• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

Thoughts on reefing

mherrcat

Contributing Partner
I am in the process of refurbishing my boom and am rethinking the reefing system.

Originally there were two 2ft sections of T-track on each side of the end of the boom for the internal reefing lines to go up to the reef clew and back down to a track car where they are secured. I have seen systems where the lines come down and are simply tied around the boom.

I need to fill in some low spots where corrosion was removed from around the original mounting holes for the T-track and was thinking it might be simpler to just leave the track off and go with the tie method; seems like it would accomplish the same thing.

Looking for pros and cons to either system.
 
Last edited:

Mindscape

Member III
I've also got a loose footed main and have been using the loop around the boom for a few years. No problems so far although as mentioned by John they can get slightly out of position, no big deal to move them tho. This has eliminated the track at the end of the boom for me.
 

mherrcat

Contributing Partner
My mainsail is not loose-footed, but it has plastic slides (like the luff) every 18 inches. I'm guessing the loops could be positioned between the slides until I can spring for a new loose-footed main...
 

Seth

Sustaining Partner
Yes, you can!

Get it? But seriously..
No problem tying the reef line around the boom in between those foot slides-or you can cut a slit in the foot reinforcement (a 6" tape folded over the foot, through which the grommets for the slides are punched)-about 6" long (3-4" on either side of directly below the reef clew), and pass the reef line through the slit and around the boom.

Use a hot knife and you should be fine-or if you like you can have your sailmaker make a leather or webbing cover for the slit during the off season.
Hey Loren-can you post a picture?:)

This provides the self-adjusting benefits of the system with minimal modifications to the hardware...

Cheers,
S
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Seth,
Our prior boat, sold in the fall of '93, did indeed have two slots cut in the bottom of the main for the two reefs. We made this modification after consulting with a sailmaker and reading about this idea in a magazine as I seem to remember.
The present main is loose footed and we do the loose-line-with-a-bowline in it.

No pics, unfortunately.

Further, the reef line is not actually "tied" around the boom. It goes from the end sheave up to the reef cringle, through it, down around the boom, and finally ends in a small bowline around the part going up toward the cringle.

Loren
 
Last edited:

mherrcat

Contributing Partner
I'm not sure I follow exactly what you are describing.

It's a horizontal cut in the foot of the sail, extending 3 to 4 inches to either side of a point directly below the reefing clew? (That would make it a 6 to 8-inch wide slit, correct?) And if I don't have a sailmaker make the cut and reinforce it, how do I keep it from continuing to rip right across the bottom of the sail until it stops at a slide/grommet?
 

sailor11767

Member II
The load on the cloth at the foot is exceedingly low. Many mains that aren't loose footed have a "shelf" built in so that the sail can sag off like a loose footed main, and then there is NO load on the cloth. The high loads are tension along the foot, which isn't affected by the slit, and vertical loads at the tack (for luff shape) and the clew (for leach control) and not much in between. When you are under sail sometime (sometime soon, I hope!:egrin:)r reach up and try and gather a pucker in the cloth at the foot, and you'll see how little load there is.

Harry
Wannabe Ericson 35/II owner.
** So much hooked on the E35/II that I let my G/F talk me out of even going to look at a 1980 Cal 39 that sounds like she's in good condition, and going for under $20K.
 

Seth

Sustaining Partner
Hi Again

Loren has again improved on my writing-his description of how the reef line is tied off is much more accurate.

As far the the last 2 posts-yes, the loads are extremely low, and provided the slit is long enough there will be no "tearing" in either direction once the reef lines are tight and have self-adjusted, so there is no need to rush for the reinforcement. 6"-8" total length should be plenty..

Make sense?

:egrin:
 
Top