reefing

[Dick Barthel]

I came across this description of reefing that I thought was concise and logical. I'd be interested in hearing if any one does things differently or has any other tips they would like to pass along to the single hander.

I usually reef before leaving the mooring when sailing alone unless its predicted to be a light wind day. I'm still cautious. One of my goals for this summer is to be out there alone with a rail buried!

Taking in a Reef

“The fourth time the lee rail dips under is when a reef in the mainsail is in order. Reefing involves a step-by-step procedure which may seem complicated and even exhausting to the novice but, properly done, is satisfying, particularly since you’re often accomplishing it a difficult angle of heel. The drill is to ease the mainsheet slightly, hoist up the topping lift a bit, loosen the main halyard and drop the mainsail several feet, bouse down the luff tackle now attached to the first reef cringle, haul down the first reef cringle on the leech, take up the halyard, left off the topping lift, haul in the mainsheet, and then tidy up the bight of the sail and tie in the reef points. Thus snugged down, Lochinvar heels less, makes less fuss in the water, and goes better to windward.” The Coast of Summer – Anthony Bailey

I discovered that bouse is a word whose origin is unknown that can be traced back as far as 1593; it means to haul by means of tackle.

We had our first snow of the winter here in the Northeast. I just got finished shoveling 1/8" snow off my driveway, I'm exhausted and I need a nap.

Dick

[Neil Gordon]

Taking in a Reef

“The fourth time the lee rail dips under is when a reef in the mainsail is in order. Reefing involves a step-by-step procedure which may seem complicated and even exhausting to the novice but, properly done, is satisfying, particularly since you’re often accomplishing it a difficult angle of heel. The drill is to ease the mainsheet slightly, hoist up the topping lift a bit, loosen the main halyard and drop the mainsail several feet, bouse down the luff tackle now attached to the first reef cringle, haul down the first reef cringle on the leech, take up the halyard, left off the topping lift, haul in the mainsheet, and then tidy up the bight of the sail and tie in the reef points. Thus snugged down, Lochinvar heels less, makes less fuss in the water, and goes better to windward.” The Coast of Summer – Anthony Bailey

The time to reef is when you first think maybe it would be a good idea. That includes anytime you're leaving a slip/mooring and you're not 100% sure that you won't need a reef. It's always easier to shake one out than to put one in.

Sailing alone and trying to tie in a reef as described might be difficult. I'd try heaving to, instead. The boat will settle down and you can tie in the reef easily under more or less calm conditions. It won't take more than a couple of minutes.

[Wayne Grenier]

I get a real kick out of jiffy reefing my boat while undersail! where I sail there is a neck of land (Smith Neck) that projects about 3 miles out into Buzzards Bay-and there have been many many times its like someone throws a switch-from 5-10 knts to 15-20knts in a few feet-and seas go from flat to 2-4' instantly-anyway-the key is that reefing is a technique and it requires practice-practice practice-at the mooring-underway-when you don't need to do it etc.-the sure sign of a novice sailor to me is someone trying to go to windward on a rough day with no jib and a full main-
anyway-there was an interesting show on the science channel last night about "rogue waves" and how the can occur randomly as a result of quantum physiscs? anyone see that?

[rtbates]

Dick:

When alone, I do as Neil suggested, I heave to, then reef. Makes the job so much easier and safer. BUT and this is a very big but, if it's really blowing I leave the main down and use nothing but my roller reefing 130 headsail. Talk about easy. I've found that the 25D simply doesn't need, or more importantly, want much main in a blow. Going to windward I WANT the rail buried. Just not to far. 25Ds, and I suspect most CDs, love sailing with their rail underwater. Whether or not the crew does is another matter all together. My 5 year old grandson loves sailing on his ear. God love him.

[Dick Barthel]

My grandson just turned 3 in October. Randy's response on the reefing thread got me thinking:

"Going to windward I WANT the rail buried. Just not to far. 25Ds, and I suspect most CDs, love sailing with their rail underwater. Whether or not the crew does is another matter all together. My 5 year old grandson loves sailing on his ear. God love him."


I don't think I've ever read a thread that deals exclusively with sailing and young kids. I definitely hope to get Ryan out of my boat this summer if we do nothing more than motor around a little bit.

I would like some advice about how best to introduce a child to sailing. What should I do and not do. I assume you should have a crew member dedicated to watching the child. Should a young child always be tethered? I've been thinking of putting a padeye in my cockpit just for that reason. My boat came with the webbing but I cut if off because it was a nuisance for a lot of reasons and except for a pet or a child, I don't see the necessity.

