[C320-list] Clew Tension with Reef in Mainsail

[Guy Smith]

I had this problem also: I couldn't pull hard enough on the outhaul to flatten the Main. (Additionally, tensioning the luff correctly was also a problem.) With a 3:1 Outhaul system in the boom, there shouldn't have been a problem. 
After some thought and inspection and discussion with my Sailmaker  (Chuck at Chesapeake Sailmakers), we determined that the problem was a combination of the bolt rope in the Foot and Luff of the sail shrinking and the Dacron middle of the Main stretching over time. The Outhaul was pulling against the bolt rope, as was the Main Halyard on the Luff.
My Main is the original 1997 full battened and was in generally good shape. I discussed modifications with Chuck and I had him cut the bolt rope off the Foot to make the Main loose-footed taking the Foot bolt rope out of the equation. Chuck left both of the Dutchman flaking pockets on a short piece of bolt rope so I could slide the pockets on the boom to still use the Dutchman flaking. In addition, Chuck cut the Luff bolt rope which eased the Luff about 4 inches and then adjusted the length of the Luff sail material at the head plate about the same length so that I could get the proper stretch on the Luff. 
With these two changes, my Main can be shaped quite nicely! I also had Chuck put in a second Reef, just in case, but have not needed it so far on the Chesapeake. 
I don't remember the cost for this work but it wasn't more than a couple hundred. Better than coming up with the cash for a new Main! 
I do have to use a winch to pull on the Mainsheet to get enough tension on the Boom to get great shape in the Leach. On other boats I've sailed/raced with, the Mainsheet blocks were sufficient for the trimmer to tension the sheet by hand. With the Mainsheet Jam cleat on cabin, It's really hard to get enough tension and get the sheet into the cleat. I've been thinking about how I could add some blocks into the system so that the Mainsheet could be tended by hand.
Hope this helps!
Fair Winds to All!~g
Guy and Liz Smithsv Pleiades '97 C320 #452Worton Creek, MD

"It is remarkable how quickly a good and favorable wind  can sweep away the maddening frustrations of shore living."                                    - Ernest K. Gann


      From: Scott Thompson <surprise at thompson87.com>
 To: C320-List at Catalina320.com; c320-list at lists.catalina320.com 
 Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2016 8:56 PM
 Subject: Re: [C320-list] Clew Tension with Reef in Mainsail
   
I've noticed the same problem, most recently when sailing in a blow last 
weekend. I have the added eye on the underside of the boom but haven't 
tried tying the reef line end to it because it seems to be too far aft, 
and so using that as the end point for the reef would result in too much 
"outhaul" effect and perhaps not enough leech tension. But it occurred 
to me recently to try tying a short line from that eye to the loop of 
reef line going around the boom in order to keep the reef line a bit 
further aft than it naturally wants to be. I'm going to try this next 
time I sail in conditions demanding a reef.

The ideal solution would be to have an eye on a short piece of track on 
the side of the boom so that the position would be adjustable. I've used 
this arrangement on other boats. With this setup the reef line exits the 
boom and goes through the eye on the track, then through the reef 
cringle, then down and under the boom, ending with a bowline on the eye 
on the track. This keeps the angle of pull more or less even on both 
sides of the sail, and that angle is adjustable by moving the eye on the 
track.


On 9/18/2016 9:57 AM, David Cushman wrote:
> My reefing system for the main is rigged exactly as drawn in my 
> owner's manual with the lead clew reefing line passing through a 
> grommet hole in the mainsail and being tied around the boom. When 
> reefed, there does not seem to be enough outhaul tension(too much 
> draft in the reefed main) and the direction of the resulting outhaul 
> should be pulling further aft. I noticed at the rendezvous that some 
> owners have an additional eye beneath the boom at the aft end. Are 
> there any suggestions as to how to get more outhaul tension when 
> reefing the main by relocating the lead clew reef line position? Or 
> any other suggestions adding different boom hardware or without having 
> to add any hardware to the boom?
>
> Dave Cushman
>
> It Tips
>
> #628
>