Tips on reefing?

[GeorgeH]

Anyone have any tips on putting in a reef in strong winds and choppy seas? I had a heck of a time this Sunday tying down the reef points after securing the reef clew and outhaul clew.

I kept the boat headed into the wind as I struggled to tie down each reef point but the force of the wind would expand the sail making it hard to secure the reef point lines snugly.

I did tighten the mainsheet and centered the boom prior to lowering the mainsail but now think having some movement in the boom would have helped when I was tying down the reef points.

Once I had the reef in my CD28 settled down and it was glorious sailing for the rest of the afternoon.

[Klem]

Personally, I prefer to spend as little time head to wind as possible. When you are head to wind, the boat pitches the most and the sail flogs the most. If you are alone, this means you need to do it while hove to and if you have someone else who can steer, they can get the boat back on something like a close reach while you tidy up and tie reef points.

Modern jiffy reefing is setup so that the reef points are really there to keep the sail from creating a big bag so they should not be super tight.

This method is not necessarily suited for everyone but it is what I prefer.

[Joe Myerson]

George:

Rather than heading directly into the wind, I heave-to before reefing. When I do this, the boat settles down, the foredeck doesn't pitch as much, and I feel much more secure rushing forward to shorten the mainsail.

First, if I'm flying a roller-furling genny, I reef it down to about 100 to 110 percent. (The more jib you're flying, the farther off the wind your boat will stall. In really heavy weather, I might roll in even more jib.)

Then, I get onto a port tack (with the jib on the starboard side).

Then I tack onto a starboard tack, backwinding the jib (and NOT tacking it). This puts me on a starboard tack -- for right-of-way purposes.

Next, I lash my tiller to windward and pull the boom as close to the centerline as possible, letting it luff somewhat.

Then I go through the standard jiffy-reefing procedure.

If things are really hairy out there, I sometimes don't bother tying up the bunt -- or else I only tie some of the reef points.

It takes a bit of practice to learn how your boat will heave-to, but it's a really valuable skill to acquire.

I hope this makes sense.

Best,

--Joe

[Neil Gordon]

I kept the boat headed into the wind as I struggled to tie down each reef point but the force of the wind would expand the sail making it hard to secure the reef point lines snugly.

The reef points are there just to gather up the excess sail, not to take any strain. They shouldn't be snug or the sail will tear.

[Dick Barthel]

I kept the boat headed into the wind as I struggled to tie down each reef point but the force of the wind would expand the sail making it hard to secure the reef point lines snugly.

The reef points are there just to gather up the excess sail, not to take any strain. They shouldn't be snug or the sail will tear.

For that reason I think it is a good practice to tie them just around the sail material and not around the boom. Otherwise you risk tearing them out of the sail and for no apparent reason.

[Neil Gordon]

For that reason I think it is a good practice to tie them just around the sail material and not around the boom. Otherwise you risk tearing them out of the sail and for no apparent reason.

That works with slugs (or loose footed) but not with a bolt rope. where there's no choice but to go around the boom.

[Jim Walsh]

I have to admit Hal Roth is one of my hero's. He advised not tying the points as the "bag" actually is much less than imagined and once you are on a point of sail it doesn't flog or do much of anything harmful or distracting. I've taken my points out but the grommets are still there so I could reeve them if I felt the need. I have set my first and second reef several times over the last few years and have come to respect Hal's advice in actual practice. Give it a try, you may also become a convert.
Neil, could this be referred to as "commando style" reefing?

[Neil Gordon]

Jim,

I typically don't bother tying in the reef points. As you say, the excess just sort of hangs there without effect. If there's rain though, the excess makes for a wonderful/awful water collector (depending on if you want the water).

[Markst95]

Is it ok to leave the reef tied in when you store the sail on the boom?

[jerryaxler]

Although I usually don't bother to secure the first reef point, I find the extra sail hanging down from the second reef point obscures my vision. I tie the reef points on the second reef under the sail not the boom because of the additional strain the reef point would be exposed to.

[Al Levesque]

I pull in my reef lines when I store the sail as an aid to furling. If the sail had been reefed I wait until bungee cords are on then release the tension on the reef lines but still leave then in place to hold the sail furled. I wouldn't leave them tight as when sailing, just as I don't leave my outhaul tight when storing.

[Cathy Monaghan]

If you can, throw in the reef while you're underway.

• Come up and trim your sails for a closehauled course.
  Stay on course, don't come up any further into the wind.
  Once the headsail is trimmed for a closehauled course don't touch the headsail. Keep it trimmed for closehauled sailing.
  Engage the autopilot to stay on your closehauled course.
  Tension the topping lift.
  Put slack in the boom vang.
  Let out the main until it starts luffing. Then let it out just a bit more.
  Keep the boat sailing on your closehauled course.
  Lower the main and slip the reefing cringle over the reef hook at the goosneck.
  Haul in the reefing line for the appropriate reef which establishes the new clew and cleat it off.
  Retension the halyard.
  Put slack in the topping lift.
  Retension the boom vang.
  If you only used the "first reef", you don't even need to worry about tying up the foot of the sail. Just leave it.
  Head back to the cockpit and trim the main.
  You're done.

Whle you're closehauled, if you really want to tie up the foot of the sail, now's the time to do that. Once you're done, you can fall off onto whatever course you really want to be sailing on. [The reefing ties should be secured around the foot of the sail, not around the boom.]

By the way, you don't have to be closehauled to use this method, it's just the easiest. If you're on a close reach or reach it will work just as well. Just keep the boat moving forward, don't touch the headsail, engage the autopilot, let out the main until it's luffing, and continue as mentioned in the procedure above. After you've had some practice, it should only take you a few minutes to complete the reefing task.


Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay
PS: "Captain Commanding" Dave Stump taught me this reefing method.

[ckreitlein]

I have tried reefing both ways - close hauled and hove-to. Close hauled has the advantage that you only need let the boom out a little to unload (luff) the main sail in order to reef it. It has the disadvantage that when close-hauled you are taking a whole lot of wind across the deck and that can be scary - wind, waves and plunging bow. Hove-to has the advantage of an easier ride and less wind across the deck while you are up there working. The disadvantage is that you may have to let the boom waaaay out to unload the mainsail. Then you have the danger of a swinging boom coming across and knocking you off the deck. And you have a lot more sheet to pull in when bringing it back in. Regardless, all considered, I prefer heaving-to, slowing the boat to a near stop before going forward to reef. I am basically a coward, and find working up on deck more comfortable when hove-to.

[Bob Ohler]

Excellent technique. I have used it!

rbo

[Ron Churgin]

Cathy,

Great description of this technique, it couldn't have been clearer.

My question is will this technique work as well, in reverse, for shaking out a reef?

I have gotten in trouble trying to release a reef while sailing and finding the pressure on the main keeps me from being able to lower it to release the cringle and then raise it to its full height.

I am guessing releasing the tension on the main sheet and letting the sail luff will help and avoid me having to heave to.