[C320-list] Single Line Reefing

[John Van Vessem]

Jeff,
 
I have to disagree that the cringle has to be tight down on the boom.  I reef quite often and always pull the reef so that there is about a 2 to 3 inch space between the cringle and the boom.  Just enough room to prevent the sail from getting pinched.
 
John Van Vessem
Sojourn 645
Vallejo Yacht Club 


----- Original Message ----
From: Irv Grunes <igrunes at comcast.net>
To: C320-List <C320-List at catalina320.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 7, 2006 10:11:36 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Single Line Reefing


Jeff,

I think that I solved the reefed clew getting loose from the boom problem.

It does however try to crush the sail under it.

If you run the reefing line from the end of the boom along the port side the
boom, have someone hold it there just beyond the hole in the sail to tie off
the reefing line, then run it up through the leech reefing  cringle, back
down on the sail stbd side, through the hole in the sail at the boom, and
capture the piece coming from the boom end, then under the boom to tie a
tight bowline with the line coming down on the stbd side on the boom. That
then captures the reefing line from the end of the boom in the bowline loop.

This being done, when its time to reef, and you pull the reefing line down
tight, the cringle will be right up against the bowline and then pulled back
to the boom end like an outhaul.
As I said, this does crush that portion of the sail under the cringle, but
that cringle is tight to the boom.  Which is what you want when reefing.

Hope this makes sense.
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 Jeffrey Hare
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 3:17 PM
To: 'C320-List'
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Single Line Reefing


Hi Irv,

I see that the reefing on your boat was "custom" rigged.  To be fair, the
factory defined reefing arrangement doesn't work well either, so whoever
rigged your boat tried to improve on it, and maybe didn't succeed.

I found that the factory way of rigging the reefing line on my boat (#809)
had at least two big problems:

1) The cringle wanted to poke holes in the part of the sail flaked on the
boom below.  Had to be *very* careful how far I let the main down.  Meaning
that I had to still play with the main halyard and the reefing line to make
things "play nice".  So, in my opinion, it's still "2-line reefing..." not
really single line reefing...

2) Pulling the reefing line from the cockpit tended to pull the reefing
cringle down tight against the boom and still leave the clew too loose the
friction was a lot to blame here.  I could never really get the Clew down
tight.  As a result I had terrible baggy sail shape when reefed to the point
where it sailed ... well, like a Hunter... :)

Traditional Reefing hook on the Boom arrangements are really much better for
keeping the Luff tight because the Main Halyard controls the luff tension
and the Reefing line controls the Clew tension.

But comes with the problem of having to go on-deck.  So, finding a way to
eliminate going on deck, but keeping the sail shape benefits would be good.

I wonder if some arrangement of a cheek block mounted on the side of the
boom would help somehow.  I have to find a mooring to hang on for a while so
I can play around with ways of rigging this.

Gotta think about this some more.

-Jeff


-----Original Message-----
From: Irv Grunes [mailto:igrunes at comcast.net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 1:07 PM
To: C320-List
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Single Line Reefing

Islse of Wight, a 2001, #851 came with a port side reefing line from the
cockpit line stopper to the block at the base of the mast. then into the
mast end of the boom, then to the end of the boom, then to the leech
cringle, and then tied off to the boom with a bowline.

The luff  was to be reefed with the hook led from the stbd cockpit stopper.
That hook was to be placed in either the reefing cringle to reef or into the
cunningham cringle for sail trim.

Reefing was then a two line process, that required going on deck to the mast
to put the reefing hook into the reefing cringle, then when dropping the
sail, we would take up on both the port and stbd reefing lines using the
winches for final seatng of the lines. Then of course raising the main head.

We had a couple of days on Middle River, Chesapeake Bay, a few weeks ago
that the wind was 20 to 25 knots and gusting to 30.  I reefed before I went
out, but it would have been scary to have to do it in that weather.

Irv Grunes
Isle of Wight #851