[C320-list] Threading the second reefing line

[Allan S Field]

I am going to take a stab at verbally describing what I finally wound up
with on Sea Shadow once the second reefing line was put in.

Look at where the boom vang attaches to the mast.  There is a very large pin
that holds the vang to the mast connection.  Through the top part of the
pin, I installed a double block and lashed it to the mast with a piece of
line to keep it from falling over.

First Reef Line - The aft end of the line is tied off around the boom.  It
goes up through the first reef clew cringle, back down to the end of the
boom, goes through the boom and when it exits the forward end of the boom,
goes DOWN to the double block, goes through one side of the block, goes up
to the first reef tack cringle, comes back down to the block installed on
the mast base and comes back on the port side to the rope clutch.  I assume
that the line goes through a block inside the boom as described many times
previously on this list but I have never actually fooled with nor seen that
block.

Second Reef Line - Same description as the first reef line except that it
goes through the other side of the double block and comes back on the
starboard side to the rope clutch.  A rigger passed this line through the
boom for me so I don't know if it goes through a boom-block but don't
believe it does.

As for taking a reef, I can do this singlehand in less than 2 minutes and
closer to one minute.  When I need to take a reef, I come up close hauled (I
have a 155 genoa with a rope luff so that always gets reefed first) and let
the main all the way out until it is just luffing.  I am now sailing on the
genoa alone and the boat is stable with virtually no weather helm.  I let
the main halyard down to the desired reef point plus a few inches more, pull
the desired reef line in until taught, pull the halyard back up tight, pull
the main back over and continue sailing.  With a reefed genoa and
double-reefed main, I have been able to keep both sails up to  40 knots
apparent in Chesapeake Bay storms.  When it gets over 40, I furl the genoa
completely and continue on the main until I can get either get it down or
start motor-sailing with it still up.   Fortunately, I have never seen
greater than 45 knots while sailing with the main still up so am not sure
what the upper limit of carrying the main alone is on the Bay.  I have seen
greater than 45 knots while motoring through a storm with all sails down but
each time, have had enough room to run with the storm and let it blow over
me.  Bay storms generally don't howl for more than 30 minutes tops although
there are a few exceptions.

Hope this helps!

Allan S. Field
Sea Shadow - #808
Columbia, MD

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Graeme Clark
Sent: Friday, September 20, 2013 7:43 PM
To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Threading the second reefing line

Firstly I am aware that there are some articles on this and diagrams within
the website but I believe they don't quite address the specific problem I
have!

For clarity this does NOT relate to the first reef which utilises the
travelling block within the boom; this is the second reef.

On our 320 this travels from the cockpit, through a block,** up through the
reefing cringle (eye) in the sail, back down to another block at the mast
base,** up to a pulley at the mast end of the boom, along the boom to the
aft  end, around another pulley up to the aft reefing cringle, through that
and back down to be tied off around the boom.

The critical part of the routing I am unsure of is the bit between the **
asterisks above!

We have found that if the line is routed so both parts (i.e. leading up to
and down from the mast-end cringle) are to the starboard side of the boom,
then when attempting to reef and tighten things up so that the aft cringle
is tensioned towards the aft end of the boom (so that sail foot isn't too
baggy and full) what actually happens is that - because of the friction in
the setup) the (forward) cringle just gets pulled down , well below the
level of the boom -  towards the deck (sort of like a Cunningham!).  Yes,
you get a nice tight luff but no tension at the back of the sail so a very
full and baggy sail which probably isn't what you want if the wind was
strong enough to need two reefs!

So we then tried moving it so the line routes up from the deck on the
starboard side of the boom, through the forward cringle and down the port
side of the boom.  The problem now is that tensioning the line pulls it up
hard against the edge of the casting that connects the boom to mast and
across the battens and slides and basically the line chafes!

Even like this the friction is still huge and makes any meaningful attempt
at using the reefing line like an outhaul, pretty useless! We have tried
other routings to no avail!

is there another way - what do others do?

I hope the above explanation is capable of being followed  - I wish we could
post pics to this list!

Thanks

Graeme
#306, 1996.