Single-Line Reefing on GREYHAWK
reefing lines made fast around boom, then led to block at reef clew cringle, then to sheave at end of boom (runs internally through boom). |
Close up of ball-bearing block added at reefing clew cringle. Webbing strap keeps the block from flopping around too much. |
Close up of the webbing rings I made up to attach blocks to the reefing clew cringles. |
reefing lines come through the boom through sheave at forward end of boom, up around ball-bearing block at reef tack cringle, down through fairlead on mast near gooseneck, down to block at base of mast, then back to cockpit where it can be put on a winch and secured with a clutch. |
Close up of the ball-bearing block added at the reefing tack cringle. Webbing strap keeps the block from flopping around too much. I did not need to add rings here, as they were already in place for hooking around horns at gooseneck under old reefing system. |
Close up of the mast base. |
Update August 2006 | |
We broke one of the fairleads for the mainsail reefing lines -- it just popped right off and disappeared, breaking around the rivets that held it onto the mast. |
When we have the sail reefed down, the pull on these probably isn't as fair as it should be (note also that the reefing line is chafing where it exits the sheave box from the boom). Looking at this now, I guess maybe we're letting too much halyard out -- We should probably take in 6" or more, so the block is higher off the boom, with a better lead from the sheave box and the fairlead; but I also wonder if the fairleads are mounted too high -- perhaps they should be down below the gooseneck fitting? In any case, we're planning to replace the fairleads with some kind of block (perhaps attached at the gooseneck rather than on the mast? Do I even need a fairlead or a block here?) |
Of course, we're cranking in hard on the reefing line to try to get the clew down to the boom, but perhaps we need to let off on the vang more, too, when we're setting the reef. I like the single-line reefing, but I do sometimes wonder whether I should have stuck with a two-line reefing system (separate lines for tack and clew) rather than going for the single-line system. Some of my crew will tell you that I already have too many lines on this boat -- another set of reefing lines would be just too much! | |
Reefing line lead skipping the fairlead on the mast | |