Single Line Reefing
To all, Thanks for this info. We made the C380 change only using 1 inch Stainless Steel triangle loops of 3/16 wire, instead of circular loops.
Our Material list was:
2 each Harken 40 mm Carbo Air Blocks w/shackle, Harken 2636, WM 200126 @
$21.99 each 2 each-1 inch triangle loops of 3/16 wire,Seafit Hardware C-0139-T525-W, WM 534248 @ $10.99 ea
As for installation, first look at the port side reefing line where it enters the boom at the mast.
It usually comes up from the block at the base of the mast and should go over a sheave at the boom to the end of the boom. Then you have to make a choice of either re-reaving the reefing line so it comes under the sheave to go up to the block on the luff, OR putting another block at the bases of the mast so it will go down, as the sheave wants it to go, and then come up to the luff block then down again to another block you will have to add at the base of the mast.
On our boat the line was under the sheave and so we just lead it up to the luff block and back down to the mast base block and back to the cockpit.
The rest was just like the C380 article.
The real advantage of the 1 inch triangle loop was the way it fits so nicely through each reef cringle to the air block shackle.
Irv Grunes
Jeff,
The Reefing line on Selkie all runs on the port side, including the blocks in the sail reefing cringles. That lets the reefed part of the saill fall to starboard, avoiding the "crunch" problem. The line runs straight through the boom, no shuttle block.
If anyone wants a turn by turn description, let me know, and I'll try to draw up a sketch.
Walter.
Selkie #887
Jeffrey Hare <catalina@thehares.com> wrote:
Hi All,
I guess one point MFEMFE (and others) make is worth emphasizing. When Walter mentions dropping the main to a predefined point, marked on the halyard, this is a *really* important step. Dropping it too far before hauling in the reefing line makes it really easy to damage the sail, adds a huge amount of extra friction and the sail won't really reef acceptably.
I used to make the mistake of easing the main halyard too far, hauling in the reefing line, then trying to tighten the main halyard to tighten up the luff of the sail.. Try not to do that. You really want to ease the main halyard until the Reefing cringle is roughly ?6"? above the boom and lock it in place. THEN start hauling in the reefing line. This keeps the reefing line and cringle from pinching the flaked sale against the boom. The luff will be automatically tightend simply by this process.
My comment about adding a cheek block near the end of the boom was since the angle the reefing line pulls on the clew of my sail tends to want to over-tighten the foot but leaves the leach floppy loose, leading to the
awful sail shape I mentioned. I thought some block out there could let me optimize that angle of pull. Still gotta think about that though...
I really plan to do the C380 MFEMFE did.
ONE QUESTION for MFEMFE: How do YOU run your reefing line?
-Jeff
Allan,
I suppose a sacrificial wear patch under the blocks is the ideal solution, but I'm into my third season and as yet see no signs of wear on the sail. Perhaps it's the blocks I used (a couple of old Garhaurer's I had on hand)
which tend to stand off the sail.
In my case, the friction reduction was a lot more than "marginal". More like half the effort. It goes to show, what works for you, works for you.
Walter
Selkie #887
Allan Field wrote:
Walter - I assume that what you are describing is that you are mounting blocks from the cringles (the new tacks when the sail is reefed). I did this also and discovered that over time, the blocks wore holes in the sail
where the furled sail was rubbing against a block. The blocks are now gone and patches are now where there once were blocks. I agree that reefing was marginally more smooth but not worth the wear and tear on the sail.
Allan S. Field
Sea Shadow - #808
All,
Catalina (or maybe the delivering dealer) has rigged the single line reefing a number of different ways over the years. Being a compulsive jury rigger, I've rigged Selkie at least three different ways, including with the
boom shuttle block and without it.
I've finally settled on the "C380 article" rig with the single blocks in the reefing cringles and I can unequivocally opine that method is the easiest reefing with the least friction of any way that I've tried. Reefing is now easy to perform under way by simply spilling the pressure from the main, dropping the halyard to a predetermined point and taking in the reef line by hand. I don't even need the winch. The friction reduction of running the line through the blocks instead of the cringles is almost unbelieveable.
