Reefing problems

[Clem Freeman]

I've seen several posts where people have concerns about reefing regarding dropping the yard etc. Is there any reason you couldn't use a luff groove track on the yard with appropriate pulley so you could leave the yard up and lower the mainsail as you would on a one piece mast?

[steve jones]

Hello Clem,

 How are things?, I have incorporated ,within my wind surfer yard a wooden pole, the idea being to at some future date to fit a channel of about 1.5m long. The peak halyard would be attatched to a 'car' that slides up and down the channel( stopped at either end).
The throat halyard is attatched to the jaws.
The effect will be to adjust the yard height , yet maintain it close to the mast.
I have this system fitted to a Tideway and it works very well.
 However the system I have used, just to get on the water, works so well that I don't think I'll revert.
All the best

Steve Jones BR17 Nona Me

[Clem Freeman]

Steve,

All ok thanks,getting more used to her now. would be nice to get decent weather and tides at the same time. Back on topic, hadn't thought of putting the yard on a track, would save it waving around on the way up and down.


Clem

[gerald turner]

Clem ,

I have a Mag article about that, with piccies! unfotunately there is a missing page, maybe one of fellow Club members have a copy of the DCA mag for you to read, might even be the same boat Steve writes about , maybe even Steve wrote said article!

[Simon Knight]

I'm also thinking of ways to improve the reefing experience.  There seem to be several approaches that may be employed:

1) Add a second halyard attached to the gaff at the reefing point and accept that this will be lifted above the top of the mast when full sail is being used.  The advantage is that it is simple to implement but the disadvantage could be that the second string will get tangled withe the mast.

2) Add either a track or a wire to the gaff and attache the halyard to this making it a peak halyard.  Then fit a new throat halyard to hoist the gaff from near the jaws.  More complex to implement and not sure if any more effective than option 1.

3) Fix a rope and bead strop, as high as possible, onto the gaff  to go around the mast with one end led from the gaff down the mast to a cleat.  When tightened this "should" pull the gaff to the mast.  To reef slacked this off, lower the gaff to the correct position and then pull the gaff back to the mast.  The gaff is kept near the vertical at all times.

I think the key to reefing is discovering the best way to heave-to.  Any ideas?

Simon

[Graham W]

I would also be interested to hear of anyone who has perfected the heaving to technique in a BR.  I can do it to the extent that the boat lies quietly but it is still moving at 1.5 - 2 knots in an F3/4.

The three most important modifications that have helped me streamline my reefing procedure have been:
1.  A double topping lift, which captures the yard just where you need it when putting in (or taking out) a reef
2.  Wichard hooks on the downhaul and outhaul, so that the reefing adjustments on these two points can be effected quickly.  I also have a line permanently attached to the outhaul hook to tie around the sprit boom so that the mainsail leech is more anchored when reefed (otherwise it rides up)
3.  Claus's suggestion from some time ago of passing the halyard through a hole in the yard in the unreefed position and then using permanently installed lines on the yard to tie the halyard to the yard at the two halyard reefing points

[Colin Morley]

Thank you Graham.
I have a topping lift which I could not do without because it holds the boom and gaff horizontal when the sail is not in use and keeps it out of the cockpit. However, I like the idea of a double topping lift to also catch the gaff as it is lowered - brilliant idea - I wish i had thought of that.

I dont understand what you are doing with the Wichard hooks. Please can you describe this in more detail or/and send some pictures. I just fix the downhaul of the lowest cringle and this seems to work quiet well. I also fix the outhaul to the appropriate cringle there. I have an extra reefing line to tie the ouhaul down to the boom. What advantages would your system have?

[Graham W]

What advantages would your system have?

Hi Colin,

I think double topping lifts were used on sailing barges of yore when two men and a boy had to keep control of the giant sails and spars as best they could.

Having hooks to attach to the outhaul and downhaul cringles (so that's what they're called!) is a lot quicker than untying and tying knots every time you want to change the reefing.  I can't do photos, I'm afraid, as I need a computer and mine is two thousand miles away.

[Simon Knight]

Graham,

I'm having trouble visualising this :
"3.  Claus's suggestion from some time ago of passing the halyard through a hole in the yard in the unreefed position and then using permanently installed lines on the yard to tie the halyard to the yard at the two halyard reefing points"

I don't understand how this helps please will you expand ?

Simon

[Graham W]

Simon,

See the post by Craic on 18 March http://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,519.msg3087.html#msg3087

To avoid having to refix the halyard when reefing, the wrap-around lines at the normal reefing points simply tie the halyard to the yard, thus raising the hoisting point.  When unreefing, untie the knot and the halyard is released. On 28 June 2011, Craic posted a photo of his high IMCS yard in the technical thread 'BayRaider modifications MkII'. The right hand yard in that post has the wrap-around lines.

These suggestions speed up and simplify the reefing process, especially important when solo.

Matt told me that the yard is now offering as an option on BR20's a BRe-style one piece carbon mainmast with fathead sail on a luff track.  Apparently this is very easy to reef.

[Rob Waller]

Yes, the BRe is incredibly easy to reef. There are permanent lines attached to eyes on the luff and leech edges of the sail: two sets for two reefing levels. You let out some halyard (Matt recommends marking the position), then pull down these lines and cleat them on the boom.

[Julian Swindell]

The same on the Baycruiser with conventional boom and Bermudan sail. I can reef in under a minute and shake out a reef in less. The advantage of easy reefing is that you happily reef whenever it makes sense. No need to hang on until long after you wished you had reefed. when the wind strengthens, you go faster with a reef than without.

[Graham W]

I reckon that it takes me about three minutes to reef with my conventional wooden mast and yard.  The whole process is significantly speeded up by using a double topping lift, which keeps everything tidy and at head height.

[Clem Freeman]

Thanks for all the replies,certainly given me lots to think about. It has occured to me that things would be a lot simpler if I made up a one piece main mast. I could leave this stepped whilst ther boat is at its home mooring and revert to the gunter rig when I travel. Would still have the reefing problems whilst away from home but would make life a lot easier for the majority of my sailing.