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In praise of the second reef

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windsong
Captain

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USA
318 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/03/2009 : 06:44:08

I got caught in a squall yesterday 16 miles off the coast in Windsong. We'd been sailing in 15kt winds and 4-6' seas up to that point, really having a good time sailing with the main reefed at the first reef point. I saw 9.7 kts on the GPS several times as we surfed the rollers. Water on the horizon in all directions. Just a sweet, sweet day of sailing. Then the squalls moved in. We sailed around one, but they got bigger, darker and set up between us and shore. No way to miss them.

That morning, before I went out, I had decided to rig the second reef, and boy was I glad I did. As we approached the squall line, we put in the second reef, furled in the headsail about 2/3 of the way, and the boat looked like we had trysail-storm jib configuration. Sweet. Boat was going 5.5 kts. Well balanced. We plunged into the storm. Temperature plummeted, lightening all around, drenching rain, air filled with spray, which actually felt good because the ocean was so much warmer than the air. The sound of rain on my hood was like firecrackers in my ear. There were these strange foam streaks on the water, which I'd never seen before, but which I now know are on the Beaufort scale, indicating we were in a gale up to 34 kts, so called "Fresh Gale."

The boat just barreled through at 5 kts, close hauled, on course. Every wave brought spray back to me at the helm, but it was manageable, and dare I say, even fun. One wave sent spray so high the spreaders got a taste of seawater. After 30 minutes, we passed through the storm into a pleasant summer rain. By 6 pm, we were back in our slip.

If I had not had the second reef, it would have been a very different day. So this thread is just me singing the praise of having a second reef rigged and ready. I'll never go out again without it.

Michael Hetzer
"Windsong"
2009 Catalina 250 WK HN984
Myrtle Beach, SC

Edited by - windsong on 08/03/2009 06:50:57

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2009 : 07:15:24

Nice job Michael.

I've had two reefpoints as well as a flattening reef for Snickerdoodle pretty much since day 1. I don't use the second reef point very often... but when I do (like you found) it is just the right thing to do. I've always got the second reefpoint rigged and ready to use.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - Bill Holcomb on 08/03/2009 07:16:45

Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:48:48

Sounds like an exciting ride. I wish I could have been there. Glad everyone made it home safe.

Edited by - on

JohnP
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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2009 : 09:52:41

Good advice!

My Ullman loose-footed, full-batten main was on the boat when I bought her, and the PO set up for a single one-line reef. It calms the boat beating to windward in about 25-30 knots, but above that wind speed I'd be dumping wind.

Add second reef to the list!

Edited by - on

Voyager
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5378 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2009 : 18:51:20

The second reef sounds just like what the doctor ordered, especially for those special times when you're at Force 8. The only time I've seen "the streaks" was one time that I was on the Ferry in a gale. Hellacious, even in a big boat!

Meanwhile, do tell - how do you measure for the reef? How do you prepare the sail to add cringles? Do you sew in a patch of sail cloth? How many and what kind of eyes do you use? Brass, bronze, aluminum?

Do you think this is a DIY job? Or do you have to go to a sail maker?

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2009 : 19:24:26

Michael, how did you rig the second reef?

Edited by - on

SEAN
Admiral

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USA
772 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2009 : 20:05:27

wheres the pictures

Edited by - on

windsong
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2009 : 20:19:39

Oh, my. You all over-estimate me. Windsong came new with a second reef all rigged and ready. I just haven't been using it. Is this something new for the new C250s? There are two reefing lines rigged to my gooseneck. Normally, I don't bother to run the second reefing line thru the grommet on the leech of the sail because it can get tangled when raising the sail. I just have a stopper knot on the end of the line at the back of the boom. On Sunday, for the first time, I rigged the line, feeding it through the second reef point in the sail and back to the boom and tied a slip bowline. At the time I thought, who knows, it might come in handy. As I wrote above, it's now a permanent part of my rig.
Sean - pictures? Are you kidding? My hands were sore from the death grip I had on the wheel. Photography was not a part of the experience. :)

Edited by - windsong on 08/03/2009 20:28:50

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2009 : 06:24:53

On Iris we have a sail with a high-up first reef, and another main with two reefing points.

For the double-reefed sail, we have the same single-line reefing system as shown in the owners manual, but rigged on the opposite side of the boom. Since we have all lines led aft, the first reef runs down the stbd side of the mast, to the deck plate, through the organizer, and back to the rope clutch. The second reef is run exactly the same, but mirrored on the port side. The only difference is that the second reef has its turning block further forward since the cringle is further up the sail.

I rarely reef, but when I do, I look up to see whether I want to reef with the green line or red line so I know which line to pull.

