Keeping the Dog Bone on the Rams Horn....

[peaman]

No bull, and without horsing around, I need some advice for setting up a reef. I know how to cat the anchor, and to mouse a shackle, but I don't know how to keep the dog bone from dropping away from the rams horns before hoisting the main.

 

[Loren Beach]

I have seen boats with a short loop of bungee cord secured to an eye on the mast, above that point enough that you would have to stretch the loop down and over the horn - trapping the ss dog bone in the top of the 'horn'.

 

[Christian Williams]

Well, cam cleats. That is, if you like to raise sail from the mast, and then collect the halyard to winch later. The cam cleat allows precise control of halyard tension and dog-bone attachment.

In recent years, though, I've gone to reef tack downhauls, in which the dog bones have permanent lines led back. Permits one-person reefing from cockpit. But I still go to the mast for initial hoist, and use the cam cleat.

 

[jtsai]

I have seen boats with a short loop of bungee cord secured to an eye on the mast, above that point enough that you would have to stretch the loop down and over the horn - trapping the ss dog bone in the top of the 'horn'.

I store a bungee cord on the whisker pole ring just for this purpose. Pull it over to the horn to keep the dog bone from escaping.

 

[Frank Langer]

Or a short line tied on that whisker pole ring and then tied on the reef cringle when you have it positioned to hold it in place, also works. I don't like bungee cords clanking against the mast while it's resting, but that's just me being particular.
Frank

 

[southofvictor]

Well, cam cleats. That is, if you like to raise sail from the mast, and then collect the halyard to winch later. The cam cleat allows precise control of halyard tension and dog-bone attachment.

In recent years, though, I've gone to reef tack downhauls, in which the dog bones have permanent lines led back. Permits one-person reefing from cockpit. But I still go to the mast for initial hoist, and use the cam cleat.

The cam cleat method was a quick addition for us after reading Christian‘s original post on it. A little thing that makes a big difference! It‘s a big help for hoisting, too.

 

[peaman]

The cam cleat method was a quick addition for us after reading Christian‘s original post on it. A little thing that makes a big difference! It‘s a big help for hoisting, too.

Agreed. Instead of a cam cleat, I used a clamcleat, and it works great.