[C320-list] FW: Re: Single Line Reefing

Thu Jun 8 17:06:17 PDT 2006

All,

  Catalina (or maybe the delivering dealer) has rigged the single line reefing a number of different ways over the years. Being a compulsive jury rigger, I've rigged Selkie at least three different ways, including with the boom shuttle block and without it. 

  I've finally settled on the "C380 article" rig with the single blocks in the reefing cringles and I can unequivocally opine that method is the easiest reefing with the least friction of any way that I've tried. Reefing is now easy to perform under way by simply spilling the pressure from the main, dropping the halyard to a predetermined point and taking in the reef line by hand. I don't even need the winch. The friction reduction of running the line through the blocks instead of the cringles is almost unbelieveable. 

  Walter 
  Selkie #887

Scott Thompson <sthompson at toad.net> wrote:
  Dave: Yours is just like my '99 boat except that line 1 does not end at 
the upper cringle. Instead it goes through this cringle (port to 
starboard) and then back down to be tied off at a padeye on the 
starboard side of the mast, just below the gooseneck. This additional 
part doubles the purchase on the luff, while adding a small amount of 
friction. The padeye also keeps the luff cringle close to the mast once 
you pull it down, which relieves stress on the sail slides near the 
reefing cringle.

The advantage of this system over other single line systems that only 
use one piece of line is that you don't have to pull as much line 
through the forward cringle when you reef. So it has less friction than 
other single line systems that really use only one piece of line. This 
means it doesn't require the blocks on the sail that everyone else is 
talking about. It would work even better if the double block inside the 
boom were higher quality. But it works well for me and so I haven't 
bothered to change it.

Another advantage of this system is that you don't have as much 
unrigging to do if you want to remove the mainsail. Just untie the 
forward and aft lines separately and remove from the cringles.

The system is NOT the same as what is pictured in the manual for my '99 
boat, which is a bizarre system that does not have the reduced friction 
advantages I described above.

OK, now someone will say that they think the block inside the boom is to 
add purchase. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It doesn't. But it does reduce the 
overall friction in the system, IF it's rigged as described above. It's 
almost useless if you rig it the way the manual suggests.

Dave Anderer wrote:
> Ok, now I'm more confused than usual. My rig - which I assumed to be 
> original - is significantly different than what is described in this 
> article.
> 
> I've got one set of reef points, and a single-line system, but with 2 
> lines.
> 
> Line one goes from the port clutches up to the gooseneck, in the boom, 
> around a double-pulley in the boom, back out the gooseneck, down to a 
> block mounted on the mast (where the vang is mounted to the mast), then 
> up through a cringle on the luff, and through a 2nd (higher) cringle on 
> the luff where it is knotted.
> 
> Line 2 is secured at the outboard end of the boom, run inside the boom 
> to the double-pulley, and back out the end of the boom to a cringle on 
> the leech where it is knotted.
> 
> Was that the factory-rigging on a '99? Seems awfully convoluted. The 
> modified 380 scheme seems significantly better.
> 
> [Ah ha! Here is the rig I have: 
> http://www.catalina320.com/gallery/Alternative-Route/IMG_0226 Was that 
> how it came from the factory - I'm guessing not based on the comments 
> with this image.]
> 
> 
> 
> Karl Mielenhausen _/) wrote:
>> Better yet, this article (and many other fine technical articles) are 
>> on the C380IA website....
>>
>> http://www.catalina380.org/article_display.asp?ID=114
>>
>>
>>
>> A nicely organized resource for us also!!!!
>>
>>
>>
>> Karl Mielenhausen
>>
>> 2000 C320 Hull#690 "Silver Lining"
>>
>> New Bern, NC
>>
>> http://members.cox.net/mielen/
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Walter burnett [mailto: selkie2003 at yahoo.com]
>>
>> To: C320-List at catalina320.com
>>
>> Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 13:56:05 -0700 (PDT)
>>
>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Single Line Reefing
>>
>>
>>
>> Irv,

The pulley idea originally came from a Mainsheet 
>> article in the C380 tech section a year or two ago. If you have the 
>> back issues, you should be able to find it. You rig the 320 reefing 
>> system excatly the same way. Works great.

Walter

>> Selkie #887

Irv Grunes wrote:

>> Stan,
Thanks for the reply. Again yours is an elegant solution and 
>> the fact that
everything is run through pulleys elimintes a lot of 
>> the friction.

If one would do the same to the leech luff, 
>> theneverything would be throgh
pulleys. Thats just a 
>> thought.