Walter
Selkie #887
Scott Thompson wrote:
Dave: Yours is just like my '99 boat except that line 1 does not end at the upper cringle. Instead it goes through this cringle (port to starboard) and then back down to be tied off at a padeye on the starboard side of the mast, just below the gooseneck. This additional part doubles the purchase on the luff, while adding a small amount of friction. The padeye also keeps the luff cringle close to the mast once you pull it down, which relieves stress on the sail slides near the reefing cringle.
The advantage of this system over other single line systems that only use one piece of line is that you don't have to pull as much line through the forward cringle when you reef. So it has less friction than other single line systems that really use only one piece of line. This means it doesn't require the blocks on the sail that everyone else is talking about. It would work even better if the double block inside the boom were higher quality. But it works well for me and so I haven't bothered to change it.
Another advantage of this system is that you don't have as much unrigging to do if you want to remove the mainsail. Just untie the forward and aft lines separately and remove from the cringles.
The system is NOT the same as what is pictured in the manual for my '99 boat, which is a bizarre system that does not have the reduced friction advantages I described above.
OK, now someone will say that they think the block inside the boom is to add purchase. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It doesn't. But it does reduce the overall friction in the system, IF it's rigged as described above. It's
almost useless if you rig it the way the manual suggests.
Dave Anderer wrote:
> Ok, now I'm more confused than usual. My rig - which I assumed to be original - is significantly different than what is described in this article.
>
> I've got one set of reef points, and a single-line system, but with 2 lines.
>
> Line one goes from the port clutches up to the gooseneck, in the boom, around a double-pulley in the boom, back out the gooseneck, down to a block mounted on the mast (where the vang is mounted to the mast), then up through a cringle on the luff, and through a 2nd (higher) cringle on the luff where it is knotted.
>
> Line 2 is secured at the outboard end of the boom, run inside the boom to the double-pulley, and back out the end of the boom to a cringle on the leech where it is knotted.
>
> Was that the factory-rigging on a '99? Seems awfully convoluted. The modified 380 scheme seems significantly better.
>
> [Ah ha! Here is the rig I have: http://www.catalina320.org/gallery/Alternative-Route/IMG_0226 Was that
> how it came from the factory - I'm guessing not based on the comments with this image.]
Another approach that solves the friction problem is to make the main "semi" singleline reefing. I got sick of the length of line and friction of the twists and turns with the standard setup. I removed the line from the "tack" portion of the sail,reeved it through the block at the front of the boom, and ran it back to a jammer. I took a short length of line, tied it to the tack shackle on the boom, went up through the 1st reef cringle, and down to the 8 inch cleat on the mast.
To reef,you simply pull in the reef line through the boom. This pulls the cringle down to the boom. I then step from the cockpit to the mast, pull in the tack line( there is very little wind force on this line), and cleat it to the cleat on the mast. Total time out of the cockpit, 30 seconds to a minute. Back sailing!!
This worked very well, but this year I added Harken 2" block to the roach cringle with a snap shackle. This is attached through the cringle with 2 heavy duty rings webbed together. Another length of line went at the mast and now if I need to, I unshackle the roach end from the 1st reef and move it up to the 2nd. Repeat the process at the mast. I have yet to need the 2nd, but it's an easy switch(in practice).
Tim Grennan
Jeff Church <jjemail@comcast.net> wrote:
Dave,
Your reef line is rigged similarly to my 1998 boat which is what I drew and posted on the 320 site. One exception is the first luff cringle. If you have one set of reef points, that first cringle must be about a foot above the boom and would be used for a cunningham. My line does not pass through it. Doing so might help to keep the lines a little neater, but might also add friction to the system. Your line is tied at the second cringle. So is mine. An alternative is for the line to pass through that cringle and back down to
the boom where it would be tied off at the tack. Rigging the line through the cringle and back down it will provide more purchase but I think the trade of is more friction unless there is a small block at that cringle as
on the 380 site.
Your line 2 is not led correctly. You want that line to pull the sail back AND DOWN. The line should run up and through the leach cringle and back down to the boom at a point slightly behind where the cringle will be when reefed. At that point the sail should have a grommet or a slit in the foot tape just above the boom. The line passes through that hole and ties around the boom.
JeffC