Roller Reefing Boom

[Nigel Noble]

I would like to know how much of a pain is it to use the roller reefing boom (after letting go the boom vang) on my CD 25 when sailing single-handed compared with double reefing lines that run back to the cockpit. I mean, how do you, on your own, lower the halyard and turn the boom at the same time? Any tricks or suggestions?

[Joe Myerson]

Nigel,

While I can't speak for a 25, when I was in my early 20s (many decades ago), I had a 19-foot O'Day Mariner sloop with roller reefing.

Since I almost exclusively singlehanded (still do), I found the reefing arrangement a total pain. Very quickly, I had my local sailmaker put in a traditional jiffy (or slab) reefing point. The following year, I had him add a second.

Even if you don't bring the reefing lines into the cockpit, it's still easier to reef this way singlehanded. In the case of CD's, which heave to so nicely, that's doubly so.

Just my two cent's worth, of course.

--Joe

[Zeida Cecilia-Mendez]

On My CD-25 I never did use the roller reefing boom. Instantly I had my main fitted with the reefing points and the hardware attached to the boom. It is impossible (well, nearly) for a singlehander to reef with a roller reefing boom.

[Lee Kaufman]

My owner's manual says I have a roller reefing boom. Pardon my ignorance, but I can't figure out, it that is so, how it works. I can see that it would be necessary to detach the boom vang (what about the downhaul) but then what. I, too, sail single handed most of the time and can see that it would be quite difficult to do this by myself.

Can anyone tell me more about how this works?

[Al Levesque]

When we had a CD25 we used the roller reefing and found it convenient. The only drawback was that the boom drooped increasingly as the sail was furled. We got in the habit of throwing an old sweater or jacket in the first roll then the sail furled nicely. Hereschoff designed a lump into his roller furling booms to achieve that effect.

For those not familiar with the furling technique. One slackens the halyard a bit then pulls aft on the boom until it pulls out at the gooseneck and rotates the boom about its axis until the sail is tight. Then loosen the hayard some more until enough sail is furled. Push the boom forward to seat it again and tighten the halyard.

Some larger boats have a crank and gear mechanism to do the rotating.

One advantage of roller furling is the great variability in degree of reefing. One disadvantage is that vangs or other hardware attached to the boom could damage the sail as it covers the boom and exerts tension. Another disadvantage is forgetting to catch the sweater when shaking out the reef.

[Paul D.]

Having had roller reefing on my Typhoon, I liked using it at the mooring to furl the sail when putting the boat to bed but for reefing underway it became a clear hazard. I used slab reefing and built two reef points into the new mainsial I made from a kit. So then I only used the roller reefing for furling the sail at the mooring. The boat sailed really well in up to 35 knots with two reefs in there and I had good sail shape.

With the slab reefing you get much better shape and even on our CD 33 I can reef down to a really good shape in a blow in about a minute. And that is if I am seasick. Yes you have to leave the cockpit. But I think that is the essence of sailing; just wear a harness if you are worried about falling off.

So count me in the "not a fan" column of main boom roller reefing. Especially the older type commonly found on our smaller old CD's. No one I know uses the roller booms on their older boats for actual reefing.

Paul