Alan Gomes
Sustaining Partner
I use tack hooks, located port and starboard at the gooseneck, for securing my reefing tack. My sail is fitted with "dog bones," which pass through the sail's luff with rings on either side. These make it very easy to slip the reefing tack over the tack hook. Unfortunately, they also makes it very easy for the rings to shake loose and fall off before I can get back to the cockpit to put tension on the main halyard. (If my main halyard terminated at the mast this would not be an issue.)
My sailmaker suggested a "hack" to prevent this from happening. It consists of fashioning a small piece of shock cord with two small loops on either end (photo 1). I put one loop over the starboard hook (photo 2), passed it underneath the sail, and then hooked the other loop to the port hook (photo 3). (I suppose you could also pass the cord through the sail's tack cringle if there is room. It would work fine either way.)
When it comes time to reef, I just slide the loop off of the tack hook, set the ring in place, and then slide the loop back on (photo 4). This keeps the ring from flogging off while I make my way back to the cockpit to tension the luff.
My sailmaker suggested a "hack" to prevent this from happening. It consists of fashioning a small piece of shock cord with two small loops on either end (photo 1). I put one loop over the starboard hook (photo 2), passed it underneath the sail, and then hooked the other loop to the port hook (photo 3). (I suppose you could also pass the cord through the sail's tack cringle if there is room. It would work fine either way.)
When it comes time to reef, I just slide the loop off of the tack hook, set the ring in place, and then slide the loop back on (photo 4). This keeps the ring from flogging off while I make my way back to the cockpit to tension the luff.