Converting mainsail foot boltrope to slugs (CD27)

[seattlepam]

Bob,

Here's how it's been explained to me by various people over the years:

If you tie the reef around the foot of the sail instead of around the boom, most of the force of the sail continues to be held by the slides on the foot (or by the tack and clew if it's loosefooted), which are attached to the strongly reinforced foot of the sail.

If you tie the reef around the boom, much of the force of the sail is now being held by the reef ties. The places where the ties are attached to the sail are reinforced, but they're not nearly as strong as the foot of the sail. In a heavy wind, which of course is why you reefed in the first place, the sail can tear at or near the points where the ties attach to it.

I hope that makes sense; it does to me.

Pam

[Neil Gordon]

If the foot of the sail is attached via slugs to the boom, how does attaching the reef to the boom add stress on the sail that would be any different than if it was tied to the sail?

Unlike the foot of the sail and either the boltrope or slugs, the reef points aren't designed to hold the sail to the boom. They're only there as a means to secure all that extra sail. If tied too tightly, they're subject to stresses beyond what they're reinforced for.

If all we're doing is gathering up excess fabric (which I don't bother with on a single reef), I'm still thinking securing the stresses are the same unless there's sufficient slack to avoid tension on the reef points.

[Neil Gordon]

If you tie the reef around the foot of the sail instead of around the boom, most of the force of the sail continues to be held by the slides on the foot ... If you tie the reef around the boom, much of the force of the sail is now being held by the reef ties.

If tied too tightly, the stress is on the reef points either way. All of the sail below the reef is out of commission, so to speak. All of the force of the wind is above the reef. Putting downward tension on the reef points adds the same stress no matter where the line providing that force is secured.

(I agree, btw, that it's especially common to see a the reef tied in too tightly when it's done around the boom.)

[Steve Laume]

We have a bolt rope and I had always been told not to tie around the boom. I think Neil is spot on with his advise. There is no stress relief to the reef points by going under the sail. The one thing he might have missed would be a slight shock absorbtion effect that the foot of the sail might have. The load is still all on the reef points it doesn't matter how it is transferred to the boom at the other end. If the reef had been tied in very tight around the sail on the boat you were on, you might be looking for roller reefing instead of sail slides. I believe a bolt rope on the foot is a very tidy and secure way to attach a sail to the boom. It spreads the load very well along the entire sail and boom. I can't see where you would have to worry about tearing your sail if it is in good condition and you tie the reefs in loosely. There are an awful lot of boats sailing around out there with bolt roped sails. You could try it a few times and see what you think. There just doesn't have to be much pressure on those reef points and they should be pretty well reinforced. All that said if you are going to worry every time you tie in a reef then something should be done cause you souldn't worry about things you don't have to, Steve.

[Al Levesque]

The reef points around the foot of the sail, and not the boom, have a degree of give rather than the rigid boom. There is also another advantage if there are lines that run along the boom, such as reef, topping lift, or lazy jack lines. Tying around the boom tends to trap those.

[Bob Mial]

Good points by Al and Steve about the shock absorbing aspects of tying around the sail. Last week I ordered a loose footed main with two reef points for my Ty (my present sail has the bolt rope attachment). Will I still tie the reef around the foot in this case? Should I have ordered the slug attachment instead?

Another related question: what's the best way to rig the outhaul when the clew is at various points on the boom?

[Troy Scott]

I guess I'm missing something. I don't see how tying around the foot of the sail is better than tying around the bottom of the boom. In fact, tying around the foot of the sail seems considerably more stressful to the sail. What's up here?