Did you do anything to the mainsail to protect it from 
>> any chafe by the
block working against it?
When the sail is down 
>> and furled, that block must just sit there and not
bother the sail 
>> cover.
As you can see I am trying to visualise any and all 
>> problems.
I realised that it will be necessary to change the 
>> reeving on the mast base
blocks so that the existing block will be 
>> the last block before the line
goes into the boom.
Irv 
>> Grunes
Isle of Wight #851

-----Original 
>> Message-----
From: 
>> C320-List-bounces at catalina320.com
[mailto:C320-List-bounces at catalina320.com]On 
>> Behalf Of Stanley
Rogacevicz
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 1:10 
>> PM
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Single 
>> Line Reefing

Irv,
I figured my explanation might come up 
>> short. The block stays with/at the
same level (well, maybe a couple 
>> inches below at most) as the reefing
cringle it replaced because 
>> the little line that passes through the
cringle/gromett is only 
>> long enough for attachment. When reefed the block
would end up in 
>> the boom area but since it is being pulled down by the block
at the 
>> mast base that's fine. My addition did involve switching a 
>> couple
block leads around.
I'm assuming as did a couple other 
>> posters that you already have a single
line reefing standard on 
>> your boat --- I did *-- I just wanted to reduce
the friction of the 
>> line passing through the reefing cringle by -
replacing - it with a 
>> block = less friction.
No... I don't remember the block I used. 
>> Many of my projects are simply
find what looks right and make it 
>> work.
Stan

>>> igrunes at comcast.net 6/7/2006 12:48 PM 
>> >>>
Thank you Stan.
I think its a very elegant way to mount that 
>> block.
If you can remember the block you used it would be 
>> appreciated.
Also, with the sail fully raised about where did the 
>> block finally rest?
Did the block rest on the sail or was it at or 
>> just above the boom?
How did you keep the block from flopping 
>> around or did the fact that the
reefing line was through the block, 
>> it kept it from flopping too much.

If I picture it correctly, 
>> there is about two feet from the sail tack to the
luff reefing 
>> cringle, then you would only need to have that two feet to pull
it 
>> down. I assume there was enough room below the boom to pull it 
>> down.
Thanks for the reply.

Irv Grunes
Isle of Wight 
>> #851

-----Original Message-----
From: 
>> C320-List-bounces at catalina320.com
[mailto:C320-List-bounces at catalina320.com]On 
>> Behalf Of Stanley
Rogacevicz
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 
>> 11:42 AM
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] 
>> Single Line Reefing

Irv,
I did it, but it's one of the 
>> very few things I never posted a
picture of and it's a bit hard to 
>> describe. I used a large SS washer
(too big to pass through the 
>> grommet) with a small hole on one side
attached to a small block on 
>> the other side of the sail grommet. I
passed a small line (about 
>> 3/16) through the washer, then through the
grommet, then through 
>> the body of the block, then back through the
grommet, back through 
>> the washer, and then tied the two ends together
with a big enough 
>> knot to keep it from passing through the washer. Not
very elegant, 
>> but by not using any sharp metal objects for connections
it didn't 
>> damage the sail and did the job.
Stan
(formerly) Christy 
>> Leigh
c320 #656
Wickford/Narragansett Bay RI

>>> 
>> igrunes at comcast.net 6/7/2006 11:17 AM >>>
Guys,
There was a 
>> thread a year or so back about single line reefing. I 
>> just
sent
the following to my boat partner.
Is there any 
>> album that shows what people used for the luff 
>> pulley
described
below and has anyone actually done this?.
I 
>> don't remember it right now, but there is supposed to be a way 
>> to
make
reefing a single line control by addig a pulley to the 
>> main luff
reefing
cringle. Then reeving the port side reefing 
>> line from the cockpit
stopper to
the deck mast pulley(where it 
>> now is), up through the new luff reefing
pulley, down to a new mast 
>> base pulley, into the boom then to the
leech
cringle as we now 
>> have it, then to tie off at the boom. The key being
a
pulley on 
>> a strap of some kind on the luff reefing cringle. The 
>> main
objection to this as I remember it, was all of the resistance 
>> that is
encountered by the lines going through all of the pulleys. 
>> This would
eliminate the need to go on deck in possible bad weather 
>> to reef the
main.
Irv Grunes
Isle of Wight 
>> #851

>> __________________________________________________
Do You 
>> Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection 
>> around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 

>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 
> 

 __________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 