What is this large pin at the gooseneck?

[billgewater]

Well. No one thinks much of roller reefing apparently.
But maybe it is still useable as a sail stowage system when the sail is not in use for a long period. Saves stowing the sail under deck. Looking at headsails, it is rare to see a boat that does not store the headsail on a rolling furler system . However the fact that it appears corroded internally and not operational tells it all - the past owner gave up on it.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by billgewater

Well. No one thinks much of roller reefing apparently.
But maybe it is still useable as a sail stowage system when the sail is not in use for a long period. Saves stowing the sail under deck. Looking at headsails, it is rare to see a boat that does not store the headsail on a rolling furler system . However the fact that it appears corroded internally and not operational tells it all - the past owner gave up on it.

Stowing sails on that thing is useless as well. Rolling the sail around the boom is not fast, nor neat. I ended up with skinned knuckles on my Pearson vanguard from the bronze sail slides balling up in the same spot that you’re trying to turn the crappy crank handle.

[SparkyDorado]

Did you find one of these stowed away on your boat?

[dfelsent]

Originally Posted by SparkyDorado

Did you find one of these stowed away on your boat?

Please. I like to sleep without my childhood nightmares. That was the last time I saw one of those sail destroyers. [emoji1]

[MartinR]

Originally Posted by roverhi

The old form of roller reefing is not inboom roller reefing. That relatively new invention solves the problems of the old roller reefing for everything except cost, added mechanical complexity, finicky boom positoning and still requires to go to the mast to reef.

The difference is very small. I have an in-boom system on my mizzen, and the problems are exactly the same. The sail gets baggy, you have to keep the boom in the correct position. It makes no diffenence to the sail shape if you roll the sail around a cylinder/profile in the boom or around the boom itself. A little maybe, as the sail comes up through a slot in the boom on the modern systems.

Slab reefing is much better. No doubt about it.

But this is a fibre classic with a classic fitting and I would try it and see if it works for you. For me these systems have worked reasonably well. You need to learn how to use them. Last boat had a roller boom 30' long For storage these do not work well.

[Don C L]

If you need the handle for it you can have mine

[Yoty]

Knew one from the time of child to boy to man. Awful contraption !
However, a classic contraption. One on our yacht; retired.
When sailing and a slab required, we lowered the main and boom end to a side deck. Hooked on at the gooseneck and with leech tied on, outhauled, up n away.
SAFE and easy-ish to hook a slab in situ, double check, up with main and off we went. No wurries having a boom length of rag flapping, its going nowhere.
Many times we didn't have the luxury of rolling up the slab and looking ship-shape. The relief of pulling a metre or two outa the main from the cockpit meant ALL SAFE and tea stayed in our cups !
Halcyon sailing days back then. Mum stayed home...willingly !