Association Forum - What does this do?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

What does this do?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

USA
1484 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/29/2013 : 05:05:56

The luff on my main sail has an arrangement of line that runs between the slides...why? What do I do w/ it?

It is a bit annoying w/ a reef tucked in...as shown in the photo, the luff is away from the mast...I need to go forward to tighten the line, but that defeats the purpose of shortening sail from the cockpit...

THANKS!

Jerry

Edited by - jerlim on 06/29/2013 05:11:16

Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2013 : 07:08:40

Looks like an attempt to make a mainsail jackline:

Catalina Direct:

http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?feature=34

Supposed to allow the sail to fall away from the mast/boom for better reefing.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5376 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2013 : 07:27:07

Funny - with this weird summer weather in LI Sound, I've kept my main reefed on my past several outings. I don't have that kind of arrangement with the lower track slugs but I've never noticed a problem with the luff bunching up. Could this be a solution in search of a problem?

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2013 : 07:38:43

It looks like Jerry has both a jackline and mast gates. You don't need both, but one or the other is very helpful.

They both solve the same problem, which is letting the mainsail get down tight on the boom even though the opening in the mast track is well above the boom. The jackline does this by letting the sail get away from the bottom few sail slugs when there is no tension in the sail. The slugs sit above the mast track while the sail curls up below. The mast gates do it by allowing the sail slugs to slide past the opening in the mast.

Considering the rough cut of the mast slot on a Catalina mast I think I'd prefer a jackline on a C-25. With a more modern mast that includes a nicely machined mast gate I do prefer the mast gate solution.

Edited by - awetmore on 06/29/2013 07:39:25

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2272 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2013 : 08:17:53

The picture definitely looks like the sail is designed for reefing jacklines, but the slugs are not tied in properly for them. If you have a mast gate you don't need them, but you should definitely improve the way the slugs are tied in to improve sail shape by eliminating the large gap between the mast and your luff.

FWIW, I have a reefing jackline AND a mast gate. The jackline works for a single reef, but not for a double reef, so I added the mast gate for when I double reef.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2013 : 13:40:06

Take-five, a mast gate is precisely why you do need them. If you have a mast gate and a sail slug stop in place just above the mast gate, the slug jack line acts as an extension cord for the slug allowing the sail material to pull away from the slug to be folded down closer to the boom when you reef the main
If you do NOT have an open mast gate, then the jack line will not be any benefit.

Edited by - dmpilc on 06/29/2013 13:45:35

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2013 : 18:32:42

Many thanks to all responders...based on the insights and as we have mast gates, I plan to revert to simple slugs and will advise on any effects - Fair winds - JL

Edited by - on

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2272 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2013 : 20:40:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dmpilc
 Take-five, a mast gate is precisely why you do need them. If you have a mast gate and a sail slug stop in place just above the mast gate.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
If you have a stop above the slot, then you don't need a mast gate anyway.

I used a sail stop without a mast gate for two years, but when I decided to rig a second reef, I installed a mast gate and took out the stop. There's no need for both a mast gate and a stop.

Edited by - on

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 06/30/2013 : 04:50:19

Just read the product description on CD:

A Jackline eliminates the need to go to the mast during a reef. Reef from the safety of the cockpit. Standard on all Catalina Direct Mains'ls

The bottom luff slides are attached to the sail via the Jackline. When the sail is at full hoist, the Jackline is tight and the sail is held against the mast. When you reef, the jack line goes slack allowing the reef cringle to reach the gooseneck.

There seems to be a contradiction here...the first paragraph references reefing from the 'safety of the cockpit', yet describes that the reef cringle can reach the gooseneck...which needs to be done from the mast...

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

Members Avatar

USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 06/30/2013 : 05:06:55

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by jerlim
 
There seems to be a contradiction here...the first paragraph references reefing from the 'safety of the cockpit', yet describes that the reef cringle can reach the gooseneck...which needs to be done from the mast...

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The Reef 'Cringle' is the eye in the sail that the reefing downhaul line pulls down at the mast. So if the downhaul is ran back to the cockpit, there is no need to go forwards.

I switched out to the 2 line reefing, so the downhaul is a separate line, but even with single line reefing, the reefing line doubles back to the Reefing Cringle before turning back down to the mast foot.
<center>

Single Line Reefing
Extract from the C250 Owners Manual</center>

Paul

Edited by - britinusa on 06/30/2013 05:11:53

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.