Randy you must have done a good job if your 5 year old grandson is not afraid to go peddle to the metal. How long has he been sailing?

I appreciate any help I can get with this very important topic. I have dreams of my grandson (and then my grandaughter) sailing me around in the years to come.

Thanks,

Dick

[Lew Gresham]

If you have a Typhoon model 1976 and earlier, you should have this perticular boom fitting (Goose neck assembly). It allows you to roll up your main in 1/2 a turn increments. Just pull on the end of your boom and rotate. Roller reefing so nice! I cannot speak for the other CD's. If you have this fitting it is most likely frozen due to the elements. Mine was! View the site below to see the available part.

http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/Spartan_Sp ... _boom.html

<img width="540" src="http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p52/ ... rts002.jpg">

[rtbates]

My grandson just turned 3 in October. Randy's response on the reefing thread got me thinking:

"Going to windward I WANT the rail buried. Just not to far. 25Ds, and I suspect most CDs, love sailing with their rail underwater. Whether or not the crew does is another matter all together. My 5 year old grandson loves sailing on his ear. God love him."


I don't think I've ever read a thread that deals exclusively with sailing and young kids. I definitely hope to get Ryan out of my boat this summer if we do nothing more than motor around a little bit.

I would like some advice about how best to introduce a child to sailing. What should I do and not do. I assume you should have a crew member dedicated to watching the child. Should a young child always be tethered? I've been thinking of putting a padeye in my cockpit just for that reason. My boat came with the webbing but I cut if off because it was a nuisance for a lot of reasons and except for a pet or a child, I don't see the necessity.

Randy you must have done a good job if your 5 year old grandson is not afraid to go peddle to the metal. How long has he been sailing?

I appreciate any help I can get with this very important topic. I have dreams of my grandson (and then my grandaughter) sailing me around in the years to come.

Thanks,

Dick

Hi Dick:

Patrick's been sailing since he was about 1 1/2 . That was as soon as his mother felt comfortable enough to let it happen. Yes, you definetly need someone along who can do nothing but look after them. I'm particularly lucky in that respect as my wife, Bev, is a retired kindergarten teacher. Take along lots of toys for them so they play and have fun while on the boat. Lifejacket 100% of the time. harness as necessary. I believe the most important thing you can do is make certain that nothing happens in the first few outings to scare them. Patrick loves motion, being tossed in the air, carnival rides, lateral G's, etc. Just be sure to start slow and let them tell you what they fell comfortable with. The first few times on the boat were motor only, then light winds and sails, building up gradually. The first that I knew he liked to sail was after dinner one night at a lake side cafe we took him and his parents out for a putt around the marina just to look at the boats and the water. After about 10 minutes he declared that we needed to turn the motor off and sail. He was 3 then. Now whenever we take him out he's always looking for wind and much to my surprise and utter joy one day we were sailing in fluky wind and were in a light area and he pointed over my shoulder and said," there's the wind". I look back and sure enough there were the ripples on the water coming our way. I knew right then that he was paying attention! His favorite 'sport' is to hang from the weather cockpit coaming with his feet in the air above the cockpit sole as we heel 30+. Take it slow and have fun.

[John D.]

Our kids were 2 and 3 when we got Lilypad, and we've brought them along from the start, when the weather is good. We've used several tricks to get their interest and keep them safe and happy.

1. Let them hold the tiller.

2. Sail to a destination. A short daysail for ice cream, or an overnight to a small, unoccupied island with buried "treasure", (which I went ashore and buried after we anchored and they fell asleep).

3. Designate a safe spot for them to sit still. In a pinch, and when I tell them to, my kids know to go to the front corners of the cockpit, and sit still with their hands on their laps.

4. Let them sit on the foredeck, with an adult holding them, in choppy conditions. It's more fun than a roller coaster.

5. Bring toys for them to play with below decks.

[Dick Barthel]

I will follow your sage advice. Let the adventure begin. Now I just need to figure out how to convince my daughter in law!

[bhartley]

A friend with two young children came up with a clever idea to keep his kids happy on board. He has a set of toys (picked as ones they like) that stay on the boat and are only used on board. It also keeps them from having to drag stuff too and from each time.

My brother's boys also have fishing poles on board so that he can keep them occupied when he needs to go to the marina and work on the boat for a few hours. They love to sail with him (8 & 10), but they do get antsy when they're at the dock. Every once in a while they actually catch something which makes it even more interesting!

