One thing I don't recall seeing posted is what I did first in Joy, now in Rejoyce!, is to "lower the boom." (Like Clancy, the Irishman when his dander got up . . . ) With ample space between the usual location of the foot of the sail a foot and a half or so above it's lowest possible point, I just slack the main halyard and haul the boom downhaul until it is almost touching the hatch slide, then snug the halyard again. That lowers the center of effort considerably, but leaves the full drive of the mainsail intact. I sometimes do that before putting in a reef, quicker and easier on a tired old body! Try it -- you'll like it! .--.-. | ( ( )__ \ _ / (_, \ ) ,_) | -== (_) ==- -'--`--' /|\ / \ / | \ | ^^ / | \ / | \ ^^ /361| \ / | \ / | \ ^^ / | \ ___/____| \ ______|_ \ ___ _______/ ==== \___\___/ | “MONTGOMERY 15” / ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~^~~^=~^~~-=~^~^~=~^~=~~^~= ~^~=~~^=~^~~^~^=~^~-~^~~^~= ^~=~^~=~~^~~=~~=~^~=~~^~~^~^^ John Butler - First M15 was #264