a bosun chair but no extra halyard. We couldn't get the halyard off the roller jib. I ended up shimmying up the mast to the spreaders and then another 4' to cut the strap. What a joke.

[Carl Thunberg]

You shimmied up the mast? There was a time when I probably could have done that . . . 30 pounds ago.