We started sailing with our grandparents very young, but Mom was always there to make sure we didn't do anything too wild. I didn't get to take the tiller alone until 9...

Pack 'em up and take them sailing!

Bly

[Tom M]

Dick,
This is my first post but haded try.
Raised 4 sons for past 30 years on a 24' Noank Sloop.
Sold it 4 Months ago, and just bought a CD25, Which I
Hope I can sail alone and with My 5 Grand Kids.
Just take it Slow and Easy and Then u
Become a built in Baby Sailer. My Daughter in Laws Love it.
Tom M

[henry hey]

My CD has this mainsail roller reefing.

It is still functional, but in my opinion. . .it stinks.

Certainly in theory it is all well and good, but it is in practice (under reef-worthy conditions) that we test these systems.

On my delivery trip we had some pretty serious blow and swells and 3 of us had a difficult time really getting this main roller reefing under control.

I am never going to use it again -- instead I will use an enhanced single-line jiffy reefing that will be controlled from the cabin top (with lines running to cockpit).

I can't wait to have that all in place.

h

[Carl Thunberg]

It seems we have two parallel threads going here. I have three girls. My wife and I have taken them sailing since they were infants. The only modification I made to the boat was to add a second row of lifelines. All kids are different, and use the ages I'm about to discuss as a guideline only. From about ages 2 to 3, we had them harnessed at all times, until they became aware of their surroundings. We took them off the harness as soon as we felt they would not endanger themselves. We have always tried to give them as much freedom on the boat as we felt they could safely handle. They still wear their PFD at all times unless they're in the cabin. At about age 7 or 8, they start to experience fear. You need to sail pretty conservatively when they're between ages 7 to 9 because they scare pretty easily. This is a critical time period for kids. If you want them to BECOME sailors, introduce them to dinghy sailing at about age 8. My oldest daughter is now 12 and can confidently take the helm on my CD25, as long as I'm there to coach her. Next summer she will probably sail my Rhodes 18 solo for the first time. That'll be a big moment for me.

As for the reefing half of the thread, Tod Mils gave an excellent description about reefing in a previous thread. It's the best explanation I've seen. Search the archives for reefing, and then look for Tod's explanation.

[Dick Barthel]

Hi, Tom

Reefing is pretty easy once you see how it's done.

It can be done either at the dock/mooring/anchor or while out on the water just as easily.

I'll assume you are out sailing and the wind pipes up:

1. I'll start out on a beat on port tack (wind coming over the port bow).

2. Slowly tack but leave the jib cleated so that it backwinds, then after the boat has turned and it is on starboard tack with the jib backwinded, push the tiller to leeward and ease the mainsheet a bit. Tie off the tiller way to leeward. The jib is then backwinded and the rudder is countering it. You are hove to at that point and the boat slowly drifts to leeward with maybe just a tiny bit of fwd speed; very little.

3. The reason for heaving to on stbd is so that you have the right-of-way. That's also why the reefing cleat is on the stbd side of the boom; so it is more accessible while on stbd tack.

4. Then I'll ease off the main halyard and lower the main a bit so that the first reefed tack grommet (there's probably a real name for that) is hookable with a hook at the gooseneck. (my boat doesn't have a hook; I just use line, but a hook would be faster). The tighten up the halyard again. Don't confuse a cunningham grommet for a reef grommet if you have one. It will be lower and not in line with the rest of the row.

5. Snug up the reef line (runs from the port side of the boom up through the reef clew grommet, down to the block, then fwd to the cleat. (It should've been rove when bending on the sail). (after block for 1st reef, fwd one for 2nd reef).

6. Gather up the loose sail along the foot of the boom and tie it up loosely (ie don't stress the sail).

7. If you wanted the second reef, just do the above with the second row of reef points and the fwd block and cleat instead of the after block and cleat.

8. Tidy up lines, free the tiller, get your jib squared away, and away you go....only takes a minute (or several if you are klutzy like me).



Hope this helps.....
_________________
Tod Mills

[Oswego John]

Yes, I agree. Tod's description of reefing and heaving (hoving?) to is well worth another look and printing again.

Don't take this as a complaint, because it's not meant to be. What I think might be good to add is that after reefing once or twice, to mention the outhauling on the new, shortened clew which is on the leech (roach) and in a new location a little farther down the boom.

So what is proper, heaving to, hoving to, hove to?

Good piece, Tod.
O J