Edited by - on

windsong
Captain

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USA
318 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2009 : 06:49:20

Chris, I think that's very smart, rigging the reefing lines back to the cockpit. Who wants to go forward in a blow and mess with THAT? Did you rig the topping lift, spinnaker halyard and outhaul also back to the cockpit? That just leaves the vang on deck. The foot of your mast must be so clean and pretty. :)

I want to do the same. I was wondering: Did you remove the jaws that hold the reef lines and outhaul at the fore end of the boom? Those jaws will catch the lines at the worst times, I have found.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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5902 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2009 : 06:54:19

Reef points are an option when you buy a mainsail. You can order 1, 2 or some long distance cruisers even order 3 sets. A third reef usually makes the area of a mainsail close to the equivalent of a storm trisail.

Some people only rig a single reef, thinking that, if they need a second reef, they can pull the reef line out of the first reef and use it to rig the second reef, but that idea doesn't work in reality. When the conditions are rough, you can't be standing up in a violently rolling cockpit, trying to thread a line through grommets on a sail while also trying to keep the sail from unfurling from the boom, and spilling all around your feet. A separate line has to be rigged through a separate cheek block on the boom for each reef, so that you can quickly tuck in a second reef in a minute or less. If you try to use the same cheek block for both reefs, it won't be positioned correctly, and you'll have to move it, and that can be very difficult in a storm.

If you sail on a small inland lake, you can get by with only one reef, because you'll probably take your sails down at the first sign of high winds and motor to your slip, but, if you sail in big waters, where you can't always get to shelter, you should have 2 reefs rigged and ready to use.

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 08/04/2009 : 08:55:37

Michael, now that you are safe back in harbor

I'd like to see some photos of how the second reef is rigged. Thanks.

Edited by - on

Prospector
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Canada
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Response Posted - 08/04/2009 : 10:28:44

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by windsong
 Chris, I think that's very smart, rigging the reefing lines back to the cockpit. Who wants to go forward in a blow and mess with THAT? Did you rig the topping lift, spinnaker halyard and outhaul also back to the cockpit? That just leaves the vang on deck. The foot of your mast must be so clean and pretty. :)

I want to do the same. I was wondering: Did you remove the jaws that hold the reef lines and outhaul at the fore end of the boom? Those jaws will catch the lines at the worst times, I have found.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The PO set up most of the lines, I have tweaked a few things here and there.

The boom is very clean, except for the reefing lines. It took me a while to figure out the ropes.

Our lines led aft include:
<ul><li>Both Halyards </li><li> Both reefing lines </li><li> Boom Vang</li>*]<li> Spin Halyard (used as whisker pole topping lift</li></ul>

It all works very nicely, however; I need to remove the cleats mounted on the mast since the sail catches on them when we go to raise the main. The same thing happens with th ewinch on th emast, but I like having it there since I've used it in emergencies before. In a perfect world, I would lower th ewinch and 1 cleat below the boom a bunch, apart from that though, the setup is near perfect. This was a big deal to me when I bought the boat.

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
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Response Posted - 08/04/2009 : 10:35:22

Chris, could you post a couple of photos of your boom vang led to the cockpit? Especially the lower part of the vang and how it leads to turning blocks. Thanks.

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SEAN
Admiral

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772 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2009 : 11:48:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Sean - pictures? Are you kidding? My hands were sore from the death grip I had on the wheel. Photography was not a part of the experience. :)<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

lol.. i hear you we were out this week end and it got windy ...i dont know i always try to catch it on film ..I tell the wife your just sitting their ..get the camara

thats when the yelling starts lol

Edited by - on

Prospector
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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2009 : 12:10:59

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Steve Milby
 
If you sail on a small inland lake, you can get by with only one reef, because you'll probably take your sails down at the first sign of high winds and motor to your slip, but, if you sail in big waters, where you can't always get to shelter, you should have 2 reefs rigged and ready to use.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The key word here is small my lake takes 3 hours to cross and offers few hidey-holes if I get in trouble. Even though I consider it small, I treat it with a great deal of respect 'cause every year a few more folks join Darwin's elite.

Edited by - on

Prospector
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Response Posted - 08/04/2009 : 12:12:16

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Nautiduck
 Chris, could you post a couple of photos of your boom vang led to the cockpit? Especially the lower part of the vang and how it leads to turning blocks. Thanks.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Here is the mast plate with step (shows blocks) from before spring launch: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AUQaxQdhQi4/SgSnBdNUgBI/AAAAAAAAAEo/f_wRSvyfx7A/s1600-h/Stouffville+005.jpg

And here are the sheaves under sail. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AUQaxQdhQi4/Se9wdPBhSJI/AAAAAAAAADY/kDYru7vMW2Y/s1600-h/IMG_4031.JPG You can't really see how the vang goes through in that shot though...
The big block that is lying down on the port side now has the vang fed through it, to the deck organizer, and back to the cockpit. (the pic is from last year before I had everything figured out)

Edited by - Prospector on 08/04/2009 12:14:28

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Michael Hetzer"Windsong"2009 Catalina 250 WK HN984Myrtle Beach, SC

Michael Hetzer
"Windsong"
2009 Catalina 250 WK HN984
Myrtle Beach, SC