Great job, John, Thanks. Sent from my iPad
On Jul 1, 2021, at 5:57 PM, John Schinnerer via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:
Another couple comments on details here...
I'm not sure why one would ever tighten the clew before the tack when reefing ("METHOD ONE" says to do it this way). Multiple problems can arise.
If you tighten the clew first you will be pulling the sail aft with slack in the luff and before the tack is secured and the luff re-tensioned. This puts tension aft-wards on the sail slugs or boltrope in the mast slot. This may make it harder to secure the tack than if you secure the tack reef point first. Also harder to re-tension the luff. Plus the sail trim may be wonky once you do re-raise the main, because normally the sail is raised and luff tensioned before we mess with outhaul tension.
The standard reefing steps I've seen everywhere and all the old salts I know use & teach is same as *METHOD TWO*, which, from the article with a bit more details, is:
1) Ease the boom vang and then the mainsheet so both are slack. 2) Take up the topping lift so the boom is stabilized. 3) Lower the main halyard until the desired reefing tack cringle is in position. 4) Tighten and make fast the reefing tack line, or put the tack cringle onto the gooseneck hook, ring or shackle. 5) Hoist the main halyard until the luff is firm and wrinkle-free. 6) Take in the reefing clew line, or luff cringle [...] as much as possible, and make fast. 7) Ease the main topping lift. 8) Trim the mainsheet. 9) Tighten the boom vang.
My most common mistake in the sequence is, I forget to ease the topping lift, until I've sailed off with the reef in and then notice something seems off about the boom position and/or sail trim.
Also...
First, secure the topping lift, as you're about to lower the main sail and don't want the boom falling down.
Having a smart setup for your topping lift is part of safe quick easy reefing.
To quote from the reefing 101 article I posted earlier: "Topping lifts and clew lines should never terminate at or near the end of the boom; these would potentially require the crew to hang dangerously over the lifelines to access them." Another hazard, even if you can safely reach the aft end of boom, is getting smacked or yanked around by the boom while trying to secure/release anything near its aft end. Much more force and movement at aft end!
So as with clew reefing lines, have working end of topping lift within easy reach from front of cockpit and/or companionway.
Two basic options:
1) Fixed end at masthead, to small block near aft end of boom, and then forward along boom to clamcleat in same fore-aft vicinity as clew reefing & outhaul cleats. This is how mine is set up - in one of the photos I posted you can see the small block near aft end of boom for topping lift line. It is on port side, as there is not reasonably room for another line on starboard side if there are two reefs plus outhaul. Less so on the smaller boom of an M15. It's easy to work topping lift by touch from starboard side by just reaching under the boom where the clew reefing & outhaul cleats are. Also less likely to be mistaken for a clew reefing line in 'urgent' (panic!) situations.
2) Fixed end at aft end of boom, thru block at/near masthead, and down mast to cleat near base, in vicinity of tack reefing cleats (on port side for same reasons as when on boom).
I consider 1) better because no need for an additional block at masthead. If anything fouls or jams up there when you need that topping lift working....not good!
cheers, John
-- 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