I'm not seeing any photo at all...in mail or as attachment...? John On 11/17/2018 10:00 AM, Steve Trapp wrote:
Do you have another photo in which you do not block the view of the mastgate? Steve M-15 # 335
-----Original Message----- From: Gary Oberbeck via montgomery_boats Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2018 7:00 AM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Subject: Re: M_Boats: mastgatr (was Re: Reefing (was Re: 15M v 17M)
John, The tackle used for cunningham/reef is a small Harken block set (40mm?) that has a camcleat on the lower block (attached to the mast step organizer plate) - release cleat, pull the hook out of cunni. cringle - move it up to the reef cringle- use one hand. Easy. I really like 'easy'! I have never had good luck with reef hooks - they seem to allow the cringle to fall off the hook as you are tensioning the halyard - like a clock! Two lines as OEM are fine but they would bind and are of small diameter - not really strong and quick to engage if the sail is loaded up. But they were fine and present which is more than many small boats of the class. The cunni/reef tackle is attached at the starboard side of the mast organizer plate ahead of the sail slot such that it pulls forward and down - a good lead for both purposes. Photo of "Excellent crew" and great friend Craig Painter - shows the hook and pennant at the cunni. cringle - (both tack and cunningham cringles get tied around the mast to keep the boltrope from point loading -tear-out! Use small diameter dyneema or similar - tied around spar at cringles - it slides on mast and prevents the sail -slug or boltrope - from pulling out when halyard is released) Sorry, not great photo of anything there - yellow line on top of boom is aft reefline -(not reeved at photo as it was a 'light' weekend of racing) Matching cleat at bottom of boom is outhaul. Have fUn, go sailing!GO
-----Original Message----- From: John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net> To: montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Fri, Nov 16, 2018 10:26 pm Subject: Re: M_Boats: mastgatr (was Re: Reefing (was Re: 15M v 17M)
Thanks GO...I like the cunningham/reef tackle idea. You need to slack the line and move the hook to next reef point. how much of a hassle do you find that, vs. having two reef lines & cleats in place (OEM setup)?
Can second the value of a little silicone spray (pure silicone stuff only, NOT petroleum-laced!!!) in the track. Partly from my M17, which has slugs (came that way...) and even a half-hearted bit of spraying made for smoother raising.
Even more so from a friend's Corsair 31, which has a boltrope luff and an 'effing huge tall mast and (relative to ours at least) enormous mainsail...he was often there with spray can as we raised the main, spraying as it went into the slot (it's a loooooong way to the top on one of those puppies...thank Dog for low gear on the winch...).
cheers, john
On 11/16/2018 09:43 AM, Gary Oberbeck via montgomery_boats wrote:
Reefing -approaches to problems on small trailerable boats. I see so many people have this as a concern and it comes up almost annually - so my unsolicited response follows: The operation of the boat needs to be dead nuts simple (where possible) AND reliable in 'freak-out' conditions. I HATE drilling holes in any parts of my boats or attaching additional gee gaws. I dislike them SO much so I will walk away from a potential used boat to purchase if it is even remotely 'riddled with holes' - and those bulkhead compass holes/thru deck bilge pumps/hawse pipes - YEOWWW! Enough of my mental /social defects......back to reefing. There are no slugs on the mainsail, a fixed gooseneck and use a 4:1 stand alone tackle with reef hook attached to the mast step area organizer for forward reef (serves duty as cunningham when not used for reef) - No problems at all. Easy and fast as is now required with advancing age and declining strength of yours truly.
Aft reef line is internal at boom - terminating approx. 14" from gooseneck - cleat facing aft. (pull reef towrds yourself as I am in companionway while reefing) Just for giggles, someday when you are bored - remove the slugs from your mainsail and clean your sail slot (full length of the slot and use SailCote to lubricate slot and boltrope) then try reefing in 'non-emergency conditions' - you will be surprised. (This clean/lube is typically a once a year maintenance item on 'Tiny Purple Fishes') PS - my mainsail 'falls down' when the halyard is released fast enough to startle. 99+% of the time hoists as fast as I can haul - unless the operator does something less than stylish. No binding slugs. This makes reefing quick and 'clean'. FWIW - back in my MIP days - I made good money installing slugs on new boat mainsails - and selling replacement slugs, and mast gates, and sail slug stops. Decided they really didn't work based on value/performance. The easier it is - the safer/faster/more likely to get used and perform it's function. K.I.S.S ailor! WARNING - DO NOT get dry film teflon lubricant anywhere you want secure footing! Mask if needed to prevent overspray. Give it a shot -Take Care, Have fUn, go sailing! GO
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com