What Mainsail Reefing Equipment Is the Best ?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

Another consideration is the amount of dead weight up high as you reef.

?

The weight is up there all the time - while you sail - so why is it a concern when you are reefed?

Or is your comment multihull-specific?

b.

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

?

The weight is up there all the time - while you sail - so why is it a concern when you are reefed?

Or is your comment multihull-specific?

b.

When sailing with full sail all of the weight is working for you. As you reef with slab reefing or in boom furlers the dead weight of the sail no longer supplying drive is stored down low on the boom. With mast furling the weight is stored in the mast, some of it up high where it may increase pitching, as well as heeling on a mono and rig strain on a multi. I haven't done the math and maybe these forces would not be significant, but something to consider.

Mike

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

When sailing with full sail all of the weight is working for you. As you reef with slab reefing or in boom furlers the dead weight of the sail no longer supplying drive is stored down low on the boom. With mast furling the weight is stored in the mast, some of it up high where it may increase pitching, as well as heeling on a mono and rig strain on a multi. I haven't done the math and maybe these forces would not be significant, but something to consider.

Mike

OK. I think I can see your line of thinking.

I would agree that on a multi the extra weight up the rig adds nothing towards the boat's properties.

But, actually, on a mono, the weight up in the rig should add to lessening the roll acceleration, thus adding to the boat's resistance to being rolled by the confused seas. Vide the situation of a dismasted mono (hurrah - zero weight in the rig! - but, wait: that's exactly what you do not want).

We must also observe that as you divide the triangle of the main into sub-areas, then only a quarter of the sail's area (and less than a corresponding amt of sail's weight) will be distributed over the top half of the mast. Thus the extra weight up in rig, though existent and possibly critical in some sailing applications (say: racing) seems to actually add to the way most cruising mono-hulls are (designed and sailed).

Just ideas, not fixed views.

Hugs,
b.

[DaveOnCudjoe]

My Sea Pearl came with roller mast reefing which I didn't care for and changed to slab. A tender boat, I reefed early and often but mast reefing moved the center of effort forward and adversely affected windward performance, not to mention adding lee helm. Dave

[Drdean]

If you cruise, do not consider Furlboom nor Leisure Furl. Maybe Schaefer's system would be OK, but I suggest single line reefing with Stack Pack (or equivalent).

Furlboom and Leisure Furl are very close to the same designs. Both have problems with luff tape wear and high friction, difficult control of luff rollup position and tightness, and jamming of luff in the plastic mast slot. The latter easily occurs in high winds and seas, when stress on the sail cannot be minimized enough to avoid too high load and friction on the luff rope/tape. Also, in heavy weather both systems are difficult or impossible to operate because controlling the right tension on the halyard during reefing or furling while being tossed around in the cockpit is very difficult, causing jamming of the luffrope and/or luff rollup becoming to far aft (rolls too large to fit inside the boom) or forward (jams against the mast). Neither of these should be considered for coastal or offshore cruising!

If an inboom seems attractive, then choose Schaefer, even though it looks too big.

[david samuelson]

If I get hit by a sudden squall I put in a fisherman's reef. Doesn't work going dead downwing though. Easy to shake out when the squall goes by.

[Cotemar]

I went with the Reef 1 Single Line Jiffy Reef from the cock pit.
Very fast and easy to do.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post692781

Mark

[Jeannius]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

I went with the Reef 1 Single Line Jiffy Reef from the cock pit.
Very fast and easy to do.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post692781

Mark

I have exactly the same. Works wonderfully and is relatively simple and cheap to arrange.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by spiritcat

I have never had it happen before either. I have 14 and 12mm double braid, 14 for the first reef and 12 for the second and third. Broken the first and second after they have been in use for 4 - 6 hours, but not the third as it has onl been used for a very short time.

Peter

As I said, I have 8mm spectra, and no problems. Maybe you need to switch to spectra for the reefing lines.

[dandins]

If your cruising a multi hull you want to reef early and easily.
My personal favorite is a roller furling boom. You can roll in the sail untill the boat slows down to hull speed and take the pressure off the rigging and hulls.
I've made a few of the myself (custom) and use several manufactured ones.
The custom one I saw on a 85'Hussman in BVI that was electric hydraulic would top my list.